Saturday, November 9, 2024 | 5
HONORING OUR VETERANS
Writing project helps Nebraska veterans express themselves Professional instructors facilitate workshops
oping strategies and skills. Model texts are read and dis- cussed by the group to help participants identify how to create effective writing. Working with instructors al- lows writers to practice with immediate feedback. The range of works include fiction, poetry and memoir. Writers develop a strong bond as they encourage each other. The workshop culminates in a voluntary public reading. Participants develop skills that include generating ideas, tips for revising, editing and how to find a publisher. Instructors include Arden
for the National Humanities Conference. They learned about writing workshops in Missouri and the annual an- thologies produced by veteran writers. In 2014, psychologists at the Veterans Hospital in Lincoln, along with Robert Brooke, di- rector of the Nebraska Writ- ing Project and a professor of English at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, organized the group.
group, “Warrior Writers has become an in- tegral part of my writing process and my well-being.” Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason led the discussion at a session on Oct. 5 in Omaha. “A session has writers who have been in the military service,” he said in an interview from his home in Omaha. “They typically bring things to read. It can be poetry, fic- tion, nonfiction — and they spend a little time talking about the pieces they have brought. They give and receive feedback.” A guest speaker will come in to lead the group. “That’s what I’ve done,” Mason said of his work with Nebraska Warrior Writers. “Sometimes I’ll give a writing prompt. Those who want to share can do that. We talk about writing and then I’ll answer questions.” Nebraska Warrior Writers functions like any other writing group. “The participants are veterans, but otherwise, it’s just a comfortable writing group,” he said. While most of the sessions are in person, veterans can visit HumanitiesNebraska.org for a Zoom link.
RICK BROWN | for the Kearney Hub KEARNEY — A decade ago, the Nebraska Writing Project, the Veterans Administra- tion and Humanities Nebraska designed a writing program to help veterans and ac-
tive duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Nebraska Warrior Writ- ers organized weekly workshops in Lincoln and Omaha, led by poets and writers. According to the Hu- manities Nebraska web- page, participants need
In addition to helping vet- erans express themselves in words, the project produced a book in 2020, “From Warriors to Warrior Writers: Journey to Healing.” The 272-page book includes works by a variety of veterans. Some of the chapters include “Morning in the Sandhills” by Andy Gueck, “From Omaha to Da Nang — My Search for a Spiritual Home in Vietnam,” “The Wallet,” by Cynthia Douglas-Yberra and “Time of War,” by Beverly Hoistad. Writer Sharon Robino-West said of the
The Nebraska Warrior Writers published a collection of essays and poetry in 2020.
Mason
Hill, Lucy Adkins, Ben Weakley, Lydia Kang, Damion Meyer, J.R. Dawson, Todd Robinson, Hannah Clark, Caitlin Cass, Matt Mason, Zedeka Poindexter and Ted Wheeler. The project began in 2013 when physi- cian Erika Hamilton and executive direc- tor of Humanities Nebraska Chris Som- merich traveled to Birmingham, Alabama,
only be interested in writing in any form. They do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by professional writing in- structors, the workshops consist of six to eight biweekly sessions focused on devel-
HONORING OUR NATION’S HEROES
ThankYou
Brad Anderson, Todd Walton, Jason Whalen, Dan Thompson, Chris Hellerich, Tim Ullman Dalton Schmidt, & Eli Minnis For Your Service
From the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department
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