Weight of My Armor, The

Schell Et Al.

Description

The essays and poems in The Weight of My Armor represent the work of twenty-three members of the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group, which meets monthly on the Syracuse University campus. Since 2010, the group has served as an intergenerational community where veterans and military family members write about their lives in and beyond the military.
The Weight of My Armor offers creative nonfiction and poetry that spans a range of military experiences, including overseas deployments and combat, military acculturation and training, adventure and camaraderie, shock and loss, and endurance and survival. This collection also addresses aspects of the military experience that receive less public attention such as gender oppression and military sexual trauma, the long-term physical and psychological costs of warfare, the complex challenges of familial and social reintegration, and the experience of growing up in a military family.
In honest and courageous voices, these writers bear witness to events and circumstances that were largely beyond their control. They also reflect on their service, representing it with the accuracy and specificity unique to first person narratives. Taken together, these pieces encourage dialogue about the personal, social, and economic costs of our nation’s wars, both past and present.

Informations

• Publié par: Parlor Press, LLC
• Date de parution: 13 avril 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781602359499
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

ofers creative nonIction and poetry that

also reLect on their service, representing it with the accuracy and speciIcity unique to Irst person narratives. Taken together, these

The Weight WEIGHT OF MY ARMOR THE of My Armor Creative NonFiction and Poetry by the SyracuSe Veterans' Writing Group

Edited by Ivy Kleinbart, Peter McShane, and Eileen Schell

W orkingand W ritingfor C hange

W W C orking and riting for hange Series Editors: Steve Parks, Cristina Kirklighter, & Jess Pauszek

The Writing and Working for Change series began during the 100th anniversary celebrations of NCTE. It was designed to recognize the collective work of teachers of English, Writing, Composition, and Rhetoric to work within and across diverse identities to ensure the field recognize and respect language, educational, political, and so- cial rights of all students, teachers, and community members. While initially solely focused on the work of NCTE/CCCC Special Interest Groups and Caucuses, the series now includes texts written by indi- viduals in partnership with other communities struggling for social recognition and justice.

Books in te Series CCCC/NCTE Caucuses History of the Black Caucus National Council Teachers of Englishby Marianna White Davis Listening to Our Elders: Working and Writing for Social Changeby Samantha Blackmon, Cristina Kirklighter, and Steve Parks Building a Community, Having a Home: A History of the Conference on College Composition and Communication edited by Jennifer Sano- Franchini, Terese Guinsatao Monberg, K. Hyoejin Yoon

Community Publications Dreams and Nightmares: I Fled aAone to the United States When I Was Fourteenby Liliana Velásquez. Edited and translated by Mark Lyon The Weight of My Armor: Creative NonFiction and Poetry by the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group, edited by Ivy Kleinbart, Peter McShane, and Eileen Schell PHD to PhD: How Education Saved My Lifeby Elaine Richardson

THE WEIGHT OF MY ARMOR

Creatîve NonIctîon and Poetry by te Syracuse Veterans’ Wrîtîng Group

Edited by Ivy Kleinbart, Peter McShane, and Eileen Schell

Paror Press Anderson, South Carolina www.parorpress.com

Parlor Press LLC, Anderson, South Carolina, USA © 2017 New City Community Press No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. S A N: 2 5 4 - 8 8 7 9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on File

1 2 3 4 5

978-1-60235-948-2 (paperback) 978-1-60235-949-9 (PDF) 978-1-60235-950-5 (ePub)

Working and Writing for Change Series Edited by Steve Parks

Cover Image: Sadie Shorr-Parks Designer: Elizabeth Parks, [e-mail]

Parlor Press, LLC is an independent publisher of scholarly and trade ti- tles in print and multimedia formats. This book is available in paper and eBook formats from Parlor Press on the World Wide Web at http:// www.parlorpress.com or through online and brick-and-mortar book- stores. For submission information or to find out about Parlor Press publications, write to Parlor Press, 3015 Brackenberry Drive, Anderson, South Carolina, 29621, or email [e-mail].

Acknowledgments

hîs antoogy woud not be possîbe wîtout a arge cast o îndîvîd- uas wo ave consîstenty supported te Syracuse Veterans’ Wrîtîng Group (SVWG), beîeved în te group’s vîsîon, attended our meet- îngs, and perormed beînd te scenes work to make ît appen.We are grateu to te Syracuse Unîversîty Department o Wrîtîng Stud- îes, Retorîc, and Composîtîon or îts ongoîng Inancîa and ogîstîca support o te SVWG, especîay our Caîr oîs Agnew wo as been unLaggîng în er support o our work. We tank Ben Erwîn, te SU Wrîtîng Center Admînîstrator, wo as gracîousy aowed us to use te open and învîtîng space o te Wrîtîng Center or our monty meetîngs. We woud aso îke to tank ou Ann Payne, te Dîrector’s Secretary (now retîred), wo or years dîd muc o te beînd-te- scenes preparatîon or our meetîngs: provîdîng reresments, admîn- îstratîve support, and answerîng pone cas rom veterans wo were înterested în attendîng te group. hanks as we to George Rîne- art, Assîstant Dîrector or Wrîtîng Tecnoogîes, wo generousy maîntaîns our websîte and set up our Facebook page and as oten provîded us wît Lyers or our pubîc readîngs. We tank Krîstî Jon- son, te department’s budget manager, wo as aways been ready to ep us wît reîmbursements and Inancîa matters. Outsîde te Wrîtîng Program, we are grateu to Deanna Baî- ey în Parkîng Servîces or er support wît parkîng on te busy SU campus. he Mora ïnjury Project o Hendrîcks Cape, stafed by members o our group, Andrew Mîer, Jen Jefery, and oter acu-

