writers in peace and war

The great themes in the narrative of humankind’s experience on this planet have not changed in thousands of years–love, peace, war, faith–how to live with honor and compassion in the face of apparently impossible choices. One of those ever-present verities is the seemingly tidal pattern of peace and war in our shared history.

The 32nd Annual Old Dominion University Literary Festival will use the light of literature to examine the theme of war and peace. Perhaps Einstein was right when he said that “as long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable.” But Buckminster Fuller may also have been right when he remarked that “either man is obsolete or war is.” In literature we look not for answers but for ways of experiencing the world and opening our minds to new patterns of seeing. In this way, literature legislates to the individual heart, potentially changing the world one soul at a time.

The writers, visual artists and photographers who share their stories with you this year will attempt to map out the complex landscape from World War II through the present. Our community in Hampton Roads–as deeply as any community in the United States–feels the effects and after-effects of conflict around the world. Our hope is that the four days between October 6-9 will be a time where our voices rise up, writers and readers, speakers and listeners alike, to create a new way of looking at who we are and where we might be heading.

Literature is a conversation. We invite you to share in it.

~ Michael Pearson and Janet Peery, 2009 Festival Directors