EPISODE · Jan 27, 2022 · 1H 6M
Ben White
from Beyond the Frontlines: Veterans in the Humanities · host Missouri Humanities
Ben White is an author and professor. As he was serving his 22-year military career in the US Army and the US Coast Guard, and then again while earning his MFA from the University of Tampa, Ben thought he was a poet. He has since discovered he is not a poet at all, but rather a witness—and what he writes is testimony. In this episode, we learn how this Kentucky boy became a “Cold War Warrior” serving overseas in Germany, as well as the impact his military experience and Kentucky roots have had on his writing. We also discuss his honest approach to writing, putting his military education funding to good use, being commanded by Vietnam veterans, the influence of other war writers, and the lasting impression of Nena’s song, 99 Red Balloons. In this segment, Ben reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be: “Cold Warriors” from PTB, Volume 6 “Recordings for Later Listening: Lost Rounds” from PTB, Volume 7 “Memorial Thoughts” from PTB, Volume 10
What this episode covers
Ben White is an author and professor. As he was serving his 22-year military career in the US Army and the US Coast Guard, and then again while earning his MFA from the University of Tampa, Ben thought he was a poet. He has since discovered he is not a poet at all, but rather a witness—and what he writes is testimony. In this episode, we learn how this Kentucky boy became a “Cold War Warrior” serving overseas in Germany, as well as the impact his military experience and Kentucky roots have had on his writing. We also discuss his honest approach to writing, putting his military education funding to good use, being commanded by Vietnam veterans, the influence of other war writers, and the lasting impression of Nena’s song, 99 Red Balloons. In this segment, Ben reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be: “Cold Warriors” from PTB, Volume 6 “Recordings for Later Listening: Lost Rounds” from PTB, Volume 7 “Memorial Thoughts” from PTB, Volume 10
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Ben White
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