Poet Explores Place-finding in her Military Family

In her soon-to-be-published second collection of poetry, titled "Permanent Change of Station," Lisa Stice lovingly interrogates and illuminates life in a military family with a young daughter—exploring the in-betweens of separation and connection, and the quest for finding one’s place in the world.

With an anticipated on-sale date of April 23, 2018, "Permanent Change of Station" (100 pages, Middle West Press LLC) will be available in a $11.99 trade paper edition through Amazon and other booksellers, as well as a $5.99 e-book exclusively via Amazon.

Stice's signature style frequently involves the borrowing of words from texts she finds readily at hand, including quotations from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," and Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches." In her new poems, the family’s small dog Seamus also often appears as sentry, companion, and guide.

"Given that April is both the Month of the Military Child, and National Poetry Month, we can think of no better voice to celebrate than that of Lisa Stice," says Randy Brown, editor and publisher of Middle West Press LLC. "Her close observations of childhood magic and household routines, quietly set against ever-present question-marks of war and displacement, are essential and timely insights into the modern military family experience."

"If you’ve ever been a military kid, parent, or spouse—regardless of age or era—you’ll find a welcome home in her words."

Lisa Stice is the author of a previous poetry collection, "Uniform" (Aldrich Press, 2016), in which she explores her experiences as a military wife. A former high school teacher, she volunteers as a mentor with the Veterans Writing Project; as an associate poetry editor with 1932 Quarterly; and as a contributor for The Military Spouse Book Review. She received a BA in English literature from Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University), Grand Junction, Colo., and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. While it is difficult to say where home is, she says, Stice currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, her daughter, and Seamus, a Norwich Terrier.

For a Red Bull Rising review of Stice's previous book, click here.

For a "5 Questions" Aiming Circle interview with poet Lisa Stice, click here.

Middle West Press LLC is a Central Iowa-based editor and publisher of non-fiction, fiction, journalism, and poetry. As an independent micro-press, we publish one to four titles annually. Our projects are often inspired by the people, places, and history of the American Midwest, as well as other essential stories.

The press has previously published two collections from other poets, who offer unique perspectives on war or military themes: "Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire" (2015) by Randy Brown; and "Hugging This Rock: Poems of Earth & Sky, Love & War" (2017) by Eric Chandler.

War Poet Brian Turner at Grinnell College March 12

Iraq War veteran and poet Brian Turner, most recently author of the memoir "My Life as a Foreign Country," will participate in two "Writers at Grinnell" events at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa on Thurs., Mar. 12.

As with all "W@G" events, the public is invited to attend:

Roundtable Discussion: 4:15 p.m., Rosenfield Center, Room 209  


Reading: 8 p.m., Rosenfield Center, Room 101

According to his biography, "Turner earned [a Master of Fine Arts degree] from the University of Oregon before serving for seven years in the U.S. Army. He was an infantry team leader for a year [2003-2004] in Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Prior to that, he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 10th Mountain Division (1999-2000)."

He currently directs the MFA program at Sierra Nevada College, and serves as a contributing editor at The Normal School literary journal.

Turner is also author of two poetry collections, "Here, Bullet" (2005), and "Phantom Noise" (2011).

A Facebook page for the Writers at Grinnell program is here.

Come Run 'In My Boots' 5k April 18, Boone, Iowa

A second annual"In My Boots" 5k run, walk, or ruck march will be conducted by faculty, staff, and students of Des Moines Area Community College's (DMACC), Boone, Iowa campus Sat., April 18, 2015.

The event location will again be McHose Park in Boone. Registration fees are:

• Individual: $25; $30 after April 3 (T-shirt not guaranteed after April 3)

• 4-person ruck team (current/retired military): $80

• 4-person ruck team (civilian): $100

Proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project. At the event, food and clothing donations will also be collected for area homeless shelters. Through last year's event, approximately 250 participants raised more than $5,500 for the charity, and more than 60 duffel bags of non-perishable food items for area homeless veterans.

Participants will receive T-shirts and goodie bags. Medals will be awarded by age groups, as well as overall male, female, and team.

Sponsorships are also available for interested businesses, organizations, families, and individuals, starting at $100. Sponsor names will appear on T-shirts and other race materials.

The official DMACC welcome page for the event, including link to on-line registration, is here.

A Facebook page for the event is here.

A downloadable poster for the event is here.

The event will include:

5K run/walk/ruck: The 5K will be a loop around McHose Park in Boone, Iowa. Participants can choose to bring their own ruck sack or backpack, preloaded with up to 30 lbs. of nonperishable food and clothing items that will be donated to local veterans after the event. (A military ruck consists of carrying a pack weighing around 30 pounds at an alternating run and walk pace for about 5km to 15km. It is part of soldier basic training and a standard test of soldier endurance.) 

Shadow Run: A shadow run with soldiers from units around the world will be held in conjunction with our event. Join "Team Taylor" to run with Capt. Sean Taylor, a DMACC/Boone Professor, who is currently deployed to the Middle East.

