Wings and Wounds: Stories of War, Truth, and Other Casualties
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Graduation Year
2025
Writing Track
Narrative/Poetic Medicine
Degree
Master of Fine Arts
Program
Creative Writing
Program Director
Judy Halebsky, PhD
First Reader
Judy Halebsky, PhD
Description
Wings and Wounds: Stories of War, Truth, and Other Casualties is a hybrid thesis that combines fiction and nonfiction to explore the emotional and psychological cost of military service. It begins with an autobiographical essay that describes the author’s medical separation from the military, followed by a craft essay that outlines his approach to writing about trauma. Drawing on these two essays, this thesis ends with an excerpt from a satirical war novel set during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, inspired by the author’s own military service. Together, these works explore the power of Narrative Medicine, showing how the act of storytelling—whether fictionalized or factual—can become a tool for processing trauma, improving wellbeing, and help others feel less alone in their pain.