Tag Archives: service

Best wishes for 2019! 🎉 & a Review of 2018 Programs!

Blog - In the media, News & Updates - VfW, Writing Workshop for Veterans, , , , , , , , , ,
Warm wishes for the holiday season and Happy New Year!
Voices From War has had another exciting and full year. As we welcome in 2019, we want to share a few highlights from 2018!
We had a full year of writing workshops for veterans and family members, with offerings in Manhattan and the Bronx. Thank you to the 14th Street Y (11 seasons of workshops!) and the Morris Park (NYPL) Public Library (6 seasons!). Additionally, we had a landmark year of public events – participating in or holding FOUR PUBLIC READINGS this year! Every single one available free to the public, and sharing original writing from our workshop participants.
To all of our Voices From War supporters  Thank you! and, if you’re able, please consider making an end-of-year donation, as we head into 2019!
THANK YOU to each of our 2018 Participants and our Readers, Instructors, Audiences & Hosts!

FEBRUARY – DECEMBER 2018

Writing & Reading War Stories in the 21st Century – we’ve entered our sixth year of workshops!  *  Seasons 10 & 11 at our fantastic downtown Manhattan host, the 14th Street Y.  *  Our thanks to Nina Semczuk, a dedicated Teaching Associate and then co-Instructor for several seasons.  *  With Nina’s departure, we were fortunate to be joined by Siobhan Adcock, talented author and also a veteran family member, with her second novel just out in 2018.  *  Thank you to our Manhattan co-instructors Scott Reel and Siobhan Adcock. All INSTRUCTOR BIOs can be found on the website’s Instructors’ page.

The Craft of War Writing in the Bronx  *  Seasons 5 & 6 at the wonderful NYPL – Morris Park Public Library.  *  A huge thank you to Jeremy Warneke (6 seasons!) and co-Instructor John LoSasso.  *  And we were thrilled to present our first Bronx Reading – see more below!

May 15, 2018 – Poets & Writers – 9th Annual Connecting Cultures Reading      

It was an honor to share the stage with other Poets & Writers’ supported workshops at the 9th Annual Connecting Cultures Reading, presented by Poets & Writers and hosted by the Center for Book Arts.

June 3, 2018 – Veteran Mosaic – Voices From War Summer Reading

Voices From War returned to the 14th Street Y Theater where we were thrilled to present writing from 8 workshop participants (Manhattan & the Bronx).   

 

November 10, 2018 – Voices From War at Lewis Latimer House Museum (Reading in Queens)

What a powerful way to honor and celebrate Veterans Day Weekend. Six of our Voices From War participants (from our 14th Street Y workshop and the Craft of War Writing in the Bronx) shared their work at the historic Latimer House Museum in Queens, home to African-American inventor and Union Army Civil War veteran, Lewis H. Latimer. If you haven’t had a chance to visit the museum, put it on your calendar for 2019.   

December 8, 2018 – The Craft of War Writing – Voices in the Bronx – Voices From War Winter Reading

We celebrated an amazing year of workshops and events with our first Reading in the Bronx at the Morris Park Library, host to the Craft of War Writing since our first season at the NYPL in Spring 2016. This warm and welcoming Reading featured 7 of our participants (Bronx and Manhattan) and brought our diverse audience together to hear original writing followed by delicious contributions from local vendors. Thank you to Morris Park Library and our #Bronx community!    

Public readings are a deeply meaningful experience for readers and audience alike. If you couldn’t catch one of our events in 2018, we hope to see you in 2019! Stay tuned for upcoming events. And, of course, if you are a veteran (or family member) please consider one of our workshops this year — and please share with others who might be interested! Registration opens in January.
Additional 2018 community events & news highlights included…

April 27, 2018 – Hunter College Conference – “Moral Transformation and War”

Thank you to Hunter College and Professor Christa Acampora for including Voices From War in this engaging group of presentations. Voices From War director Kara Krauze presented with writer (and previous participant) Teresa Fazio. Voices From War:  Bridging Divides: Writing a Kaleidoscope of Experience

June 8, 2018 – Vassar’s Veterans Posse Program

Kara was fortunate to attend this panel event offering a chance to hear from current Veterans Posse Program participants – veterans attending Vassar College supported by additional #community through the Posse Program. Also pleased to soon after reconnect with Voices From War alum and Veterans Posse Program participant Gino Ruiz.

June 2018 – Visiting artist, Zinaida

We were pleased to welcome Ukrainian artist Zinaida and her colleague as guests to our June Reading, and to visit her exhibit and learn more about Zinaida’s work with Ukrainian veterans and art. Zinaida exhibited her powerful work at White Box gallery in NYC and brought her art workshop, ArtRehub, to the VA during her visit.

