All choices are illusions, or if they are not illusions their strength is illusory, for one choice must contend with the choices of all the other men and women deciding anything in that moment. Kevin Powers More Quotes by Kevin Powers More Quotes From Kevin Powers It reminded me of talking, how what is said is never quite what was thought, and what is heard is never quite what was said. It wasn’t much in the way of comfort, but everything has a little failure in it, and we still make do somehow. Kevin Powers comfort littles talking Freedom is not the same as lack of accountability. Kevin Powers accountability To understand the world, one’s place in it, is to be always at the risk of drowning. Kevin Powers drowning risk world All pain is the same. Only the details are different. Kevin Powers details pain different The war came to me in my dreams and showed me its sole purpose: to go on, only to go on. Kevin Powers purpose dream war But I remember being told that the truth does not depend on being believed. Kevin Powers depends doe remember The details of the world in which we live are always secondary to the fact that we must live in them. Kevin Powers details facts world I knew that at least a few of the stars I saw were probably gone already, collapsed into nothing. I felt like I was looking at a lie. But I didn't mind. The world makes liars of us all. Kevin Powers stars liars life I wanted something that I could look back on and say, yes, you were fighting too, you burned to be alive, and whatever failure or accident of nature caused you to be killed could be explained by something other than the fact that I'd missed your giving up. Kevin Powers giving-up fighting looks Michael Koryta's THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD is an absolutely thrilling read. I read most of it with my breath held, occasionally exhaling to ask myself, 'What will happen next?' I highly recommend it. Kevin Powers exhaling next wish The war tried to kill us in the spring. As grass greened the plains of Nineveh and the weather warmed, we patrolled the low-slung hills beyond the cities and towns. We moved over them and through the tall grass on faith, kneading paths into the windswept growth like pioneers. While we slept, the war rubbed its thousand ribs against the ground in prayer. Kevin Powers prayer spring war The world makes liars of us all. Kevin Powers liars world One of the things my service in Iraq did give me was this freedom from fear of failure or any kind of expectations that I had to take a standard path. Kevin Powers iraq expectations giving Poetry and prose are of equal importance to me as a reader, and there doesn't seem to be much difference in my own writing. Kevin Powers importance differences writing I understand that it's incredibly difficult to watch what's happening on the news every day and not become inured to it. I've fallen victim to that myself, wanting to look away. Kevin Powers news watches looks I think a lot of the guys I know and a lot of people I've talked to, what they want is very often what most people want, a kind of simple life, a livelihood, a family, people who care about them, people they can care about. I think vets on the whole want the same things that everybody else does. Kevin Powers simple people thinking I know that the writers I read and admire all have an influence on my work, but trying to determine to what degree any particular piece of input changes the way I think about writing seems counterproductive. Kevin Powers writing trying thinking I wasn't a good student in high school. I wanted to go to college, but they weren't exactly beating down my door to offer me admission, and it's so expensive in the U.S. If you join up for a period, the army will pay your school and provide a stipend. Kevin Powers good me you school