TALKING SERVICE: AÂ Veteran Reading & Discussion Program Â
The New Mexico Humanities Council Humanities and Great Books Foundation worked together to bring a national reading and discussion program for veterans. The goal was to enable veterans to reflect on their service as well as the challenges and opportunities of transitioning from active duty to civilian life. Standing Down: From Warrior to Civilian, developed by the Great Books Foundation, is an anthology that includes 44 selections, from Homer’s Iliad to personal accounts of members of the service who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The volume includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, and memoirs that speak to past and experiences, concerns, and aspirations of those who have served in the military and made the often- difficult transition back into civilian life.