Today’s guest has lived a story shaped by discipline, disruption, and ultimately, deep healing. Charlie Peters wasonce an Olympic hopeful, a young man driven by purpose and promise—until his path was abruptly altered by the Vietnam War. Like so many who served, he returned home carrying invisible wounds, navigating the long and often lonelyroad of healing from PTSD.

But Charlie’s story doesn’t end there—it evolves. Through poetry, he found a voice for the pain that words alone couldn’t capture. His book, Returning Vet’s Saga: The Healing Power of Poetry, stands as a testament to resilience and thetransformative power of creative expression.

And just when you think you understand the arc of his life, another chapter emerges—at age 50, Charlie discovered thatthe identity he had always known wasn’t the full truth. The name he carried, the family he believed was his own—none of it was what it seemed.

From a student who once struggled in school to a published author, from craftsman to creator, from searching toself-discovery—Charlie’s journey is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to reclaim your story.

Charlie Peters has been married for 50 years and has four children, nine grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. He accidentally started writing poetry in 1990 and discovered that poetry proved to be an outlet to release the frustration of PTSD symptoms. He wrote poetry for about ten years. Two of his poems were runner-ups in national poetry contests: “A Man Less Than His Best” and “Stairway.”

Then he shifted his writing efforts to political commentary and satire, and two of his published books resulted from those commentaries: “The National Debt? The Sinking of America!” (2008) and “TEA Time Has Arrived ‘We the People’ Versus Washington Bureaucracy.” (2009).
“Returning Vet’s Saga: The Healing Power of Poetry” is a work that may appeal to those suffering from unexplained moments of anger, frustration, frightening nightmares, and unexplained moments of depression, which a downpouring of tears may accompany. The author experienced all of those symptoms after returning from the military, and the symptoms lasted for about fifteen years before those symptoms even had a name, which we now call “PTSD.” The author found that a sound, a smell, a spoken word, another person's voice inflection, or something as simple as a commercial on television can trigger an episode of PTSD.
There is no magic in poetry. However, the magic comes in putting feelings to paper, coming directly from the heart and completely bypassing the brain. We may not think of ourselves as poets, but if we just let the words flow, we may find that we are, in fact, poets of a special kind.
This book ends with the poem that got it all started.

https://quillhawkpublishing.com/pages/author/charles-peters

Today’s guest has made it his mission to connect readers with stories—and storytellers—within the Oklahoma community.

J Hall is an author, educator, and the host and producer of the Okie Bookcast, a show dedicated to introducing curious readers to their next great read. Since launching the podcast in 2021, he has released more than 150 episodes, interviewing authors across genres and building a vibrant literary space rooted in Oklahoma.

In 2026, he expanded that mission by launching Read LOKal, a platform that champions Oklahoma authors and booksellers and strengthens the state’s literary ecosystem.

Beyond podcasting, J is the author of God Help Me! I’m a Young Dad: 10 Essentials for Becoming the Dad Your Kids Need and College Unpacked: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Preparing For, and Excelling in College.

Professionally, he serves as Dean of Social Sciences at Oklahoma City Community College, where he works daily at the intersection of education, mentorship, and lifelong learning.

J Hall is an author, podcaster, and educator with over 15 yearsof experience in higher education. He is the host and producer of the Okie Bookcast (okiebookcast.com), a podcast dedicated to connecting curious readers with their next great read through interviews with authors and storytellers. Since its launch in 2021, J has released more than 150 episodes across several series, including a monthly book chat show co-hosted with his daughter, author and screenwriter Hannah Herron. In 2026, J launched Read LOKal, a newsletter andbrand designed to promote Oklahoma authors and booksellers.

J is the author of God Help Me! I’m a Young Dad: 10 Essentials for Becoming the Dad Your Kids Need and College Unpacked: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Preparing For, and Excelling in College. A frequent podcast guest and speaker, he talks about topics ranging from books and pop culture to podcasting, education, and fatherhood. J currently serves as Dean of Social Sciences at Oklahoma City Community College and lives in Newcastle with his wife and their two dogs.

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