Ruck Competition: Current military members and veterans can participate in a team ruck-march competition. Each team will consist of 4 members carrying packs weighing at least 30 pounds. The first complete team to cross the finish line together will be awarded the "In My Boots-Team Ruck-March" award and have bragging rights throughout the year.  B.Y.O.R.

To donate on-line directly to the Wounded Warrior Project in the name of the "In My Boots" event, click here.

For more information about the event, including sponsorships, contact:

• Julie Roosa, 515.433.5215; jkroosa AT dmacc.edu

• Nancy Woods, 515.433.5061; nawoods AT dmacc.edu

The institution's faculty, staff, and students have a history of supporting military and veterans issues, including the 2012 theatrical production of "Telling: Des Moines." Approximately 650 DMACC students are military veterans and beneficiaries using G.I. Bill benefits.

Des Moines Area Community College, a public institution serving the educational and career training needs of Iowans, is committed to the lifelong success of its students. As Iowa’s largest two-year college, DMACC offers 150 programs, certificates and transfer degrees, annually serving more than 75,000 credit and noncredit students on six campuses and in five learning centers. Thanks to college-wide innovation, new programs and affordable tuition, DMACC has experienced record growth and today is the 15th fastest growing two-year college in America.

For more information on DMACC, click here.

7th Annual S.F. Art Show Celebrates Women Veterans

Organizers at Swords to Plowshares, a community-based non-profit group that serves more than 2,000 military veterans in the San Francisco, Calif. area are calling for artwork for an exhibition titled, "Celebrating Women in Service, Honoring Their Sacrifice."

Organizers seek both visual and written art, created by women service members and veterans, as well as families and friends of women who have served in the military. Deadline is April 15, 2015. Artists who are selected to participate will be notified by April 30.

The 7th Annual SHOUT! For Women Veterans! event will be June 11, 2015, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, San Francisco, Calif. 94123. According to press materials, "SHOUT! is a yearly event to celebrate women veterans, inspired by the notion that the arts encourage expression, healing, and foster community connection. [...] This event attracts hundreds of veterans and supporters to share in the artistic expression of women veterans through photography, painting, mixed media, and the written word."

On-line galleries of previous shows are available here.

The following categories will be considered:

• Paintings

• Photographs

• Sculptures

• Multimedia art

• Creative writing, Including essays, poems, and prose

Other guidelines include:

• Early submission is encouraged. Space is limited. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

• Assistance in transporting and displaying art may be awarded to out-of-town artists and disabled artists.

• Accommodations for oversized pieces of art as space permits, but this is not guaranteed.

• Organizers will consider contributions from women who are serving in the military, women veterans, spouses, siblings, parents or friends who have been directly impacted by a the service of a woman.

• Works of art must align with this year’s theme: "Celebrating Women in Service, Honoring Their Sacrifice."

• Works of art must include an artist statement that expresses the nexus between your art and your military service or how you were impacted by a woman who served in the military (200-word max.).

• Attach a short biography (75-word max.).

• Submit a digital photo of artwork (JPEG, PNG or PDF).

If selected, artists should be prepared to:

• Submit a high-resolution (300 dpi minimum) photo of yourself for the website, social media and the event program.

• Submit a photo of the woman veteran during her time in the military for photo slideshow (optional).

• All artwork must be identified with the artist’s name, address, email and phone number clearly printed on a label attached to each piece.

• Frame or otherwise make artwork ready to hang or display.

An on-line application form is here.

A Facebook page for the SHOUT! event is here.

A Facebook page for Swords to Plowshares organization is here.

Contest: Can You Write the Next 'Starship Troopers'?

The next phase of the Atlantic Council's ongoing "Art of Future Warfare" project calls for short science-based stories about conflict in space during the final decade of the 21st century. Word count is 2,000 to 4,000 words. Deadline is March 31, 2014. Authors may publish under a pseudonym, but a biography is required.

Best-selling science-fiction writer David Brin will help select the winning entry. Announcement of a winner will be April 20. The writer of the winning entry will be provided travel expenses to attend a May 18 event in the Washington, D.C. area hosted by the Atlantic Council, at which Brin will also be present. The theme of the event will regard conflict in space.

The latest contest solicitation reads, in part:

Discussions about the future of warfare are often limited by the temporal boundaries faced by national security planners. A lucky few world builders are able to range farther than their peers, yet they rarely push out beyond two decades. This contest will go farther yet to consider the future of armed and social conflict in space during the final years of this century. The best stories will be relevant to readers of today—and tomorrow. Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" was written in 1865, after all.

Beyond Earth is a blank canvas, the ultimate tabula rasa, where even today’s understanding of physics need not apply in the right writer's hands. All can be made anew. Yet in the same way a black and white photograph focuses our attention on living beings in an image devoid of rich color, the off-world realm gives a limitless tableau for mankind’s altruistic ambitions and far fewer places to conceal its baser qualities. This tension between our best and worst is elemental in science fiction because technology is often used as the broker of this duality. From there memorable characters emerge, even if they are not always human.

