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Tim O'Brien: How To Tell A True Story

Tim O'Brien talks about his ever-popular novel "The Things They Carried" and describes the difference between literal truth and story truth. He also talks about writing as art and reads a passage from the book.

American novelist Tim O'Brien is best known for "The Things They Carried," a critically acclaimed collection of semi-autobiographical, inter-related short-stories inspired by his experiences in the Vietnam War. His other works are:

  • "If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home" (1973)
  • "Northern Lights"(1975)
  • "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" (1975)
  • "Going After Cacciato" (1978)
  • "The Nuclear Age" (1985)
  • "The Things They Carried" (1990)
  • "In the Lake of the Woods" (1994)
  • "Tomcat in Love" (1998)
  • "July, July" (2002)
     

Tim O’Brien writes and lives in central Texas, where he raises his young sons and teaches full-time every other year at Texas State University–San Marcos. In alternate years, he teaches several workshops to MFA students in the creative writing program.

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