James Michael Dupree
Books
One Soldier Three Wars
Edited by James Dupree (grandson of the late Lt. Col. Fred W. Wilmot), One Soldier Three Wars tells Fred's journey fighting three of America’s toughest wars, on the battlefield and as an advisor for the U.S. Army’s Psychological Warfare Division.
Through the Window Pane
Written by James and illustrated by this mother, Kathleen, this collection offers a glimpse into a tapestry of one hundred 100-word stories, spanning realms both familiar and fantastical.
Other Writings
Fish Out of Water
One night, in the spring of 2015, a sentence popped into my head: "There's a fish on my desk and it's weirding me out." It was a strange sentence indeed. I still don't know what led to its existence. Did I eat fish that night? Did I think about eating fish? Did I see a fish earlier that day? Was it from a dream? Did some ethereal being with a predilection for fish (or was a fish itself) whisper the idea into my ear? Whatever the reason, I now had this peculiar sentence. So I wrote an equally peculiar story around it.
The Five Stages of Writing
I took a Life Writing course despite my aversion to the idea of writing about myself. I didn’t think I had much to say or that my experiences were interesting enough. I was quick to learn that everyone in the class felt similarly and how cathartic writing about your life can be. I was specifically attracted to the braided essay style: a series of short paragraphs about seemingly random topics all tying together through a central theme. I wrote one centered on the writing process. I incorporated experiences from other writers of different backgrounds including, comic book writers, novelists and screenwriters.
Ghostmate
This was a fun little story I came up with a few years ago while trying to fall asleep in a hotel room. I heard some vague creaky noise that my weary mind could only assume must be a ghost. I remember thinking if it was a spectral visitor, then it could mind its own business because I was too damn tired to be scared that night. Finding that initial idea funny (maybe it was the exhaustion?), I remained awake long enough to write this story on my phone and then promptly fell asleep.
For We Walk
For We Walk is available now on A Thin Slice of Anxiety. The story is hard to classify, but it has humor, horror, and, of course, the anxious thoughts of people just trying to survive in the world, whether it is a post-apocalyptic nightmare or a gig economy-based hellscape. But more importantly, it has hope. Hope that things will get better with time. And in my experience, it always does.