Warrior Writers Chicago Residency at Mess Hall
Description:
The Warrior Writers Project is a national project that brings together recent veterans and current service members to be in creative community and utilize art-making processes to express themselves. There is a deep necessity for veterans to create when so much has been shattered and stolen. A profound sense of hope comes from the ability to rebuild and transform. The Warrior Writers Chicago is inviting local veterans and community members to explore the journey of military service and begin a discussion on how war impacts families, lives, and communities. Join us for any of our workshops and readings through Veterans Day.
Attendance at all workshops is not required. Attend as many or as few of the events as you like. Please RSVP to warriorwriterschicago@gmail.com. Drop-ins are always welcome.
Week 1: Impressions
Discussions around early impressions of the military and military values.
Thursday 9/15 7p – 9p
Closed Event – Veterans only
Workshop facilitators will ask veterans to reflect on their first impressions of the military. When did you first think about joining the military? How were soldiers/heroes/etc. portrayed in your childhood? What did you think of the U.S. military as a child?
Sunday 9/18 5p – 7p
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
Workshop facilitators will ask community members to reflect on their first impressions of the military. Are you connected to any service-members or veterans? If so, how? Did you ever think about joining the military? How were soldiers/heroes/etc. portrayed in your childhood? What did you think of the U.S. military as a child?
Week 2: Militarization
Discussions around Military Service
Why did you join – or not join – the military?
Thursday 9/22 7p – 9p
Closed Event – Veterans only
Expanding on last week’s Impressions workshop, workshop facilitators will ask veterans to reflect on the reasons they joined the military. Some questions to consider include: How did your first impressions of the military influence your decision to join. What did you expect to give or to receive from joining the military? What values did you attach to military service?
Sunday 9/25 5p – 7p Open
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
Expanding on last week’s Impressions workshop, workshop facilitators will ask community members to reflect on the reasons they did not join the military. Some questions to consider include: How did your first impressions of the military influence your decision not to join? What values do you attach to military service?
Week 3: Indoctrination
Discussions around Military Training
Thursday 9/29 7p – 9p
Closed Event – Veterans only
During this workshop, facilitators will ask veterans to reflect on their training in the military. Themes to explore include: What values did you learn to adopt? What changes did you undergo during training? What did you begin to believe that you hadn’t believed before training? How did your time away affect your life?
Sunday 10/2 7p – 9p Open
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
During this workshop, facilitators will ask community members to explore their perception of military training. Where do those perceptions come from? How accurate do you believe those perceptions to be? What types of values do you think are taught during military training? If you knew someone that joined the military, how did their time away change them or affect your relationship with them?
Artist Call
*We will also begin a Call for Artists to help with chap book illustrations during this week of workshops.
Week 4: Separation
Discussions around Military Deployments and Our Connections to War
Thursday 10/6 7p – 9p Closed
Closed Event – Veterans only
During this workshop, facilitators will ask veterans to reflect on their military deployment. Are you a combat veteran? Are a non-combat veteran? What do those designators mean to your identity as a veteran? Did you spend time away from home? How did your time away affect you?
Sunday 10/9 5p -8p Open
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
During this workshop, facilitators will ask community members to reflect on their view of military deployments. Do you now a service-member that deployed to a war zone? What is your connection to that service-member? What is your relationship to the current wars? How are you connected to veterans that have gone overseas? What are you perceptions about veterans that have been to or are currently in combat zones? What are your perceptions about veterans that have never been in a combat zone? How does the distance affect you?
Readings
*After the workshops, there will be a reading from previous weeks’ works. Guests are encouraged to share their writings or workshop facilitators can read writings anonymously for workshop participants.
Week 5: Reception
Discussion around Veterans Homecoming and the Process of Coming Home
Thursday 10/13 7p -9p Closed
Closed Event – Veterans only
During this workshop, facilitators will ask veterans to reflect on their homecoming. What was it like to come home? How were you received: by family? by your community? How were things different or the same as when you left? How did your time away affect you?
Sunday 10/16 5p – 7p Open
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
During this workshop, facilitators will ask community members to reflect on how we receive returning veterans. Did you know someone that returned from military service? from a war zone? How did you participate in their homecoming? How did you receive the returning veteran(s)? What was your participation (as a family member, friend, loved one, community member, or other) in creating a culture that receives returning veterans?
Week 6: Reintegration
Discussions around what it means to reintegrate and reconnect with returning veterans
Thursday 10/20 7p – 9p c
Closed Event – Veterans only
Expanding on last week’s Reception workshop, facilitators will ask veterans to reflect on the reintegration process. Review what it was like to come home. How have you been reintegrated into your family, your community? Is there a disconnect? If so, where and how?
Sunday 10/23 5p -7p
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
Expanding on last week’s Reception workshop, facilitators will ask community members to think about what it means for veterans to reintegrate into their families and communities. Did you know someone that returned from military service? from a war zone? How did you connect with the returning veteran? How do you participate in creating a culture that helps returning veterans reintegrate into their communities?
Review and Critique Workshops
*Voting on Art Work from Artist Call re: Chap Book Illustrations
Thursday 10/27 7p – 9p
Closed Event – Veterans only
This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to write about any of the themes that were covered in the last 6 weeks. We will also review and provide critique and feedback on participants’ works.
Sunday 10/30 5p – 7p
Open to all community members, family or friends of veterans, others
This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to write about any of the themes that were covered in the last 6 weeks. We will also review and provide critique and feedback on participants’ works.
Connecting Our Stories
Veterans and Community Members Discussions
*Present Chap Book Illustration Selections
Thursday 11/3 6p – 9p
Open to All
Veterans –and– Community members, family or friends of veterans, others
We will read from works from previous workshops and from outside writing around the veteran’s journey and community responses. Veterans and Community Members will be invited to share their work and their experiences around the themes of Impressions, Militarization, Indoctrination, Reception, Separation, and Reintegration. We will also look at how these themes connect the issues of war and militarization to other social issues.
Sunday 11/6 5p – 8p
Open to All
Veterans –and– Community members, family or friends of veterans, others
We will read from works from previous workshops and from outside writing around the veteran’s journey and community responses. Veterans and Community Members will be invited to share their work and their experiences around the themes of Impressions, Militarization, Indoctrination, Reception, Separation, and Reintegration. We will also look at how these themes connect the issue of war and militarization to other social issues.
Connecting Our Stories, continued
Talk-back and group discussion with workshop participants
Thursday 11/10 6p – 9p
Open to All
Veterans –and– Community members, family or friends of veterans, others
We will read from works from previous workshops and from outside writing around the veteran’s journey and community responses. Veterans and Community Members will be invited to share their work and their experiences around the themes of Impressions, Militarization, Indoctrination, Reception, Separation, and Reintegration. We will also look at how these themes connect the issue of war and militarization to other social issues
Friday 11/11 – Veterans Day Events. Readings from Warrior Writers Chicago and workshop participants. (Location TBD).
Saturday 11/12 – Residency Closing Events
Readings, Open Mic invitation, and Appreciations
Light Refreshments
Sunday 11/13 – Veterans Day Events. Readings from Warrior Writers Chicago and workshop participants. (Location TBD).
Monday – Sunday 11/14 – 11/20 GI coffee House / Warrior Writers
Launch Chap Book from Warrior Writers Chicago Mess Hall Residency.