I had a great time at the Bluegrass Writers Coalition Conference in Frankfort yesterday. In addition to listening to some great presenters and attending some valuable workshops, I got to make some new friends and visit old ones, including fellow writers I’ve known for some time from the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning in Lexington. I was particularly intrigued […]
Author: James b. Wells
JAMES B. WELLS is a retired criminology and criminal justice professor in the School of Justice Studies in the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science at Eastern Kentucky University, and is the recipient of the 2025 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences John Howard Award, an award given intermittently, upon significant demand, to recognize an individual who has made significant and sustained contributions to the practice of corrections. A former carpenter, soldier, and correctional officer in a super-maximum-security prison and later as a researcher/planner assisting architects in prison design, he has multiple degrees, including an M.S. in Criminal Justice, a Ph.D. in Research, and an MFA in Creative Writing. He’s authored or co-authored over sixty-five books, chapters, articles, and essays, as well as over a hundred and fifty research reports for various local, state, and federal agencies. Recent essays from his research and memoir work appear or are forthcoming in Collateral Journal, About Place Journal, Wild Roof Journal, Military Experience and the Arts, The Wrath-Bearing Tree, Shift, Proud to be: Writing by American Warriors, Trajectory Journal, and From Pen to Page III: More Writings from the Bluegrass Writers Coalition.
His investigative memoir about his father's still CIA-classified death in Vietnam in 1965, titled Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, will be launched on Father's Day weekend, 2025. Links to publications, presentations, trailers, social media, blog, and other information can be found at https://jamesbwells.com. James enjoys spending much of his leisure time with his spouse on their Lexington, Kentucky farm located on the palisades of the Kentucky River, where he is an organic gardener and beekeeper.
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“Never Too Late Cafe” Podcast
Laura Womack, who I met at a Woodsongs Artists Picnic in Southern Ohio, recently featured me in one of her “Never Too Late Café” podcasts about stories she finds interesting. The podcast discusses my in-progress investigative memoir and other life experiences, including people who have greatly influenced me and my writing. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1877584/12675870-episode-063-james-b-wells-the-never-too-late-podcast?fbclid=IwAR1zicYhC5AWdT6o63k4QeSol3aHwr_xCM0Y5CsuL3lS5Cu-ALvUfCoCpnY
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May 21 Reading at Cafe Luigart
I love the fact that I’ll be reading again at Cafe Luigart in Lexington on May 21, beginning at 4 pm. What a terrific venue for prose, poetry, music, dance and other art forms…and unbelievable desserts!
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Faculty Spotlight at EKU
I owe a special gratitude of thanks to my School of Justice Studies Chair Dr. Victoria Collins for wanting to Spotlight my interview with “Veterans for Peace Radio Hour” on our college’s home page https://justice.eku.edu/news/spotlight-dr-james-wells
Last night I read a recently drafted essay inspired by my Twitter feed where I tweet a whistleblowing fact each day. I hope to polish it further and to submit it to a literary journal later this summer.
Yesterday evening, I taped an interview for the “Veterans for Peace Radio Hour” in Louisville, KY. Peter Berres, Vietnam vet and writer and the host for this month’s program, says in his intro: Today’s program is an interview with author Dr. James Wells who is completing a book about his, and his family’s history – after […]
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AWP Conference in Seattle
In addition to reconnecting with MFA Blue Grass Writers Studio faculty, alumni, students and meeting several military-themed authors, I attended some great panels, including one on “investigative memoirs.” It’s nice to know the genre of my book is now officially recognized.
Video of January 15, 2023 reading at the Luigart Cafe in Lexington, Kentucky
Reading at the Luigart Cafe is such a treat. Talented artists, large appreciative audiences, great desserts, electric guitar accompaniments, and now, artist sketches of you while you read. Thank you Laverne, Larry and sketch artist Leslie Dodd. I’ll try to get my reading with Larry’s electric guitar accompaniment uploaded to my blog ASAP.
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A Personal Story
I never intended for my book to take on a spiritual theme. When researching and writing it over the last ten years, I have tried to rely solely on my training and experiences as a social scientist and writer. However, despite my best efforts, my faith took precedence in my interpretation of several beyond-coincidental events […]
James B. Wells 