Character interviews …

Author - Can you tell us Marcus a bit about yourself, and how you feel about being a principal character in this first book of a trilogy?

“Well, thank you. About me … well, I grew up in Rome, the son of a prominent legislator and former Legionnaire. This of course gave me a certain world view as you might say. We always spoke as though Rome ruled the world, and would to the ends of time. I felt this as a definition of life in my times. 

 I feel privileged to lead off in the book. I felt it placed my life in perspective, to have given birth as it were, to the antagonists in subsequent chapters … and books. I hope the story will go on.

Author – “What did you feel were the most rewarding aspects of your character?”

“My interaction with other characters was the most enjoyable, especially in being able to name two sons. Each was named after an ancient God of the desert, Gilgash after Gilgamesh, and Shama after Shamash; we felt this was our way of blessing their paths. Besides that I enjoyed fighting my way across Gaul to far off lands across the sea.”

Author – “Didn’t you feel that war was dangerous, of little worth to the peoples you encountered?”

“No, quite the opposite. I feel peace is overrated. War is action; challenge… the struggle of life versus death. It creates its own vitality.”

Well, while stumbling through the basement file cabinets, in pursuit of a candied yam or a sugar plum fairy… my notes from a course once taught. It was at Germanna Community College and the course syllabus called it … “The American Experience in Vietnam.” While looking for course materials to donate to a Military Museum in Largo, MD reams of material, even notes on special guests that came as guest speakers were discovered. One speaker was the last Vietnamese Chief of Naval Operations. He was not the best speaker, as his worldview was very old school and paternalistic … I talk, you listen, that sort of approach Well, others were far more interesting. The course did not have that much of interest to the young student body and eventually failed to get enough sign ups to restart the next semester … a real shame.

Well, my friend – the widow of an officer I served with in Nam, hasn’t called. I feel a little down, as I spent an hour going through my old class notes and figuring out what I can donate. My son didn’t want the North Vietnamese flag I had, so I guess even that can go. Ah me!

Late note – I find I’m spending more time reading Blogs and doing this blogging than writing … will have to address that as a New Years Resolution.