National Endowment for the Arts Hosts Operation Homecoming Writing Workshops at Fort Bragg March 16-17

War Letters editor Andrew Carroll and actor/playwright Stephen Lang to lead writing workshops for military and their families

		Contact: Sally Gifford 202-682-5606

March 7, 2005

Washington, D.C. - The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the United States Army, will host writing workshops and discussions for military personnel and their families at Fort Bragg Army Base in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on March 16 and 17. The workshops are part of the NEA's Operation Homecoming, a unique program that documents and preserves the wartime experiences of men and women in uniform and their families. Since April 2004, Operation Homecoming has brought writing workshops with distinguished authors to military bases nationwide and abroad.

The Fort Bragg writing workshops will be conducted by nationally acclaimed writer Andrew Carroll and award-winning actor and playwright Stephen Lang. Andrew Carroll is the editor of the bestselling book War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars. Carroll is also the director of the Legacy Project, a national initiative that encourages Americans to seek out and preserve wartime correspondence before these letters (and now e-mails) are lost or destroyed. Launched in 1998, the Legacy Project has received more than 75,000 never-before-seen letters from every war in this nation's history, including e-mails from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Last November, the NEA named Andrew Carroll as editor of the Operation Homecoming anthology. To be published in 2006, the anthology will feature writings selected from the Operation Homecoming open call for submissions. Under Carroll's guidance, a panel of renowned authors will review submissions for consideration in the anthology. Carroll will edit the Operation Homecoming anthology on a pro bono basis.

Actor and playwright Stephen Lang has earned critical and popular acclaim for his work in film, TV and on the stage for more than 30 years. Lang played General George Pickett in Gettysburg, and Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals, and his television credits include the classic Crime Story and the NBC teleplay Babe Ruth. An award-winning stage actor, Lang's Broadway credits include Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men and Happy in Death of a Salesman. In February 2004, Lang starred in the world premiere of a one-man show titled Beyond Glory. Lang adapted the work from Larry Smith's book, Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words, a first-person oral history of 24 enlisted men and officers who faced intense combat from World War II through the Vietnam War. Lang will perform an excerpt from Beyond Glory at an opening reception for the Operation Homecoming program at Fort Bragg.

"For the men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, these workshops will be an invaluable opportunity," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "Guided by talented writers, they will have the opportunity to reflect, learn, and write about their experiences."

Operation Homecoming is presented in coordination with the Department of Defense and the Southern Arts Federation. Operation Homecoming is made possible by The Boeing Company.

Fort Bragg hosts workshops and reception

The Fort Bragg workshops will reach troops from both Ft. Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, both in Fayetteville, NC. An opening reception featuring both authors and special guests will be held Wednesday, March 16 from 7-9 pm at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville. Andrew Carroll's workshop will take place Thursday, March 17 from 9-11 am. Stephen Lang's workshop will be held the same day from 1:30-3:30 pm. Both workshops are located at the Lafayette Room, Fort Bragg Officer's Club. Personnel and guests who would like to attend the workshops and opening reception may Register online at www.fortbraggmwr.com or call Angie Streets at 910-907-4043 to register or obtain more information. Media that wish to attend must RSVP by Tuesday, March 15 by contacting Ft. Bragg Public Affairs at 910-396-5600.

Educational resources

Military personnel and family members who want to learn more about wartime literature can obtain the Operation Homecoming audio CD. The CD features recordings of war letters, poems, fiction and memoirs from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. Copies of the Operation Homecoming CD can be ordered free of charge through the NEA Publications section at www.arts.gov. Audio clips are also available at www.operationhomecoming.org.

Call for submissions

In addition to workshops and educational resources, the NEA has issued an open call for submissions from military personnel, reservists, National Guard members, and Coalition Authority members who served after September 11, 2001, as well as their immediate families. Items may include essays, letters, short stories, poems, and other writings related to recent military service. All submissions will be preserved in an appropriate federal archive, and an Operation Homecoming anthology will feature the best writings submitted to the program. The anthology will be distributed free of charge to military installations, schools, and libraries. Submissions will be accepted through May 31, 2005. To learn more about Operation Homecoming submission guidelines, visit www.operationhomecoming.org.

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