2016 AWP Conference & Bookfair March 30 – April 2, 2016 • Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Convention Center & JW Marriott Los Angeles

Tentative List of Accepted Events for #AWP16 This list of accepted events for the 2016 AWP Conference & Bookfair in Los Angeles is tentative as we wait to receive confirmation from all event organizers and participants. We are also working to ensure that each participant does not sit on more than two events, only one of which may be a reading. The final conference schedule will be posted in October at awpwriter.org. The list is separated by panel discussions (pg. 2), pedagogy events (pg. 75), and readings (pg. 87). Within these categories, events are alphabetized by title. Event titles and descriptions have not been edited for grammar or content. AWP believes in freedom of expression and open debate, and the views and opinions expressed in these event titles and descriptions may not necessarily reflect the views of AWP’s staff, board of trustees, or members. For an explanation of the scoring and selection process, download our 2016 Event Proposal Handbook. AWP’s conference subcommittee worked hard to shape a diverse schedule for #AWP16, creating the best possible balance among genres, presenters, and topics. Every year there are a number of high-quality events that have to be left off the schedule due to space considerations. Although the pool of submissions was highly competitive, we did our best to ensure that the conference belongs to AWP’s numerous and varied constituencies. From 1,781 proposals, we tentatively accepted 523 events involving more than 2,000 panelists. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions you may have about this list. For more information about the 2016 AWP Conference & Bookfair, including information about registration, hotels, travel, featured presenters, and the bookfair, please visit our website.

#AWP16 Accepted Events

 

Panel Discussions …but  you,  Motion  Picture  Industry,  /  it’s   you  I  love!    (Celeste    Gainey,  Aaron  Smith,   Ellen  Bass,  Patrick  Ryan  Frank,  Maureen   Seaton)   In  the  50th  anniversary  year  of  the  death  of   seminal  New  York  School  poet  and  major   movie  fan,  Frank  O’Hara,  some  of  his  direct   descendants,  LGBTQ  poets  of  today,  reflect   on  the  resilient  vibrancy  of  his  legacy,  its   impact  on  their  work,  and  read  poems   celebrating  their  own  love  of  cinema,   celebrity,  and  popular  culture.     'Joy  Is  So  Exhausting':  The   Contemporary  Poetics  of  Motherhood.     (Callista    Buchen,  Molly    Sutton  Kiefer,   Jennifer  Givhan,  Martha  Silano,  Rachel     Richardson)   As  Rachel  Blau  DuPlessis  points  out,   “motherhood  leads  to,  demands,  provokes,   and  excites  innovations  in  poetry.”  This   panel  explores  these  innovations,  studying   contemporary  poetry  that  takes   motherhood  as  its  subject.  From  the   motherhood  in  poetry  as  myth-­‐making  and   myth-­‐destroying  to  poets  conceptualizing   their  writing  as  mothers  to  the  inherent   tensions  at  work,  including  how  the  lens  of   motherhood  reshapes  external  landscapes,   this  panel  finds  a  poetics  full  of  possibility   and  insight.     "You  Teach...High  School?"    (Richard   Santos,  Matthew    Thomas,  Sun  Yung    Shin,   Brendan    Kiely,  Emily  Perez)   Even  though  adjunct  positions  are  a   common  teaching  destination,  many   writers  are  embracing  the  challenges  of   teaching  at  the  secondary  level.  Yet,  how   can  an  author  balance  the  legendary   demands  of  teaching  high  school  with  a  

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fulfilling  writing  career?  Covering  a  range   of  genres,  including  poetry,  fiction,  literary   criticism,  and  journalism,  the  panelists  will   discuss  the  unique  difficulties  and   satisfactions  that  come  with  writing  while   teaching  in  public  and  private  high  schools.             “Revolutionary  Voices:    The  Queering  of   Young  Adult/Teen  Literature”.    (Andrew     Demcak,  Amy  Sonnie,  Michelle  Tea,  Skye   Allen,  Kaya  Oakes)   What  do  we  mean  by  “queering”  Young   Adult  Literature?    Is  it  a  process?    Can  any   writer  do  it?  What  are  the  challenges  of   bringing  LGBTQI2-­‐S  characters/topics  to  a   largely  heterogeneous  (read:  heterosexual)   literary  genre?  How  does  the  intended   reader’s  age  determine  what  topics  are   explored?      How  is  diversity  represented  by   LGBTQI2-­‐S  characters/subjects?  Four   authors  that  have  published  books  in  the   genre  will  share  the  lessons  they  have   learned  from  writing  “queer”  literature  for   YA/Teen.     (Still)  Got  the  Juice:  Fierce  Writing  by   Women  Poets  of  a  Certain  Age.    (Rebecca   Foust,  Wendy    Barker,  Toi  Derricotte,  Linda   Hogan,  Natalia  Trevino)   Modern  American  society  marginalizes   women  after  age  30,  then  disappears  and   mutes  us  after  age  40.  How  can  women  “of   a  certain  age”  make  our  voices  heard?   These  five  poets  refuse  to  sit  down,  shut   up,  or  go  gently  into  that  good  night.  Panel   members  will  frame  the  issues  in  the  larger   societal  context,  show  how  to  keep  work   relevant  by  reading  exemplar  poems,  and   offer  strategies  for  ensuring  through   publication,  social  media,  readings  and   conferences  that  our  words  are— emphatically—heard.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

    [Panel]  Translation  At  What  Cost?  -­‐-­‐-­‐   Poets  Who  Translate.    (Jordan  Elgrably,   Ilya  Kaminsky,  Mihaela    Moscaliuc,  Sholeh     Wolpé,  Ming    Ming  Di  (Mindy))   Translation  is  service,  recreation,  the   lending  of  one’s  own  poetic  tongue  to   another  poet—  and  yet,  is  it  also  self-­‐ denial?  Does  translation  feed  or  hinder  a   poet’s  own  creative  work?    Four   accomplished  poets  who  translate  from   Chinese,  Romanian,  Persian  and  Russian,   discuss  the  damaging  and/or  constructive   role  of  literary  translation  on  their  own   creative  force.     #AWP16  Keynote  Address  by  Claudia   Rankine,  Sponsored  by  USC  Dornsife   English  &  PhD  in  Literature  and   Creative  Writing  and  Graywolf  Press.     (Claudia  Rankine)   Claudia  Rankine  is  the  author  of  five   collections  of  poetry,  including  Citizen:  An   American  Lyric  and  Don't  Let  Me  Be   Lonely:  An  American  Lyric.  She  received   the  National  Book  Critics  Circle  Award  in   the  poetry  category  for  Citizen,  the  first   book  to  ever  be  named  a  finalist  in  both  the   poetry  and  criticism  categories.  Citizen  also   was  a  finalist  for  the  National  Book  Award,   was  longlisted  for  the  PEN  Open  Book   Award,  and  is  the  only  poetry  collection   named  a  New  York  Times  bestseller  in  the   nonfiction  category.     A  40  Year  Indigenous  Literary  Legacy:   Tribute  for  Acoma  Pueblo  Writer  Simon   J.  Ortiz.    (Sara  Marie    Ortiz  ,  Sherwin     Bitsui,  Allison  Hedge  Coke,  Lee  Francis,   Bojan  Louis)   Simon  J.  Ortiz  is  widely  regarded  as  one  of   the  literary  giants  of  the  twentieth  and   twenty-­‐first  centuries  with  more  than  two  

