Dayton Literary Peace Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (2012) Special Award
Tim O'Brien
ティム・オブライエン
Tim O'Brien
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1946-10-01 （Austin, Minnesota, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Austin, Minnesota → Worthington, Minnesota → Central Texas, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, short story writer, teacher
- Active Years
- 1973-2025
- Affiliations
- Texas State University–San Marcos MFA program
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macalester College | — | Political Science | BA | 1964–1968 | United States |
| Harvard University | — | — | — | 1970年代初頭（在学期間不明） | United States |
Macalester College
Political Science
Degree:
BA
Period:
1964–1968
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
United States
Served as student body president
Harvard University
Period:
1970年代初頭（在学期間不明）
Country:
United States
Attended graduate school; specific degree details unclear
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The New York Times Outstanding Book of 1973 | If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home | — | The New York Times | 受賞 |
| 1979 | National Book Award (Fiction) | Going After Cacciato | — | National Book Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1987 | Vietnam Veterans of America Excellence in the Arts Award | — | — | Vietnam Veterans of America | 受賞 |
| 1995 | James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction | In the Lake of the Woods | — | Society of American Historians | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award (Dayton Literary Peace Prize) | — | — | Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Pritzker Military Library Literature Award | — | — | Pritzker Military Museum & Library | 受賞（賞金受領） |
| — | Purple Heart | — | — | United States Army | 受章 |
| 2010 | Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) | — | — | Whittier College | 授与 |
The New York Times Outstanding Book of 1973
1973
Work:
If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
受賞
National Book Award (Fiction)
1979
Work:
Going After Cacciato
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
受賞
Vietnam Veterans of America Excellence in the Arts Award
1987
Organization:
Vietnam Veterans of America
Result:
受賞
James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction
1995
Work:
In the Lake of the Woods
Organization:
Society of American Historians
Result:
受賞
Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award (Dayton Literary Peace Prize)
2012
Organization:
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation
Result:
受賞
Pritzker Military Library Literature Award
2013
Organization:
Pritzker Military Museum & Library
Result:
受賞（賞金受領）
Purple Heart
Organization:
United States Army
Result:
受章
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.)
2010
Organization:
Whittier College
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
-
Edition 7 (2013) Winner
Works
Major Works
If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home
1973 memoir / war literatureA memoir recounting O'Brien's service in Vietnam. Written from the perspective of a young soldier, it depicts the daily realities of war and reflects on its lasting effects.
war experiencememorytrauma
Going After Cacciato
1978 war novel / allegoricalA novel set during the Vietnam War about a soldier who deserts in pursuit of an imagined journey to Paris. Notable for blending realism with fantastical, allegorical elements.
reality vs. fantasyabsurdity of warescape and quest
The Things They Carried
1990 linked short stories / war fiction 272 pagesA semi-autobiographical collection of linked stories exploring both the literal items soldiers carried and their psychological burdens, examining memory, truth, and the nature of storytelling.
memory and storytellingguilt and lossthe nature of truth
Adaptations
- [documentary / television] How To Tell a True War Story (documentary-related) (1992)
Bibliography
- Northern Lights (1975)
- If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (1973)
- Going After Cacciato (1978)
- The Things They Carried (1990)
- In the Lake of the Woods (1994)
- Tomcat in Love (1998)
- July, July (2002)
- America Fantastica (2023)
- Dad's Maybe Book (2019)
Adaptations
- Related to BBC documentary 'How To Tell a True War Story' (1992)
- Participation/interview in Ken Burns' documentary 'The Vietnam War' (2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- metafictional narrationsemi-autobiographical techniqueemphasis on 'story-truth' (emotional truth)
- Recurring Motifs
- boundary between memory and storyphysical and psychological burdens of warguilt and healing
Legacy
O'Brien is a central figure in Vietnam War literature; 'The Things They Carried' is considered a modern classic of war fiction. As an educator he has influenced many writers, and his papers are archived at the Harry Ransom Center.
Archives
- Harry Ransom Center (University of Texas at Austin) holdings
In Popular Culture
- Featured/interviewed in Ken Burns' 'The Vietnam War' documentary
- 'The Things They Carried' is widely taught in university courses and reading groups
Quotes
-
"Story-truth is sometimes truer than happening-truth."
Source: Story 'Good Form' from The Things They Carried (1990) -
"Can the foot soldier teach anything important about war, merely for having been there? I think not. He can tell war stories."
Source: If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (1973)
Trivia
- Has lived in central Texas and taught every other year in the Texas State University–San Marcos MFA program.
- Had two sons late in life — born when he was 56 and 58.
- Papers and manuscripts are housed at the Harry Ransom Center.