The Lonely Soldier by "I would like to thank the students and faculty of Norco College for giving me a lovely welcome and for their eager interest in the subject of my book, The Lonely Soldier, about women in the military, and in my talk on the same subject. I was especially touched by those students who came up to me after my lecture and expressed their understanding, support and appreciation for the work I have done on women at war. I was also honored to be able to address so many veterans and families of veterans, whose lives war has touched directly. My work is challenging to many, dealing as it does with the epidemic of sexual assault, harassment and bullying in the military, but I was glad to see that most students were willing to give this some thought, even when it challenged their formerly held ideas. I hope the discussion will continue, and that students will find themselves open to addressing this and other injustices. Norco College's racially and socially diverse student body, who understand about hard work and life's injustices, are exactly the kind of people I believe can change the world for the better."
Helen Benedict. Author of The Lonely Soldier.
Helen Benedict is a novelist and journalist specializing in social injustice and the effects of war on soldiers and civilians. Her most recent writings have focused on women soldiers, military sexual assault, and Iraqi refugees, and she is credited with breaking the story about the epidemic of sexual assault of military women serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Her work on these subjects includes her new novel, "Wolf Season," (2017, Bellevue), her previous novel “Sand Queen” (2011, Soho Press), and her non-fiction book, "The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq," (2009 and 2010, Beacon Press), which won her the Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism in 2013, when she was also named one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews. In 2015, she was a finalist for the U.K. Liberty Human Rights Arts Award for her play, “The Lonely Soldier.”
Her work has also won the EMMA (Exceptional Merit In Media Award) from the National Women's Political Caucus, the Ken Book Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism.
Benedict's non-fiction book, “The Lonely Soldier,” inspired a class action suit against the Pentagon on behalf of women and men who were sexually assaulted in the military and also inspired the 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary about sexual assault in the military, “The Invisible War.”
Her earlier book, “Virgin or Vamp: How the Press Covers Sex Crimes” is widely taught in journalism and law schools and has helped to change the way several newspapers cover sexual assault, while her book, “Recovery: How to Survive Sexual Assault” is used by rape crisis centers around the country. She has testified twice to Congress as an expert on sexual assault in the military.
*Thursday, March 22, 2018: Book Discussion 12:50-1:50 PM in CSS 217
*Thursday, April 26, 2018: Veterans Student Panel 12:50-1:50 PM in CSS 217
*Thursday, May 24, 2018: Author Visit, Lecture, and Book Signing 12:30-2:30 PM in CSS 217
*All events offer refreshments and exciting prize drawings including prizes from Starbucks and Barnes & Noble!
Research in Fiction - Necessary but Dangerous, The Center for Fiction
The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq, Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
Radio essay on military sexual abuse, Academic Minute
Drowning in the Garden of Eden, The Washington Post
Women at War: A Series of PBS blogs, The Nation
Women at War Face Sexual Violence, BBC News
When Johnny Comes Marching, The New York Times
Betrayal in the Field, Columbia Magazine
How to Lie With Statistics, The Huffington Post
Violent Veterans: The Big Picture, The Huffington Post
The Scandal of Military Rape, Ms. Magazine
Why Soldiers Rape, In These Times
For Women Warriors, Deep Wounds, Little Care, The New York Times Op-Ed