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dozen  volumes  of  poetry,  prose  fiction,   children's  literature,  and  nonfiction  work   to  his  credit  with  his  work  being   anthologized  around  the  world.  In  this   interactive  discussion  panelists  will  discuss   Ortiz's  legacy  and  contributions  to  the   landscape  of  American  literature  and  the   ways  in  which  he's  shaped  a  generation  of   Indigenous  writers'  aesthetics  across   genres.     A  50-­‐Year  Retrospective  on  Gay  Talese’s   “Frank  Sinatra  Has  a  Cold”.    (Rachael   Hanel,  Sonya  Huber,  Hope  Edelman,   Bronson  Lemer)   2016  marks  the  50th  anniversary  of  “Frank   Sinatra  Has  a  Cold,”  Gay  Talese’s  Esquire   essay  that  showed  us  a  new  approach  to   the  long-­‐form  essay,  which  continues  to   inspire  new  generations  of  writers.  In  this   panel,  writers  and  creative  writing   professors  examine  the  essay’s  staying   power.  They  also  discuss  the  current  state   of  long-­‐form  essay.  Specialty  publications   routinely  accept  long  essays,  but  could  the   long-­‐form  essay  still  penetrate  the   mainstream  as  it  did  in  1966?     A  Finished  Conversation?:  Gendered   Cultures  of  Creative  Writing.    (Jennifer   Kwon  Dobbs,  Aimee  Parkison,  Monique   Zamir,  Lisa  Lewis,  Camille  Rankine)   Women  writers  from  three  generations   explore  whether  gender  continues  to  shape   women's  experiences  of  creative  writing   today  from  studying  or  teaching  in  a   creative  writing  program  to  administering   one  to  publishing  work.  In  relation  to  race,   class,  and  sexuality,  how  has  the  position  of   women  writers  changed  over  time,  and   where  are  we  now  with  regard  to  our   access  to  publishing  and  positions  of   power  in  our  communities  and  academic  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  institutions?  What  interventions  might  we   make  to  gain  ground?     A  Matter  of  Taste.    (Celia    Johnson,  Sarah   Bowlin,  Michelle  Brower,  Karolina       Waclawiak,  Steph  Optiz)   Book  publishing  is  an  art,  but  it’s  certainly   not  a  science.  People  in  the  industry  are   often  forced  to  consider  the  business  of   publishing,  but  ultimately  agents,  editors,   and  reviewers  are  quite  like  readers.  They   are  all  looking  for  a  book  that  feels  made   just  for  them,  the  book  that  is  just  their   “taste.”  So  how  does  something  as   ephemeral  as  taste  move  a  book  through   the  publication  process?  What  do  we  even   mean  by  taste?  And  are  there  trends  that   we  can  recognize  and  explore?     A  New  Girls'  Network:  Lessons  from  the   Movement  for  Equal  Voice.    (Amy   Wheeler,  Shruti    Swamy,  Stacey  Parshall   Jensen,  Brooke  Warner,  Amy  King)   Women  are  still  underrepresented  in  the   literary  community.  The  movement  toward   equal  voice  is  coming  to  fruition  through   the  collective  action  of  people  who   advocate  for  women  writers.  Join   Hedgebrook,  VIDA,  BinderCon,  Hazel   Reading  Series,  and  She  Writes  Press  to   discuss  the  replicable,  scalable  models  they   use  to  provide  space,  support,  community   and  skills  for  female-­‐identified  writers.     A  Place  of  Our  Own:  Literary   Organizations  that  Foster  Creative   Community.    (Elizabeth    Hughey,  Guy     Pettit,  A.M.      O'Malley,  Bob    Snead,   Susannah  Felts)   A  new  style  of  literary  center  is  emerging.   These  centers  not  only  provide  resources   for  writers  but  also  serve  as  an  incubation   space  for  ideas,  collaborations,  events  and  

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publications.  Representatives  from  the   Desert  Island  Supply  Co.  (Birmingham,   Ala.),  Flying  Object  (Hadley,  Mass.),  The   Porch  (Nashville),  Press  Street  (New   Orleans)  and  the  Independent  Publishing   Resource  Center  (Portland,  Ore.)  discuss   how  their  organizations  have  evolved  to   meet  the  needs  of  their  creative   communities.     A  Tribute  for  Wanda  Coleman.    (Natasha   Saje,  Lisa    Katz,  Cornelius  Eady)   Panelists  view  Wanda  Coleman’s  life  and   work  through  multiple  lenses.  We   appreciate  her  jazz  performance  in  words,   brilliant  wit,  wildly  various  modes  of   expression,  and  her  politics.    We  read   examples  of  her  writing  and  explain  what  it   means  to  us,  celebrating  the  many   contributions  of  this  unforgettable  woman   of  letters.       A  Tribute  to  and  Celebration  of  Eloise   Klein  Healy.    (Robin  Becker,  Eloise  Klein   Healy,  Peggy  Shumaker,  Alicia    Ostriker,   Amy  Uyematsu)   Eloise  Klein  Healy,  author  of  seven  books,   is  a  poet,  editor,  educator,  mentor,  LGBTQ   advocate,  and  feminist  pioneer.  Appointed   first  Poet  Laureate  of  Los  Angeles  in  2012,   for  over  forty  years  her  poetry,   mentorship,  and  advocacy  has  mattered   greatly,  especially  to  women,  minorities,   and  LGBTQ  writers,  not  only  in  Southern   California,  but  across  the  country.   Significant  colleagues  will  celebrate  her   poetry,  mentorship,  and  advocacy,  after   which  Eloise  Klein  Healy  will  share  her   work.     A  Tribute  to  California  Poet  Laureate  Al   Young:  Poet,  Teacher,  Mentor.    (Persis  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Karim  ,  Peter    Harris  ,  Alan  Soldofsky,   Sharon    May,  Al    Young)   Al  Young  represents  the  best  of  California.   As  past  Poet  Laureate  of  this  state,   (appointed  in  2005),  he  has  spread  the   good  news  of  poetry  to  California  schools,   higher  educational  institutions,  and   participated  in  the  San  Francisco  Jazz   Festival  poetry  readings  and  others.  While   he  is  known  for  his  blues-­‐inflected  poetry,   his  poetry  and  his  influence  has  touched   Californians  young  and  old.  This  tribute  to   Al  Young  will  feature  his  poetry,  and  his   remarkable  impact  on  past  students  and   peers.     A  Tribute  to  Donald  Revell.    (Dean  Young,   Kazim  Ali,  Claudia  Keelan,  Craig  Morgan   Teicher,  Carey  Salerno)   This  panel  honors  and  celebrates  poet,   translator,  essayist,  Donald  Revell.  For  over   three  decades,  Revell  has  inspired  and   compelled  us  with  his  award-­‐winning  work   as  a  quiet  American  master  and  mystic.  At   once  innovative  and  accessible,  his  writing   envelops  us  in  rare  incarnations  of   kindness,  adoration,  and  light.  Critics,   peers,  and  writers  gather  in  this  tribute  to   read  and  discuss  Revell’s  work,  its   enduring  influence,  and  ways  in  which  he’s   shaped  American  letters.     A  Tribute  to  Gabriel  Garcia  Marquez,   Storyteller  and  Public  Intellectual.     (Maria  Helena  Viramontes,  Fernando   Daniel  Castro,  Rafael    Buitrago,  Maria   Helena  Viramontes)   Márquez  is  a  protean  figure  in  literature.   His  2014  death  begs  for  a  review  of  his   legacy  as  author  and  public  intellectual.  He   avoided  ideological  pamphleteering  yet   epitomized  the  public  intellectual  of  his   day:  the  cold  war  in  Latin  America,  issues  

