Prose and Poetry about Conflict and Peace

August 24, 2011, Missoula, Montana (photos by Celeste River)

A few weeks ago, several dozen people gathered in the UCC Fireside Room on a Wednesday evening to hear prose and poetry about conflict and peace read by western Montana writers, poets, and others. Missoula's Mayor, John Engen, even popped in to read a Henry Real Bird poem.

Beth Ann Austein (she's the one wearing headphones, sitting at the far left side of the photo above) recorded the event, which has been edited into two programs that will air September 29 and  October 6.

The event and production of two The Write Question radio programs were funded by Women, War & Peace, a 5-part PBS series that documents the effects of modern wars on women and children. More information about that series is below. Also below, the entire reading on Vimeo.

Kim Anderson

Part 1 (September 29) begins with Kim Anderson, Associate Director of Humanities Montana, reading a short essay titled, "Unreasonable People - Myths About Pacifism," by Marcus Sedgwick (from Lines in the Sand).

Phil Condon

Then Phil Condon, Director of UM's Environmental Writing Institute, reads an abridged version of his essay, "On the Hill Above the Valley," which was published in his 2004 collection, Montana Surround.

Lisa Simon

Followed by Lisa Simon, creator and producer of Reflections West and literature teacher at UM, reading a passage from a book by written by another Lisa: A Thousand Sisters: My Journey Into The Worst Place On Earth To Be A Woman, by Lisa J. Shannon.

Mark Gibbons

The program ends with Mark Gibbons, poet and moving man, reading his poem titled "911" (which includes a few four-letter words that had to be bleeped for radio). He introduces himself with this statement: "I represent the blue-collar crowd."

You can hear it all Thursday evening, September 29, at 6:30 (YPRadio.org) or 7:30 (MTPR.org). Or, listen anytime online.



This program was funded by the upcoming PBS series, Women, War & Peace. Beginning October 11, Women, War & Peace will air on five consecutive Tuesday evenings on PBS stations. The series challenges the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men's domain-revealing how the post-Cold War proliferation of small arms has changed the landscape of war, with women becoming primary targets and suffering unprecedented casualties.


Watch the entire live reading on Vimeo:


"Prose & Poetry about Conflict and Peace" on Vimeo.