This is a story, in the main, about an American family, exiled from the market place in Connecticut and dropped into Lebanon–one of the most violent civil wars of the 20th century. A child was born, two evacuations were effected, several detentions, a kidnapping as well as occasional self inflicted abuse by the protagonists. But this story is more ambitious than that; it is also an abiding eye on the great presumption of an ‘exceptional’ America to pervade the Middle East with its influence and the evident failures of such hopes. ‘The Water Above’ heralds the new era before America as well as what values Americans will carry forth as illustrated by one such foot soldier of western civilization.
Eminently modern but equally eminently American as Tocqueville’s protagonist who in his soul, remains ‘delinked, free and tragic’.
Gray Jacobik is a painter and poet who works in various mediums and styles. The cover art, ” The Water Above the Firmament” is one of her encaustic paintings Visit Her Website
Virginia Konchan is the author of four poetry collections and a collection of short stories. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The New Republic.
W.E. "Bill" Barnes views the world from his perspective as former political editor and columnist for the San Francisco Examiner, and Contributing Editor for Time magazine.
Ralph Pezzullo is the bestselling author of over two dozen books including Jawbreaker, Zero Footprint and Saigon, an award-winning playwright, and host and producer of the popular podcast Heroes Behind Headlines.
Congressman Brian Baird served 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and is the founder and chair of the National Museum and Center for Service, an organization dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms. During his time in Congress Dr. Baird visited Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, and Sarajevo among other places.
Dr. Baird holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, specializing in neuropsychology, and he has served as a university president and department chair.
After being hauled out of a rice paddy in Vietnam in 1969 and then spending 18 months in various neuro-psychiatric wards in the USA, with time, David Holdridge