All entries will be considered for inclusion in the tentatively titled on-line anthology, "War Stories from the Future," scheduled to be published in fall 2015 by the council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security.

For more contest details, including writing guidelines and prompts, visit the Art of Future Warfare project page here.

Mil-Writing Workshop, Brookings, S.D., Feb. 28-Mar. 1

The Veterans Writing Project's Ron Capps will be conducting a free writing workshop, from Sat., Feb. 28 to Sun., Mar. 1, on the campus of South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.

The workshop was inspired in part by a conversation at the 2014 Great Plains Writers' Conference, also hosted by the university, in which students, military science and English faculty members, veterans agencies and offices, and other stakeholders explored opportunities for mutual support.

Based in Washington, D.C., the Veterans Writing Project facilitates literary writing workshops nationwide; supports research on writing as a therapeutic intervention in healthcare; and promotes military-themed writing through its "O-Dark-Thirty" on-line and print journals. Workshop participants–including service members, veterans, and family members–learn about techniques that are applicable to writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays.

Amber Jensen, an instructor at SDSU, also notes that Capps' South Dakota seminar is an extension of a writing workshop that meets regularly on the campus of South Dakota State University. Attendance ranges from 4 to 8 participants, and meetings are every other week. "Our goal in the workshop is to create a sense of community, and to ensure that our military-affiliated students and community members know that we value their stories," she writes.

Space in the Veterans Writing Project weekend workshop is limited. Lunch is provided. To register for the workshop, contact Jensen via e-mail: amber.l.jensen AT sdstate.edu

NYC's Voices from War to Conduct Free Workshops

New York City-based Voices from War will conduct a fourth series of free weekly writing workshops for military service members, veterans, and family members. The Winter-Spring 2015 workshop will meet most Tuesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., from Feb. 24 to May 19. There will be no sessions on April 7 and 14, and May 12.

The workshop is hosted and supported by 14th Street Y, 344 East 14th St (between 1st and 2nd Avenues), New York, N.Y. 10003.

Founded in 2013, Voices from War seeks to empower veterans to craft their own stories, whether for themselves or for broader audiences, in forms both fiction and non-fiction.

According to a workshop description provided in press materials:

In this workshop, we write our own narratives, while reading excerpted fiction and non-fiction by veterans, military spouses, and select civilians. Each week, we share student work, learning from each others' strengths and successes, while also discussing ways we can come closer to the stories we want to tell, whether just for ourselves or for a larger audience. The course is team-taught by two writers, a civilian and a veteran.

Workshop leaders are:

Kara Krauze, who has published in Quarterly West; Center: A Journal of the Literary Arts; Highbrow Magazine; The Daily Beast; Hypothetical Review; the Los Angeles Review of Books; and elsewhere. Krauze has an undergraduate degree from Vassar College in International Studies, and a graduate degree in in Literary Cultures from New York University. Her writing, including a memoir and novels, engages with the subjects of war, loss, and memory. She has lived in Indiana, Ohio, and England, and is a longtime resident of New York City.

Nathan Bradley Bethea, writer, critic, and a former U.S. Army infantry officer (2007-2014). Bethea left the military to attend Brooklyn College's Creative Writing MFA program in fiction. His work has appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, the Iowa Review, The Morning News, and The Daily Beast. He holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and French from Indiana University.

Registration form is here.

A Facebook page for the organization is here.

For more information, visit the organization's website, or e-mail: info AT voicesfromwar.org

Eastern Iowa Mil-Writing Workshop is Feb. 27-Mar. 1

Detail of Grant Wood-designed stained-glass window at Veterans Memorial Building, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. PHOTO: www.redbullirising.com

A "Writing My Way Back Home" weekend writing workshop for military service members, veterans, and families will be conducted in Eastern Iowa, 5 p.m. Fri., Feb. 27 to 1 p.m., Sun., Mar. 1. This is the sixth iteration of the event. This year, the venue is again the renovated Veterans Memorial Building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The free 3-day workshop offers an opportunity for writer-veterans at all levels of experience to exchange ideas and information. Military family members are also welcome to attend. The focus is on exploring military themes and topics through fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more.

Attendees may choose to attend all sessions, or opt to use some of the available time to work with others on writing projects. The atmosphere is usually relaxed and low-key. Given the volunteer-run, no-cost venue, be prepared for programming, instructor, and other last-minute changes. Total attendance typically fluctuates around 30 people. Attendees may have opportunities to share some free meals prepared at the venue. Also, there is often a scheduled reading or performance event open to the public.

For more insights into the potential "Writing My Way Back Home" workshop experience, see these Red Bull Rising blog posts regarding the 2011 and 2013 events.

While the event is free, on-line registration is requested via an EventBrite page here.

A Facebook page for the event is here.

A organizational Facebook page for the "Writing My Way Back Home" non-profit is here.

Veterans Memorial Building exterior. PHOTO:
www.redbullrising.com

Originally constructed in 1920, the Veterans Memorial Building also served as the Cedar Rapids center of government until floods damaged the structure in 2008. The building is located on May's Island, in the middle of the Cedar River. After a $20 million renovation in 2014, the reopened facility is now home to the Iowa Veterans' Welcome Center, Midwest Military Outreach, and other veterans-service organizations, and contains office, exhibit, meeting, and performance spaces.

