Publishing is a busy industry; perhaps that goes without saying. At any given point in time, there are books at every stage of the publication process, and with each of those books many things happen simultaneously. And another truth about publishing, which may also go without saying, is that the vast majority of people who work in publishing care deeply about the work they do. We find our way into the book-making world not because we want to make gobs of money, but because we love books and the ideas they contain. I confess though: we sometimes find ourselves with noses to the grindstone, working diligently and happily, but lost in the rush of schedules, deadlines, and budgets.

Inevitably (and thankfully) something will come along that forces us to readjust our gaze, something that brings back into focus the beautiful reality of the work being done. On Monday, I attended Portland State’s Classroom to Community Lecture, "A Language Shared: Journalists, Veterans, and PTSD." This was one of those events.

Sean was one of the panelists, so I jumped at the opportunity to sit at the Ooligan table and talk to people about The Wax Bullet War. Each of the panelists said in their own way how important it is for veterans to tell their stories and to connect with other people who have had similar experiences. As a civilian, I know that we so often see the veteran experience only through news headlines, and many of us are eager to understand more deeply and complexly what these veterans’ experiences were like. Listening to the stories told from the stage and talking to attendees afterwards reminded me what an honor it is to be a small part of bringing such an important book into the world.

Until next week,
Laurel

P.S.
For those of you who will be at AWP in Seattle, Sean will be reading there on Thursday evening!