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of  social  justice,  human  rights,  the  great   divide  between  developed  and   underdeveloped  nations.  Proposed  panel   will  focus  on  Márquez’s  genial  public   intellectual  style  and  the  connection   between  his  works  of  fiction,  journalism,   speeches  and  more.     A  Tribute  to  John  Rechy.    (Belinda  Acosta,   John  Rechy,  Pablo  Martinez,  Amelia  M.L.   Montes,  Alex  Espinoza)   Novelists,  poets,  and  scholars  come   together  to  celebrate  John  Rechy’s  work   and  discuss  why  his  voice  resonates  in  the   present.  Best  known  for  his   groundbreaking  City  of  Night  (1963),  John   Rechy’s  work  is  a  seminal  contribution  to   gay  and  Latino  literature.  Transgressive,   deeply  driven  by  a  classic  aesthetic,  and   profoundly  honest,  Rechy’s  work  has   influenced  a  wide-­‐range  of  artists  who   recognize  him  as  a  trailblazer  for  gay  arts   and  letters  while  at  the  same  time   transcending  categorization.     A  Writer's  Guide  to  Political  Advocacy.     (Mary  Rechner,  Nina  Ozlu-­‐Tunceli,  Tina   Cane,  Shannon  Buggs,  Stacy  Parker  Le   Melle)   Words  have  the  power  to  change  lives.   How  can  writers  use  their  words  to  reflect   and  improve  our  neighborhoods?  Panelists   will  share  experiences  that  gave  rise  to   moments  when  personal  or  political   change  became  possible,  and  discuss  how   they  become  invested  in  the  communities   they  live  in  and  serve.  They  will  also   provide  examples  of  ways  to  take  action  to   make  a  difference  as  well  as  the  range  of   actions  that  are  considered  effective   advocacy.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Across  the  Critical  Divide.    (Boris  Kachka,   Stephanie  Cha,  Liz  Egan,  Leigh  Newman,   Kate  Tuttle)   Reviewers  and  authors  traditionally  sit  on   opposite  sides  of  an  intractable  divide.  This   panel  brings  together  a  group  of  prominent   literary  journalists  to  discuss  the   intellectual  and  emotional  consequences  of   crossing  that  divide.  How  does  becoming   the  author  of  a  novel,  memoir,  or  cultural   history—and  thus  the  subject  of  reviews   and  interviews—change  a  critic’s   relationship  to  the  work  of  writing  about   books  and  authors,  to  the  publishing   industry,  and  to  his  or  her  fellow  writers?     Adapting  to  Adaptation:  Making  the   Most  of  Going  Hollywood.    (Eleanor     Henderson,  Cheryl    Strayed,  Stephen   Elliott,  Jennifer  Gilmore,  Jenny  Halper)   For  many  writers,  having  a  novel  or   memoir  optioned  for  film  is  a  dream  come   true.  But  a  book’s  adaptation  to  the  screen   is  often  as  complicated  as  a  writer’s   adaptation  to  the  movie  business.  The   authors  on  this  panel,  all  of  whom  have  had   a  book  translated  into  film  in  the  recent   past,  explore  the  losses  and  gifts  of   adaptation,  offering  insight  about  how  to   best  to  stay  involved  throughout  the   experience,  while  also  reflecting  on  the   nature  of  narrative,  art,  and  ownership.     Affrilachian  Poets:  25  Years  of   Redefining  Appalachia.    (Mitchell  L.  H.     Douglas,  Ricardo  Nazario  Colon,  Ellen     Hagan,  Kamilah  Aisha  Moon,  Keith  Wilson)   Central  to  the  purpose  of  the  Affrilachian   Poets  is  redefining  what  it  means  to  be   from  Appalachia.  To  that  extent  it  has   members  from  the  13  states  found  within   the  Appalachian  region.  This  panel   explores  notions  of  place  and  culture  

