Joyce Cullen

Dave Cullen is an American writer and journalist recognized for his extensive work on sensitive and impactful subjects. He is particularly known for his books "Columbine" and "Parkland: Birth of a Movement," both of which achieved New York Times bestseller status and garnered critical acclaim. His career also includes over twenty-five years covering the experiences of LGBT individuals serving in the military.

Cullen's journalistic approach involves deep research and long-term engagement with his subjects. His upcoming book, "Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight," is the culmination of a 26-year project documenting the lives of two gay soldiers navigating military service under restrictive policies. His work often delves into traumatic events, and he has spoken about the personal toll this has taken, including experiencing secondary traumatic stress. Cullen has also adapted his work for television and is a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Author's Guild.

Dave Cullen's career has been significantly shaped by his deep dives into the complex and often tragic subject of mass violence. His seminal work, "Columbine," meticulously researched over a decade, was among the first journalistic accounts to explore the intricacies of the massacre. Following this, he continued to analyze and report on subsequent mass shootings, contributing essays and analysis for major publications. His book "Parkland: Birth of a Movement" documented the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and the rise of the student-led gun safety advocacy. Cullen's commitment to understanding these events extends to his involvement with the Academy for Critical Incident Analysis, where he collaborates with experts and survivors.

For over two decades, Dave Cullen has been a consistent voice reporting on the experiences of LGBT individuals within the U.S. military. This extensive coverage began in 1999 and has addressed pivotal issues such as the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the impact of transgender troop bans, and the daily lives of gay cadets. His foundational work in this area includes a 2000 GLAAD Media Award-winning online story that laid the groundwork for his forthcoming book, "Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight." This project, spanning 26 years, promises to reveal the hidden lives and struggles of gay soldiers during eras of significant policy and societal change.

Cullen's writing process is characterized by a deliberate effort to create an environment conducive to deep thought and creative flow. He has expressed a preference for writing outdoors, choosing residences near parks like Central Park and Prospect Park in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively. The presence of a balcony offers him a space to step away, read, and let ideas develop before returning to his computer. Beyond his literary work, Cullen has actively engaged in adapting his intellectual property for visual media. He has completed training with the Writers Guild of America and intends to executive produce television projects, having already served as an executive producer for a short documentary on Parkland and as a consultant for the ABC series "American Crime."

“On Feb. 14, 2018, at 3:13 p.m.—54 minutes after the shooting started at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. — Dave Cullen got a text from a producer at "Anderson Cooper 360," asking him to appear on the show that night.”

“At that point, he'd been covering mass killings for so long he had begun suffering from a secondary form of traumatic stress, sometimes 'sobbing all day, mostly in bed, then slumped in a chair.'”

“He had no idea how much sadness was still in me until I saw the 'after' picture from 10 months with them — the happy Dave from pre-Columbine.”