v

ty and staf rom across campus, as aso been a supportîve group, co-sponsorîng wît us two Veterans’ Day readîngs. Our medîtatîon eader, Dîane Grîmes, wo joîned our eadersîp team în 2013 aso deserves our tanks or provîdîng us a sae space to medîtate beore meetîngs, as we as at severa o our worksops and retreats. hank you to Red Robînson, Dîane’s partner and a Vîet- nam-era veteran, or uggîng medîtatîon cusîons and mats to our monty meetîngs. Specîa tanks go to Gînger Peterman and Jennîer Jefery, mem- bers o te antoogy steerîng commîttee, wo worked wît ïvy, Pete, and Eîeen to make te many creatîve and ogîstîca decîsîons învoved în sapîng tîs book. Gînger and Jen aso speareaded te project o gaterîng potograps rom eac contrîbutor and determîned te ayout o îmages în te book. We woud aso îke to acknowedge Cear Pat or Veterans în Cîttenango, New York and Crîst te Kîng Retreat House în Syr- acuse, New York or aowîng us te use o teîr acîîtîes or wrîtîng retreats were some o te work în tîs coectîon was wrîtten. Oter organîzatîons ave aso gîven our members opportunîtîes to read teîr work în pubîc settîngs: Art Rage Gaery, Syracuse Stage, te Socîety or New Musîc, te Downtown Wrîters Center, and te Cazenovîa Counterpoînt Arts Festîva. We extend our warmest apprecîatîon to Steve Parks, Jessîca Pauszek, and Bet Parks and to Paror Press or epîng make te pubîcatîon o tîs book possîbe and or a o teîr tougtu sug- gestîons and guîdance în compîîng tîs antoogy. Fînay, our deepest gratîtude goes to SVWG members, bot veterans and mîîtary amîy members, wo ave aîtuy attended our monty meetîngs, retreats, and worksops, and wo ave sared, worksopped, and edîted storîes în our group sessîons. You ave drîven troug ake efect snowstorms and muggy summer days to reac our meetîngs and wrîte wît us. We tank, aso, your oved ones wo exercîsed ove and understandîng wen you spent your Saturday mornîngs wît te SVWG and not at ome. hîs group and antoo- gy woud not be possîbe wîtout group members’ beîe în te power o wrîtîng and storyteîng. hank you or sarîng your work.

vi

Contents

ïntroductîon,Ivy Kleinbart and Eileen Schell. . . . . . . . . . . .

Gaows Humor,Jennier Jefery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ecoes,Don Western. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 7,Robert Marcuson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gettîng Of te Bus at Boot Camp,Dawson Brown . . . . . . Toug Enoug,Andrew Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ost,Jordan Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hroug te ookîng Gass,Ralph Willsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Honors,Ralph Willsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . My Fater,Marissa Mims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daddy, Dîd You Kî Anybody în Vîetnam?,Peter McShane . . . Nucear Bomber Commandos Arrîve în a Rîce Paddy, David Vercelloni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . he Vîetnam Maraton,Doug D’Elia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mornîng, 1944,Benita Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

17 20 28 31 35 38 40 43 48 54

58 61 66

Betraya,Steven Kever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mîîtary Reatîons,Ginger Star Peterman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kîmmy,Bill Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . he $8 Tîmex Watc,Dawson Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Vîew,Frank Hobitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fort Carson Snowman,Robert Marcuson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessorîzîng,Heather Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aîr Force Brats Conquer Aaska,Lee Savidge. . . . . . . . . . . . Away From Home,Andrew Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fearess eader,Tim Hansen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . essons în eadersîp,Terry Mitchell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Awakenîng te Toad,Bill Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annîversary Day,Len Fallis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Potograps,Elizabeth (Hall) Wilmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demons,Ralph Willsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . he Crow,Jennier Jefery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . he Trîp Home,Dan New. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . War Games,Peter McShane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

68 70 76 79 83 83 87 90 98 102 108 115 118 122 126 129 130 136

You Don’t Have to Stop Your hougts: Medîtatîon and te SVWG,Diane Grimes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Contrîbutors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 153

he Weigt o My Armor