I am stymied trying to publish my novel about Iraq, "Our Phoney War."  I am stymied because I am a first time novelist? I am stymied because I am a nobody who lives in Seattle without a track record in the publishing industry, and I haven't been to Iraq? I am stymied because I want to write fiction, whereas 1300 books of non-fiction have appeared now in print on the subject; every asshole higher than a staff sargeant who spent more than a month over there has a title in print.  No! I'll tell you why I am stymied. Because no one believes this "material." Not agents, or even people on this site believe this material, or don't want to believe this material. I am stymied because I am working against the propaganda of both the Republicans and the Democrats. This blog is an attempt to establish the intellectual foundation for my book, and to show how fiction can reveal a greater depth of truth than non-fiction.