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, 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.

This podcast episode was supported by The Veterans United Foundation and Missouri Arts Council.

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.

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.