The annual Writer’s Conference will begin with a keynote address from Junot Diaz. Diaz is the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Conference coordinator Dr. Halbert says Diaz “is still a growing voice” in the literary world. He calls Diaz’s writing “a unique blend of hyper literate and highly stylized images delivered in a very vernacular style.” Halbert further describes Diaz’s narrative voice as one that weaves a blue collar ethos with Dominican slang and Spanish words. “He’s destabilizing the reader’s ability to pigeonhole the story, or Diaz,” says Dr. Halbert.
A free question and answer session with Diaz will take place at 3:30 pm in the Science Center auditorium. At 7:30 Diaz will deliver the keynote address. Tickets at $18. The rate for Saturday’s writing workshops is $110 for the public, and $40 for students. Other ticket options can be found here. Tickets can be purchased in the Cultural Affairs office in the Science Center.
Saturday’s writing workshops explore fiction, memoir, poetry, thrillers, graphic novels, literary magazines, and young adult fiction. Two workshops, on historical fiction and poetry, will be available to West Campus students for free via simulcast.
Saturday Workshops
Poetry
“How Poets See their Audience” Leonard Gontarek (author of Déjà vu Diner)
“Give Me a Break: Viewing a Poem’s Line Break as Possibilities, Not Endings” B.J. Ward (author of Gravediggers Birthday)
“Writing Around: Delay as Poetic Strategy” Nathalie Anderson (author of Crawlers)
Novel
“A Novel Approach” Marc Schuster (author of The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl)
Historical Fiction
“Making the Past Come to Life” Cordelia Francis Biddle (author of the Martha Beale series)
Memoir
“Liars and Cheats: Contemporary Memoir” Tom McAllister (author of Bury Me in My Jersey: A Memoir of My Father, Football, and Philly)
Graphic Novel
“Comic Book and Graphic Novel Writing for Not-So Dummies” Ralph Tedesco (editor-in-chief of Zenescope Entertainment)
Screen Writing
“Writing for Film” Keir Politz
Thrillers
“Breaking in with a Thrilling Idea” Kelly Simmons (author of The Bird House)
Literary Magazine Submissions
“How to Submit a Piece and Get Accepted” Mike Ingram (editor of Barrelhouse Literary Magazine)
Young Adult Literature
“Writing for Young Adults” April Linder (author of Jane)
Writing Communities
“Grouping for Success: Breaking the Myth of the Solitary Writer” The AG Writer’s Group
The Montgazette 