Ryan Smithson and Sam Krey
Recorded
May 3, 2018
Archived
May 3, 2018
33:30 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
chi002538
Description
Ryan Smithson (32) talks to the man playing him on stage, Sam Krey (23), about writing the book, "Ghosts of War," as a way of processing his experiences as a US Soldier returning home after serving in Iraq in 2004-2005. The book became a one-man play in which SK is now the third actor to play the role of RS. They discuss the impact the play has had on both of their lives.Subject Log / Time Code
R recalls the first time he saw the play based on his book.
R describes the challenges of returning home after serving in Iraq.
R talks abut how he felt after writing and reading the first chapter of his book.
R reflects on what it means to know that his words have helped people: "It's the writer's dream."
R talks about what he learned and how he needed to change after he came home: "A marriage is not a mission."
R says he didn't read "war books" before he wrote his book, but he did after and noticed strikingly similar passages.
R says life is like basic training, because it repeatedly "builds you up" and then "tears you down," but that he learned that there is always a choice to make: "the choice to give up" or "the choice to try harder."
Participants
- Ryan Smithson
- Sam Krey