This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman told Deadline he’s been a fan of O’Brien’s work since college, and that he’s written several papers on The Things They Carried.
O’Brien’s most notable work, The Things They Carried, has won several awards and been included in recommended reading lists at middle and high schools.
Fogelman also said he’s typically not thrilled to have his work rewritten, but having O’Brien do it was an exception.
Fogelman said it was intimidating to present he and the writers’ ideas for Jack’s Vietnam plotline to O’Brien, although he added that the experience was also incredibly rewarding.