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within  the  group  celebrating  its  25th   anniversary  and  allies  it  has  made  along   the  way.     After  Experience  Taught  Me:    The   Cultural  Landscape  of  the  Creative   Writer  in  the  Southern  California   Community  College.    (Pianta  (Pianta),   Sydney  Brown,  Sean  Richard  Moor,   Christina  Guillen,  Chris  Baron)   Writers  at  2  year  colleges  offer  new   directions  in  rendering  experience.   Multilingual  and  pragmatic,  they  may  face   family  taboos  against  ego-­‐centrism.    They   start  with  burning  needs  to  express  (or  a   quiet  desire  to  be  heard),  to  tell  the   extraordinary;  a  style  from  folklore,  slang   or  prayer,  their  forms:  sub-­‐genre,  myth  or   sacred  oration.  They  produce  remarkable   improvisations,  driven  not  only  by  craft  but   by  romantic  ethos,  complex  sublimations,   or  an  fervent  need  for  self-­‐transformation.     After  Montaigne,  Before  Sunrise:   Teaching  and  Writing  about  the  Essays.     (David  Lazar,  Phillip  Lopate,  E.  J.  Levy,  Lina   Ferreira,  Patrick  Madden)   Montaigne's  Essays  have  been  fundamental   for  centuries  of  essayists  and  remain  vital,   though  underutilized,  for  creative   nonfictionists  today.  Panelists  discuss  their   process  of  writing  for  After  Montaigne,  a   new  anthology  of  “cover  essays”  from  the   University  of  Georgia  Press,  as  well  as  their   teaching  strategies  and  activities  to  help   students  engage  with  experiences  in  ways   beyond  recounting  and  narrative.     Agents  Without  Borders.    (Aimee  Liu,   Betsy  Amster,  Rebecca    Friedman  ,  Angela   Rinaldi,  Elise    Capron)   Many  writers  believe  that  the  only  or  best   literary  agents  are  located  on  the  East  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Coast,  but  West  Coast  agents  beg  to  differ.   The  major  publishing  houses  may  still   reside  in  and  around  New  York  City,  but   major  authors  live  throughout  the  world,   and  Pacific  Coast  agents  have  found  that   literary  representation  outside  New  York   may  actually  be  to  an  author's  advantage.   Join  this  panel  of  West  Coast  pros  to  learn   how  they  navigate  a  publishing  world   without  borders.     An  Office  of  One’s  Own:  Literary  Agents   On  Equality,  Gender,  and  the  Business  of   Creating  Books.    (Duvall    Osteen,  Sarah     Smith,  Melissa  Flashman,  Monika  Woods)   4  literary  agents  discuss  the  current   publishing  industry  landscape  through  the   lens  of  being  women.  With  a  spotlight  on   critical  and  commercial  success  of  books   by  women,  the  marketplace  is  a  thriving   environment  for  women  writers,  editors,   and  agents.  Topics  include  getting   published  without  being  pigeonholed,   approaching  the  business  of  publishing  as  a   woman,  the  online  environment  as  a  place   of  opportunity,  and  the  role  agents  play  in   collaborating  with  and  supporting  women   writers.     Angels’  Exile:  Los  Angeles  Natives   Writing  From  Elsewhere.    (Mark   Sundeen,  Camille  Dungy,  Leslie  Jamison,   Eric  Puchner,  Amaud  Jamaul  Johnson)   With  its  diversity  and  segregation,  wealth   and  inequity,  sprawl  and  water  wars,  Los   Angeles  is  the  postmodern  city  upon  which   others—for  better  or  worse—are  modeled.   Its  fashion  and  lifestyle  are  exported,   extolled  and  condemned  across  the  globe   in  film,  prose  and  verse.  But  many   chroniclers  —Chandler  and  Didion—are   transplants,  visitors.  What  about  the   inverse:  writers  who  were  raised  here—

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then  left?  How  do  the  city  and  suburbs   loom  in  their  imagination?  And  what  does   exile  teach  us  about  home?     Anthologizing  Queer:  Defining   Community  and  the  Politics  of   Representation.    (Kathie  Bergquist,  Lisa  C.   Moore,  Trace  Peterson,  Achy  Obejas,  Regie   Cabico)   From  This  Bridge  Called  My  Back  onward,   anthology  has  helped  define  community   and  illuminate  marginalized  voices.  At  the   same  time,  literary  collection  can  further   diminish  queer  expression  by  affirming   whose  work  is  worthy  of  attention  and   whose  is  not.  In  this  panel,  five  editors  of   literary  anthology  fearlessly  tread  the   minefields  of  representation  and  authority   inherent  in  the  act  of  curating   intersectional  queer  culture,  while   confronting  essential  questions  of  quality   and  inclusion.     Applying  for  an  Individual  NEA  Creative   Writing  Fellowship.    (Amy  Stolls,   Mohamed  Sheriff,  Rebecca  Maner,  Jessica   Flynn)   Want  to  know  what  the  National   Endowment  for  the  Arts  fellowships  are  all   about?  Staff  members  from  the  NEA’s   Literature  Division  will  discuss  and  advise   on  all  aspects  of  the  program,  from   submitting  an  application  to  how  winning   poets  and  prose  writers  are  selected,  as   well  as  the  impact  the  fellowships  have  had   on  the  literary  landscape.  Plenty  of  time   will  be  allotted  for  questions.     Art  of  the  Literary  Interview.    (Tony     Leuzzi,  Tod  Marshall,  Christopher   Hennessy,  Allie  Larkin,  Joe  Salvatore)   The  interview  is  a  prime  medium  for   exploring  and  promoting  literary  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  conversations.  Six  panelists  with  vast   creative  and  critical  experience  will  discuss   the  interview  as  a  genre  that  honors   certain  conventions  and  traditions.  They   will  explore  wide-­‐ranging  expressions  of   the  genre  as  a  dialogic  bridge  between   critic  and  imaginative  writer.  They  will  also   articulate  examples  where  interviews  help   build  community  and  set  standards  for   discourse  among  poets  and  fiction  writers,   respectively.     Art  School  Writing  Faculty  Caucus   Meeting.    (Amy  Lemmon,  Monica  Drake,   Lesley  Jenike,  Mairead  Byrne,  Norman   Leonard)   Annual  meeting  of  art  school  faculty   members  to  discuss  pedagogy,   programming,   administration,  and  best  practices   particular  to  Art  School  writing  classes  and   programs.     Asian  American  Caucus.    (Ken  Chen,   Sunyoung  Lee,  Cathy    Che)   What  literary  resources  are  available  for   Asian  American  writers?  What  does  it   mean  to  be  an  Asian  writer  in  the  21st   Century?  This  first  Asian  American  caucus   is  not  a  panel  or  a  reading,  but  an  open   town  hall-­‐style  hang  out  and  community   space.  If  you’re  an  Asian  American  writer,   come  meet  other  Asian  American  writers   and  discuss  fellowships,  publication   opportunities  and  resources  available  for   Asian  American  writers.  Organized  by  the   Asian  American  Writers’  Workshop,  Kaya   and  Kundiman.     Asian  American  Writers  Reinventing   Los  Angeles.    (Ginger  Ko,  Kenji  Liu,  Grace   Shuyi  Liew,  Lam  Pham,  Chiwan  Choi)  

