JJ Sutherland, Donations

I mentioned JJ and I talking about an Iraq novel based on his experiences there -- I didn't think any of the pieces he'd sent me had ever been made public, but he said in the comments that two of them had. Here they are:

NPR.org, April 3, 2006 · NPR Baghdad producer JJ Sutherland sends this dispatch from the dark side.

I get a call the other night. They've found four more bodies in western Baghdad. They're bound, hands and feet. They're blindfolded. They've been shot in the head. Their bodies bear wounds from beatings and electrical burns, and someone has used a drill on their flesh. That's just one phone call. I get a few more. Every night it seems, dozens of bodies turn up, both Shiite and Sunni, often killed in the same fashion.

More.

And this one:

The 'Hunters' of Afghanistan
by JJ Sutherland

NPR.org, July 7, 2006 · News out of Afghanistan is often overshadowed by the horrible stories of bloody conflict in Iraq. But Afghanistan is no party either, with armed terrorists hoping to take down the fledgling government and American troops still patrolling the country. But, unlike Iraq, Afghanistan is at least safe enough for a war zone reporter and producer to venture out among the people. As evidence, I relay to you this lovely epistle, sent from blogger #1 JJ Sutherland, currently in Afghanistan:

I spent today in Kabul's bird market. A 10-foot-wide packed dirt alley walled by two-story mud shacks. The first floor is the store. There are birds of every type and color. Canaries, finches, doves, fighting cocks, quail... the ones with the needle looking feathers... the ones that are the size of your thumb... the ones that I can't even describe, let alone know the name of.

More.

~~~~~

Jeff Smith wrote me (nice letter Jeff, thank you) asking when I was going to put a donate button up on the blog. "When I get around to it" is the answer (possibly this weekend, but no promises) ... but if anyone is really dying to donate and can't wait, using the yahoo domain account danmoran909 will work ... and thank you to everyone who feels this way. Unless someone tells me not to I'll post the donations, who from and the amount, and donations will be fed back into literary-related expenses.

It's genuinely touching to me that people are still hanging onto this material after all these years.

Amy and I are going to a concert tonight but I'll try to get her to read the 1st half of AI War over the weekend, and will send it on to proofers once she does.

~~~~~

Almost forgot -- Jodi's agreed to let me post "Devlin's Razor." It's a really fun book about the Prophet Harry, referenced repeatedly, that she wrote 15+ years ago herself. That and "Terminal Freedom" should go up within the next few weeks -- gotta get them both out to proofers as well. Anyone to volunteer and actually proof will get a shot at the AI War proofing as well....