Update: Show’s over, listen to the archived show here.

You can listen to our weekly podcast live tonight by clicking here.  To call in to the show, call (347) 677-0693.

Tonight we’ll have on author Mark B. Pickering who wrote Story of the Sand.  Here’s a description of Mark’s work:

The well-being of American veterans and soldiers has generated much notice of late. From the outcry last year over substandard conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, to a recent Washington Post report on the increase in soldier suicides in the U.S. (up 20 percent since 2006), people are starting to take notice of how our returning soldiers are treated—for both their mental and physical wounds.

In an attempt to understand the journey of soldiers returning from war, Mark B. Pickering conducted in-depth interviews with American veterans, including ex-soldiers from World War II, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. His new novel, “Story of the Sand” (December 2007), is based on what he learned from these firsthand conversations with veterans, all of whom displayed similar effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. I thought you might be interested in speaking with Pickering on your show about the state of veterans in America today.

“These veterans opened up to me about their lives and the lives of their fellow soldiers, families and loved ones,” says Pickering, who drew many of the situations in his book dealing with addiction, relationship strife and suicidal tendencies from the real-life experiences of American veterans. “These stories grew a weight inside me until the chance sighting of a young man with a prosthetic leg began the journey of writing Story of the Sand.”

Story of the Sand follows Sampson Roy, an Iraq war veteran who returns home to Georgia only to find himself unable to cope with society or interact with his family and loved ones. While his injuries are not physical, Roy’s psychological wounds from his time spent in the Middle East have a much deeper impact on his life. He struggles with alcohol dependence, homelessness and suffers from a mental breakdown. While Roy eventually works to conquer his demons and return to the life he once knew, the ghost of a fellow soldier observes and struggles with his own need to let go of the past.

We’ll also be covering the following topics:

What’s the significance of Ralph Nader getting into the presidential race again?

Is Hillary done?  Is Obama’s messiah-like image showing some cracks?  How significant is Obama’s connection to the left-wing Weatherman terrorists?

Is Jim Shaw’s reporting on North Dakota Workforce Safety going beyond bias to staged theater?  What’s with the girl crawling on the ground because of a hurt foot?

Again, you can listen live by clicking here.  There will also be a chat room available at that link which I’ll be monitoring during the show if you’d like to discuss with other listeners or ask questions.  Before you come into the chat room, be sure to register first so that not everyone in the room is named “Guest.”

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