Colonel Vaughan Witten’s inspiring book, “The Journey: Appalachia to Paradise to Purgatory,” was displayed at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California

Every year, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books becomes livelier and brighter due to the growing number of attendees. From book lovers, casual readers, and literary collectors to authors and publishers, people gathered to celebrate literacy.

The largest book festival in the US opened its doors last April for a glamorous two-day weekend celebration with the bookworms. Held at the University of Southern California, many book enthusiasts, book lovers, and book collectors, as well as writers, established authors, and many more, attended the free event.

A lot of bookfair-goers went by the Citi of Books booth to check for their next read and potential favorite book. One of the books that were chosen is “The Journey: Appalachia to Paradise to Purgatory” by Colonel Vaughan Witten. It was displayed on April 20th and 21st at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California.

Colonel Vaughan Witten, the author of the book, was born on February 18, 1935, in Anawalt, West Virginia, in McDowell County, a small coal mining town of about 2000 people. He was born in Martinsville, Virginia, to Arlene Walker Witten and Alphonso Witten, a coal miner and Baptist minister from Anawalt, West Virginia, who died in 2000 and 1991, respectively.

At the age of 15, he received his diploma from London, West Virginia’s Washington High School. He enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 17, served for 27 years, and was stationed in a few American, European, and Asian nations. He progressed to the rank of Command Master Sergeant, the highest enlisted-level rank, and was given the Bronze Star. Additionally, Dr. Witten got two BA degrees from Shaw University and North Carolina State University, as well as a Ph.D. in psychology from North Carolina State in 1989. He spent 34 years teaching psychology and sociology at Park College, Webster University, and Shaw University after leaving the Air Force.

“The Journey: Appalachia to Paradise to Purgatory” is an autobiography of the innocence, happiness, and final disappointment of a West Virginia coal miner’s son, who sees his country on the slippery slope to immorality and cultural destruction as he journeys from the coal fields to the military and the highest levels of academia. This novel tells the story of a skinny, hard-nosed, hard-working West Virginia boy who believes in his family, the West Virginia-Appalachian culture, and the goodness and righteousness of the United States of America. It is a type of “rags to riches” story, from the coal fields to a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force and a Ph.D. from a world-class university. He describes a liberating journey and appreciation for his country while witnessing the creeping erosion of the American culture and principles he knew as a young man.

Purchase a copy here: https://citiofbooks.com/bookstore/historical/the-journey-appalachia-to-paradise-to-purgatory/.