MWSA Book Review

Ghost of The Nam

Author:  Charlie Fortner

Publisher:  Charlie Fortner

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

RARE COMBINATION OF ART & PROSE IN ONE BOOK!

Talking about this book doesn’t give it justice; this is one book that needs to be seen and looked at as well as read.  Poet and artist Charlie Fortner has complied a collection of his Vietnam War themed art and prose into one volume called “Ghost of The Nam.”  It is a book that jumps right out at you.  The book is oversized and makes a good coffee table book to have laying around your front room for your guests to pick up and browse through.  The colors of the art and the emotionally striking images tell a whole story by themselves.

You can tell that the very heart and soul of this writer went into putting this collection together.  The whole book works to weave a story together that tells you of his own experiences in Nam.  Great book of poetry, art and stories; this book will emotionally haunt you as you turn each page to discover more and more of this veteran’s journey.

He has donated much of the revenue of this book to veteran causes and charities.  The real package deal is to be able to see Charlie make an in-person presentation, as I have been lucky enough to do several times.  His words and art work, along with the impact of his almost spiritual presentation, moves audiences to emotional places of the heart that are rarely ever traveled. GREAT BOOK OF POEMS & ART!

MWSA's 2004 Gold Medal Award for Poetry