The address of the building is: Veterans Memorial Building, 50 2nd Avenue Bridge, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401.

The building's exterior features a sculpture of an eternal flame atop the structure. Inside, there is a stained glass window designed by American regionalist painter Grant Wood, a Cedar Rapids native.

Contest: Write a 'Pearl Harbor Speech' for Year 2041

In a short-fuze writing contest, the Atlantic Council's "Art of Future War" project is soliciting short, speculative creative writing that presents a future U.S. president's message after the country has experienced a Pearl Harbor-like attack, circa 2041. Deadline is Mon., Dec. 15, 2014.

The title of the contest is: "What Will The Next Pearl Harbor Be?" The submissions call reads, in part:

What would a Pearl Harbor-like surprise for the United States look like in the 2040s? This seven-day Art of Future Warfare challenge seeks a futuristic interpretation of the opening of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s "Day of Infamy" address to Congress on December 8, 1941—a day after Japanese forces struck Pearl Harbor with an unexpected attack that would draw America into a global conflict the likes of which the world had never seen. The setting for this challenge is 30 years in the future, but the geography, events and actors included in this presidential address are up to you.

For details and writing prompts, click here.

The purpose of the council's series of "war-art" challenges is to showcase the value of creative thinking in the national security realm and gain insight into the future of warfare. In summer 2015, the organization's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security plans to publish an electronic compilation of the best of these and other national security themed art and writing.

Other submissions guidelines include:

• Entries should, at a minimum, re-imagine the content of the first four paragraphs of the speech.

• A panel of Atlantic Council experts and War On The Rocks editors will select the winner, who will be announced by Dec. 22, 2015.

• The creator of the best entry will receive a copy of Atlantic Council Strategic Foresight Initiative Director Mat Burrows' new book, "The Future, Declassified: Megatrends That Will Undo the World Unless We Take Action" and an Atlantic Council coffee mug. The best entry and the creative process will be featured on the Art of Future Warfare project website.

• Entries must be the creator's original work.

• Select runner-up entries will be featured on the project's website.

• While authors may publish under a pseudonym, a C.V. or biography is required.

The Atlantic Council project has also issued a "war-art" challenge for longer-form, fictionalized journalistic accounts of events leading to a larger-scale conflict among nations. Stories written for "The Next Great War" challenge should be between 1,500 to 2,500 words. Deadline is Dec. 31, 2014.

The call reads, in part:

It has been said that journalists write the first rough draft of history. Through the rise of radio and television, written accounts still define how the enduring narratives around how we come to understand the historic points at which everything changes. A century ago, an angry nationalist in Sarajevo opportunistically aimed his pistol at the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. What followed was "the war to end all wars." Yet it was not the end. The tank, the machine gun and the warplane wracked Europe’s battlefields for the first time as the conflict set the stage for further tragedy in the 20th Century.

For more details and creative cues, click here.

Iowa's 34th Army Band to be Honored for WWII Service

Based on an Iowa National Guard news release dated Dec. 6, 2014:

The Iowa National Guard's 34th Army Band, based in Fairfield, Iowa, will be presented the Croix de Guerre with Palm, a battle streamer the unit earned during its campaigns of World War II but was never formally awarded. The oversight was recently discovered during a routine review of the unit’s lineage and honors.

The presentation will be held on Sat., Dec. 13, beginning at 2 p.m., at the Iowa Army National Guard Armory, 1501 W. Stone Ave., Fairfield, Iowa. The award ceremony will be followed by a community concert by four of the 34th Army Band’s Music Performance Teams. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend this event.

The French Croix de Guerre with Palm is a division-level award instituted on April 8, 1915 by the French government to recognize acts of bravery in the face of the enemy. The 34th Army Band originally received the award under Decision No. 843, on June 21, 1945 by the president of the provisional government of the French Republic, with the following citation:

"An elite Division, whose loyal and efficient cooperation with the French divisions, which begun in Tunisia, was gloriously continued throughout the Italian campaign. During the operations of Belvedere, the 34th Infantry Division, despite the difficulties of the moment, displayed the most courageous actions in support of the operations of the 3rd Algerian Division."

During action in World War II, the band fought in campaigns at Tunisia (North Africa), Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley (Italy).

Minnesota's 34th Inf. Div. Band

Today, there are two bands that trace lineage through the history of the U.S. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division. One is a Minnesota National Guard Unit: The 34th Inf. Div. Band, headquartered in Rosemount, Minn.

The division band traces its lineage to the 1st Infantry Band, (Minnesota National Guard) organized in April 30, 1900. The unit was redesignated the 135th Infantry Band in 1917 for federal service in World War I as part of the 34th Infantry Division.

The 135th was activated in 1941 for service in WWII. The 135th Infantry Band arrived in Ireland in 1942 and earned the distinction of being the first U.S. band to play in the European Theater of Operations.

