From Dare County Arts Council

Duck — The Town of Duck and Dare County Arts Council are pleased to present a staged reading of Brothers Like These, on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 7:00 pm in the Paul F. Keller Meeting Hall at 1200 Duck Road.

Brothers Like These is comprised of stories and poems, written by Vietnam combat veterans in Classroom B, an out of the way room in the basement of the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, where they gathered to write every Wednesday for nearly two years, under the guidance of former North Carolina poet laureate Joseph Bathanti of Appalachian State University.

The veteran authors of Brothers Like These make their first appearance on the Outer Banks thanks to a Military and Veteran Healing Arts Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council and a donation from presenting sponsor Corolla Village Inn.

“We are pleased to host these veteran poets as some of our first guests at our inn which opens this month,” said Hadley Twiddy, owner of Corolla Village Inn. “We hope many of our friends in the community come out to Duck Town Hall on May 23 to experience this moving performance.”

Brothers Like These—a staged reading of those veteran authors reading their own work produced—weaves the remarkable voices of unimaginably brave soldiers who gave their all during the Vietnam War. It’s an enduring testimony to their shared sacred sense of community, love, and brotherhood.

“These are stories and poems, large and small, funny and heartbreaking, that only these men can relate in their own inimitable styles—stories and poems not just invaluable to succeeding generations of soldiers, but to every citizen of our country, and beyond,” said Joseph Bathanti.

The evening begins at 6:00 pm with Dare County Arts Council’s annual membership meeting, followed by a reception at 6:30 pm. The performance begins at 7:00. All three events are free and open to the public.

Brothers Like These is sponsored by Corolla Village Inn, Twiddy & Company, KEES Vacations Outer Banks, Hilton Garden Inn, and Jane Webster. This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

For additional information on the Brothers Like These, visit townofduck.com or call 252-255-1234. For more information about Dare County Arts Council’s Veterans Arts Program, visit DareArts.org/veterans.

Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.