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Randy Brown

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://linktr.ee/randysherpabrown

Twitter

fob_haiku

Genre

Poetry, Nonfiction, Humor and Comedy

Member Since

November 2015

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/randy_brown

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Freelance writer and citizen-soldier by day, and secret (writing as "Charlie Sherpa") blogger by night, Randy Brown was preparing in 2010 to deploy as the sole "knowledge manager" for an Iowa National Guard unit of 3,000 soldiers. ("Historian, librarian, lessons-learned reporter—it was sexier to say my job was 'Brigade Staff Jester,'" he jokes.)

After a paperwork SNAFU dropped him off the list, he retired with 20 years of military service and a previous overseas deployment. He then went to Afghanistan anyway, embedding with his former colleagues as a civilian journalist.

In 2015, he wrote the award-winning collection of snarky war poems, "Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poetry from Inside the Wire."

From his home in Central Iowa, he continues to wr ...more

	Why We Write: Craft Essays on Writing War by Randy Brown (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Steve Leonard (Editor), Eric Chandler (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.49 avg rating — 41 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire 4.56 avg rating — 27 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Things We Carry Still: Poems & Micro-Stories About Military Gear by Randy Brown (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Lisa Stice (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Vicki Hudson (Foreword) 4.82 avg rating — 11 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	So Frag & So Bold: Short Poems, Aphorisms & Other Wartime Fun 4.80 avg rating — 10 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Twelve O'Clock Haiku 4.67 avg rating — 9 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters by Randy Brown (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Joshua Ginsberg, Mia Dalia (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Giant Robot Poems: On Mecha-Human Culture, Science & War it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Midwest Futures: Poems & Micro-Stories from Tomorrow's Heartland by Randy Brown (Goodreads Author) (Editor), F. Malanoche (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Twelve O'Clock Haibun: Parables & Poems from a Classic TV Show it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Good Morning, First Sergeant: 10 War Poems about Coffee really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Randy is Currently Reading

Randy Brown is currently reading

Our Best War Stories: Prize-winning Poetry & Prose from the Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Awards, Vol. 2

by Christopher Lyke

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Nov 08, 2025 09:42AM

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Randy’s Recent Updates

Randy Brown made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Request print & Kindle book be added to correct author profile topic " Scott wrote: "done"Excellent! Thanks for the help! Be well! /Randy Brown/ ...more "
Sep 21, 2026 08:47AM
Randy Brown wrote a new blog post OEF Vignette Reprinted in New Eco-Poetry Anthology The newly released 248-page anthology "Convergence: Poetry on Environmental Impacts of War" collects 90 works from 61 poets regarding the military's Read more of this blog post »
Jun 17, 2026 03:59AM · like
Randy Brown is currently reading Our Best War Stories: Prize-winning Poetry & Prose from the Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Awards, Vol. 2 by Christopher Lyke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 08, 2025 09:42AM · like
Randy Brown rated a book it was amazing The Surge by Adam Kovac (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 30, 2025 12:45PM · 1 like · like