Drawing on the legacy of Proud to Be, Missouri Humanities is thrilled to release "Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities." Hosted by Missouri Humanities Program Coordinator and Marine Corps Veteran Nick Lopez, this podcast explores veterans’ experiences during their military service and how that service led them to art, poetry, prose and the preservation of history and culture.
Disclaimer: This podcast contains themes of war and violence, and the use of adult language. Discretion is advised. If you are a veteran in crisis please call the Veteran Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1.
Episodes 1-9: "Proud to Be" highlights veterans, military personnel, and family members published in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. Proud to Be (PTB) is a creative writing anthology that preserves and shares our nation’s military experience through poetry, fiction, essay, interviews, and photography. This season interviews PTB contributors as we discover their military affiliation and the stories behind their PTB contributions.
Adam Magers (Odysseus & the Oar: Healing After War and Military Service)
Nick Lopez is joined by Adam Magers, Army veteran and author of Odysseus & the Oar: Healing After War and Military Service. Adam and Nick discuss how veterans and first responders can relate to Odysseus's journey home and use those lessons learned in their own path home. They will also look at Adam’s time in the Army and his current work at The Battle Within, where Adam is a Clinical Manager.
21 Apr 2026
W[A]RN and TRANSFORMED: Uniforms as Stories of U.S.
Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Frontlines. In this episode we feature three veteran artists, Drew Cameron, Martin Lesinski and John Schnieder, who participated in the W[A]RN and TRANSFORMED: Uniforms as Stories of U.S. exhibit, at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Missouri. Our host Nick Lopez moderated a panel discussion with the veterans and discussed Drew’s program Combat Paper, www.combatpaper.org (https://www.combatpaper.org), and each of their processes of transitioning and healing after military service.
We want to thank Nicole Johnston, Curator of Missouri Historic Costume and Textile Collection, who allowed us to be a part of this program. The W[A]RN and Transformed exhibit was presented by The State Historical Society of Missouri and Missouri Historic Costume and Textile Collection at Mizzou and sponsored by Mizzou College of Arts & Science, Missouri Arts Council, and Missouri Humanities. The exhibit will be on view until August 15, 2026, for more information: https://shsmo.org/exhibitions/warn-and-transformed-uniforms-stories-us-exhibition. (https://shsmo.org/exhibitions/warn-and-transformed-uniforms-stories-us-exhibition.)
This podcast episode was supported by The Veterans United Foundation and Missouri Arts Council.
9 Mar 2026
Part 2: Matt Gallagher, Veteran and Author
This podcast contains discussions of war, violence, and the realities of military service. It also includes strong language. Listener discretion is advised.
In this episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities, we sit down with Army veteran and acclaimed author Matt Gallagher, whose work explores the moral complexities of war and the long shadows it casts long after service ends.
Matt is the author of four books, including the novels Youngblood, a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Daybreak. Through fiction and nonfiction alike, he wrestles with questions of duty, identity, and the personal cost of conflict. A U.S. Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, Matt brings firsthand experience to his storytelling—writing with both unflinching honesty and deep humanity.
Beyond his novels, Matt has reported on the ongoing war in Ukraine as a correspondent for Esquire and Arrowsmith Journal, continuing his commitment to bearing witness to war’s realities.
Join us as we examine Matt’s memoir Kaboom and novel Daybreak, and how he transformed combat experience into literature that challenges, confronts, and ultimately deepens our understanding of war and the human condition.
2 Mar 2026
Matt Gallagher, Veteran and Author
This podcast contains discussions of war, violence, and the realities of military service. It also includes strong language. Listener discretion is advised.
In this episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities, we sit down with Army veteran and acclaimed author Matt Gallagher, whose work explores the moral complexities of war and the long shadows it casts long after service ends.
Matt is the author of four books, including the novels Youngblood, a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Daybreak. Through fiction and nonfiction alike, he wrestles with questions of duty, identity, and the personal cost of conflict. A U.S. Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, Matt brings firsthand experience to his storytelling—writing with both unflinching honesty and deep humanity.
Beyond his novels, Matt has reported on the ongoing war in Ukraine as a correspondent for Esquire and Arrowsmith Journal, continuing his commitment to bearing witness to war’s realities.
Join us as we examine Matt’s memoir Kaboom and novel Daybreak, and how he transformed combat experience into literature that challenges, confronts, and ultimately deepens our understanding of war and the human condition.
