Uncorking a Story Podcast

Uncorking a Story

Hosted ByMike Carlon

Stories influence, teach and inspire us, but what about the storytellers who create them? Uncorking a Story profiles storytellers to uncover how their background and life experiences influence the stories they create. We learn what motivates them, their path to success, and what fuels them to keep creating. It all starts by asking one simple question, where does your story begin? Welcome to uncorking a story. All of the books promoted on Uncorking a Story can be viewed and purchased here: https://bookshop.org/shop/UncorkingaStory

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War, Writing, and Redemption, with H. Lee Barnes

October 21, 2025 MPN Uncorking a Story 0 Comments
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Fiction is the only way I know to get to the truth of human experience.” — H. Lee Barnes

In this episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with award-winning author H. Lee Barnes, whose life journey has taken him from the battlefields of Vietnam to the classrooms of Nevada, and ultimately to the pages of acclaimed novels and short stories. With his trademark candor, Lee reflects on how his military service shaped his worldview, why he turns to fiction to make sense of human complexity, and the role of writing in healing and understanding. This conversation explores the intersection of memory, trauma, and creativity — and what it means to search for truth through storytelling.

Key Takeaways:

  1. The Writer’s Duty – For Barnes, fiction is not an escape from truth but a way to uncover it.
  2. War and Perspective – His combat experiences continue to inform his themes of resilience, morality, and human frailty.
  3. Teaching and Mentorship – Barnes believes in passing along hard-earned wisdom to the next generation of writers.
  4. The Complexity of Memory – Memory, he notes, is unreliable yet deeply powerful as fuel for creative expression.
  5. Truth in Storytelling – Even imagined narratives can illuminate realities that journalism or memoir may miss.
  6. Writing as Survival – Crafting stories became a way for him to process trauma and find meaning in chaos.
  7. Cultural Connection – His stories often bridge divides, helping readers step into perspectives far from their own.

Buy Emerald City Blues

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VsnzDV

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781647792138

 

Connect with H. Lee Barnes

Website: https://www.hleebarnes.net/

Connect with Mike

Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/

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#UncorkingAStory #HLeeBarnes #AuthorInterview #WritingLife #Storytelling #VeteranVoices #TruthInFiction

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