“The word for love, habib, is written from rightto left, starting where we would end itand ending where we might begin.” from “A Soldier’s Arabic,” by Brian Turner Since I first encountered the poem, “A Soldier’s Arabic,” I’ve been ruminating on the lines in this...
We are so proud to shine a light on Mission Belonging’s very own Valerie Acosta in our continuing Veteran Artist Spotlight series. Valerie Acosta served in the United States Air Force for 20 years before retiring in 2022. She is a self-taught visual artist and...
Ahead of her workshop with us on October 19th, we shine the Veteran Artist Spotlight on writer & artist, Laura Joyce-Hubbard! Laura Joyce-Hubbard’s writing appears or is forthcoming in Poetry, The Iowa Review, The Sewanee Review, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere....
Our September Veteran Artist Spotlight falls on visual artist & Architectural student, Michael Matthews! During his 20 years in the Army, Michael Matthews deployed to Iraq twice, Afghanistan once, and once to Bosnia with the 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum,...
Our July Veteran Artist Spotlight falls on Veteran & Author Kim DeFiori! Kim DeFiori (she/her/hers) is a retired Army Officer. Last year she published her first book “Lessons from Thor: Healing with a Service Dog’s Touch” and had her first ever...
“Modern nations are principally defined by the stories we tell about our collective selves: our victories and defeats, our heroes and foes; our distinctive values and ways of being, all of which are encoded in the tales we tell and enjoy.” Will Storr, The Science of...
