Soldier writings due out next fall

During the past few years, dozens of books have been released about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But one due next fall from Random House stands out for a key reason: It was originated by the federal government.

“Above and Beyond,” a compilation of poetry, fiction and nonfiction by U.S. soldiers and their families about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was conceived last year by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tom Clancy, Tobias Wolff and Mark Bowden were among the writers who led workshops for contributors.

Proceeds will be divided among the writers, Random House and the Southern Arts Federation, a not-for-profit agency that has administered the NEA’s “Operation Homecoming,” out of which “Above and Beyond” was developed.

Nancy Miller, a Random House executive editor and senior vice president, called “Above and Beyond” a “landmark” and said Random House would give it a large first printing.

The book’s editor, Andrew Carroll, expects it to contain at least 100 selections, including poems, short stories, essays and letters.

Carroll is founder of the Legacy Project, a national, all-volunteer effort to compile letters and e-mails from those serving in wars.

“I think the writing for this book is extraordinary,” he said. “Writers like (Kurt) Vonnegut and Tim O’Brien waited years after their service to write their books (about war). There’s an immediacy and rawness to this book that makes it so compelling.”