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Asian  &  Pacific  Islanders  are  the  fastest   growing  group  in  the  US  and  the  LA  area   has  the  highest  US  API  population,  but  APIs   are  often  ignored  and  stereotyped  by   mainstream  America.  This  panel  will   present  East  and  Southeast  Asian  American   writers  who  write,  work,  and  live  in  LA,   and  have  cultural  ties  to  the  diasporic   landscape  of  the  metropolitan  area.  The   panel  will  make  visible  the  intersectional   histories,  politics,  and  artistic  practices   that  feeds  and  is  fed  by  their  literary  work.     At  the  Margins,  At  the  Intersections:   Black  Queer  Literature,  Writing,   Publishing.    (Frederick  Smith,  Sheree  L.   Greer,  Rebekah  Weatherspoon,  Fiona   Zedde)   Audre  Lorde,  E.  Lynn  Harris,  and  James   Baldwin,  among  others,  set  the  path  for   embracing  Black  Queer  identities  in   writing.  As  contemporary  writers  who   identify  as,  or  write  about,  Black  LGBTQ   communities,  we're  consciously  embracing   identities  that  intersect,  and  that  are  also  at   the  margins  of  society.  Join  us  as  we   discuss  the  contributions  of  Black  Queer   writers  past  and  present,  and  explore  what   it  means  to  embrace  writing  at  the   intersections,  yet  at  the  margins,  in  current   times.     Bad  Influences:  Writers  and  the  Writers   Who  Corrupted  Them.    (Katie  Peterson,   Sandra  Lim,  Leslie  Shipman,  Garth   Greenwell,  Thomas  Page  McBee)   Who  did  you  read  so  much  that  their   influence  actually  got  you  into  trouble?  On   this  cross-­‐genre  panel,  a  novelist,  a   memoirist,  and  three  poets  speculate  with   wit  and  candor  on  whether  you  can  know   when  you’ve  been  influenced  too  much,   and  whether  there’s  a  difference  between  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  good  influence  and  bad  influence.  Can   reading  poetry  be  bad  for  prose?  Can  pop   culture  be  good  for  anything?  Panelists  will   also  consider  which  “bad  influences”  are   "corrupting"  genres  today.     Behind  the  Curtain:  Founding  and   Running  a  Small  Writers’  Conference.     (Matt  Bondurant,  Seth  Tucker,  Connie  May   Fowler,  M.O.    Walsh,  Jerry  Gabriel)   The  founders  and  directors  of  four  small   writers  conferences  all  launched  in  the  last   five  years  share  their  experiences  and   invite  collaboration  and  discussion.    We   will  discuss  topics  such  as  scouting  and   securing  locations,  acquiring  resources,   finanances,  marketing,  programming,   social  life,  merchandising,  and  all  the   logistics  that  go  into  starting  a  new  writers   conference  from  scratch.     Between  Image  and  Text:  Publishing   Comics  in  Literary  Magazines.    (Aaron   Burch,  Lydia    Conklin,  Killian    Czuba,  Amy   McDaniel,  Jarod  Rosellό)   In  recent  years,  literary  publications  have   begun  publishing  comics  regularly.  But   where  do  comics  fit  in  the  larger  literary   landscape?  How  are  comics  published  in   spaces  built  for  text?  This  panel  brings   cartoonists  and  editors  together  to  discuss   the  challenges  &  rewards  of  publishing   comics  online  and  in  print.  The   participants  will  consider  the  practical  and   philosophical  implications  for  expanding   the  universe  of  literature,  and  what  this   means  for  the  future  of  literary   publications.     Beyond  Combat:  Non-­‐traditional  War   Stories.    (Lauren  Halloran,  Olivia  Kate   Cerrone,  Qais  Akbar  Omar,  Mariette   Kalinowski,  Elana  Bell)  

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Not  all  war  stories  look  like  American   Sniper.  War  is  a  vast  spectrum  of   experiences,  but  literature  and  film  offer   only  a  limited,  formulaic  glimpse.  We  seek   to  expand  that  view,  covering  conflicts  in   Iraq,  Afghanistan  and  the  West  Bank   through  fiction,  memoir  and  poetry,  from   the  perspectives  of  female  veterans,   bureaucrats,  aid  workers,  and  men  and   women  living  in  the  war  zones.  We’ll   discuss  the  challenges  and  importance  of   writing  against  masculine  traditions  and   combat-­‐driven  narratives.     Beyond  Confession:  Women's  Writing   and  a  Radical  Poetics  of  the  Personal.     (Dorothea    Lasky  ,  Amber  Rose    Tamblyn,   Rachel  McKibbens,  Deborah  Landau,  Ada   Limón)   "Confessional  Poetry"  is  often  a  coded  term   for  poetry  written  by  women  and  is   disparaged  as  domestic,  personal  and   small.  This  panel  will  examine  ways  in   which  the  poetics  of  the  personal  and  the   everyday  can  subvert  traditional  gender   binaries  and  move  towards  a  radical   reassessment  of  women's  roles  in   literature  and  society.  Five  women  will   read  from  their  work  and  discuss  their   relationships  to  poetry  of  the  body,  the   spirit,  and  the  world.     Beyond  the  Poetry  Classroom:  Serving   the  Underserved.    (Nicole    Santalucia,   Martín    Espada  ,  Maria  Gillan,  Jan  Beatty,   Abby  Murray)   This  panel  will  discuss  what  it  takes  to   expand  poetry  communities  beyond  the   creative  writing  classroom,  and  how   faculty  and  students  can  implement   outreach  programs  in  their  own   communities.  The  panelists  will  provide   examples  of  how  they  extend  the  reach  of  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  poetry  programs  to  under-­‐served   populations  such  as  veterans,  prisoners,   senior  citizens,  children,  and  at  risk  teens.   The  opportunity  to  serve  fulfills  writers  as   people  but  also  broadens  their  appeal  as   future  job  candidates.     Black  Bodies  Matter.    (Patricia  Smith,   Jericho  Brown,  Justin  Phillip  Reed,  Susan   Somers-­‐Willett)   The  Black  Lives  Matter  movement  is  a   recent  response  to  a  larger  history  of   violence  against  Black  bodies  in  the  U.S.   and  abroad.  What  roles  does  poetry  play  in   this  response,  and  how  do  poets  negotiate   the  lenses  of  race,  gender,  sexuality,  and   class  in  their  responses?  Can  poets  write   about  racialized  violence  without  re-­‐ inscribing  it  on  others?  A  diverse  group  of   poets  gather  to  read  their  work  and  discuss   their  approaches  to  writing  about  brutality   against  Black  bodies.     Blood  &  Water:  Poets  Pouring  Into   Nonfiction.    (Laura    McCullough,  Ben   Busch,  Kelle  Groom,  Michael  Klein,  Nick   Flynn)   When  the  poem  is  just  not  big  enough  to   hold  the  poet’s  concerns  with  social  justice,   environmental  issues,  personal  and   political  upheaval  and  confluence,  they  are   turning  to  CNF.  What  are  the  loyalties  to   form?  What  are  the  barriers,  objections,   and  penalties  for  shifting  from  one  genre  to   another?    The  necessariness  of  poetry  to   prose,  like  water  to  blood,  will  be  explored,   as  well  as  the  “blood  covenant”  to  create,   regardless  of  which  literary  family  you   start  out  in.     Book  clubs  in  Spanish:  the  adventure  of   reaching  out  to  diverse  neighborhoods!.    

