VietNow
National Magazine
Angels in Repose
A yet-to-be
published book by VietNow member, Danny
Lliteras
A book review by Christian
Nelson
Manifesto
of
Danny Lliteras
My ghosts
are mine, and I’m
proud to have them. I want
my war memories. I want the
constant sound of small-arms
fire in the background of my
mind. I want my fragments of
warriorship, which distinguish
me from other men.
My war memories
are my badge of honor.
They are a positive and defining
element of my psyche. I
draw strength from them. I’ve
drawn my art from them.
I
refuse to have this labeled
as
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD), which would erase
or neutralize or degrade
an honorable after-effect
of war. I refuse to be
marginalized and objectified.
I refuse the false accusations
of wrong-doing that have
forced many of my brethren
to endure decades of
guilt.
My war
memories are part of
my humanity and a part of
my realistic vision of
life. I believe this
is what makes Angels
in Repose original and
fresh and new.
From the preface of Angels
in Repose
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Lots of people have written books based
on their experiences during the Vietnam
War, and many of those books have been
great. But the number of writers who have
successfully published books on the topic
of Vietnam, and also successfully published
books on other topics is a short one.
VietNow
member Danny Lliteras is one of the few
writers to be successful not only with
books about Vietnam, but also with books
on other topics. We’ve previously
reviewed Lliteras’ 613
Jefferson Street, a unique, truth-filled work of
fiction depicting the experiences of
a returning Vietnam veteran. But some
of his greatest success has come with
his four-book, critically acclaimed series
of biblical novels: Jerusalem’s
Rain, Judas
the Gentile, The
Thieves of Golgotha, and most recently, The
Silence of John.
When your books receive prestigious “starred
reviews” from Booklist, and when
the highly esteemed Library
Journal describes
your book as “Top Christian novel
of 2003,” you’ve reached
a rarefied atmosphere attained by the
very few. Danny Lliteras has reached
those peaks.
But even with his great success,
Lliteras has retained his deep interest
in the Vietnam experience, and is working
on finding a publisher for his most recent
Vietnam story, Angels
in Repose.
Never
blasé about his work, and
never reticent about his views on Vietnam
veterans, Lliteras doesn’t hold
back. During a recent phone conversation,
he asked if he could read me the preface
to Angels in Repose. I’ve listened
to many other writers read from their
own work, and I’m often less-than
impressed as they read in a monotone,
or else exaggerate every expression.
But when Lliteras read me this preface,
he was obviously excited. And every
word, and every intonation of his voice
rang true.
Lliteras refuses to bend,
and refuses to tone himself down. He
doesn’t believe
in PTSD (at least not for himself)
and he believes that the vast majority
of Vietnam veterans have led successful
lives – unlike
the media-pushed view of tortured,
failure-prone, semi-crazed Vietnam
veterans. Fortunately, the now out-of-business
Viet Nam War Generation
Journal, published
a few chapters of Angels
in Repose,
so at least parts of this book have
already seen the light of day.
When Lliteras
read the preface to me over the phone
that day, I got excited.
I felt my heart beating faster. It
was a real turn-on. Partly it was what
I heard him saying, and partly it was
the way he said it. More than an introduction
to his book, this preface is the manifesto
of Vietnam veteran, Danny Lliteras.
Christian Nelson is the VietNow National
editor.
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