James B. WellsJAMES 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.
Yesterday, Brenda and I had a memorable experience with the veterans group at the Estill County Library. My presentation of my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, was especially meaningful for both me and the veterans group, as it focused on it focused on how […]
A rough draft of an unfinished chapter of my father’s life that did not make it into my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, is about my father’s duties while in Nuremberg from 1946 to 1952. He was a Provost Sergeant in charge of […]
Brenda and I had a wonderful time today at the Spencer County Library in Taylorsville. I discussed and signed copies of my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Cover-Up and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew. We particularly enjoyed the discussion afterward, where we had the opportunity to meet and converse with […]
My Veterans Day presentation for my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Cover-up and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, was particularly meaningful last night, as it took place in Versailles—a location featured in the final chapters where several members from St. John’s Episcopal Church were included as characters. I would like […]
On this Veteran’s Day, I honor the sacrifices made by those in uniform, including the thoughts and prayers they offered to help them come to grips with what they have to do. “I live good enough when I am out then its hell. I take a few jugs of whiskey with me, my prayer book […]
Most of the 400 letters I discovered after my father’s death in Vietnam were love letters. Because of this, I felt compelled to include a chapter in the draft of my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, where I resurrect his words and actions […]
We had a fantastic day at the Kentucky Book Festival yesterday. Sales at my table were terrific, and I thoroughly enjoyed my participation in the panel titled “Uncovering Family,” where all four panelists discussed their nonfiction works to an engaged audience. It was meaningful to be at the same bookstore where I launched my investigative […]
Whether or not time, shame, ambivalence, prejudice, or the government has intentionally buried secrets about a member of your family, you’ll want to attend this panel on “Uncovering Family” at 11:00 am on the KCTCS stage at the Kentucky Book Festival tomorrow. Three other panelists and I will discuss our books and focus on the […]
West Virginia continued to welcome us this week with lots of great conversation and book sales at the West Virginia Book Festival in Charleston. With West Virginia having one of the highest per-capita rates of veterans, I was hoping my investigative memoir, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He […]
Yesterday, we had a great author event at the Kricker Innovation Hub at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, OH. I was in conversation with Andrew Feight, Professor of American History and the Director of the Center for Public History. The event was attended by several locals, including cousin Mary Jo Pfleger, friend Laura Womack, students, […]
James B. Wells