10

(Maria  de  Lourdes  Victoria,  Teresa    Luengo   Cid)   Two  years  ago  the  Seattle  King  County   Libraries  began  a  Book  Club  in  Spanish  as  a   pilot  program.  The  program  has  been  very   successful  and  today  four  additional   Spanish  clubs  exists.  The  key  of  success?   Library,  local  authors  and  community   working  as  a  team!  Readers  are  both,   native  Spanish  readers  AND  people  looking   to  enhance  their  Spanish  skills.  In  this   presentation  the  founders  of  the  program   will  provide  information  on  how  you  can   start  your  own  Spanish  reading  club  in   your  neighborhood.     Book  Launch  Confidential:  Marketing   Made  Smarter  not  Harder.    (Lynne     Griffin,  Michelle  Toth,  Eve  Bridburg,   Michael  Blanding,  Tasneem  Zehra  Husain)   Authors-­‐-­‐no  matter  how  they  are   published—must  be  active  players  in   cultivating  an  audience  using  the  tools  of   social  media.  Yet  without  crystal  clear   goals  and  an  honest  assessment  of  skills   and  resources,  the  path  forward  can  be   driven  by  anxiety,  instead  of  a  personal   strategy  for  success.  Using  a  logic  model,   writers  can  learn  to  draw  on  strengths  as   they  align  activities  with  values  and   priorities,  becoming  advocates  for  their   work  while  finding  energy  and  joy  in  the   process.     Book  Pushers:  Blasting  Past  the   Gatekeepers.    (Dana  Walwrath,  Sarah   Aronson,  Tami  Lewis  Brown,  Zu  Vincent,   Catherine  Linka)   Issues  of  white  slavery,  gay  pride  and   genocide  can  stop  your  book  at  the  gate.   Five  published  authors  for  young  adult,   middle  grade  and  picture  book  readers  face   pressure  from  parents,  librarians  and  other  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  mentors  who  are  often  wary  of   controversial  subjects  presented  to  a   young  audience.  But  form  and  structure   can  help  break  down  the  barriers  writers   of  difficult  political  and  social  issues  face   and  get  books  with  diverse  themes  and   characters  into  the  hands  of  kids  who  need   them.     Brave  New  Voices.    (Bao-­‐Long  Chu,  James   Kass,  Alise  Alousi,  Ellen  Hagan,  Deborah   Mouton)   Performance  poetry  inspires  diverse  youth   populations  to  produce  dynamic  writing   influenced  by  rap,  hip  hop,  popular  culture,   and  oral  cultures.Today  spoken  word  and   written  word  poetries  share  more  in   common  than  they  once  did.  Panelists  will   explore  the  socio-­‐political  history  of   spoken  word,  the  complexities  unique  to   teaching  performance  poetry  in  schools   and  communities,  and  expanding   opportunities  for  young  performance   poets,  including  slam  competitions  and   Youth  Poet  Laureate  programs.       Brave  New  Worlds:  Writing  Science  in   YA  Fiction.    (Cecil    Castellucci,  Eliot     Schrefer,  Sherri  L  Smith,  Lydia  Kang,   Jonathan    Alexander)   Whether  it  takes  place  in  the  here  and  now   or  imagined  far  flung  futures,  YA  novels  are   often  complex  and  layered  with  problems.     With  an  ever  increasing  focus  on  STEM  in   schools,  how  do  we  tackle  the  use  of  real   science  in  YA  novels?    What  do  we  learn   about  our  contemporary  selves  as  a  result   of  the  use  of  science  in  YA  fiction  and  how   does  the  age  of  the  protagonists  influence   how  one  tells  the  story?      Join  a  group  of   dynamic  YA  authors  tackling  all  sides  of   science  in  fiction  in  a  discussion  

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  Brazilian  Women  Writers.    (Tiffany   Higgins,  Hilary  Kaplan,  Ellen  Doré  Watson,   Idra  Novey)   Translators  of  20th-­‐  and  21st-­‐century   poetry  and  fiction  by  women  from  Brazil   read  from  their  work  and  discuss  the  art  of   translation  and  the  craft  and  advocacy   inherent  to  translating  writing  by  women.   This  panel  follows  last  year's  on  translating   “Brazilianness”  to  focus  on  women  writers,   the  stakes  of  that  categorization,  and  the   vibrant  landscape  of  translations  of   women's  writing  into  English.  Form,   feminism,  gender  and  sexual  identity,  age,   language,  race  and  class  all  come  into  play.     Build  It  and  They  Will  Come:  Creating  a   School  and  Community  Outside   Academia.    (Edan  Lepucki,  Julia  Fierro,   Sonya  Larson,  Michelle  Wildgen,  Jason   Koo)   On  this  panel,  the  founders  and  directors  of   four  successful  writing  schools  will  offer   practical  advice  on  how  to  develop  a  strong   community  of  writers,  expanding  the   subject  of  a  2014  Poets  &  Writers  article,   Academic  Alternatives:  The  DIY  MFA,  in   which  some  of  the  panelists  were  featured.   Panelists  will  also  examine  the  role  these   workshops  play  in  the  shifting  MFA   landscape  and  discuss  how  they  provide   another  path  to  writers  looking  for   instruction  and  community  outside   academia.     California/La  California/Califas.     (Belinda  Acosta,  Pablo  Martinez,  Helena   Maria  Viramontes,  Pat  Alderete,  Harry   Gamboa)   Los  Angeles  is  said  to  be  a  city  of  many   cities,  each  with  their  own  stories  to  tell,   their  own  secrets  to  keep.  The  assembled  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Latino  writers  from  and  beyond  LA  come   together  to  discuss  the  people,  places,  and   experiences  that  have  shaped  their  work   and  how  their  “El  A”  contributes  to  the   larger  tapestry  of  American  arts  and   letters.     Calling  White  Allies:  What  White   Writers  Can  Do  to  Foster  Inclusion  and   Support  People  of  Color.    (Alexis  Paige,   Alexs  Pate,  Alexis    Paige,  Tim  Seibles)   Participants  from  three  major  genres  at   various  stages  in  their  careers  will  offer   their  experience  and  advice  regarding   what  white  writers  can  do  to  become  [and   continue  being]  more  effective  and   sensitive  allies  to  writers  of  color  and   people  of  color  in  general.    Following  this   discussion,  the  panelists  will  hold  a   dialogue  with  the  attendees,  entertaining   questions  and  further  suggestions  from   audience  members  on  possibilities  for   improving  this  crucial  work.     Can  I  Live?  Writing  the  Policed  Black   Female  Body.    (Destiny  Birdsong,  Nafissa   Thompson-­‐Spires,  Kateema  Lee,  April   Gibson,  Charly  Evon  Simpson)   Despite  its  prevalence,  various  forms  of   violence  against  black  women  remain   largely  ignored  in  national  and  literary   conversations.  In  response,  five  multi-­‐ genre  writers  discuss  craft  approaches  to   writing  the  policed  black  female  body,   particularly  when  it  is  complicated  by   identity  constructs  such  as  poverty,   (mental)  illness,  disability,  and  addiction.   We  also  read  excerpts  of  our  own  work   (including  poetry,  fiction,  and  drama)   wherein  we  seek  to  rearticulate  this  body   in  empowering  ways.    

