Tim Denning
the WAR of art
Hi Steven,
ï can’t tell you exactly what age ï was when ï first read Gates of Fire.
All ï know is, ï was waking up at 430am each day to read it … and ï couldn’t put it down.
The characters | the “unexplainable” historical vision | the inspiration …
it really is a masterpiece.
Reading your tactical/battle specifics in Virtues of War leaves my jaw on the floor every time.
For a long time ï couldn’t make sense of it.
“How can someone, who couldn’t possibly have knowledge of such a time and place, describe it in such flawless detail …. as though he were, himSELF fighting along Alexanders shoulder, or watching the battle from the sky”.
ï suppose, ïm getting closer to answering that question.
In the same breath … ï might just be drowning.
The past three years have watched me deconstruct every belief ïve ever held and come out better (albeit HELL every step of the way).
Last year ï tore up my (first) Dream Career after ten years in High School Football & Health/Fitness Education.
ï m now living from a car, forsaking the love of my 3 boys’ mother, and scraping through each day on hope and faith alone.
ï won’t detail anything more because … you’ve already written my entire story in every one of your novels.
You painted me a portrait for daily self reflection in all of your memoirs.
You held up a mirror … and now its a mirror ï open and listen to every day before ï sit down to “do the work”.
ïve wanted to express my admiration and gratitude for quite some time.
Never knew how or what to say.
ï suppose, the feeling of being trapped under water and not knowing where my next twenty dollars will come from, was enough to force me back to gratitude.
The truth is … ï never meant to be a writer.
ï never meant to be a teacher.
ï only knew that ï loved football and since ï spent the second half of my own teens, sprinting full time into fucking it all up … ï wanted to help guys like me.
Then one day, standing naked in the middle of the high desert, a story came through me from start to finish.
It was my story and it wasn’t my story.
It’s everyones story … so it’s an important one.
This letter wasn’t begun with any intention or expectation.
But as ï write it now … ï suppose it’s a “thank you” wrapped inside a need to have someone believe me.
ï know you already do.
ï’ve never had a “hero” Steve.
Never wanted to be anyone but myself.
But ï cant think of another person on earth who has had such a miraculous affect on my life.
For that … ï love you and THANK YOU.
You mean everything to us,
Tim Sherlock and the rest of the hūManz
PS
just GO to his landing page for 30 seconds
(you’ll understand why once you’re their)
