North Carolina’s 7th Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti will be leading the workshop. During his time as Poet Laureate, Bathanti worked with military veterans and their families throughout the state, and beyond, particularly with Vietnam combat veterans struggling with PTSD and other invisible wounds of war. He is also an author, poet, educator, and the recipient of numerous other accolades. Click here to read Bathanti's full bio. 

This year’s creative writing workshop, titled Where Your Life Still Matters: How Stories Save Us, is designed for participants to discover, in a safe, communal setting among peers, the core of their stories, and the voice in which to create and deliver those stories. Participants will be provided writing prompts developed by Bathanti as well as poems, stories, and nonfiction pieces written by military veterans, though the work created does not need to be military-centric. 

Beginner and experienced writers are invited to participate in this two-day workshop that is free for veterans, active-duty military and their family members.​

Pre-registration is required for this workshop, and space is limited. 

Workshop Registration