Most of America has been permitted to keep modern war - and its horrific human cost - at a safe distance. Long after the sheet cakes, yellow ribbons and balloons have disappeared, the memories of intense months in a combat zone will remain. A returning soldier is more likely to struggle with substance abuse. Veterans are more likely to be homeless. Veterans are twice as likely to divorce. Many soldiers and veterans turn to the written word as therapy. In celebration of Veterans Day, the Washington State History Museum hosts a riveting stage adaptation of the best-selling novel, If All the Sky Were Paper. Local actors from the NW Playwrights Alliance will read from a collection of wartime letters revealing a range of emotions experienced by veterans and active duty military personnel.

VETERAN POETRY READING, 2-3 p.m., Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, free with admission, 253.272.3500

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