West Kentucky Community & Technical College

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Veterans to share stories of coming home during panel discussion at WKCTC November 13

Event part of college's One Book Read

Paducah, KY (11/06/2019) — West Kentucky Community and Technical College is hosting a panel discussion with local veterans as part of its 2019-2020 One Book Read of Nothing Like an Ocean by Kentucky author Jim Tomlinson November 13 at 11 a.m. in Matheson Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Tomlinson's award-winning book is a collection of stories that reflects his keen awareness of place conveyed through characters from the fictional town of Spivey, Ky. His varied characters in rural Appalachia confront difficult circumstances and, with quiet dignity, try to do what is right.

One story, "Angel, His Rabbit, and Kyle McKell," told by the character Dempsie, depicts an evening with herself, her volatile boyfriend, and her friend Kyle, who recently returned from the Iraq War. Kyle's character provides the reader a coming home story as a veteran and amputee. The panel will also discuss the story "Singing Second Part" which deals with military service during the Vietnam war and the draft.

During the panel discussion, veterans from WKCTC and the community will share their stories of coming home from war including stories from a retired veteran nurse who took care of fellow veterans throughout her service. A representative from Four Rivers Behavioral Health will join the panel to provide insight on issues faced by veterans.

"This discussion is not only a reflection of the veteran in the story, it's an event for the us to recognize and honor the veterans who have served our country just after Veterans Day," said Tammy Thompson, One Book Committee co-chair. "We invite everyone in the community, especially our veterans, to be a part of the discussion." Tomlinson's stories have appeared in numerous publications and his fiction has been shortlisted for both Best American Short Stories and Best American Mystery Stories. Along with the Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council, he is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, and a Walter E. Dakin Fellowship to Sewanee Writers Conference.Several others events will be scheduled in the coming months that will revolve around Nothing Like an Ocean and Tomlinson's visit to the WKCTC campus March 17-18, 2020 - the finale of this year's One Book Read.

Copies of the book can be checked out WKCTC's Matheson Library and the McCracken County Public Library, both in print and electronically for Kindle. Copies can also be purchased in the WKCTC bookstore or online.

For more information about the One Book Read visit onebookread.com.

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