Guns and the American People
“Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” We hear this a lot from the right side of the political spectrum. “It’s too easy to get a gun and too easy to kill with it,” the left responds. The extreme view … Read More
Turning Stories into Novels
All great writers are good storytellers. Not all good storytellers are great writers. How does a writer go from merely telling stories to writing novels with substance; books that leave the reader with something important to think about? In other … Read More
“Lovemarks” in Literature
The term “literature” covers a lot of ground. Ordinarily, literature is thought to be writing that has appealed to a large number of readers over a long period of time. So-called “classic” literature is sometimes measured according to four criteria: … Read More
Writer’s Blog, Part II
So… having published one novel, I began examining possible scenarios for the sequel. As a SEAL, and as an academic, I had developed a keen interest in terrorism (and some expertise in counter terrorism). I thought my characters would be … Read More
Writer’s Blog, Part I
Writer’s Blog, Part I I wanted to write… about writing. This is not an esoteric subject; everyone writes in one way or another. Especially now, with email and social media, most people spend a lot of time at the keyboard. … Read More
The Contested Concept of Terrorism
The Contested Concept of Terrorism Paul Shemella is a retired Captain of the U.S. Navy SEAL who dedicated most of his military service to planning and executing counter-terrorism operations in regions like Latin America and Europe. Over the last decade, … Read More
Portraying Drugs and Thugs in Literature
As the world progresses, literature also becomes more diverse and daring. To be clear, literature has always been bold. It has been an avenue for social commentaries, propagandas, and even revolutions. However, what distinguishes new literature from the old one … Read More