At least for me, writing a book is continual exposure to blind spots. There were things I wanted to be true and wanted to believe, but it always got more complicated in the fiction. Phil Klay blindbookcomplicate Change image and share on social
People have a very political way of looking at war, and that's understandable. Phil Klay peoplepoliticalunderstandable Change image and share on social
If you write a novel where war is nothing but hell and no one experiences excitement or cracks a dark joke, then you're not actually admitting the full experience. Phil Klay admitcrackdark Change image and share on social
People should be able to tell stories that are important to them to try and understand what they mean. I don't think you figure anything out on your own. Certainly not war stories. Phil Klay figureimportantpeople Change image and share on social
We have a tendency to think of war as this quasi-mystical thing, and that interpretation flattens the experience - by using different perspectives, I wanted to open a place for readers to compare and contrast, to make judgments, to engage. Phil Klay comparecontrastengage share on social
In a strange way, you have to have a certain amount of distance from a thing in order to be able to write about it. Phil Klay amountdistanceorder Change image and share on social
When I was in Marine training I memorised 'The Waste Land,' which was a significant experience in terms of really breaking apart language and thinking about how the different voices in that poem function. Phil Klay breakexperiencefunction share on social
I did try to write in Iraq, and I failed. I think you just don't have the brain space for it. Phil Klay brainfailiraq Change image and share on social
Going to war is a rare experience in American culture, so it's easy for simple notions to gain a lot of weight. The reality is always more complex. Phil Klay americancomplexculture Change image and share on social
I have friends with post-traumatic stress - friends with post-traumatic stress who are, you know, highly successful, capable people. Phil Klay capablefriendhighly Change image and share on social