June 20, 2018 – incoming Co-Instructor, Siobhan Adcock – Book Launch

Voices From War instructor, Siobhan Adcock, celebrated the launch of her second novel, The Completionist, at the PowerHouse Arena in Brooklyn. We are thrilled to have Siobhan Adcock continuing with co-Instructor Scott Reel for our upcoming Season 12 at the 14th Street Y!

                                        

September 5, 2018 – Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) Community Arts Breakfast

Hosted by Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling (in Hamilton Heights) and featuring inspiring stories from other community arts organizations. Voices From War was honored to be a speaker in 2017 and once again excited and inspired to attend this year’s gathering.

        

 

September 13, 2018 – The Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Awards

Voices From War is honored to receive grant support from the Rona Jaffe Foundation (RJF). The RJF Awards event in September featured guest speaker Tayari Jones and honored 6 new emerging women writers. Amazing work!   

             

November 30, 2018 – Intrepid After Hours – Voices From War at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

It was great to return to the Intrepid for another Voices From War workshop offered as Intrepid After Hours programming. Instructors Jeremy Warneke and Kara Krauze met a wonderful group of participants.   

December 3, 2018 – Voices From War – The Craft of War Writing featured on BronxNet TV

Thank you to three of our instructors, Jeremy Warneke and John LoSasso (The Craft of War Writing – Bronx) and Siobhan Adcock (14th Street Y – Manhattan), for their appearance on BronxNet TV show “Open” to share about our workshops and our Dec. 8th Reading in the Bronx. Missed the show? You can still catch it (about 13 minutes in) on the BronxNet website.

We are deeply grateful, as ever, to our multi-year grant support from Amazon Literary Partnership, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Poets & Writers (Readings & Workshops Program), and the Rona Jaffe Foundation. Our collaboration in the Bronx has also benefited from additional support from the Bronx Council on the Arts.

And all of our workshops and programming also continue to rely on YOU, our individual contributors and all of our supporters, veteran, military family, and civilians alike. THANK YOU to our community! Your support for veterans and diverse voices matters!

#MoreVoices
Here is to a rewarding 2019!

Stay tuned and stop by the website for more updates, upcoming 2019 REGISTRATION and MORE! And save the date for our next Open House: Sunday, FEBRUARY 17, 4:00-5:30 pm.

As always, each of you continue to make Voices From War’s successes and ongoing growth possible — through your participation, whether as attendee, audience member, supporter, volunteer, engaged community members and contributors!
Thank you! We hope you will continue to follow our progress in 2019, participate in our workshops and attend our events! And please consider making an end-of-year contribution. ALL donations help support our ongoing success, showing our community-based support and community engagement! Whether you can give $20 or $200, or somewhere in between, your support helps us grow and strive!
Here’s to a rewarding and healthy New Year, rich with community and more stories!    #MoreVoices
To make a tax-deductible donation, visit our fiscal sponsorship page on Fractured Atlas…or click-through via our website.
   Browse the website for more photos!
Warmest wishes!

With thanks,

Kara

Kara Krauze
Founder, Director
Voices From War
Writing Workshops for Veterans
VoicesFromWar.org

________________________________

 

 

REGISTRATION & OPEN HOUSE – New SEASON: #MoreVoices

News & Updates - VfW, Writing Workshop for Veterans, , , , , , , , , ,

 

THIS WEEKEND!

Come on out of the snow (or whatever the weather throws us) for our next…

VOICES FROM WAR – OPEN HOUSE!

THIS SUNDAY, FEB 12th –> 4:00-6:00 PM

Come learn more about Voices From War and our workshops:

Join us for cheese & crackers, conversation, and a chance to visit with past participants and new ones!

Missed our end-of-year wrap-up? See below – or check out the Voices From War BLOG.

Looking forward to seeing you on SUNDAY!

Click HERE to RSVP

Or, email:  info@voicesfromwar.org

Or (last minute change of plans?) – come on by!

14th Street Y
344 East 14th Street
(between 1st & 2nd Ave.)
New York, NY  10003

REGISTRATION for NYC (Manhattan) is OPEN:

Classes begin (Season 8): FEB 28th

Bronx registration – coming soon!

NEW SEASON of Workshops – STARTS Tuesdays – FEB 28th

REGISTRATION (Winter-Spring 2017):

https://goo.gl/forms/dSDiQ8qO7uAr4Liv2

DETAILS:  https://voicesfromwar.org/workshop/

wkshp_descr_voices_from_war__winter-spring_2017

Voices From War – OPEN HOUSE – Sunday, FEB 12th, 4:00-6:00 pm!

