Joel Preston Smith

Night of a Thousand Stars: A Portrait of Life in Iraq

Newport Public Library

December 5, 2009

7:00 p.m.

What would a comprehensive portrait of Iraqi society look like before and after the U.S. invasion in 2003, as seen from the perspectives of both Iraqis and U.S. soldiers?

This is the focus of “Night of a Thousand Stars: A Portrait of Life in Iraq,” a free conversation with photojournalist Joel Preston Smith.

Smith is a freelance writer, photographer, and artist based in Portland. Born in Liberty, West Virginia, Smith has served as a photojournalist in the U.S. Army and as a civilian on humanitarian aid missions to Rwanda, Honduras, Palestine, and Iraq. His work has been published in Gobshite Quarterly, the Irish Times, the Oregonian, and others. Smith traveled in central and northern Iraq for four months in 2003, living with Iraqis and Kurds and patrolling with U.S. soldiers.

This program is sponsored by Oregon Humanities (formerly Oregon Council for the Humanities) and the Hallmark Resort in Newport.

Admission is free and open to the public.