William Timothy O'Brien
- Born:
- October 1, 1946, Austin, Minnesota, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Author, Novelist, Short Story Writer
Early Life and Education
- O'Brien was raised in Worthington, Minnesota.
- He graduated summa cum laude from Macalester College in 1968 with a B.A. in Political Science.
- While at Macalester, he served as student body president.
Career and Major Achievements
- Drafted into the United States Army in 1969 and served in the Vietnam War with the 3rd Platoon, A Company, 5th Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment (Americal Division).
- His experiences in Vietnam heavily influenced his writing.
- After the war, he attended Harvard University as a graduate student.
- O'Brien's work explores themes of war, memory, truth, and storytelling.
- He won the National Book Award for Fiction for Going After Cacciato (1979).
- He received the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (Best Foreign Book Prize) in France for The Things They Carried.
- He has received numerous other awards and fellowships throughout his career.
Notable Works
- If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (1973)
- Northern Lights (1975)
- Going After Cacciato (1978)
- The Things They Carried (1990)
- In the Lake of the Woods (1994)
- July, July (2002)
- Dad's Maybe Book (2019)
Legacy and Impact
William Timothy O'Brien is recognized as a major voice in contemporary American literature, particularly for his powerful and innovative explorations of the Vietnam War and its lasting effects. He masterfully blends fiction and autobiography to examine complex moral and psychological issues. His work continues to be studied and appreciated for its literary merit and its profound insights into the human condition. This page provides context for analyzing the literary contributions when someone searches for "tim o'brien novelist biography template".