Biography
- Ara 13, born Ara DeBoer Hirsch in Newton, New Jersey 1971.
- Combat Correspondent, print, television, and radio for the United States Marine Corps 1992-1996.
- Co-creator of magazine Sisyphus On Strike, Atlanta, Georgia 1996-1998.
- News writer for civilian radio and Special Operations of United States Army 1998-2001.
- Commercial and script writer for Grey Sky Productions 2001-2006.
- Columnist Galveston, Texas 2006-2009.
- Feature writer for national publications.
- Author Drawers & Booths 2007.
- Author The Unreliable Narrator 2009.
- Author and Mozart Was Taught 2010.
Writing Venues
From war in Bosnia, events in Haiti, Special Operations in the Mideast and Africa; to meetings with President Clinton, Secretary of Navy John Dalton, and other various dignitaries and celebrities; to writing commercials, columns, features, and ultimately award-winning metafiction novels.
Newspapers
- Current Diversions—Hilton Head Island
- Department of Information Services—Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind.
- The Jet Stream—Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC
- The Beaufort Gazette—South Carolina
- The Globe—Camp Lejeune, NC
- The Navy Times—Springfield, VA
- The Post—Fort Dix, NJ
- Tri-Command Tribune—Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island
Magazines
- Leatherneck—Magazine of the Marines
- Monsters and Critics—webzine
- Secular Nation—Norwood, PA
- Sisyphus On Strike—Atlanta, GA
- Torii Teller—Iwakuni Japan
- The Parrot—Galveston, TX
Television Journalism
- Beaufort Air Station—SC
- Det 5 Air Force Pacific Broadcasting Squadron—Far East
- KOB-TV, NBC—Albuquerque, NM
Radio Journalism
- Far East Network—Japan
- WRNJ—Hackettstown, NJ
Film Writing
- Grey Sky Films—Rockaway, NJ
Books
- Drawers & Booths
- The Unreliable Narrator
- and Mozart Was Taught
Awards
for Novels:
- IPPY—an “Outstanding Book of the Year” Bronze Medal “Storyteller of the Year” 2008—World’s Largest Independent Award (3,175 entrants from 16 countries)
- Nominated for Galveston County Reads 2009—Drawers & Booths
- Official Entrant of Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Fiction 2008—Drawers & Booths, 2010—Fiction
- Official Entrant of National Book Award, 2010—Fiction
- Eric Hoffer Book Award 2009
for Military Writing:
- Air Force Achievement Medal—Correspondent in Japan
- Air Force Organization Excellence Award from Navy Broadcasting Service—MCAS Iwakuni Japan
- Air Force Pacific Broadcasting Award—Television
- Air Force Pacific Broadcasting Squadron’s “Person of the Quarter”—Joint-military award for Combat Correspondents
- Army Commendation Medal—Special Operations work and subsequent contingent duties as a Journalist.
- Combat Correspondents Association’s Distinguished Performance Award
- Defense Information School’s Editors Course Diploma
- Meritorious Mast from Air Force Pacific Broadcasting Squadron—broadcast journalism
- Meritorious Mast from Commanding Officer Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC—Combat Correspondent
- Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal—Journalism
