In First We Shoot the Poets, O. W. Walker gathers decades of songs, stories, and lived experience into a collection that moves with the rhythm of a long highway and the weight of a well‑worn guitar. These poems travel from Texas honky‑tonks to South American plazas, from war‑shadowed childhoods to the quiet truths of middle age.

With a voice that’s equal parts songwriter, storyteller, and witness, Walker writes about the things that stay with us — love, loss, faith, grit, ghosts, and the strange beauty of the American road.

This is poetry with dirt under its nails and starlight in its eyes. A book for anyone who’s ever carried a song in their pocket and a memory they couldn’t shake.

About the Author

Oscar Waldo (O. W.) Walker was born in Austin, Texas to Dr, David G. and Maria Walker Fernandez. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin in the 1980's before embarking on a 40-year career in private industry.

His work as a software trainer, technical writer, and manager took him across the United States, as well as Europe, Mexico, and South America. Oscar originally learned to read and write in Spanish while completing his first year of elementary school in Oviedo, Spain.

A life-long music lover, the author plays guitar and loves to write songs. He has released over 30 recordings of his original music. The lyrics to many of these songs are part of First We Shoot the Poets: A Few Words by O. W. Walker. His songs are available on popular music and video streaming platforms.

Oscar and his wife Betsey live in Katy, Texas where they raised their children, retired, and currently manage only their dogs.

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