Writing About War

This is an Archive of a Past Event

Due to high demand, this event has been moved from the Bing Concert Hall Studio to the Bing Concert Hall mainstage.

This year marks both the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the 14th year that U.S. troops have been engaged in conflict since 9/11. How have American writers portrayed the face of battle, the ethical dilemmas of combat, and the memory of war? As a prelude to next season’s Live Context “War: Return and Recovery” theme, join us for an evening of readings and conversation with award-winning writers Natasha Trethewey and Phil Klay, and Stanford political scientist Scott Sagan.

Welcome remarks will be delivered by Jonathan Fanton, president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Ms. Trethewey, the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States and Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University, will read from her 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning book, Native Guard, featuring poems written in the voice of a black soldier fighting for the Union army.

Mr. Klay, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the war in Iraq, will read from Redeployment, his 2014 National Book Award winning collection of short stories, based on his service in Anbar Province during the 2007-2008 surge.

Following the readings, both writers will engage in a candid conversation on writing about war with Professor Sagan.

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