WLA 2018 Panel: 'How to Breach the Civ-Mil Gap'

A panel discussion focused on techniques used to reduce gaps in understanding between civilians and military audiences will be presented as part of the War, Literature & the Arts Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo. Sept. 20-21, 2018. Titled "Into the Breach: Bridging the Civil-Military Divide via Literary Communities of Practice," the discussion is scheduled 10 a.m. to 11:20 a.m., Thurs., Sept. 20 at the academy's Arnold Hall Ballroom West.

UPDATE posted Sept. 12, 2018:
A full conference schedule is now available as a PDF here at this link.

Facilitator Randy Brown is a freelance magazine and book editor ("Reporting for Duty"), war poet ("Welcome to FOB Haiku"), and poetry editor of "As You Were," a literary journal published by Military Experience & the Arts. He is a 20-year retired veteran of the Iowa Army National Guard. As "Charlie Sherpa," he writes about citizen-solider culture at www.redbulllrising.com, and about military writing at www.aimingcircle.com.

A description of the panel discussion follows:
References to the "civil-military divide"—perceived gaps in understanding among civilian and military communities—are readily found in everyday discourse. Boilerplate sentiments such as "22 veterans a day commit suicide"; "One percent of the population serves in the military"; and the potentially fraught "Thank you for your service" do little, however, to promote empathy, mutual respect, or understanding. 
How can creative professionals use the written word and performance to better illuminate, elevate, and enrich the discourse? In this discussion, our panelists will discuss not only their artistic approaches and philosophies, but also provide concrete tips, resources, and lessons-learned from their experiences creating writing workshops, theatrical performances, and on-line events, bringing together "military" and "civilian" participants to establish sustainable communities of interest and practice.
Panelists scheduled to attend include:
Lovella Calica: Founder and director, Warrior Writers; visual artist; community arts activist; editor and publisher of literary anthologies; Philadelphia, Penn.

Eric Chandler: Founder, Bridging the Gap; war poet ("Hugging This Rock"); outdoor sports writer; former F-16 pilot; 1989 Air Force Academy graduate; U.S. Air Force veteran; Duluth, Minn.

Jonathan Wei: Founder and executive director, The Telling Project; director, writer, producer; Austin, Texas

Andria Williams: Author of literary fiction ("The Longest Night: A Novel"); founder, The Military Spouse Book Review; U.S. Navy spouse; Colorado Springs, Colo.
For more information about the War, Literature and the Arts conference, to include FREE registration for the event, visit here.

Want to receive exclusive early-bird notice of military-themed writing opportunities, events, and markets? Join our community of practice for as little as $1 a month! Details here: www.patreon.com/aimingcircle.

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