Matthew J. Gallagher (born 1983) is an American author and veteran of the Iraq War. His writing often explores themes of war, military service, and the veteran experience, spanning both non-fiction and fiction genres.
Early Life and Military Service
Born in 1983, Matt Gallagher graduated from Wake Forest University. Following his graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. He served as a captain during the Iraq War from 2007 to 2008, commanding a scout platoon in Diyala Province. His experiences during this deployment heavily influenced his later literary work.
Literary Career
Gallagher's literary career began with his memoir, Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Modern War, published in 2010. The book offered a candid and often darkly humorous account of his time in Iraq, based on the popular blog he maintained during his deployment.
He transitioned to fiction with his debut novel, Youngblood, released in 2016. The novel, set during the Iraq War, received critical acclaim for its nuanced portrayal of soldiers, the challenges of war, and its exploration of moral complexities. His second novel, Empire City, published in 2020, shifts focus to a post-9/11 New York City, examining themes of collective memory, identity, and societal shifts through the lens of a veteran.
Gallagher's writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Paris Review Daily, Deadspin, The Daily Beast, and Consequence Magazine. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in fiction writing from Columbia University.
Beyond his books, Gallagher is also a co-founder and editor of Cooler Near The Lake, a literary journal. His work consistently seeks to bridge the civilian-military divide and offer authentic perspectives on the lasting impacts of contemporary conflicts.