IN Peters Township October/November 2018 | Page 55

“I began writing
when I was a combat
infantryman back
during the Vietnam
War,” says O’Brien.
“I continued writing,
because I believe in
the power of stories
to enchant us, to
give us late-night
company and to
remind us that we are
all part of the human
journey down the
birth canal and out
into the light.”
O’Brien has
authored many other
books and short
stories, including
“In the Lake of the
Woods” and “Going
After Cacciato,”
which received
the National Book
Award. Currently,
he is working in
Tim O'Brien
Los Angeles as a
consultant and co-writer for the television show “This is Us.” He currently
resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Meredith Hale Baker, and two sons,
Timmy and Tad—ages 15 and 13 respectively. He is the Endowed Chair at the
Texas State University, San Marcos, MFA program where he teaches every other
year.
In 2010, O’Brien received the Katherine Anne Porter Award, presented
by the American Academy of Arts and Letters for a distinguished lifetime
body of work. In 2012, he received the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished
Achievement Award from the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation.
“Receiving that award meant more to