Robert Olen Butler (Cyclopedia of World Authors)
Robert Olen Butler, whose father was a college professor, graduated from Northwestern University summa cum laude in 1967 with a degree in oral interpretation, then in 1969 completed a masters in playwriting at the University of Iowa. Serving in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1972, Butler was trained to speak fluent Vietnamese. During his tour in Vietnam he was assigned to military intelligence, where he reached the rank of sergeant. He also served as an interpreter for U.S. advisers.
Butler’s early fiction grew out of his experience in Vietnam. Though he moved on to other themes,...
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