Iowa's 34th Army Band

The other "Red Bull" legacy band unit is the Iowa National Guard's 34th Army Band, headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa.

Concurrent to the 135th in World War II, the 133rd Infantry Band (Iowa Army National Guard) was deployed to Africa and Italy as part of the 34th Infantry Division. The 133rd earned the distinction of landing with the first contingent of U.S. troops in early 1942 as a part of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and became known as the "Oldest Band" in the European Theater of Operations.

On Jan. 1, 1944 the 135th Infantry Band (Minnesota Army National Guard) was combined with the 133rd Infantry Band (Iowa Army National Guard) to create the 34th Infantry Division Band.

An official webpage about the Iowa National Guard band unit is here.

An official Facebook page for the Iowa band organization is here.

An official webpage about the Minnesota National Guard band unit is here.

An official webpage about the Minnesota band organization is here.

Writing Contest Seeks Stories, Poetry About Animals

Service-dog-in-training "Arlington" poses with members of
Iowa National Guard funeral honors team. PHOTO: Paws & Effect

The Red Bull Rising blog is a proud supporter of a nationwide arts and writing contest that is seeking short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art by young people, military service members and veterans, and the general public. The theme is human-animal bonds and relationships. Deadline is Jan. 5, 2015. There is a monetary award of $100 in each category/sub-category.

The contest is underwritten by Central Iowa non-profit Paws & Effect, and will be the centerpiece of  the organization's annual "One Heart, Four Paws" Valentine's Day celebration of the connections among humans and animals.

Established in 2006, the Des Moines, Iowa-based non-profit is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains, and places service dogs with military veterans and children diagnosed with medical needs. The organization also registers therapy animals through Pet Partners, and hosts dog-agility events.

Editors are seeking previously unpublished flash-fiction, non-fiction, and poetry on the themes illustrating human-animal connections.

Winners selected in each of the following categories:

• Youth (Ages 6-12)

• Open—Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

• Military service member/veteran—Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

Winners in each category/subcategory will receive:

• Recognition at the Feb. 13, 2015 "One Heart, Four Paws" gala event.

• A monetary award of $100.

• Publication of their work(s) in a commemorative broadsheet, chapbook, or other physical object, to be distributed at the event.

All submitted works will also be considered for inclusion in a commemorative anthology, to be published later in 2015.

There is no submission fee for the Youth category. Youth submissions should be made via postal mail, using this downloadable form, or on-line here at Submittable.com. All hardcopy entries become the property of Paws & Effect and will not be returned. Send entries to:

"One Heart, Four Paws" Youth Contest
c/o Middle West Press
P.O. Box 31099
Johnston, Iowa 50131-9428

Guidelines for Open and Military/Veteran categories include:

• Submit via on-line tool at here at Submittable.com. There is a $15 submission fee.

• Limit one submission in each category per person.

• Poetry: up to 3 poems (5 pages maximum).

• All prose (including fiction, non-fiction, essay, and memoir): 750-word limit.

• Submissions exceeding the limits will be disqualified.

• Include a biography of 75 words or less with each submission. Past and present members of all branches, services, and nationalities may submit to the Military/Veteran category.

• Winners and contributors will be notified by Feb. 1, 2015.

• This project acquires first North American and anthology rights.

• Judges' decisions are final. Judges also reserve the rights to make additional awards in each category/subcategory, and to decline making awards within one or more categories/subcategories.

This Armistice Day, Celebrate Veterans and Vonnegut

PHOTO: Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library

Working with other community partners Nov. 7-8, the non-profit Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library (K.V.M.L.), Indianapolis, Ind. will conduct and participate in VonnegutFest 2014, an annual celebration of the writer, artist, and Indianapolis-born Kurt Vonnegut.

Vonnegut was notably born on Armistice Day—what would later become Veterans Day—and his experiences as a prisoner of war in World War II Dresden served as the foundation for his satirical 1969 novel "Slaughterhouse Five."

VonnegutFest events include "Veterans Reclaiming Armistice Day":

As a part of the Spirit and Place Festival, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library presents "Veterans Reclaim Armistice Day". At 2 p.m., the event will kick off with an Art Resource Fair in the lobby of Central Library [40 E. St. Clair St.
Indianapolis]. From 3-4 p.m., there will be a panel discussion, moderated by National Public Radio Iraq War Correspondant Kelly McKevers, featuring Magnus Johnson of Elder Heart, Olivia Cobiskey, and Director of the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs Jim Brown. The Art Resource Fair will remain open during the panel discussion. Following the panel discussion, Central library will be sponsoring Career Services for Veterans.

From 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. and located at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, 340 N Senate Ave., Indianapolis, the KVML will celebrate the release of its third annual edition of its literary journal, "So It Goes." Contributors will read from their work, and an art exhibit titled "Billy Pilgrim's War Chest" will also be available for viewing.

Visit the KVML website here.

For a KVML Facebook page, click here.