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Coming  of  Age  Queer.    (Amber  Dawn,   Mecca  Jamilah  Sullivan,  Tom    Cho,  Tim   Jones-­‐Yelvington,  Megan  Milks)   In  recent  years,  LGBT  literature  for  young   adults  has  proliferated.  But  LGBTQ  writers   who  grew  up  without  it  are  still  reckoning   with  that  void.  This  panel  brings  together  a   diverse  group  of  writers  who  are   producing  new  narratives  of  queer  and   trans  adolescence  both  within  and  outside   the  YA  market.  Defying  expectations  of   what  coming  of  age  queer  and  trans  looks   like,  these  writers  speak  back  to  the  YA  lit   of  their  youth–and  to  expectations  of   human  maturation  that  themselves  must   come  of  age.     Coming-­‐Out  Narratives:  Beyond  Queer   101.    (Chelsey    Johnson,  Justin  Torres,   James  Hannaham,  Lucy  Corin,  Charlie  Jane   Anders)   Every  queer  person  has  a  coming  out  story   (or  several),  and  queer  and  straight  writers   alike  have  shown  an  enduring  fascination   with  writing  them.  As  coming  out  remains   the  dominant  queer  narrative  in  America,   by  its  sheer  hegemony  this  trope  often   becomes  a  generic  move.  Five  LGBTQ   writers  discuss  what  compels  and/or  bores   us  about  these  stories;  why  we  write  them   or  don't;  what  distinguishes  a  great   coming-­‐out  narrative  from  a  tepid  one;  and   what  writers  get  wrong  when  they  write   them.       Competition  and  Creativity.    (Lynn   Pruett,  Lorraine  Lòpez,  Blas  Falconer,   Rebecca  Gayle  Howell,  Ansel  Elkins)   Does  literary  competition  fuel  better  work   or  does  it  jettison  risk  and  originality?  How   does  one  write  against  the  competition?    Is   artistic  compromise  required?    Five  award  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  winners  analyze  the  effect  of  competition   on  their  creative  processes,  offer  strategies   for  elevating  the  writing  game,  and  discuss   how  winning  an  award  has  influenced  their   later  work.     Complicated  Labor:  Writing  about   Mothering,  Writing  while  Mothering.     (Micah    Perks,  Ariel  Gore,  Michelle  Tea,   Kate  Schatz)   Writers  who  grapple  with  the   complications  of  maternity  have  often  been   marginalized  or  largely  invisible.  What   stories  are  mothers  allowed  to  tell?  Is   anyone  interested?  How  does  mothering   complicate  our  creative  practice?  This   panel  of  fiction  writers,  memoirists,   editors,  journalists  and  poets  will  address   our  experiences  in  writing  about  maternity   and  discuss  the  conscious  and  unconscious   biases  that  keep  women  from  the   transgressive  act  of  writing  honestly  about   motherhood.     Concentration  Camps,  USA:  A  Critical   and  Artistic  Retrospective  of  Literatures   of  World  War  II  Internment    and   Detention.    (David  Mura,  Garrett  Hongo,   Tony  Ardizzone,  Mariko  Nagai)   In  this  tribute  to  WWII  internment   literatures,  writers  Tony  Ardizzone,   Garrett  Hongo,  David  Mura,  Mariko  Nagai,   and  Lee  Ann  Roripaugh—all  authors  of   works  exploring  internment  camps  and   detention  centers—discuss,  contextualize,   and  celebrate  the  historical,  political,   cultural,  and  creative  influences  shaping   the  literature  that  emerged  from,  and   continues  to  emerge  from,  the  WWII   internment/detention  experiences  of   persons  of  Japanese,  Italian,  and  German   ancestry.    

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Contemporary  Multi-­‐ethnic  American   Fiction:  Obsessions  and  Innovations.     (Namrata    Poddar,  Sean    Gandert,  Danuta   Hinc,  Morgan  Jerkins,  JoAnne  Ruvoli)   How  does  ‘ethnic  fiction’  question  the   aesthetic  assumptions  of  a  more   mainstream  (white,  male)  Western  mode   of  storytelling?  How  do  they  implicitly  or   explicitly  challenge  the  geo-­‐political  and   cultural  borders  of  the  literary  ‘canon’?   Five  writers  of  diverse  ethnic,  cultural  and   professional  background  explore  diversity   in  contemporary  American  letters  by   focusing  on  the  novel,  short  story  and   literary  magazines  featuring  Eastern   Europe,  African-­‐,  Italian-­‐  ,  Asian  and  Latin   America.     Counting  Its  Presence:  Race  and   Creative  Writing  Syllabi.    (Adam   Atkinson,  Lillian-­‐Yvonne  Bertram,  Sarah   Vap,  Prageeta  Sharma)   Junot  Diaz's  "MFA  vs.  POC"  is  just  one   example  of  a  growing  interest  in   confronting  the  whiteness  of  academia.  We   have  collected  syllabi  from  doctoral   creative  writing  programs  across  the   country  in  order  to  highlight  oft-­‐ overlooked  questions:  How  are  the   spectral  bodies  of  the  authors  on  a  syllabus   also  tools  of  professionalization?  Or:  How   many  white  writers  is  one  asked  to  read  in   order  to  be  a  creative  writing  professional?   This  panel  presents  our  analysis  of  the  data   (more  than  3000  texts).     Crashing  Through:  Confronting  Writing   Barriers  and  Rebooting  Your  Work.     (Robin  Black,  Dylan  Landis,  Natalie  Baszile,   Anne  Sanow,  Steven  Schwartz)   We  have  all  faced  obstacles  in  writing.   Interference  has  many  sources,  both   psychological  and  external:  taboo  subjects,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  craft  challenges,  despair,  rejection,   constraints  in  our  non-­‐writing  lives,  fear  of   angering  others.  A  diverse  group  of  fiction   and  essay  writers  talk  about  their  equally   diverse  and  highly  specific  techniques  for   becoming  unstuck,  from  using  timers  to   meditation  to  writing  with  partners—and   for  turning  obstacles  to  opportunity  for   taking  major  leaps  forward  in  craft.     Creating  Change  through  Storytelling:   Nonfiction  at  Work.    (Elaine  Elinson,   Steve  Swatt,  Raj  Jayadev,  Stan  Yogi,  Susie   Swatt)   The  authors  of  three  thought-­‐provoking   books  from  Heyday  discuss  little-­‐known   stories  revealing  California  and  LA  as  the   birthplace  of  transformative  social  and   political  movements.  From  Upton  Sinclair's   1923  arrest  at  LA  harbor  for  reading  the   Constitution  to  strikers,  activists   organizing  the  first  gay  rights  group  in   Silverlake  in  1951  to  the  1978  tax-­‐revolt  of   Prop  13  and  the  technological  revolution  of   today,  these  stories  provide  critical   grounding  for  understanding  current   controversies.     Creating  Community  Across  Programs.     (Lauren    Espinoza,  Ae  Hee  Lee,  Melisa   Garcia,  Jacqueline    Balderrama,  Steve     Castro)   Latino/a  writers  currently  pursuing  MFAs   share  how  they  have  created  community   with  one  another  across  programs:  an   online  workshop  that  convenes  over  the   summer;  a  year-­‐round  virtual  book  club;   engaging  in  an  online  roundtable   discussion  for  eventual  dissemination  on   the  web;  attending  a  conference  at  ASU,   which  served  as  backdrop  of  the  third   gathering,  after  the  the  first  two  at  Notre   Dame-­‐-­‐all  under  the  auspices  of  the  Letras  

