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The Scent of Cedar and Salt

In his first novel, The Scent of Cedar & Salt, Scott Perry leads readers from the quiet waterfront of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, into the mud, blood, and terror of the First World War.

Corporal Seth Perry is no born hero. He is a sawmill clerk carrying the weight of men he has known since childhood. When the boys of the 119th Infantry are thrown against the Hindenburg Line, Seth learns that leadership is not about rank or glory. It is about impossible choices, loyalty, fear, and deciding how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice to bring your men home.

As the familiar scent of cedar and salt gives way to chalk, gas, gunpowder, and death, Seth must face an enemy more dangerous than the German army: the fear that war will destroy the man he once was.

Inspired by the extraordinary heroism of the real Corporal Seth E. Perry, The Scent of Cedar & Salt is a powerful story of ordinary men caught in an extraordinary moment and the terrible price of finding courage when courage is all that remains.

Kindle
Paperback

A Historical Narrative of the 119th Infantry

Seth E Perry American Legion Post 84 continues the traditions of service and sacrifice embodied by the only Pasquotank County resident to die in combat during World War I, Distinguished Service Cross winner, US Army Corporal, Seth E Perry, of the 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces.
War Department, General Orders 87 (1919)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Corporal Seth E. Perry (ASN: 1316548), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company K, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Bellicourt, France, 29 September 1918. When a portion of his company was threatened with a counterattack and he had seen one runner killed in an attempt to reach them from company headquarters with orders to fall back, he volunteered for the dangerous mission. While crossing an open field under heavy fire, he was mortally wounded.

This historical narrative of the 119th infantry by Scott “Sargeant One Way” G. Perry, Commander American Legion Post 84 and descendant of Seth E Perry is well worth the read and all proceeds go to supporting Post 84 in its many worthwhile endeavors.

Ron Ben-Dov
1st Vice Commander
American Legion Post 84

Amazon

The Scent of Cedar and Salt

In his first novel, The Scent of Cedar & Salt, Scott Perry leads readers from the quiet waterfront of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, into the mud, blood, and terror of the First World War.

Corporal Seth Perry is no born hero. He is a sawmill clerk carrying the weight of men he has known since childhood. When the boys of the 119th Infantry are thrown against the Hindenburg Line, Seth learns that leadership is not about rank or glory. It is about impossible choices, loyalty, fear, and deciding how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice to bring your men home.

As the familiar scent of cedar and salt gives way to chalk, gas, gunpowder, and death, Seth must face an enemy more dangerous than the German army: the fear that war will destroy the man he once was.

Inspired by the extraordinary heroism of the real Corporal Seth E. Perry, The Scent of Cedar & Salt is a powerful story of ordinary men caught in an extraordinary moment and the terrible price of finding courage when courage is all that remains.

Kindle
Paperback

A Historical Narrative of the 119th Infantry

Seth E Perry American Legion Post 84 continues the traditions of service and sacrifice embodied by the only Pasquotank County resident to die in combat during World War I, Distinguished Service Cross winner, US Army Corporal, Seth E Perry, of the 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces.
War Department, General Orders 87 (1919)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Corporal Seth E. Perry (ASN: 1316548), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company K, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Bellicourt, France, 29 September 1918. When a portion of his company was threatened with a counterattack and he had seen one runner killed in an attempt to reach them from company headquarters with orders to fall back, he volunteered for the dangerous mission. While crossing an open field under heavy fire, he was mortally wounded.

This historical narrative of the 119th infantry by Scott “Sargeant One Way” G. Perry, Commander American Legion Post 84 and descendant of Seth E Perry is well worth the read and all proceeds go to supporting Post 84 in its many worthwhile endeavors.

Ron Ben-Dov
1st Vice Commander
American Legion Post 84

Amazon

Lucid Realms

When I wrote Lucid Realms, I wanted to blur the lines between reality and dreams, crafting poetry that echoes the methods of poets from over a hundred years ago. Inspired by surrealism, I tapped into “psychic automatism” to capture the raw essence of thought—free from the constraints of logic and societal norms. Through this collection, I share the lives of individuals I encountered during my years overseeing probation or parole cases, and guiding soldiers as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. military.

These poems tell the stories of people on the fringes of society—grappling with addiction, homelessness, and financial struggles. They paint vivid pictures of individuals facing immense challenges, all framed through a surrealistic lens that weaves their emotions into dreamlike sequences, protecting their identities while revealing their truths.

Amazon

lucid encounters

When I wrote Lucid Realms, my first book, I stood too firmly on the shoulders of those who came before me—borrowing too much from their style, rhythm, and rhyme. Writers like Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Anne Waldman, and Russian masters like Kafka shaped that work more than I care to admit. While I value their influence, I realized I needed to step away from their shadows and write with more of my own “DNA” embedded into the poetry. With Lucid Encounters, I have tried to do just that: to free my language, strip away the constraints of formality, and embrace a more honest, unrestrained voice.
I’d have sworn off writing altogether if I had to spend one more moment crafting a poem around someone else’s style or Googling another word to force a rhyme into place. Instead, this book is a departure—a venture into raw, unfiltered storytelling through poetry. Here, you’ll find the lives of those often unseen, working—or not working—jobs that society takes for granted. These are people whose compensation rarely meets the “just wages” standard and whose stories I feel compelled to share.
As with Lucid Realms, I’ve continued to rely on automated writing—letting the first thought be the best—wrapped into dream sequences, a nod to the surrealist tradition that I admire. Imagery remains central, painting vivid pictures of moments, emotional tones, and fractured realities. These stories are not my own; they belong to the countless individuals I encountered over 30 years of interviews, office hours, and home visits while serving the system.
You will find their darkest hours, struggles, and fragile humanity in these pages. Addiction, crime, and the weight of poverty are never pretty, and the psychological scars they leave are often beyond comprehension. Still, through poetry, I hope to convey their lives in a way that’s both accessible and deeply felt. Some of these stories are dark, some are fascinating, but all are unsettling—a window into the edges of society where survival is an art form and life itself is raw and unvarnished.

Amazon
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