‘The Things They Carried’ author Tim O’Brien on his life’s work, trauma & confronting mortality
J.D. Simkins
February 28 at 5:50 PM
Tim O’Brien’s list of writing accolades is extensive. The Vietnam veteran and National Book Award winner’s apolitical dissection of the war in Vietnam, most prominently illustrated through 1990′s “The Things They Carried,†has spawned both meticulous critiques and commendation by audiences that range from middle and high school students to military historians and combat veterans.
By the book’s 20th anniversary in 2010, the historical fiction based on O’Brien’s frontline experience in Vietnam had surpassed 2 million copies sold, its immeasurable impact prompting the Library of Congress to name it one of the 65 most influential books in U.S. history.
But after writing “July, July†in 2002, Tim, now 74, stepped away from the keyboard, confounded by America’s involvement in wars that too closely mirrored his own experience and opting instead to devote time to his two children born later in his life.
https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2021/02/28/the-things-they-carried-author-tim-obrien-on-his-lifes-work-trauma-confronting-mortality/
