Author Archives: Joel D. Hirst

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About Joel D. Hirst

Joel D. Hirst is a novelist and a playwright. His most recently released work is "The Unraveling" -- a novel about how it all came apart. He has also written "An Excess of Nationalism", a novel about Soviet Armenia. "Dreams of the Defeated: A Play in Two Acts" is about a political prisoner in a dystopian regime. And "I, Charles, From the Camps" is the story of a young man from the African camps. "Lords of Misrule" is the an epic tale about the making and unmaking of a jihadist in the Sahara. Finally, Hirst has re-published his "San Porfirio" series into one volume "The Epic Tale of Revolutionary Venezuela", about the rise and fall of socialist Venezuela (with magic).

My Last Night in Yerevan

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Joel D. Hirst

The quiet hum of Ashtarak highway reverberates in the background; the wind rustles the trees, new leaves – excited to show them off after a long cold winter. The city, away down into the valley buzzes with life: restaurants and … Continue reading →

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Armenia Saved My Life

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Joel D. Hirst

“That is why I love America,” he said to me this morning, eyes watering. “A land where immigrants are welcomed and can free themselves of the shackles of the past – of the old country which we love so much, … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

There Once Was a Dream That Was Rome…

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

“There was once a dream that was Rome, you could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.” Marcus Aurelius, ‘The Gladiator’. Republics are funny things. They are resilient; not brittle or sclerotic like we are … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Honor, Movie Review, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Suicide of Venezuela

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

I never expected to witness the slow suicide of a country, a civilization. I suppose nobody does. Let me tell you, there’s nothing epic about it. We who have the privilege of travel often look down in satisfaction at the … Continue reading →

Posted in International Affairs, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 740 Comments