An extraordinary Veterans Day event in Newark, Nov. 10

 

Honoring and healing our heroes Join veteran, author, and activist James Yee, Professor Janet McIntosh of Brandeis University, and veteran poets and performers Jan Barry and Jenny Pacanowski for this extraordinary Veterans Day event and lunch. Program 11:00 am-12:00 pm: “Military Injustice: Chaplain James Yee’s Story,” a conversation with James Yee and Janet McIntosh 12:00 pm-1:00 pm: Lunch for all participants and audience members (free of charge) 1:00 pm-2:00 pm: Warrior Writers info session and “Bridge Back Home from War,” a poetic theater performance by Jan Barry and Jenny Pacanowski We are honored to highlight the story of James Yee, who served as an Army chaplain at Guantanamo Bay in the early 2000s and was accused of espionage when he reported the abuse of prisoners. Ever since the charges were dropped, Yee has been an activist for military justice while pursuing artistic expression as part of his healing.  The second half of the program features Jan Barry, Jenny Pacanowski, and other veterans as they explore how writing, art, and other forms of creative expression can offer veterans pathways to healing from service-related trauma and transitioning into non-military life. James Yee is a graduate of West Point. He served as an air defense artillery officer during the First Gulf War, and then later as the U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain for the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in 2003. His memoir, For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire, was published in 2005. Janet McIntosh, Professor of Anthropology at Brandeis University, is author of two award-winning ethnographies based in East Africa and co-editor of Language in the Trump Era. Her current book project focuses on American military language and veterans who write poetry and work through other art forms to reckon with their military service. Jan Barry is a poet, artist and author whose books include Waging Art: Tackling Grief and Trauma with Creative Arts, A Citizen’s Guide to Grassroots Campaigns, and (co-editor) Winning Hearts & Minds: War Poems by Vietnam Veterans. A U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam, he coordinates Warrior Writers workshops for veterans and family members in New Jersey. For more information: www.janbarry.net. Jenny Pacanowski is the Founder and Director of Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving; a reintegration program that utilizes writing and performance to empower veterans to thrive in their daily life. She is also the Associate Director of Lucid Body’s Impact theatre, which provides the opportunity to explore the theatre for social change. Jenny believes that partnerships and collaborations are the key to reintegration for veterans and their families. RSVP TO ATTEND RSVP TO ATTEND Copyright (C) 2023 New Jersey Council for the Humanities. All rights reserved.