Hidden Poetry: an event and workshop supported by Ohio Humanities
On November 11, 2015, the day after Veteran's Day, Ohio University hosted a public event that I planned and coordinated. “Hidden Poetry: How does poetry help people who carry the hidden wounds of war and trauma?” is an event that included panel presentations, discussion, and a poetry workshop aimed at examining how individuals with hidden disabilities (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, prosthesis, and other hidden wounds of war) can utilize poetry as a creative outlet for healing. This event was supported by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in coordination with thier Standing Together Initiative. I invited an amazing group of interdisciplinary scholars and creative writers to participate including: Roger Thompson, Becca Lachman, Darrel Holnes, Jason Hoope, and David Adams. The event and the grant would not be possibile without the guidence of my advisor and mentor William Rawlins. I also want to acknowledge the support of the Ohio University Veteran's Center and the Director of the OU English Department, Sherrie Gradin, who really played instrumental roles in the planning process.
I created a facebook page for the event and it was covered by Athens News and other outlets. Scripps College of Communication also helped by spreading the word about the event. These photos of the event were taken by Margaret Thompson in coordination with Jenny Nelson's class.