Library exhibit, programming put spotlight on World War I
As part of the upcoming World War I and America traveling exhibit, Alpena County Library is encouraging members of the veteran community and their families to attend and participate in scheduled programs at the library.
The goal of the national WWI and America initiative is to bring members of the veteran community together with the general public in libraries and museums around the country to explore the transformative impact of the first World War by reading, discussing and sharing insights into the writings of Americans who experienced it firsthand.
With the programs the library has scheduled, it hopes to provide opportunities for those who served in more recent conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan to bring their experiences to bear on historical events and texts, exploring the similarities and differences between past and present.
On March 7 at 7 p.m., the library will present a screening of the documentary “Of Men and War.” Originally aired on PBS’ POV documentary series, the film focuses on a first-of-its-kind PTSD treatment center in California, following Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families on their paths to recovery as they attempt to make peace with their pasts, their loved ones and themselves. Following the screening, there will be an open discussion for those wishing to share their stories or their thoughts.
A Lincoln Center Local Screening of the Veteran Artist Project’s “The Home Show” will be shown on March 9 at 6:30 pm. Veteran Artist Program and Wild Turkey Bourbon collaborated with Lincoln Center Veterans Initiative to present The Home Show, an all-veteran arts showcase featuring readings, screenings and performances by an all-star lineup of professional, military veteran artists in music, theater, film, dance, poetry and prose.
This screening is from a performance at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Frieda and Roy Furman Stage on Nov. 12, 2015.
A facilitated group discussion of the WWI and America Project Reader will be held March 14 at 6:30 pm. The project reader consists of a selection of passages from the full work, “World War I and America: Told by the Americans Who Lived It,” an annotated narrative collection edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer A. Scott Berg in collaboration with an advisory board comprised of distinguished World War I scholars.
Copies of the reader are available for check out at the library or for download through the library’s website. Live and recorded video readings from the project reader will be shared and discussed during the program to encourage conversation and sharing.
The WWI and America traveling exhibit is free and will be open to the public during regular library hours, March 1-23.
For more information on the World War I and America initiative, visit www.wwiamerica.org. For information on the library’s programming visit www.alpenalibrary.org or call 356-6188.