I rarely talk about my days in the military. I am also anti-war and loathe the crassness of July 4th (as does my cat). But freedom means everything to me, and I’m proud to be a veteran. Serving in the Army helped me not only meet some amazing people and make good lifelong friends, but supported my first-generation entry into college afterward. It was also where I wrote my first horror story, because I was reading so much of it, and tried on a lark to see if I could be as clever as Stephen King. I wasn’t. But even now, decades and degrees later, I’m still trying.
You can read my reflection on horror and the military service in a recent Horror Writers Association interview with me, which launched their all-month-long special series spotlighting Veterans in Horror, honoring those who serve up the darkness. Special thanks to David Rose for hosting these talks!
[What is the “Spirit of the Bayonet”? Read it for free for the rest of November 2022.]
