Fairfield University to commemorate Veteran's Day with readings of creative writing by four local veterans

Fairfield University to commemorate Veteran's Day with readings of creative writing by four local veterans

 

Image: BCC Four veterans will read from their creative writing and participate in a larger panel discussion about the notion of 'just war' and the therapeutic value of writing on Veteran's Day, Monday, November 11, at 6 p.m. in the lower level of Fairfield University's Barone Campus Center. The event is sponsored by the University's Department of English, MFA in Creative Writing, and the Office of Academic Affairs. It is free and open to the public.

The evening will begin with readings by: Colin D. Halloran MFA'12, a U.S. Army combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan and author of the award-winning memoir-in-verse "Shortly Thereafter"; Lauren Kay Halloran, a U.S. Air Force veteran who has been published in Glamour and in Fairfield's online literary journal Mason's Road; Mariette Kalinowski, a U.S. Marines veteran and fiction writer who often focuses on the experiences of women in combat roles and is a regular contributor to The New York Times Opinionator and was included in the veterans' anthology "Fire and Forget"; and Joe Carvalko MFA'11, an U.S. Air Force veteran best known for his recent book "We Were Beautiful Once: Chapters from a Cold War."

The panel discussion and Q&A will also include: David Eisler, a U.S. Army veteran, who is a policy-writing fellow at Words After War, a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to building a community of thoughtful, engaged veteran writers through high-quality literary programming. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Military Review, The Daily Beast and Millennial Veteran Project.

In addition, the Rev. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., senior vice president for academic affairs at Fairfield, will help frame the evening's program with a brief review of Catholic just war theory, and Cinthia Gannett, Ph.D., associate professor of English, a specialist in rhetoric and writing, will discuss the therapeutic benefits of writing. Lucy Nalpathanchil, WNPR's "All Things Considered" host, will moderate the evening's discussion.

"As a Yellow Ribbon campus and a Jesuit university," said Fr. Fitzgerald, "Fairfield is honored to host this event, giving our veterans an academic context for their thoughtful reflection on the meaning of their service and the measure of their sacrifices. As well, it affords our campus community the occasion to dialogue with these veterans and thus become more educated about the long term effects of warfare."

For more information on this event, contact Elizabeth Hastings at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2688 or ehastings@fairfield.edu.

Posted On: 1383754260000

Volume: 46 Number: 107

Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.