Even if you can't attend VonnegutFest 2014 in person, consider reading this extensive and entertaining Paris Review interview from Spring 1977, in which Vonnegut talks of his military training and post-war experiences, and of writing them down. Here's an excerpt:

Others had so much more to write about. I remember envying Andy Rooney, who jumped into print at that time; I didn’t know him, but I think he was the first guy to publish his war story after the war; it was called Air Gunner. Hell, I never had any classy adventure like that. But every so often I would meet a European and we would be talking about the war and I would say I was in Dresden; he’d be astonished that I’d been there, and he’d always want to know more. Then a book by David Irving was published about Dresden, saying it was the largest massacre in European history. I said, By God, I saw something after all! I would try to write my war story, whether it was interesting or not, and try to make something out of it.

Or check out these two amusing and educational "Crash Course" YouTube videos by fellow Hoosier John Green, which explore the themes of Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five":

• "Aliens, Time Travel, and Dresden - 'Slaughterhouse Five' Part I: Crash Course Literature 212"

• "PTSD and Alien Abduction - 'Slaughterhouse Five' Part 2: Crash Course Literature 213"

'Through a Soldier's Eyes' Tails 'Red Bull' in WWII Italy

A 26-minute documentary depicting the travels of present-day members of the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division on a tour of that unit's World War II battlefields in Italy will debut on Minnesota public television channels Fri., Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. Central Time. For a 25-second trailer video, click here.

(In Central Iowa, "Through a Soldier's Eyes" will air 8 p.m., Nov. 4 on Iowa Public Television Channel 11.3.)

Luke Heikkila PHOTO: Twin Cities Public Television

Produced by Twin Cities Public Television producer Luke Heikkila, "Through a Soldier's Eyes" is part of an ongoing commitment by the station to tell the stories of Minnesota service members, families, and veterans. Heikkila embedded with Minnesota troops in Iraq in 2009, and in Afghanistan in 2012.

The 34th Inf. Div. was originally comprised of citizen-soldiers from Iowa, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. The unit's distinctive "Red Bull" patch is still worn by National Guard troops in Minnesota and Iowa. The project was previously mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog.

Earlier in 2014, Heikkila followed Staff Sgt. Dillon Jennings and other current members of the 34th Inf. Div. on a trip to Italy. The group toured battle sites such as Anzio, Monte Cassino, Volturno River, Hill 810, and others.

Jenning's great-grandfather, Bernard Bonnema, also served in the 133rd Infantry Regiment, one of the "Red Bull" units deployed to World War II Italy.

A veteran of two overseas deployments himself, Jennings didn't make the connection between his own service and that of his great-grandfather, until after participating in the record-breaking 22-month deployment of 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division (1-34th Bde.) to Iraq in 2006-2007.

Air-times and channels for "Through a Soldier's Eyes" are listed here, as well as below. The program will also be made available on-line veterans.tpt.org, and via the PBS World Channel.

Twin Cities Public Television, Channel 2.1

• Fri., Nov. 7 @ 9:00 p.m.
• Sat., Nov 8 @ 3:00 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 9 @ 4:00 p.m.

Twin Cities Public Television MN Channel 2.2

• Sun., Nov. 9 @ 7:30 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 16 @ 1:30 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 16 @ 7:30 a.m.
• Sun., Nov. 16 @ 1:30 a.m.

Twin Cities Public Television Life Channel 2.3

• Sun., Nov 16 @ 11:30 a.m.

Traveling 'Meditation on War' to Tour Minnesota

PHOTO: Minnesota Humanities Council Veterans' Voices

A traveling exhibit that pairs Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs with literary meditations on war will tour multiple sites in 2014-2015 as part of the Minnesota Humanities Council's Veterans Voices program. "Always Lost: A Meditation on War" opened Mon., Oct. 13 at Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. through Oct. 24. According to the council, the exhibit "brings home the personal and collective costs of war and honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan."

In a related event, Iraq War veteran and poet Brian Turner, author of the recently published memoir "My Life as a Foreign Country," will read his poetry and prose at Carleton College's Weitz Center for Creativity Tues., Oct. 21st, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is open to the public. For details, click here.

Additional of installations of the "Always Lost" exhibit include:

2014 "ALWAYS LOST" EXHIBIT SITES

• November 3 to November 17: Southwest Veterans Association, Marshall

• November 24 to December 8: Normandale Community College, Bloomington

• December 15- to January 26: Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis

2015 "ALWAYS LOST" EXHIBIT SITES

• February 23 to March 11: Distance Minnesota, Perham

• April 15 April 24: University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis

• May 1 to May 15: Rochester Community and Technical College, Rochester

• July 31 to Aug. 21: Metropolitan State University, St. Paul

• September 4 to September 25: South Central Community College, Faribault

Celebrate Comrades-in-Arms, Pets at 'Day of the Dead'

A military- and pet-friendly celebration of La Dia de Los Muertos ("The Day of the Dead") will be hosted by Central Iowa non-profit Paws & Effect at Living History Farms, 11121 Hickman Road, Urbandale, Iowa, starting at 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 18. Costumes are encouraged, as well as "shrines" commemorating the honored dead.