13 Feb 2026
Bonus Episode: "Proud to Be" Volume 14 Reading and Discussion
This bonus episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities features Proud to Be contributors Travis Klempan, Charity Winters, Donna Fullerton, Jan LaPerle, Erick Bergvik, James Hessler, and Sarah Colby. The roundtable was moderated by Mark Sundlov, Managing Director of Soldiers Memorial Military Museum for the Missouri Historical Society. This was a live public reading and roundtable discussion celebrating the release of Proud to Be Volume 14.
First released in November 2012, "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors" is a creative writing anthology of poetry, fiction, essays, and photography by veterans, service members, and military-connected family members nationwide. This yearly anthology is funded by Missouri Humanities and is published in partnership with small University Presses. Missouri Humanities believes every veteran has a story to tell and the importance of communities listening and learning from these stories of service to country, courage, and honor.
To learn more about the Proud to Be anthology, visit https://mohumanities.org/veterans/
11 Nov 2025
HC Palmer and George Pettigrew: Kansas City Veterans Write
Disclaimer: This podcast contains themes of war and violence, and the use of adult language. Viewer discretion advised. If you are a veteran in crisis please call the Veteran Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1.
The inaugural episode of Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities is launched on November 11 in celebration of Veteran’s Day and coinciding with the release of the 14th volume of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. In this episode, Nick talks with HC Palmer and George Pettigrew, veterans who both served with Nick supporting the Kansas City Veterans Write group.
HC is a retired Medical Doctor and poet, and was a Battalion Surgeon with the First Infantry Division during the American War in Vietnam. His poetry has appeared in New Letters, Kansas Matters: Twenty-Fist-Century-Writers on the Sunflower State (University Press of Kansas), War, Literature And The Arts, and Verse Daily. His book of poems, Feet of the Messenger, was a finalist for the Balcones Poetry Prize.
George is a Navy veteran of the Vietnam era. He states during his enlistment his world view was broadened through the travels and experiences gained in service, leading to a greater appreciation of humanities and culture. Now he is a Certified Oral Storyteller specializing in the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and the contributions of African Americans in the Army. Currently George Chairs the Frontier Museum of the United States Army Foundation.
26 May 2022
Jarrod Taylor
Jarrod Taylor is a combat veteran and served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from 2000-2009. He completed four deployments, including tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode, we learn how military service has impacted Jarrod’s life and how his students respond when finding out he is a veteran. We discover how a journal he carried during service, a class called, “War Stories,” and a music video called, “Sadr City” have all led him down a path of writing about his military experiences.
30 Mar 2022
Kent & Stacey Walker
Husband-and-wife duo, Kent and Stacey Walker, both hold MFAs in writing and team-teach Veterans Writing Workshops for Missouri Humanities. Kent was a sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division of the Army and completed two tours in Iraq. His wife, Stacey, is a lecturer at University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis Community College, and Jefferson College.
In this episode, we hear about Kent’s experience as a M240 gunner, the preparation of his unit leading up to the 2003 invasion into Baghdad, and the process of writing about his wartime experience. We learn from Stacey how her family inspired her to write about connection, relationships, and identity. Kent & Stacey reveal their “meet cute” and discuss how writing, storytelling, teaching, and therapy have been influential and healing parts of their relationship. In this conversation we are left with the concept of “living life one page a day.”
24 Feb 2022
Billy Jenkins
Billy Jenkins is a Pittsburgh-based writer and a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he retired as a Sergeant Major. He is a City of Pittsburgh Firefighter with over 22 years of service. In 2015, he earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University. In addition to writing, Billy is an actor and has appeared on TV, in movies, and on stage.
In this episode, we learn what drew Billy to service at the age of 17, about his 2003 deployment following 9-11, how a conversation over MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) inspired him to pursue writing, and how his writings speak to the memory of his father and his own military experience. We also discuss the expectations of “the eve of” a thing, his “Barney-style” of writing, on being a “spork”, the collaboration of veterans and the arts, and the benefits from acting vs. writing.
In this segment, Billy reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“Going Home” from PTB, Volume 6
“The Night Before” from PTB, Volume 10
27 Jan 2022
Ben White
Ben White is an author and professor. As he was serving his 22-year military career in the US Army and the US Coast Guard, and then again while earning his MFA from the University of Tampa, Ben thought he was a poet. He has since discovered he is not a poet at all, but rather a witness—and what he writes is testimony.
