Thursday, February 23, 2012

Veterans Writing Project: Helping Veterans Heal

Owning your story: How writing helps veterans heal

By Jacqueline Hames
Soldiers Magazine

WASHINGTON (2/22/12) -- "You can tell the extroverted writers; they are the ones that stare at your shoes while they are talking to you, while the introverted writers stare at their own shoes," Ron Capps, founder of and instructor with the Veterans Writing Project, joked during a weekend seminar.



Dario DiBattista, a Marine veteran and instructor with the Veterans Writing Project, guides a seminar discussion on war poetry. (Photo by Jacqueline Hames)(Released)





The borrowed classroom on the George Washington University campus here was filled with both varieties of writers. The lunch hour consisted of quiet discussions among men and women of all ages--some staring at their shoes, others staring at someone else's -- all discussing their experiences in the military with each other.

"The basic idea behind the project is working writers, who are graduates of Master of Arts or Fine Arts programs and veterans -- you have to meet all three of those criteria -- come and give away what we know to others," Capps said, about the VWP.

"Veterans, family members, active and reserve [component] servicemembers, anybody who wants to write about the military experience" are welcome to join the seminar....


Go read the rest here.

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