New book review in Split Lip Magazine

Normally my involvement with Split Lip Magazine is limited to running its social media accounts—finding GIFs that fit with the work we publish, mostly. But this month I had the opportunity to review Incoming: Sex, Drugs, and Copenhagen, a collection of essays written by United States veterans. The anthology focuses on escapism under extreme circumstances, and I appreciated its diversity. The memoirs are written by queer veterans, female veterans, veterans of color; the conflicts it discusses are as distant as Vietnam and as recent as Afghanistan.

But I’ll let you read the review itself. To be honest, I was nervous to publish it—I’ve never written a book review anywhere other than my own blog. Many thanks to our Interviews/Reviews editor Clancy McGilligan for his guidance!

I hope I did the collection justice, as I have very little experience with the military. I think my maternal grandfather fought in World War II, but he died when I was young. My paternal grandfather always said he was on the way to Japan when we dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—I have what’s left of his Army sewing kit. Who knows how “on the way” he really was, though—Grandpa was a hyperbolic guy, and we all loved him for it.

The most interaction I’ve had with veterans was when I taught English composition at UNLV; being so close to Nellis Air Force Base, several of my students were airmen. One had been in the military police. My biggest class clown had done two tours in Iraq—some of the essays in Incoming really reminded me of his voice.

Anyway, I’m glad I found my way to this anthology. It was heartbreaking and hysterical and enlightening all at once.