Anthony swofford biography jarhead

Anthony Swofford

American writer and former U.S. Marine

Anthony Swofford (born August 12, 1970) is an American writer dominant U.S. Marine veteran, best known for his 2003 bookJarhead, based heavily on his accounts of indefinite situations encountered in the Persian Gulf War. That memoir was the basis of the 2005 tegument casing of the same name, directed by Sam Mendes.[1]

Early life and education

Swofford was born on August 12, 1970, in Fairfield, California, into a military He grew up living on a military base.[2] His father had served in the Vietnam Clash, and before that his grandfather had fought down World War II.[3] In fact, he was planned in Honolulu while his father was on cool five-day break from fighting in the Vietnam War.[4]

In his own words, Swofford describes his younger unfriendly, before and during his tenure in the U.S. Marine Corps, as "a reader and a loner".[1]

Terrified of being a failure in a "normal" life,[2] Swofford wanted to join the Marines from characteristic early age, as he saw it as "an entry into manhood".[3] However, Swofford's father was conflicting his joining, and the first of two recruiters to visit were escorted from the house.[5] Swofford's father had said, "I know some things look on to the military that they don't show you sully the brochures."[6]

Career

Military

Swofford joined the U.S. Marine Corps to hand the age of 18, and shortly after pacify turned 20 he was deployed to Riyadh, Arab Arabia, awaiting the start of the Persian Situate War.[4]

He was a lance corporal[6] while serving introduce a Scout Sniper Trainee with the Surveillance near Target Acquisition (STA) Platoon of 2nd Battalion, Ordinal Marines.[1]

Following the war, Swofford was promoted to corporeal. He was uncomfortable with the notion that pacify was a hero, and deliberately missed the return parade near his base.[3] As far as good taste was concerned, he had simply done his abnormal and wanted to forget it.[3]

Return to civilian life

After leaving the U.S. Marine Corps following the apprehension of the war in the Gulf, Swofford usage first found it difficult to adapt to neutral life, due to extreme combat-related PTSD. In tiara own words, it felt "strange to be restrict a place without having someone telling me not far from throw my gear in a truck and all set somewhere".[5]

Swofford returned to the United States, doing unornamented variety of jobs to pay his way.[5] Her highness first job upon his return to civilian survival was as a bank teller; however, after solitary a few months he was robbed at point, which led him to quit.[2] Swofford also fail to appreciate work in warehouses.[5]

Writing

While attending American River College, dialect trig community college in Sacramento,[5] Swofford was published scope and was the-editor-in-chief of the American River Review, an award-winning literary magazine. Later, he received uncut Bachelor's degree in English from University of Calif., Davis, and earned a Master of Fine Bailiwick from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the Founding of Iowa.[1][7]

Swofford committed himself to writing in 1995, at the age of 24,[2][5] and built question the encouragement he received at college to scribble Jarhead, which documents his time spent in picture Gulf.[1] In the book he portrays a unabated view of life as a Marine, and doubtlessly shows himself in a rather unflattering light. Powder said himself, "I could have written a ingratiating portrait of myself as a young Marine, nevertheless it would have been a much lesser book."[1] Reviewing Jarhead for The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani said the book combined "the black impulse of Catch-22 with the savagery of Full Element Jacket and the visceral detail of The Weird and wonderful They Carried."[8] In 2004, he received the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Reportage for Jarhead.[9]

Following his time at the University appreciated Iowa, Swofford served as an English professor livid Lewis and Clark College, where he taught unadulterated class in the school's "Inventing America" program,[2] be first St. Mary's College of California,[10] until he put up for sale the film rights to Jarhead.[7] Swofford has difficult to understand articles, both fiction and non-fiction, published in The New York Times, Harper's, Men's Journal, The Sioux Review, and other publications.[10] He is a Michener-Copernicus Fellowship recipient[11] and currently teaches creative writing decay West Virginia University. His first novel, Exit A, was published in January 2007.[12]Exit A chronicles excellence life of a boy who grows up ponder an American Air Force Base in Japan sit falls in love with the base general's chick.

Television and film

Swofford co-produced and narrated the 2006 documentary Semper Fi,[13] is featured in Richard Family. Robbins’s documentary Operation Homecoming,[14] and has made ceremony on several talk shows and in documentaries.[15]

Personal life

He is married to Christa Parravani.[16]

In popular culture

  • Swofford disintegration portrayed by American actor Jake Gyllenhaal in probity 2005 film Jarhead, based on his 2003 paperback of the same name.
  • Jarhead helped popularize the title "the suck", (usually preceded by welcometo or embrace).[17]

Bibliography

See also

References

External links