La Dia de Los Meurtos is a traditional holiday that originates in Mexico and other Latino countries, during which family and friends gather to celebrate their ancestors and other loved ones. It is usually observed close to Halloween.

"We share our lives with pets and people," says Nicole Shumate, executive director of Paws & Effect. "Paws & Effect wants to create an opportunity to join together as a community, remembering and cherishing all those whose lives have touched ours."

Since 2006, the non-profit has trained and placed service animals with military veterans, children with autism, and others diagnosed with medical needs. The organization also trains therapy animals and Pet Partners. Shumate notes that the event uniquely offers veterans an opportunity to celebrate fallen brothers and sisters in arms, as well as former Military Working Dog partners, and past service and companion animals. Think of it as a "Hail and Farewell" event, with those being celebrated no longer physically present.

A New Orleans-style memorial ceremony and jubilee procession will begin 1 p.m. at the Living History Farms' Church of the Land. Music will be provided by the Drake University Jazz Band.

The upbeat procession will culminate at the Living History Farms softball fields, where music will be provided by El Dorados. Participants can purchase food from Magnolia Kitchen and Grocery, and sample beer from Peace Tree Brewing.

Cost for the event is $25. Register on-line here.

In addition to Living History Farms and Paws & Effect, the event is co-sponsored by the Dan Sesker Memorial Poker Run and Iowa Chapter of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Iowa (EANGI).

Paws & Effect received a $2,000 donation from the Dan Sesker group, which annually raises funds through a Memorial Day weekend motorcycle ride and poker run originating in Ogden, Iowa. Sesker was killed in action April 6, 2006, while serving in Iraq. His family honors his memory by supporting community nonprofits whose work benefits military personnel, veterans, and families.

Paws & Effect also received $3,500 from the EANGI to help offset the costs associated with placing service dogs with veterans. These funds also support community events such as Dia de los Muertos, which provide an opportunity to celebrate the lives of comrades and family members who have served in uniform.

Iowa Remembers 5k, Marcus Luttrell Events Sept. 28

PHOTO: Iowa Remembers, Inc.

The Fifth Annual Remembrance Run will be held 10 a.m. Sun., Sept. 28, 2014 at Raccoon River Park, West Des Moines, Iowa.

More than 800 registered runners participated in the 2012 event. Subsequent years have overtopped 1,000 participants.

The run is a fund-raiser for Iowa Remembers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The organization helps underwrite an annual retreat for families of Iowans who have died as the result of service in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. The retreat is held in the Des Moines area on the same weekend as the run.

Iowa Remembers maintains a list of honored dead. Prior to each year's race, that list is read aloud, along with either a performance of the U.S. National Anthem and/or recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. At this year's event, Iowans killed during the Vietnam War will also be remembered.

In a related event that evening, Iowa Remembers will also host "An Evening with Marcus Luttrell" at the Iowa Events Center, Des Moines, 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 plus a $1 facility fee, and may be purchased at the box office or website. On-line ticket sales fees may apply. Seating is general admission. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Luttrell is a former Navy SEAL, and co-author of the 2007 best-selling book "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10." Proceeds from the Luttrell event will also go to the annual retreat for military families.

Registration for the Fifth Annual 5K walk/run event is $25 through Sept. 19. Late registration is $30 between Sept. 19-24 (with no T-shirt guaranteed). Both team and individual registrations are available. Children 12 and under can participate for free, but registration is required to receive T-shirt and medal.

Team registration is available for groups that want to honor a particular soldier or individual. Registration costs are the same.

Online registration is here.

For a route map, click here.

Iowa Remembers maintains a Facebook page here. An event page for this year's Remembrance Run is here. An event page for "An Evening With Marcus Luttrell" is here.

Lawton, Okla. is Site of 2015 Military and Arts Event

The Richmond, Ky.-based non-profit Military Experience & the Arts (M.E.A.) recently announced plans for a May 14-17, 2015 symposium of military veterans, advocates, arts practitioners, and others interested in exploring healing, history, and communication through the expressive arts. The event will take place on the campus of Cameron University, Lawton, Okla.

The organization's inaugural 3-day event, conducted July 2012 in Kentucky, comprised workshops, demonstrations, and performances by an engaged and diverse group of veterans, advocates, and artists.

Past "Red Bull Rising" blog coverage of the MEA organization and its related literary journals is collected here. A blog post reflecting on the 2012 event is here.

The MEA is currently seeking corporate and organizational sponsors for the 2015 event, as well as potential workshop presenters and facilitators. The group is also seeking volunteers to assist with activities at the event.

Starting Aug. 15, military veterans and spouses can register for a non-refundable $20 fee. Information about meals, lodging, and other accommodations is still pending.

In related news, the MEA has recently reopened submissions to its family of literary journals. Writers are encouraged to submit original fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and visual art through the organization's new Submittable portal. Simultaneous and previously published submissions are not accepted.

One caveat: Writers considering submission are strongly encouraged to review the organization's copyright and privacy statements. Because of previous licensing relationship, for example, submissions published in The Journal of Military Experience remain the intellectual property of Eastern Kentucky University following publication.

