On August 7, 2025, Virginia’s poet laureate, Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor at the Virginia Military Institute—unveiled “Perseverance and Resilience,” a statewide poetry initiative supporting veterans’ health and well‑being through creative workshops, a poetry contest, public celebrations, and an anthology. The project, launched in partnership with numerous libraries and arts organizations, honors the legacy of Navy Cmdr. Edward W. Lull and invites U.S. veterans to submit poems reflecting their journeys of perseverance and resilience

For more on this project, read the full article here.