James Kelly

Bird Without a Song James Kelly

Bird without a Song is a novel about Michael Carmody, who leaves college after the Gulf of Tonkin incident and joins the Marines to fight for his country. In Vietnam, while flying in Marine medevacs, he meets a Navy nurse aboard a hospital ship and admires her. Upon his return to Laguna Beach, he goes back to UCLA and resumes his studies for a number of years while struggling with PTSD. In graduate school, he meets the nurse on campus and falls in love. They marry and live together for a few years until her tragic death. After years of mourning, Michael goes to Costa Rica on family business to find himself involved in the Iran Contra scandal and falls in love again. Author of "Air War," a poem, published in Redwood Writers 2018 Poetry Anthology. Author of "The Repose," a short story, published in Redwood Writers 2018 Anthology. Author of "The Rockpile," a short story, published in Redwood Writers 2018 Anthology.