Good writing is a gift – a new understanding someone's never had before.
greetings, I'm Dario.
Dario DiBattista is the editor of the anthology Retire the Colors: Veterans & Civilians on Iraq & Afghanistan. His work has appeared in the Washingtonian, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, Connecticut Review, [Pank], Mic.com, and many other publications. Additionally, he's been profiled in the New York Times and has been a commentator on NPR, SiriusXM, and for the BBC.
He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 2001 to 2007, later becoming a distinguished graduate of the Johns Hopkins University M.A. in Writing Program. He is currently working on a screenplay about a Marine's return home from war.
Books
"The men and women who survive war have a responsibility to report back; the country that sent them has a responsibility to listen.”
The impact of war, and the lingering aftereffect it has on both veterans and civilians, is—for myriad reasons—largely invisible to the public. Popular media may create news cycles around horrors or stereotypes, but the effort required to redefine and sustain “normal” lives after war stays below the surface and out of sight.
In Retire the Colors, nineteen thought-provoking stories by veterans and civilians consider the residual effects of Iraq and Afghanistan. A pacifist describes her decision to accompany her husband, an Iraq veteran, to the shooting range. A hospital worker in Mosul talks about what happens on a hunting trip back home with his grandfather. A veteran experiences the 2013 Boston marathon. The wife of a combat medic considers their unusual nighttime routines. A mother and former 50 cal gunner navigates truth and lies with her children.
These stories offer a grace uncommon in war literature today. They also make an appeal to readers: to witness with compassion the men and women who—because of war—possess the strength to show us what it means to be fully human.
"Superb. These are the kinds of behind-the-scenes stories every American should know about.”
—Andrew Carroll, editor of the New York Times bestsellers War Letters and Behind the Lines
Let's Connect
I welcome legitimate requests for more information and stalker queries.