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/

Disclaimer: This podcast contains themes of war and violence, and the use of adult language. Viewer discretion advised. If you are a veteran in crisis please call the Veteran Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1.

The inaugural episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities is launched on November 11 in celebration of Veteran’s Day and coinciding with the release of the 14th volume of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. In this episode, Nick talks with HC Palmer and George Pettigrew, veterans who both served with Nick supporting the Kansas City Veterans Write group.

HC is a retired Medical Doctor and poet, and was a Battalion Surgeon with the First Infantry Division during the American War in Vietnam. His poetry has appeared in New Letters, Kansas Matters: Twenty-Fist-Century-Writers on the Sunflower State (University Press of Kansas), War, Literature And The Arts, and Verse Daily. His book of poems, Feet of the Messenger, was a finalist for the Balcones Poetry Prize.

George is a Navy veteran of the Vietnam era. He states during his enlistment his world view was broadened through the travels and experiences gained in service, leading to a greater appreciation of humanities and culture. Now he is a Certified Oral Storyteller specializing in the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and the contributions of African Americans in the Army. Currently George Chairs the Frontier Museum of the United States Army Foundation.

Jarrod Taylor is a combat veteran and served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from 2000-2009. He completed four deployments, including tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2013, he received a Bachelor of Arts in History with Secondary Teacher Certification from Eastern Illinois University, and now has a Master of Arts in Education and an Education Specialist Degree from University of the Cumberlands. Jarrod has taught middle school history and high school English and social studies.

In this episode, we learn how military service has impacted Jarrod’s life and how his students respond when finding out he is a veteran. We discover how a journal he carried during service, a class called, “War Stories,” and a music video called, “Sadr City” have all led him down a path of writing about his military experiences. Tune in as we discuss the significance of “Section 60” and the mysterious “woman in blue.”

In this segment, Jarrod reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:

“Escort” from PTB, Volume 2

“Section 60” from PTB, Volume 5

Husband-and-wife duo, Kent and Stacey Walker, both hold MFAs in writing and team-teach Veterans Writing Workshops for Missouri Humanities. Kent was a sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division of the Army and completed two tours in Iraq. His wife, Stacey, is a lecturer at University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis Community College, and Jefferson College.

In this episode, we hear about Kent’s experience as a M240 gunner, the preparation of his unit leading up to the 2003 invasion into Baghdad, and the process of writing about his wartime experience. We learn from Stacey how her family inspired her to write about connection, relationships, and identity. Kent & Stacey reveal their “meet cute” and discuss how writing, storytelling, teaching, and therapy have been influential and healing parts of their relationship. In this conversation we are left with the concept of “living life one page a day.”

In this segment, Kent reads his poem, "Gun Baby" and Stacey reads her poem, "Grace in War." Both poems are published in PTB, Volume 5.