Summer Writers' Event Sponsors 'Red Bull Rising' Blog

The Interlochen Center for the Arts' Summer 2014 series of 4-day writers' retreats has sponsored the Red Bull Rising blog. Scheduled from June 16 to 19 on the center's campus in Northwestern Michigan, series offerings include "From Blog to Book: How to Expand Your Web Log into a Book Manuscript."

The Blog-to-Book retreat will be hosted by Iraq War veteran and author Matt Gallagher.

Other Interlochen Summer 2014 offerings include workshops on short story, memoir, and using art as inspiration. "Spend four days writing new material in the genre of your choice, attending craft talks by award-winning faculty, enjoying lakeside lunches and evening readings, all while making connections in the literary world that will last for years to come," the series website reads.

As a young U.S. Army officer deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008, Gallagher first gained worldwide attention as a military blogger. He later turned his writing into a book-length memoir, "Kaboom:
Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War," which was published in 2010. In 2013, he was co-editor and contributor to "Fire and Forget: Short Stories from the Long War." He currently serves as a writing instructor for Words After War, a New York City-based non-profit organization that seeks to bring civilians and veterans together to discuss literature regarding war and conflict.

"I'm very pleased to help signal-boost the Interlochen summer writers' retreats, and, specifically, Matt Gallager's 'Blog-to-Book' seminars," says Randy "Sherpa" Brown, writer of the Red Bull Rising blog. "We first met through the blogosphere in 2010, and I personally know him to be funny, insightful, and supportive of other writers' journeys, regardless of medium or genre. This would be the perfect opportunity for anyone—not just mil-bloggers—who regularly engages readers through on-line platforms, and who aspire to creating larger manuscripts."

Past sponsors of the Red Bull Rising blog include low-residency MFA in creative writing programs, writers events and conferences, and retail gaming stores.

For more information or to register for the Interlochen writers retreats, click here.

Artist-Veterans Sought for Kansas City, Mo. Exhibit

A regional arts non-profit is seeking the work of visual artists in six Southern Plains states who are also military veterans. The pending June 2014 exhibition is an adaptation of a "Citizen Soldier Citizen" exhibition that originated at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Michigan City, Ind.

Mid-America Arts Alliance is seeking artists working in 2-D formats such as drawing, painting, print-making, paper-making, and photography, who are geographically located or originating in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, or Texas. Deadline is April 7, 2014.

The exhibition focuses on the artists' experiences as members of the armed services. The original Indiana show was previously mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog here.

Submission of photographs documenting an artist's work can be made via e-mail. Send to: tim@maaa.org

If sending digital discs or print photo submissions by postal mail, in advance please call 816.421.1388 ext. 224 or e-mail. Mail to:

Tim Brown
Mid-America Arts Alliance
2018 Baltimore Ave
Kansas City, MO 64108

Come Run 'In My Boots' 5k April 19, Boone, Iowa

An "In My Boots" 5k run, walk, or ruck march will be sponsored by the athletics department of the Des Moines Area Community College, located in Boone, Iowa, Sat., April 19, 2014.

The event location will be McHose Park in Boone. Individual registration is $25 before April 7; same-day registration is $30; team registration is $80. Proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project. At the event, food and clothing donations will also be collected for area homeless shelters.

According to press materials:

5K run/walk/ruck: The 5K will be a loop around McHose Park in Boone, Iowa. Individuals can also compete in the ruck-march that will cross through the woods and streams around the park. A limited number of ruck-sacks will be available on race day. If possible, bring your own. Please preload your ruck with non-perishable and clothing items to donate to a local shelter.

Ruck March: Current military members and veterans are eligible to participate in a team ruck-march competition. Each team will consist of 4 members carrying packs weighing at least 30 pounds. Weight limit will be waived if packs are filled with donations for local shelters. The first complete team to cross the finish line together will be awarded the first ever “In My Boots-Team Ruck-March” award and have bragging rights throughout the year.

For a PDF registration form, click here.

To donate on-line directly to the Wounded Warrior Project in the name of the "In My Boots" event, click here.

For more information about the event, contact:

• DMACC Athletic Director Orv Salmon at: 515.433.5050; ojsalmon AT dmacc.edu

• Journalism and law instructor Julie Roosa at: 515.433.5215; jkroosa AT dmacc.edu

The institution's faculty, staff, and students have a history of supporting military and veterans issues, including the 2012 theatrical production of "Telling: Des Moines." Approximately 650 DMACC students are military veterans and beneficiaries using G.I. Bill benefits.

Des Moines Area Community College, a public institution serving the educational and career training needs of Iowans, is committed to the lifelong success of its students. As Iowa’s largest two-year college, DMACC offers 150 programs, certificates and transfer degrees, annually serving more than 75,000 credit and noncredit students on six campuses and in five learning centers. Thanks to college-wide innovation, new programs and affordable tuition, DMACC has experienced record growth and today is the 15th fastest growing two-year college in America. For more information, click here.