RSVP now:  https://goo.gl/forms/jYkJ4EmuRf9k95D82

 

Happy Holidays! And our END-OF-YEAR APPEAL!

Blog - In the media, News & Updates - VfW, Writing Workshop for Veterans, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters!

Greetings! with warm wishes for this holiday season and a fulfilling and happy new year ahead! It has been a busy and exciting season at Voices From War, culminating earlier this month with our fabulous WINTER READING! Another CONGRATULATIONS to our writers and the skill with which they shared their stories on December 10th. All ten readers were participants this fall in our Voices From War workshop hosted by the 14th Street Y in Manhattan. And it was also exciting to welcome a group of participants attending from our collaboration in the Bronx!group_pic_b__voices_from_war_winter_reading_12-10-16

As we wrap up the year, thinking back and looking forward, we offer thanks to all of you who have supported Voices From War in so many ways this year, with your time, your words and deeds, your valuable contributions. If you have not made a donation to Voices From War this year, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to help support our workshops and programming. We cannot offer our signature quality instruction and engaging readings without you – our supporters, our audience, all of you, both veterans and civilians, who care about the stories our veterans have to tell and the community in which discussions, reading, and writing grow.

A few highlights from 2016!

Tango on the Balcony:  We continued partnering with independent short film Tango on the Balcony, including screenings in NYC and multiple international awards (check out their web page for updates!)

Library of America – WW1 Centennial commemorations:  We continued our participation with the Library of America’s exciting program honoring American involvement in WWI – World War I and America, a 2-year initiative with lots happening in 2017 (be sure to check for updates and programming news!)

Including a list of books (and music) written by veterans…

The INTREPID Sea, Air & Space Museum:  On November 14th, we were thrilled to run a stand-alone Voices From War writing workshop (part of Intrepid After Hours) on the historic Intrepid!

The Rona Jaffe Foundation: We are grateful for new grant support from the Rona Jaffe Foundation!

Poets & Writers: We are grateful for continued support from Poets & Writers’ Readings & Workshops program! You can also read a short piece about part of my (Kara’s) personal story in Poets & Writers Magazine (Nov/Dec 2016).

Publication News!

Nate Bethea (14th Street Y co-instructor, 2014-16) published several pieces in the New York Times this year (plus, read on for book news)…

Jeremy Warneke (The Craft of War Writing – Bronx collaboration) has published a number of personal essays, including for Task & Purpose and Intersections International…

Jeff Loeb (instructor in 2015 for our Bronx Vet Center collaboration and ongoing participant) published a multi-part memoir piece in War, Literature, & the Arts this fall…

Participant, John LoSasso (Bronx: The Craft of War Writing), had a short story accepted for publication in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Vol. 5…

CONGRATULATIONS to our instructors and all of our participants on their writing accomplishments!

In the NEW YEAR, we’ll be working to bring you a better forum on the website for keeping up with Voices From War participants’ published work, as well as more opportunities to share what they’ve been writing!

COMING UP!

NYU Military Family Clinic: A Voices From War workshop during FAMILY DAY on January 28th

Open House at the 14th Street Y – SAVE THE DATE: February 12th

Season 8  – Voices From War’s writing workshop at the 14th Street Y – Starts FEB 28th – REGISTRATION Opens in January

Season 3  – The Craft of War Writing in the Bronx – Starts again in March 2017 – Details & Registration coming soon

Plus, in the community: JAN 10th at the STRAND BOOKS – Don’t miss the NYC Book Launch of THE ROAD AHEAD: Stories from the Forever War, ed. by Adrian Bonenberger and Brian Castner, which includes work from Voices From War instructor Nate Bethea and past Voices From War participants, including Kristen Rouse (founder of NYC Veterans Alliance) and Teresa Fazio, with contributions from esteemed writers we’ve been thrilled to welcome as guests to the Voices classroom, including… art work from veteran-writer Ben Busch and with an introduction by acclaimed novelist (SPARTA) Roxana Robinson — and many other fantastic veteran writers! (Plus, you can also find new work from Teresa Fazio in the exciting new anthology RETIRE THE COLORS, ed. by Dario DiBattista.)

THANK YOU to Nate Bethea for his two and a half years of dedication as co-instructor at the 14th Street Y! And THANK YOU to Jeremy Warneke for a fabulous first year of collaboration – The Craft of War Writing in the Bronx! THANK YOU to the Morris Park Public Library and the Bronx Council on the Arts for support for The Craft of War Writing; and THANK YOU for support in Manhattan from our host the 14th Street Y!

YOUR SUPPORT and tax-deductible DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

We hope you will consider making a tax-deductible contribution as we close 2016, or even a monthly recurring donation throughout 2017, whatever your giving level.

