This podcast contains discussions of war, violence, and the realities of military service. It also includes strong language. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities, we sit down with Army veteran and acclaimed author Matt Gallagher, whose work explores the moral complexities of war and the long shadows it casts long after service ends.

Matt is the author of four books, including the novels Youngblood, a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Daybreak. Through fiction and nonfiction alike, he wrestles with questions of duty, identity, and the personal cost of conflict. A U.S. Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, Matt brings firsthand experience to his storytelling—writing with both unflinching honesty and deep humanity.

Beyond his novels, Matt has reported on the ongoing war in Ukraine as a correspondent for Esquire and Arrowsmith Journal, continuing his commitment to bearing witness to war’s realities.

Join us as we examine Matt’s memoir Kaboom and novel Daybreak, and how he transformed combat experience into literature that challenges, confronts, and ultimately deepens our understanding of war and the human condition.

This podcast contains discussions of war, violence, and the realities of military service. It also includes strong language. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities, we sit down with Army veteran and acclaimed author Matt Gallagher, whose work explores the moral complexities of war and the long shadows it casts long after service ends.

Matt is the author of four books, including the novels Youngblood, a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Daybreak. Through fiction and nonfiction alike, he wrestles with questions of duty, identity, and the personal cost of conflict. A U.S. Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, Matt brings firsthand experience to his storytelling—writing with both unflinching honesty and deep humanity.

Beyond his novels, Matt has reported on the ongoing war in Ukraine as a correspondent for Esquire and Arrowsmith Journal, continuing his commitment to bearing witness to war’s realities.

Join us as we examine Matt’s memoir Kaboom and novel Daybreak, and how he transformed combat experience into literature that challenges, confronts, and ultimately deepens our understanding of war and the human condition.

This bonus episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities features Proud to Be contributors Travis Klempan, Charity Winters, Donna Fullerton, Jan LaPerle, Erick Bergvik, James Hessler, and Sarah Colby. The roundtable was moderated by Mark Sundlov, Managing Director of Soldiers Memorial Military Museum for the Missouri Historical Society. This was a live public reading and roundtable discussion celebrating the release of Proud to Be Volume 14.

First released in November 2012, "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors" is a creative writing anthology of poetry, fiction, essays, and photography by veterans, service members, and military-connected family members nationwide. This yearly anthology is funded by Missouri Humanities and is published in partnership with small University Presses. Missouri Humanities believes every veteran has a story to tell and the importance of communities listening and learning from these stories of service to country, courage, and honor.

To learn more about the Proud to Be anthology, visit https://mohumanities.org/veterans/