Essays & Articles
David Chrisinger's essays and articles published in various print publications as well as websites.


Telling the Truth about War: The Intertwining Literary Lives of James ...
A gripping exploration of how James Jones, Joseph Heller, and Kurt Vonnegut transformed the trauma of war into groundbreaking literature that still shapes how we un...


To Be Anything Pure: John Steinbeck and the Life and Legacy of “...
On a cold January morning in 1951, John Steinbeck sat at his desk to begin the novel he believed he was born to write. East of Eden would be more than a book—it w...


We Don’t Need More ‘Terror on Repeat’
Co-authored by David Chrisinger, Executive Director of the Harris School of Public Policy Writing Workshop and advisor to the Chicago Policy Review.


The First Battle of Fallujah: ‘We Hurt Ourselves in So Many Ways’
Twenty years on, the battle is viewed as a turning point in the Iraq war, serving as a reminder of the complexities and consequences of modern warfare.


Behind Enemy Lines: The Day the Soldiers Lost a Buddy
A look at the mysterious story of journalist Ernie Pyle’s death during the U.S. Army’s invasion of a Japanese island


Ernie Pyle Digs in at Anzio
Nearly killed by a German bomb, Ernie Pyle faced the fear and frustration known as “Anzio anxiety” among the American soldiers trapped with him on the beach.