Brehan '23 is a native of the great state of Rhode Island. He is concentrating in German Studies and History at Brown, and he is interested in studying the connection between group experience and individual memory, and the multitude of forms used to express those memories. Brehan is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he completed two combat tours as an Infantryman in the US Army's 101st Airborne Division. He hopes to use the opportunity created by the Royce Fellowship to explore innovative ways to aid other veterans in successfully navigating the process of transitioning out of the military.

Project:

A significant challenge faced by many veterans transitioning out of the military is developing the tools needed to integrate their experiences in uniform within the context of civilian life. One of the most effective methods of facilitating this integration has been the use of creative writing as a means of expressing and reconciling the contrasts between these two worlds. The intent of this project is to demonstrate the trans-historical and cross-cultural use and benefits of the creative writing process through a close examination of the work and life of the German Romanticist Heinrich von Kleist, and how his collected writings mirror the experiences of contemporary veterans engaged in translating the events of their service into literature.