| Title | : | Things We Carry Still: Poems \u0026 Micro-Stories About Military Gear |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1953665241 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781953665249 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 196 |
| Publication | : | Published November 1, 2023 |
“ Inspired by a prompt from writer and activist-veteran Vicki Hudson, the uniforms, objects, and souvenirs we found in closets, shoeboxes, and footlockers revealed not only anecdotes and war stories , but also threads of history ,” says project co-editor Randy Brown. “We discovered that stories from recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began to interweave with those from the Vietnam War , deployments to Korea and other countries , and even family stories from World War II .”
To motivate other writers, veterans, and readers , the anthology includes a special section of 10 discussion-starters and prompts , for use in literary and history workshops, book clubs, and veterans-appreciation activities!
Lisa Stice is an award-winning poet based in North Carolina. Her work often centers on family life and parenting adjacent to the U.S. Marine Corps. She is the author of four collections, including FORCES and Permanent Change of Station , and the editor at multiple literary journals and presses worldwide. She is a past winner in the Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards, administered annually by the Chicago-based literary journal Line of Advance .
Randy Brown is a journalist and poet, and a 20-year retired veteran of the Iowa Army National Guard. He is the author of Welcome to FOB War Stories from Inside the Wire , as well as a co-editor of Why We Craft Essays on Writing War . He is a three-time finalist in the Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards.
Vicki Hudson is a rugby coach, literary activist, and retired U.S. Army veteran based in Northern California, where she lives with her wife, two kids, and a failed service dog. She is the author of No Red Writers, Writing Groups & Critique .
Things We Carry Still: Poems \u0026 Micro-Stories About Military Gear Reviews
-
A unique perspective on military life through the examination of gear. Military members from all branches of the service and family members all write pieces about the gear that means something to them, everything from hats to knives to Pop Tarts to can openers. Each poem and story is short enough to digest quickly and move on to the next, like eating potato chips: you can't stop.
I really enjoyed the following poems. Everything that Abbey Murray wrote and contributed; Soldier's Song by Ben Weakley; Chad Corrigan's piece about Rip Its (although he's wrong; the citrus diet Rip It is the Holy Grail); and the P-38 can opener by Benjamin White is great. I have four pieces in this collection, but you should buy it because of the dozens of other writers who have contributed.
The kicker for me was reading "Tony" Mena's poem So I Was a Coffin. One of the most moving poems I've ever read. If you aren't moved by that poem, then I don't know what's wrong with you. Buy a copy of this book, read it, and pass it on to your friends. -
I may be a little biased being one of the writers published in this anthology. Being published along with such notable veteran writers that I have admired for year such as David Abrams, Randy Brown, Colin Halloran and Ben Weakly is truly an honor. Each piece is a treasure and testament to the things we remember (or carry) about our military service.
-
This anthology holds excellent pieces that I've read over and over for their power, their craft, and their (sometimes terrible) beauty. I highly recommend it.
