Ghosting under new nom de plume
Last week I published my review of “The Ghost of Donald J. Trump” in its new edition by the author formerly known as Raphael Nevins. The author has now changed his name, and reissued an updated version of the novel.
“W.I. Westmoreland” agreed to answer a few questions about both – the name change as well as the book.
This timely novel takes on Trump with a lot of irony – it’s a funny romp at times – what inspired it in the first place?
As we witness more than 100,000 deaths [brought on] by an invisible killer, and while armed men in uniform kill defenseless others in broad daylight, I needed to raise the question: What does it mean to be an American, especially after the 45th president has thrown our moral compass into the deep muddy?
Trump has sanctioned police and vigilante brutality, trashed the free press and lashed out and fired dedicated civil servants, actions designed to assure his reelection as he and his family line their pockets.
Why did you return to it now?
First, I wanted to correct the many typos and grammatical errors in the original publication.
More importantly, the revised fictional narrative is a product of both factional and fictional musings that required “The Ghost of Donald J. Trump” to be updated. Weaving recent events about how the Trump administration ignored the warnings of the coming COVID 19 pandemic, coupled with the president’s indifference to the suffering and economic tragedy impacting the lives of our most vulnerable citizens, I raised the curtain on plausible circumstances that could have led to his untimely demise and reappearance as a “ghost.”
While most readers may be keenly aware of the factual details of the Trump family’s exploits and transgressions, nevertheless by imagining events that conceivably might lead to cataclysmic changes in the future American political landscape might be a fruitful exercise.
What if instead of embarking on the alt-right nationalist path, Trump had devoted himself to rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of our bridges, highways and schools, factories and rural resiliency?
Enlightened leadership at the highest levels of government, as well as in corporate boardrooms, require fostering a culture of decency, honesty and transparency. The people of American should demand no less, if we are to recover our sense of well-being and regain our vitality anew.
It is my hope that readers will enjoy the wild ride and journey into a prophetic future as they too raise the bar as to what each American must do to preserve our great nation.
Is the new nom de plume a riff on Gen. Westmoreland?
The nom de plume, W. I. Westmoreland, is indeed a riff on the controversial American general who was so skillful in manufacturing truth and disguising the nature of the deadly perversion of American ethics and values. I wanted to harken back to those dark days and offer him a chance at redemption by writing his first novel, as “ghost.”
The newly revised edition is available at barnesandnoble. com/w/the-ghost-of-donald-jtrump-w-i-westmoreland.