Veterans Reading Group

11 AM – 1 PM, Fridays, September 15 – October 13

Ken Burns documentary “Vietnam” brings all of us back to a time of pain and conflict.  Many veterans and their families still seek meaningful discussion about the events of the war and the impact on the lives of veterans.  Dr. Jonathan Shay’s book “Achilles in Vietnam” brings out how the pain that veterans hold inside is modeled in the story of Achilles during the Trojan War in ancient Greece.  Achilles becomes the human model for PTSD and the moral injury that many veterans suffer.  Reading short passages from the “Iliad” that tells Achilles’s story is a way to open discussion and share your insights, fears, and stories.  Issues such as betrayal, death of a beloved comrade, guilt, grief, the committing of  atrocities due to the horrific nature of war are betrayed in the book and will be dealt with during our time together in a private and intimate atmosphere at the Harris House.  Let us all heal together.

Free, and open to the public.

Sept. 15 – Iliad: Achilles and the death of a loved comrade

Sept. 22 – Iliad: Achilles and Hector and revenge

Sept 29 – Odyssey: Odysseus and his trials in his return home

Oct. 6 – Odyssey: Odysseus and civilians and his wife

Oct.  13 – Odyssey: Ajax and blood lust and quilt