Author of NYTimes Bestseller Columbine
Don't fall in love
The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight
May 4, 2027
The tumultuous true story of two active duty gay combat soldiers fighting for love, happiness, and their country against all odds — before, during, and after Don't Ask Don't Tell. The decorated officers served in three wars and deployed to five continents, forging a lifelong friendship navigating the evolving perils of the policy together, hiding in plain sight.
The "compromise" was designed to loosen their shackles, but Don't Fall in Love draws back the curtain on how it made life so much worse — forcing brutal compromises and pitting their life's calling against happiness with the men they loved. It seemed to doom any serious relationship, but they were soldiers, so they fought.
Born on the eve of Stonewall, their lives tell the story of the liberation of our military and the entire LGBT equality movement, through their insightful eyes.
GLAAD Media Award
Best Online Story
of the Year
My Story
I wrote the New York Times bestsellers Columbine and Parkland. On May 4, 2027, HarperCollins will publish my nonfiction gay soldiers book, 25 years in the making. (11 concurrently with the others.) It’s the biggest project I’ll undertake in my life.
I had to write this gay soldiers' story, because I'm a gay ex-infantry soldier, but not at the same time. Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight is the tumultuous true story of two active duty combat arms buddies fighting for love and happiness against all odds. They each served 23 years and deployed to three wars in hiding — before, during, and after Don't Ask, Don't Tell. They're courageous, insightful and wickedly funny, and it's been one hell of a ride.
Columbine won several major awards, including the Edgar, the Goodreads Choice Award, and the Barnes & Noble Discover Award, and made 24 Best Books of 2009 lists. It landed on the LA Times' list of the 30 best nonfiction books of the last 30 years, and Slate's list of the best nonfiction books of the last quarter century. It has been translated into nine languages, named to dozens of All Time Best True Crime lists, and universally acclaimed as the definitive account.
I've worked on several TV projects, written a pilot for NBCUniversal, earned my WGA card, and completed the WGA Staff Writer Bootcamp. I've written for the New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, London Times, Politico, The Guardian, Washington Post, The New Republic, BuzzFeed, etc., and appeared on most of the major networks in the US, and across Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. I live in Chicago, where I'm uncle to 11 cool humans and 1 adorable corgi, Bobby Sneakers.
Be Notified
Email 'NOTIFY' in the subject line to dave@davecullen.com
You'll get emails when Don't Fall In Love is available for pre-order and when it's published.
I never share addresses, and won't spam you.
TV
Dave has been a frequent analyst about Columbine, Parkland, school shootings, gays and soldiers on Today, NBC Nightly News, PBS Newshour, Nightline, Morning Edition, CBS This Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, CBSN, Anderson Cooper 360, Rachel Maddow, All In With Chris Hayes, Katie, Talk of the Nation, Hannity, and numerous documentaries including CNN, NatGeo, Showtime and The Nineties.
Highlights
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Deadline White House: "Those kids, they're my new heroes." Feb 2018
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CNN with Brooke Baldwin: I challenge Hillary to the 22-day Pushup Challenge. Sep 2016
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Anderson Cooper: "We don't do anything." Parkland attack. Feb 2018. (Scroll to minute 10:50.)
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CBSN: “America ‘did nothing’ until Parkland.” Columbine 20th Anniversary. Apr 2019
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CBS: Little kids at Uvalde: “I couldn’t turn it on.” May 2022
