Vietnam Vet Tim O'Brien Explores Brutal Truths of War through Fiction.
Novelist Tim O'Brien. He was writing about Vietnam long before it became fashionable to do so. His Vietnam memoir, "If I die in a Combat Zone," was published in 1973. O'Brien's 1979 novel "Going After Cacciato" was praised for its depiction of the Vietnam War. It also was the surprise winner of the 1979 National Book Awards -- beating out books by John Irving and John Cheever. He's also written the novelS, "Northern Lights," and "The Nuclear Age." His new book, "The Things They Carried," (Houghton Mifflin publisher) began as a short story in "Esquire," and received the 1987 "National Magazine Award." The book is a series of stories that follow a group of soldiers in Vietnam.
Other segments from the episode on March 22, 1990
Transcript
Transcript currently not available.
Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.