THANK YOU to each of you for your support for Voices From War and veteran stories!

Here’s to a healthy and fulfilling 2017!

Warm wishes,

Kara

Kara Krauze
kara@voicesfromwar.org

Founder, Director
Voices From War
Writing Workshops for Veterans
VoicesFromWar.org
________________________________

The Craft of War Writing – Voices From War collaboration – BRONX, NY


Thank you on #GivingTuesday

Blog - In the media, Writing Workshop for Veterans, , , , , , , , , ,

Giving_Tues_Voices_bannerTues., Dec. 2nd, 2014

To our Voices from War extended community:

Dear Friends,

First, THANK YOU to each of you for your part in making Voices from War a successful reality, whether you are a veteran participating in our weekly writing workshops or an engaged civilian, veteran, or veteran service provider receiving our updates – and listening for more veteran stories. Perhaps you were able to attend our recent event, “Journeys in Stories,” in collaboration with non-profit arts organization Veteran Artist Program. The Voices from War Literary Showcase, which was followed by another powerful ensemble performance by The Telling Project, was a fantastic success – engaging, thoughtful, thought-provoking – with an audience of over 200! We can’t wait to tell you about each of the exciting projects we are working on, with the Voices from War writing workshop always at our core; a place to write, to reflect, to engage, in a community of fellow veterans, writing.

I am writing to you today to ask for your ongoing support on this “Giving Tuesday.” Our writing workshops continue because of your support.

We are launching our first Voices from War crowdfunding campaign next week through Indiegogo – and we need your support, whether in the form of a modest contribution, help spreading the word, or both!

Voices from War, from our start in 2013, has relied on word-of-mouth support, whether through participants in our writing workshops, friends and colleagues, veterans, or others who work closely with veterans. And we take pride in building community through you – whether you are a veteran, or a civilian, or a military family member. Whether you are a reader or a writer. Whether you work actively with or for a veteran service organization or are in the military, or whether you are not even sure if you know a recent veteran, yet.

All of us count on the capable hands and minds of veterans, their strength and resilience, and their service. Their return to civilian society and the richness of their ongoing contributions matter deeply to each of us, to history, and to our literature. Whether someone served recently in Iraq or Afghanistan, or decades earlier in Vietnam, whether in Korea or Europe, or in regions and conflicts to which we have paid less heed – their stories matter, their voices matter. Without them, we know far less of the firsthand realities of war and military life – the camaraderie found in struggle, the pain of violent loss, and so much in between. Their stories are human stories; and from war stories, we understand more of ourselves.

Stories deepen our humanity. Telling stories, sometimes just for ourselves, sometimes for a wider audience, brings us closer – to ourselves, to understanding complex experience, and to others. Writers and readers. Veterans and civilians. People.

I am asking you today to take a moment, to consider all of these stories, how much our own stories matter to us; how much the stories of others – whether told through the truths of memory or the different truth of fiction – enrich our lives.

Please share in Voices from War’s work, and in our future, in these simple ways—

Your attention matters; and in this season of giving and giving thanks, your gift, however small, makes a difference.

Whether you can give $1, $10, or $100 – even if you find you cannot make a contribution at all right now – please share our campaign and please share in the work of Voices from War. We could not do it without you.

Want to know more about Voices from War and what we do?

We are concluding our third season of writing workshops for veterans at the 14th Street Y in New York City, and getting ready for our next season, Winter-Spring 2015. We just held a fantastically successful Literary Showcase, part of the 2nd Annual VAP Veterans Week Showcase, in collaboration with veteran-arts non-profit Veteran Artist Program – “Journeys in Stories: From the Front to the Home Front in Words” – and we are finishing editorial work on our first Voices from War literary journal – Volume 1 of writing from workshop participants! We can’t wait to share work from these fine writers – fiction and non-fiction from veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and even Korea.

Please visit our website, and check back on the site, the Voices from War blog, and our Facebook page for more updates!

And, again, thank you for all you give – by listening, by writing, by contributing however much or little you are able, and by sharing in the importance of our work; by sharing in valuing the importance of these voices.

Warmly,

Kara
Kara Krauze
Director, Voices from War
email: info@VoicesfromWar.org
VoicesfromWar.org

Giving_Tues_Voices__compactYou can make a PLEDGE to our upcoming Indiegogo Fundraising campaign (tax-deductible, see below) with this simple online form. (We will remind you later!)

Thank You!

Voices from War is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Voices from War must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Or Donate Now – through Fractured Atlas, our fiscal sponsor.

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/images/logo.png

THANK YOU for supporting Voices from War!