The Homefront
Sarah Colwell's first-person series inThe Gazette of Colorado Springs takes you into the world of a soldier's wife in interesting and unexpected ways.
Sarah's Series: Part 1
One of the most gratifying aspects of my work with writers -- beyond the wordsmithing -- is to give them a sense of possibility. Simply put, I want them to try stuff. I met Sarah Colwell at a journalism workshop sponsored by the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism. She e-mailed me later and asked if I would help her with a few business stories. During the course of our conversations, she mentioned that she had a husband deployed in Iraq.
"You ought to write about that," I said.
Sarah was at first taken aback. Would anyone be interested in my story, she wondered. It's like a lot of other people's stories.
Yes, I said, but few of them know how to write very well. It's important for those who can to bear witness.
I didn't hear from Sarah for several months. Then I got an e-mail with several links. Sarah had written a multi-part series for her paper, the Colorado Gazette.
It made me proud to read them and they brought tears to my eyes because they were quite powerful. Though much of the work is written in the first person, the stories are not just about Sarah but about families like her as well. They also include interviews with experts who are helping military families cope with the challenges the war in Iraq presents to couples as they separate during deployments, reunite and separate yet again.
Click on the link above to read the series and read her blog. You can post a comment on her blog and e-mail her at sarah.colwell@gazette.com
