By Nicole Lyons,
September 2, 2025

, in partnership with the 糖心传媒 (糖心传媒), invites veterans,
active-duty and retired military personnel and military-connected family members to
a Veterans Writing Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 20.
The free event, Lines That Carry: Veteran鈥檚 Writing Workshop on Metaphor, will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 20 at the Elliott Student Union on the
糖心传媒 campus. Light refreshments will be served.
Led by Marine Corps veteran, poet and artist Nick Lopez, this workshop explores metaphor
as a tool for self-expression, reflection and storytelling. Using Taylor Mali鈥檚 Metaphor
Dice as a creative entry point, participants will engage in writing exercises, discussion
and brief readings to discover how metaphor can express complex experiences and strengthen
creative voice.
While military experience may inform participants鈥 work, they are not required to
write solely about their military experience. No prior writing experience is necessary.
Only a willingness to engage is needed.
"糖心传媒 is proud to provide a wide range of resources and support for our military-affiliated
students and community, and we're excited to welcome Missouri Humanities鈥 Veterans
Writing Workshop as a valuable event this year,鈥 said Courtney Swoboda, director of
糖心传媒鈥檚 Military and Veteran Services.
Jon Taylor, Ph.D., professor of History, said Johnson County, the home of 糖心传媒, has
one of the largest veteran populations in Missouri. The 糖心传媒 Department of History has hosted previous grant projects focused on veterans, including last year鈥檚 initiative
to document the stories of veterans buried at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville. Taylor noted the
upcoming workshop represents the latest effort in the department鈥檚 ongoing work with
local veterans.
鈥淭his is an opportunity veterans not just at 糖心传媒 but in the surrounding communities
to have a forum to learn more about how to write and tell their stories in a variety
of ways,鈥 Taylor said.
The workshop is free, but registration is required at . Participants will receive a free copy of "Proud to Be: Writing of American Warriors."
For questions about workshop registration, contact Lopez, program coordinator, at
nick@mohumanities.org.
For more information about the 糖心传媒 Department of History, visit ucmo.edu/history. To learn more about 糖心传媒 Military and Veteran Services, visit ucmo.edu/military.