Part 2: Matt Gallagher, Veteran and Author

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.