FREE READING & DISCUSSION PROGRAM FOR MILITARY VETERANS OFFERED AT
INSTITUTE FOR WRITING STUDIES, ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY
[QUEENS, 1/29/2016] In a unique collaboration, the New York Council for the Humanities has joined forces with the ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER to offer SERVING: STANDING DOWN, a monthly reading and discussion series that runs from 2/17-4/14.
“With its thematic focus, this reading and discussion program offers an unusual twist on the standard book group format by making time for thinking deeply about one idea, over time, from a variety of perspectives,” says Sara Ogger, executive director of the Council.
At St. John’s Writing Center, participants will come together over the course of six sessions to discuss a variety of thematically linked texts with Sheeba Varkey, a Doctoral Fellow in the English Department at St. John’s. Participants in Serving: Standing Down will explore military veterans and their service, providing them a space to reflect on their work, and challenges and opportunities of transitioning to civilian life.
Participants in “Serving” explore such questions as “Why and how do we serve others? If we serve, what sustains and renews us?” Readings to be discussed in “Serving” include texts drawn from literature anthologized in and selected by Don Whitfield’s Standing Down: From Warrior to Civilian.
“The Writing Center is honored to help lead this program for veterans”, says Tom Philipose, Associate Director, of St. John’s Writing Center, and Writing Instructor. “We’re always looking for ways to partner with the community, and veterans are a group we can’t thank enough. We’ve long known that writing and expression are a gateway to knowledge, healing, and progress, so we look forward to learning with and from these men and women who have served our country.”
The program is free and open to the public, although pre-registration is required. For more information about the series dates and acquiring books, please contact Sheeba Varkey at vetsassemble@gmail.com.
Something special happens when we talk about what we read with others in our community. The New York Council for the Humanities’ Adult Reading & Discussion programs are designed to foster active reading and thinking, incorporating texts that serve as catalysts for civic engagement and cultural understanding, as well as personal reflection. Adult Reading & Discussion programs are currently being held in communities across New York State.
For more information about Serving: Standing Down, visit http://www.nyhumanities.org/discussion_groups/adults/standingdown.php
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St. John’s University Writing Center is a place where students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to discuss their writing with trained consultants. The Writing Center also sponsors readings and discussions by students and faculty, as well as faculty conversations about writing pedagogy and research methods. To learn more about the Writing Center, visit
The New York Council for the Humanities is a private, non-profit organization that helps all New Yorkers to lead vibrant intellectual lives by strengthening traditions of cultural literacy, critical inquiry, and civic participation. To find out more about the Council, visit www.nyhumanities.org.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of either the Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: SHEEBA VARKEY/516-263-9420, vetsassemble@gmail.com
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