Friday, April 12
The day-long event will feature accomplished storytellers, whether they are journalists, novelists or filmmakers; a screening of the Providence Journal's acclaimed documentary "Coming Home," about veterans returning to southeastern New England after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan; keynote remarks from former Sen. Gary Hart; and the presentation of the first Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square.
There is a $20 conference registration fee that includes lunch on the day of the event. This fee will be waived for Salve Regina students, faculty and staff.
Schedule of events
9:30-10 a.m. - Arrival and coffee
10-10:05 a.m. - Welcome and housekeeping
10:05-11:30 a.m. - Panel I: Ethical Storytelling
The use of storytelling in the public square is as old as politics. This panel will examine contemporary storytelling in the public square from many perspectives. Each panelist will be asked to share his or her experiences in storytelling: the impact, the reach, the perils and the promise of this time-honored element of public dialogue. Each panelist will be asked to explore the importance of veracity in his or her work. Finally, each will be asked to discuss the best example, from his or her perspective of storytelling in modern American political discourse.
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Moderator: Karen Bordeleau, acting executive editor of the Providence Journal
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James Vincent, NAACP Providence
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Christopher B. Daly, Boston University
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Karen Thompson Walker, author of "The Age of Miracles"
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Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, University of Rhode Island
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David Boeri, WBUR
11:45 a.m. - Luncheon
1 p.m. - Keynote Address
keynote remarks from Sen. Gary Hart, the announcement of student contest winners and the presentation of the Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square.
1:40 p.m. Student Contest Winners
1:45 p.m. Pell Center Prize Presentation - Dana Priest
2:10 p.m. - Screening of "Coming Home"
3:10 p.m. - Break
3:25-4:45 p.m. - Panel II: War Stories
War has been a central narrative of the human experience since before Homer's "Iliad." For Americans, the latest chapters have come since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In the 11 years since those attacks, nearly 50 southeastern New Englanders have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thousands of veterans have returned forever changed. In an hour-long documentary, "Coming Home," the Providence Journal tells the deeply intimate stories of several who served, and the after-effects of combat on them and their loved ones. "Coming Home" was broadcast on PBS and shown at the 2012 Roving Eye and Rhode Island international film festivals, along with other venues. The documentary was nominated in 2012 for a New England Emmy and won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award.
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Moderator: Donna Harrington-Lueker, Salve Regina University
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John DiRaimo, Rhode Island National Guard, Iraq War veteran
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Lt. Col. Denis J. Riel, Rhode Island Air National Guard director of air staff and deputy chief of joint staff, Iraq War veteran
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Bob Kerr, columnist for the Providence Journal, narrator of "Coming Home," Marine Corps combat veteran of Vietnam
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The Hon. Elizabeth Roberts, lieutenant governor of Rhode Island
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G. Wayne Miller, Providence Journal
4:45 p.m. - Conclusion and farewell