From Horror to Heroism: The Evolution of War Remembrance

FAIN: AV-271065-20

Louisiana State University, Shreveport (Shreveport, LA 71115-2301)
Evan Reibsome (Project Director: October 2019 to October 2022)

A year-long public humanities project that would engage veterans and civilians on the theme of war remembrance, through a special topics course for discussion leaders and five public discussion sessions.

In the United States today, there exists a massive psychological and emotional gulf between civilian and military communities, which invariably leads to tension and misunderstanding. Our project, “From Horror to Heroism: The Evolution of War Remembrance,” seeks to bridge this gulf and alleviate these tensions by training students to facilitate robust conversations between veterans and civilians at a series of public events in the city of Shreveport in Spring 2021. At each event, participants will place celebratory narratives of the Civil War and the War on Terror (e.g., memorials, recruitment videos, political speeches, and video games) in dialogue with combatants’ horrific accounts of battle (e.g., photography, poetry, and literature). In our opinion, such juxtaposition highlights and corrects some of the most egregious misbeliefs surrounding the nature of war, misbeliefs that continue to haunt our military veterans.

Associated Products

2021 Spring Lecture Series Kickoff Event (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: 2021 Spring Lecture Series Kickoff Event
Abstract: This video is from our virtual kickoff event for the 2021 Spring Lectures Series "From Horror to Heroism." In the video, Dr. Reibsome shares the impetus for the project, outlines its parameters, presents its goals, and introduces Mark Twain's antiwar writings to help audience members understand the structure of future townhall events in the lecture series. The five student-veterans then each share a personal narrative about their military service and introduce the topic their townhall event will discuss.
Author: Dr. Evan Reibsome
Author: Dr. Alex Mikaberidze
Author: Jason Tipler
Author: Steven Harkness
Author: Stephanie Young
Author: Chad Beall
Author: Christopher Howard
Date: 02/25/2021
Location: Veterans Resource Center at Louisiana State University Shreveport
Primary URL: http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik4D3MTPjtA&t=1s

2021 Spring Lecture Series, Event #1 (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: 2021 Spring Lecture Series, Event #1
Abstract: On March 10, 2021, LSUS student-veteran Jason Tipler facilitated a townhall event at Artspace in downtown Shreveport, focusing on the tension between the horror of Civil War fighting, as evidenced in photography, and the celebratory political rhetoric surrounding the war that developed in the late-nineteenth century. This event was part of the NEH-sponsored 2021 Spring Lecture Series “From Horror to Heroism.”
Author: Dr. Evan Reibsome
Author: Jason Tipler
Date: 03/10/2021
Location: Artspace Gallery in Shreveport, LA
Primary URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5LUJHftMM

2021 Spring Lecture Series, Event #2 (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: 2021 Spring Lecture Series, Event #2
Abstract: On March 30, 2021, LSUS student-veteran Chad Beall facilitated a townhall event at Artspace in downtown Shreveport, focusing on the controversy surrounding the Confederate war memorial located in front of the Caddo Parish Courthouse in downtown Shreveport. This event was part of the NEH-sponsored 2021 Spring Lecture Series “From Horror to Heroism.”
Author: Dr. Evan Reibsome
Author: Chad Beall
Date: 03/30/2021
Location: Artspace Gallery, Shreveport, LA
Primary URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzH4_Uhiljc&t=2005s

2021 Spring Lecture Series, Event #3 (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: 2021 Spring Lecture Series, Event #3
Abstract: On April 13, 2021, LSUS student-veteran Stephanie Young facilitated a townhall event at ARTSTATION in downtown Shreveport, focusing on the prominent forms of war propaganda in popular culture, specifically sporting events and cinema. This event was part of the NEH-sponsored 2021 Spring Lecture Series “From Horror to Heroism.”
Author: Stephanie Young
Author: Dr. Evan Reibsome
Date: 04/13/2021
Location: ARTSTATION Gallery, Shreveport, LA

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