If you are a military veteran and have a story or two to tell, NECC English Professor Paul Saint-Amand, a Vietnam-Era Veteran, is looking for you. With the beginning of the Spring 2011 semester he is launching an NECC Veterans’ Writing Group. Sponsored by the NECC English department, it will be open to all veterans.

NECC English Professor Paul Saint-Amand

“As a veteran myself, I invite other veterans an opportunity to tell their stories in their own way, in their own time. Though our individual perspectives differ, our training, protocols, and military experience have shaped our bond as veterans,” says Saint-Amand. “When we share stories and listen to the emerging voices of other writers, we often find meaning in the stories we have yet to tell. In my mind, that is the true purpose of this veterans’ writing group.”

This informal writing group is geared toward supporting and encouraging those military veterans (active and inactive) who attend NECC to tell their stories (both in and out of the military) through a variety of genres – nonfiction, fiction, drama, and poetry.

The goal is to support and encourage each other as writers by sharing stories and offering responses to others in the group. The group meets monthly with an organizational meeting on Wednesday, Feb 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Don Pailes Conference Room on the second floor of the Bentley Library on the Haverhill campus.

A regular meeting time will be discussed at this first meeting. Any questions can be addressed to Professor Saint-Amand at psaintamand@ necc.mass.edu or 978-556- 3307.