Talking Service Book Discussion Group

Standing Down Book Cover

In a unique collaboration, Piedmont Virginia Community College has joined forces with Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) to offer Talking Service, a new reading and discussion program for veterans to reflect on their service and the transition to civilian life. Each piece of literature, drawn from Standing Down: From Warrior to Civilian, The Great Books Foundation anthology, is a jumping off point for veterans to reflect on their own experiences in the military and returning home. The discussions will be facilitated by Cliff Haury, PVCC dean, fine arts, humanities and social sciences, who is a Vietnam veteran.

At PVCC, veterans will come together over the course of four sessions to discuss a variety of readings about military service. Sessions will be held on Sept. 16; Oct. 7; Oct. 28; and Nov. 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m. each day, in PVCC's Jessup Library. Sessions will last for approximately 90 minutes. Light refreshments will be provided.

Talking Service is free and open to past and present members of the Armed Forces and their family members, including PVCC students. Space is limited to 20 participants.To register, contact Cliff Haury at 434.961.5380, or email chaury@pvcc.edu.

About the Talking Service Initiative
Talking Service at Piedmont Virginia Community College is part of a national initiative by the Great Books Foundation and state humanities councils to offer veterans the opportunity to reflect on their service and talk openly about their challenges and future aspirations.  It is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities Standing Together initiative, which encourages humanities programs that focus on the history, experience, or meaning of war and military service.  The Great Books Foundation donated copies of Standing Down to state humanities councils, who in turn provided copies to participating groups in their states.  

About Piedmont Virginia Community College
PVCC is a nonresidential two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia—principally residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson. The main campus is located in Albemarle County. The PVCC Eugene Giuseppe Center is located in Greene County, and the PVCC Jefferson School Center is located in downtown Charlottesville. PVCC is one of 23 community colleges in Virginia that comprise the Virginia Community College System. For more information, visit www.pvcc.edu.

About Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
The mission of Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is to connect people and ideas to explore the human experience and inspire cultural engagement. VFH work reaches an estimated annual audience of 23 million through community programs, scholarships, and digital initiatives. For more information, visit www.virginiahumanities.org.

About The Great Books Foundation
The Great Books Foundation is an independent, nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to empower readers of all ages to become more reflective thinkers through the discussion of written works and ideas of enduring value. It advances this purpose by promoting Shared Inquiry™ discussion and by publishing materials and sponsoring events that support this practice.  www.greatbooks.org

About the National Endowment for the Humanities
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.