Returned from Afghanistan, Oklahoma War Poet Wrestles with Parenthood
In her debut collection of poetry, Paying for Gas with Quarters , U.S. Army veteran Aly Allen explores and illuminates the war in Afghanistan , wartime and childhood traumas , and the challenges of post-war parenthood . The Kindle e-book edition is available for pre-order here at this link . The print edition will release Oct. 10, 2023. Allen deployed to Afghanistan as a broadcast journalist with the U.S. 10th Mountain Division . A divorced parent of two, Allen is neurodivergent, as are her kids. She also is diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) . She recently gender-transitioned, after years of sobriety and therapy. Allen’s writing often ponders the effects war has on her children and first wife . Soldiers and veterans are directly affected by wartime experiences, she says, but how many others inherit these wounds? Many of Allen’s poems thrust readers into the midst of daily chaos—whether in the parental or soldierly gaze— weaving attempts to navigate parent-chil...