The day after September 11, 2001, Sean Davis—18 months out of uniform—strode into the Oregon National Guard’s recruiting office and reenlisted. An art school dropout slogging through the day-to-day monotony of a dead-end job, the attacks of 9/11 gave him a new sense of purpose and direction as a staff sergeant in Bravo Company.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014 • 6:00 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library

“What I found in Iraq was nothing like what I expected,” says Davis. “I discovered the oddities of a pop-up America in a hostile desert wasteland,” he says—a land where he was confronted with more questions and contradictions than answers. Davis will talk about life as a soldier in the 21st century, and what it means to return home, at the Downtown Bend Library on August 5 at 6:00 p.m. This free event is open to the public.

When his platoon was torn apart in an ambush, Davis was shipped back to the United States bruised, broken and wracked with guilt. His re-entry into civilian life became a quick descent into the darkness of PTSD and substance abuse that lingered unacknowledged and untreated. Finally seeking help, Davis rediscovered the artist within. In his book The Wax Bullet War (Ooligan Press, 2014), Davis offers a glimpse into the life of a soldier, cutting through the noise of political rhetoric to explore the complexities of war and the restorative power of art.

Sean Davis is an artist, writer and returning veteran of the Iraq War. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Portland State University and an MFA in writing from Pacific University. He has appeared on 60 minutes and is one of the co-founders of Hubris Press in Portland, Oregon.

For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Tina at 541-312-1034.