Sonoma State Star

'Permission to Kill' Comes Home by Dylan C. Bennett

The Wiz is back in town.

Sonoma State alumnus, Brian Wizard, world traveler, self-published author, Australian media personality, entrepreneur of self-expression, and decorated veteran aviator of America's most recent foreign war, is back in the states promoting his first novel, Permission to Kill.

"In 1968, this man was using a gun to fight for peace and freedom. Today, he uses a pen and a computer," Wizard said, referring to himself. Encouraged by two sold-out editions of his book in Australia, Wizard is now applying his craft to the American market, with the Permission to Kill package, including the book, the radio paly, a theme song on a single record, "(I Don't Want) Permission to Kill," and a movie with live Wizard footage of himself and his teenage crew mates in action.

"The fight is the same, the fight for peace and freedom, just the tools of the trade are different," he said.

The book takes you to Vietnam, 1968-69, in a fictionalized account of Wizard's low-flying, high fire-power experience as an elite helicopter doorgunner, at the mere age of 19.

The novel focuses on the personal development of the protagonist, Willie Maykett, as he fights the communists with the aid of good drugs, cheap sex, loud rock'n'roll, and permission to kill.

Wizard graduated from SSU's now defunct School of Expressive Arts in 1976 and became a well-known artist on the North Coast.

"I still function on the very premise of that school. Self-expression through art. It is the key," Wizard explained to the Star.

Permission To Kill is an adventure-packed war story of epic proportions, which Wizard contends is, in fact, anti-war in it's sentiment.

"Just by reading it you can see, you can feel, that it is not the kind of life you would want to live. It is not the kind of life you would want to project on anybody; killing, burning, crippling, maiming. What happened to partying, loving, carrying on and having a good time? What about being productive? That's much better. Killing is out."

Wizard plans the release of his second novel, set in Australia, to be followed by his sequel to Permission To Kill. The sequel will address the second half of the war; coming home. Wizard noted how his return, after four years in Australia, will help him write the sequel.

"I'm doing research right now. It's getting in touch with the alienation and the culture shock and the feeling of being back in America-back in the world; what it's like to come back to this place you knew so well."

Permission To Kill is now available at the SSU Bookstore and Eeyore Books in Cotati.