Middle West Press

In her debut collection of poetry, Paying for Gas with Quarters , U.S. Army veteran Aly Allen explores and illuminates the war in Afghanistan , wartime and childhood traumas , and the challenges of  post-war parenthood . The Kindle e-book edition is available for pre-order here at this link . The print edition will release Oct. 10, 2023. Allen deployed to Afghanistan as a broadcast journalist with the U.S. 10th Mountain Division . A divorced parent of two, Allen is neurodivergent, as are her kids. She also is diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) . She recently gender-transitioned, after years of sobriety and therapy. Allen’s writing often ponders the effects war has on her children and first wife . Soldiers and veterans are directly affected by wartime experiences, she says, but how many others inherit these wounds? Many of Allen’s poems thrust readers into the midst of daily chaos—whether in the parental or soldierly gaze— weaving attempts to navigate parent-chil...

A leading monthly on-line literary journal has published an interview with Middle West Press LLC editor-publisher Randy Brown in its July 2023 issue. In the feature, Brown reveals the origins and objectives of Middle West Press. The interview, published by The Wrath-Bearing Tree , is here at this link . The interview was conducted by Peter Molin , an established observer and commenter on the American war-writing scene in the 21st century. In addition to his long-running war-and-culture blog  “Time Now” , Molin currently writes a limited-run column for Wrath-Bearing Tree titled “Strike Through the Mask!” Molin also interviewed MilSpeak Books publisher, author, and U.S. Marine veteran Tracy Crow . The   Wrath-Bearing Tree was founded in 2015 by U.S. Army veteran Aidrian Bonenberger and others. In late 2021, the publication re-organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit . Strategic plans call for developing the journal as a paying market; literary press; writing contests; and readings an...