While the Library will be closed in observance of Veterans Day this Wednesday (November 11), we would like to highlight some materials and upcoming events that may be of interest to Seattle’s veteran community.
On Thursday, November 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., we will host a Drop-In for Veteran Services event at the Central Library. A veteran specialist from Supportive Services for Veteran Families will be on hand to assist veterans with issues such as housing, counseling, and transportation. This event is free and does not require registration (though space is limited, and we encourage you arrive early to guarantee a seat). Anyone who cannot attend the Nov. 19 session is encouraged to attend the second session, also at the Central Library, on Thursday, December 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
We also have a wealth of books in our collection that touch on the experience of military veterans. American Veterans on War: Personal Stories From World War II to Afghanistan and Surviving Iraq: Soldiers’ Stories by Elise Forbes Tripp collect personal narratives from those who have served in conflicts abroad. Similarly, Joe Klein’s Charlie Mike follows the “true story of two decorated combat veterans linked by tragedy, who come home from the Middle East and find a new way to save their comrades and heal their country.”
Many authors have employed fiction to explore the war experience.
Kevin Powers’ novel The Yellow Birds, nominated for a National Book Award in 2012, is a moving story of two soldiers who must set off through a war-torn Iraq to find a runaway brother-in-arms. In 2014, Phil Klay won the National Book Award for Redeployment, a powerful collection of short stories about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Matterhorn by Northwest author Karl Marlantes — himself a decorated Marine — is a 2010 novel of the Vietnam War that is already considered a classic of literature. For an established classic, it’s never too late to discover (or rediscover) Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried.
We wish everyone a safe, happy Veterans Day, and hope a book can help enrich the experience of this important holiday.
— posted by Michael W., University of Washington iSchool student and MLIS candidate
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