David Abrams
David Abrams’ debut novel about the Iraq War, Fobbit, was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2012 and a Best Book of 2012 by Paste Magazine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Barnes and Noble. It was also featured as part of B&N's Discover Great New Writers program. One of his short stories, "Roll Call," was included in the anthology Fire and Forget (Da Capo Press, 2013). His short stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and have appeared in Esquire, Narrative, Electric Literature, Consequence, Salamander, The Literarian, Connecticut Review, The Greensboro Review, Five Chapters, The Missouri Review, and many other places. His work has also appeared in the New York Times and Salon. He regularly blogs about the literary life at The Quivering Pen
Abrams retired in 2008 after a 20-year career in the active-duty Army as a journalist. He was named the Department of Defense's Military Journalist of the Year in 1994 and received several other military commendations throughout his career. His tours of duty took him to Thailand, Japan, Africa, Alaska, Texas, Georgia and The Pentagon. In 2005, he joined the 3rd Infantry Division and deployed to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The journal he kept during that year formed the blueprint for the novel which would later become known as Fobbit.
David Abrams was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Jackson, Wyoming. He earned a BA in English from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He now lives in Butte, Montana with his wife.
If you'd like David Abrams to speak to your book club or other organization via Skype or conference call, contact him here.
For bookstore appearances, festivals or other speaking engagements regarding Fobbit, please contact Deb Seager at Grove/Atlantic.
Interviews & Other Press
Iraq and Back Again: a Fobbit's Tale (Aurora Magazine)
Modern M*A*S*H (interview in Idaho Mountain Express)
When the War Came For Me (essay at Salon)
What I Read When I Read About War (Diane Prokop's blog account of "Fire and Forget" reading at Powell's)
Reading "Catch-22" on the way to Iraq: Author David Abrams at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane, WA
"A Distant War" in the New York Times
Kirkus Reviews includes Fobbit on a list of 10 Great Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
David puts Fobbit to the Page 69 Test
The Helena Independent Record was there for David's first talk to high school students
Caroline Leavitt interviews David about Fobbit, screwball comedy, and getting paid to read the Bible
Listen to David on "Conversations on the Coast"
Listen to David's conversation with novelist Sarah Bird at Booktalk Nation
David Abrams at Powell's (from Diane Prokop's blog)
Listen to David Abrams on Montana Public Radio's "The Write Question"
"Iraq War novelist has local roots" at The Livingston (MT) Enterprise
Listen to David Abrams on Brad Listi's Other People podcast (Ep. 104)
Listen to David Abrams on NPR's "Morning Edition" ("Stories from a New Generation of American Soldiers")
Interview at The Rumpus
"Are Longer Books More Important?" at Salon
David Abrams' Self-Interview at The Nervous Breakdown
When We Fell In Love at Three Guys One Book: David Abrams on John Updike's "Rabbit, Run"
"The Birth of Fobbit, and Other Happy Accidents in a War Zone" at 1st Books
Interview at Books, Personally blog
"Late Bloomer: Taking As Long As It Takes" at The Millions
Interview at The Barnes and Noble Review
Feature story in Great Falls Tribune
Feature story in Montana Standard (Butte)
Interview at Pencils.com