University Hosting Voices of Service: A Celebration of Veterans Writing and Weekend Workshop

Syracuse University Press and the Libraries, in partnership with the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC), are hosting a discussion of art, identity and conflict featuring Veterans Writing Award-winning authors on Friday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building at 101 Waverly Ave. The event is featured in the Humanities Center’s Syracuse Symposium on “Creativity.”

Robin Caudell, the 2023 Veterans Writing Award winner, will read an excerpt from her upcoming book, “Black Heel Strings: A Choptank Memoir,” published by Syracuse University Press. In addition, the panel discussion will include award-winning veteran writers Dewaine Farria, Brian O’Hare, Jenny Pacanowski and Maurice Decaul. Those interested in attending should register online. A reception and book signing will take place following the panel discussion.

As an extension of the Veteran’s Writing Award, the University will also host a Veteran’s Writing Weekend Workshop on Nov. 8 and 9 at the NVRC. Participants will have the opportunity to receive instruction and develop their writing under the direction of Farria, O’Hare and Pacanowski.

The workshop provides veterans a space to reflect on their experiences, gain insight and solace, process complex emotions, and build public voices and community with other service members while sharing stories with varied audiences. Those interested in applying to participate in the workshop should complete the application by Oct. 1. The cost of participating in the workshop is $100, which covers the cost of instructional material and food. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. If you would like to be considered, please contact vwasubmissions@syr.edu.

The weekend workshop includes two public readings by workshop leaders and participants. A full schedule of events is available on the Syracuse University Press website.

About the veteran writer panelists on Friday, Nov. 7:

• Robin Michel Caudell is an award-winning Press-Republican staff writer. A Native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Caudell served in the U.S. Air Force and was a John L. Levitow Honor Graduate. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College. Her poetry has been anthologized in national and international publications. She is the director/screenwriter for “Witness Tree at Union Road,” a documentary in collaboration with Skidmore College. Veteran, activist and author Anuradha Bhagwati selected Caudell’s memoir “Black Heel Strings: A Choptank Memoir” as the 2023 winner of the Veterans Writing Award.
• Dewaine Farria served in Jordan and Ukraine as a U.S. Marine. In addition to his military service, Farria served in the United Nations’ Department of Safety and Security. He supervises field security for the Asian Development. He holds an MA in international relations from the University of Oklahoma and an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Farria’s writing has appeared in Literary Hub, The New York Times, Southern Humanities Review, The Daily Beast and War on the Rocks. Tobias Wolff selected his novel “Revolutions of All Colors” as the winner of the inaugural Veterans Writing Award.
• Brian O’Hare is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, former Marine officer and Gulf War veteran. He is an award-winning writer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. National Book Award winner Phil Klay selected his short story collection “Surrender” as the winner of the 2021 Veterans Writing Award. His film “Rizoo,” about a young girl deciding whether to wear the hijab for a class picture, was released in 2025 by The New Yorker. His feature documentary “Cannon Shot” about the world’s largest croquet match between the U.S. Naval Academy and St. John’s College, will premiere later this year.
• Jenny Pacanowski is a poet, playwright, military combat veteran and public speaker. She is the founder and artistic director of Women Veterans Empowered and Thriving (WVE&T), which has expanded its programming to include men, civilian support members and LGBTIA+ community members. Her writing has appeared in The War Horse, Spring St, Aquila Theater, The Journal of Military Behavioral Health and multiple poetry anthologies. She wrote the original drama “Dionysus in America,” which premiered in October 2019 at Canopy Theater and The Vortex. In June 2025, Jenny earned an MFA degree in performance creation.
• Maurice Decaul is a former Marine, poet, essayist and playwright. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Sierra Magazine, Epiphany, Callaloo, Narrative and other outlets. His poems have been translated into French and Arabic and his theatrical works, “Holding it Down” and “Sleep Song,” collaborations with composer Vijay Iyer and poet Mike Ladd, have been produced and performed at New York City’s Harlem Stage, the Atlas Intersections Festival in Washington, D.C., and in Paris and Antwerp. He holds degrees in creative writing from Columbia University and New York University.

Syracuse University Press, in cooperation with the D’Aniello Institute, established the Veterans Writing Award in 2019. The mission of the Veterans Writing Award is to recognize the contributions of veterans to the literary arts, shine a light on the multivalent veteran experience and provide a platform for unrecognized military writers. For more information, visit the Veteran’s Writing Award webpage. To ensure accessibility, CART and ASL services will be provided for this event.

Story by Lisa Kuerbis