The Five Essentials of Storytelling. A Survivor’s (Excerpt) Guide to Writing about Trauma
David Chrisinger teaches The War Horse’s writing seminars, the preeminent professional development program for veterans and military spouse writers.
Entries by David Chrisinger
Fighting to Go Home: Operation Desert Storm, 30 Years Later
The Pentagon expected roughly 40% of Americans would be wounded or killed but “the Iraqi army wasn’t nearly as formidable as everyone made them out to be.”
“It Would Be a Mistake to Underestimate Russia”: The New Cold War That’s Emerging in the Arctic
As Arctic ice shrinks, and climate change makes routes easier to traverse, a military struggle for control looms. Russia is already trying to claim it.
The Army Medic in the Hole
“I can’t believe this is how I’m going to die,” thought an Army medic after falling down a well. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. No one is going to rescue us.”
‘I Have Had All I Can Take’ — the Final Months of Legendary War Reporter Ernie Pyle
‘The Hurt Has Finally Become Too Great’
The Surge Nobody’s Talking About: The U.S. War in Somalia
America has engaged in military operations against terrorists in East Africa for years, but a lack of transparency about civilian casualties is causing concern.
White Supremacy in the Military “Like a Drop of Cyanide in Your Drink”
Since 9/11, there have been documented instances of white nationalism in the U.S. military, but the Defense Department won’t track the numbers.
“No One Is Winning”—U.S. War in Yemen “Fundamentally a Stalemate”
Tangled alliances with allies and their foes make this one messy war.
“My Creativity Was Paralyzed”—Baggage and the Bridge of Empathy
Can artwork depicting the Syrian refugee crisis build empathy for an American audience? One writer hopes so.