In this episode, we learn how this Kentucky boy became a “Cold War Warrior” serving overseas in Germany, as well as the impact his military experience and Kentucky roots have had on his writing. We also discuss his honest approach to writing, putting his military education funding to good use, being commanded by Vietnam veterans, the influence of other war writers, and the lasting impression of Nena’s song, 99 Red Balloons.
In this segment, Ben reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“Cold Warriors” from PTB, Volume 6
“Recordings for Later Listening: Lost Rounds” from PTB, Volume 7
“Memorial Thoughts” from PTB, Volume 10
29 Dec 2021
Valerie Young
Valerie Young is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces. She served approximately ten years, with a deployment to Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. She is a loving mother of two, an aspiring writer, and a servant leader in her community. She is passionate about her personal growth and loves to express herself through poetry. Valerie has been published in seven of the ten volumes of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors.
In this episode, Valerie speaks openly about trauma, addiction, suicide, and rehabilitation associated with the aftermath of serving in a war and a natural disaster. We discuss the necessity of addressing stigma around veterans with PTSD, embracing support systems for recovery, community service, and advocating for mental health awareness through her poetry—both on paper and on the stage.
In this segment, Valerie reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“To My Fellow Vets” from PTB, Volume 3
“A Soldier’s Bottle” from PTB, Volume 5
“Suffer In Silence” from PTB, Volume 10
25 Nov 2021
Randy “Sherpa” Brown
Randy Brown is a former citizen-soldier, poet, and secret blogger. In 2011, he embedded with his former Iowa Army National Guard unit as a civilian journalist in Afghanistan. He is the author of the award-winning poetry collection, “Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire.” Randy has been published in nine of the ten volumes of "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors."
In this episode, we learn how Randy merged his military communication and journalism skills as a technical writer and blogger, incorporates army jargon and humor into his writing, and expresses his military experience in the form of haiku. We also discuss the concept of “poetry of witness,” the connectedness of the war-writing community, and engaging in meaningful conversation beyond the phrase, “Thank you for your service.” Randy even reveals the story behind his pseudonym, “Charlie Sherpa.”
In this segment, Randy reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“what sacrifice has been” from PTB, Volume 1
“a Radio-Telephone Operator writes haiku” from PTB, Volume 4
“Suburbistan” from PTB, Volume 3
28 Oct 2021
Charity Winters
Charity Winters is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and a freelance writer. During her six years on active duty, as an Air Force Security Forces officer, she completed three tours in Iraq. Charity has been published in six of the nine volumes of "Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors."
In this episode, we learn about Charity’s different security missions in Iraq, her special military connection with the island of Guam and her grandfather, and the Vietnam veteran who encouraged her to pursue writing. We discuss the necessity of women’s voices in telling wartime stories, the importance of veterans in the arts, and the value of words as we explore the profound effect the phrase, “bring me men” had on her and other female cadets.
In this segment, Charity reads the following excerpts from "Proud to Be":
“Kaboom” from PTB, Volume 5
“Coming Up Americans” from PTB, Volume 4
29 Sept 2021
Bill Glose
Bill Glose is an American journalist, poet, and fiction writer. Bill has been published in 8 of the 9 volumes Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. In this episode, we dive deep into Bill’s experience as a paratrooper assigned to the 82nd Airborne and his service as a combat platoon leader in the Gulf War. We discuss when and why he started writing about his combat experiences, his post-army years working in factories across the country, and his decision to walk away from a production career to become a full-time freelance writer.
In this segment, Bill reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“Raised by Black Scorpions” from PTB, Volume 5
“What the Bomb Wants?” from PTB, Volume 8
24 Aug 2021
Jay Harden
Jay Harden, a Vietnam War veteran, who writes poetry, prose, and songs about love, war, and personal growth. Jay has been published in all nine volumes of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors and is known as the “Grandfather of Proud to Be.”
In this episode, we learn about Jay’s “Metal Mama” and his wartime experience while stationed in Guam—his thoughts on war and how one struggles to find oneself after the fact. Jay openly shares about his healing journey and the role writing plays in helping with his PTSD.
In this segment, Jay reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:
“No Wonder War” from PTB, Volume 6
“Raging River” from PTB, Volume 2
“Unboot Camp: An Imagined TED Talk” from PTB, Volume 5
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