14

Latinas  Writers  Initiative.  They'll  share   some  of  their  work,  too.     Creating  Literary  Community  in  a  City  of   Freeways.    (Terry  Wolverton,  Jessica   Ceballos,  Traci  Kato-­‐Kiriyama    ,  Michael   Kearns,  Conney  Williams)   Meet  the  organizers  of  some  of  L.A.’s  most   vibrant  community-­‐based  literary   workshops  and  reading  spaces,  striking   sparks  outside  the  walls  of  academia  and   Hollywood—Bluebird  Reading  Series  at   Avenue  50  Studio,  Tuesday  Night  Café,   Queer  Wise,  Anansi  Writers  workshop  at   the  World  Stage  and  Writers  At  Work.  Each   is  geared  toward  a  specific  cultural  or   geographic  community.  We’ll  share  our   diverse  missions,  strategies  and  structures,   and  explore  how  our  communities   intersect  and  cross-­‐pollinate.     Creating  Opportunities  for  Writers  of   Color:  A  Continued  Urgency.    (Reginald   Flood,  Diem  Jones,  Elmaz  Abinader,  Angie     Chuang,  Angela  Narciso  Torres)   Willow  Books,  an  award-­‐winning  publisher   of  Writers  of  Color  and  VONA/Voices,  a   foundation  for  Writers  of  Color,  discuss   why  their  missions  have  a  renewed   relevancy.  Key  writers,  editors,  and   administrators  discuss  the  current  climate   in  publishing,  in  social  media  and  in  the   political  world  that  makes  creating  these   opportunities  more  vital  than  ever.  They   discuss  their  inspiration,  their  challenges   and  how  their  work  has  contributed  to  the   inclusivity  of  Writers  of  Color.     Crossing  Borders  with  Verse  Novels.     (Padma  Venkatraman,  Leza  Lowitz,  Joyce     Wong,  Holly  Thompson)   Verse  is  a  powerful  vehicle  for  transporting   readers  across  international  borders.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Authors  of  middle-­‐grade  and  YA  verse   novels  set  outside  the  US  will  discuss  the   medium  of  verse  as  a  means  of  enabling   readers  to  connect  with  stories  set  in  other   countries  and  cultures.  With  poetry   enabling  emotional  resonance  and   multicultural  expressivity,  verse  becomes  a   bridge  for  conveying  readers  into   international  tales  encompassing  cultures,   nations,  landscapes  and  languages  around   the  globe.     Cunty  Faggots:  Who  Can  Say  Wut?.     (Christopher  Soto,  Eileen  Myles,  Maggie   Nelson,  Danez  Smith,  Jackie  Wang)   This  panel  will  discuss  the  reclamation  of   language,  the  local  economy  of  language,   and  whether  an  author’s  identity  markers   allow  or  prohibit  them  from  using  certain   words.  What  does  censorship  look  like   today?  How  can  we  discuss  the  realities  of   queer  &  trans  communities,  if  we  cannot   use  vernacular  language?  What  does  it   mean  to  export  (publish)  vernacular   languages  to  our  non-­‐regional   communities?  What  does  it  mean  to  have   your  word  choice,  your  slang,   delegitimized  by  publishers  or  readers?     Current  Trends  in  Literary  Publishing.     (Jeffrey  Lependorf,  Christopher  Fischbach,   Neal    Thompson,  Tyson    Cornell,  Jane   Friedman)   A  panel  of  industry  experts  shaping   independent  literary  publishing  discuss   how  publishers  are  addressing  current   challenges  and  hurdles,  as  well  as  creating   new  opportunities.  Hear  these  literary   leaders  of  publishing,  bookselling,  and   reader  engagement  reveal  how  they   reimagine  traditional  forms  of  publishing   while  integrating  innovative  new  trends.    

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Demystifying  the  Market:  Multiple  Paths   to  the  First  Book.    (Casey  Thayer,  Nancy   Reddy,  Bri  Cavallaro,  Richie  Hofmann,   Malachi  Black)   In  a  dizzying  poetry  marketplace,  how  do   writers  determine  where  to  submit?   Authors  of  books  from  Copper  Canyon,   Milkweed,  Alice  James,  the  Akron  Series  of   Poetry,  and  the  University  New  Mexico  will   discuss  the  three  main  avenues  open  to   first-­‐book  poets:  contests,  open  reading   periods,  and  solicitation  from  presses.   Drawing  on  a  range  of  personal  experience,   they  will  talk  candidly  about  the  merits  of   each  option,  offering  advice  on  manuscript   submission,  the  revision  process,  and   promotion.     Disability  Caucus.    (Jennifer  Bartlett,  Meg   Day,  Sheila  Black)   The  Disability  Caucus  will  allow  for   disabled  individuals  to  network  and   discuss  common  challenges  related  to   identity,  writing,  and  teaching  while   professionally  leading  a  literary  life.  We   aim  to  archive  our  interests,  challenges,   and  concerns  in  order  to  increase  our   visibility  and  emphasize  our  importance  to   this  organization,  along  with  our  social  and   creative  significance  to  the  academic  and   literary  communities  where  we  live,  teach,   and  work.     Dispatches  from  the  Latino  Heartland:   10  Years  of  Creating  Community.     (Miguel  M.  Morales,  Maria    Vasquez  Boyd,   Jose  Faus,  Gabriela  Lemmons)   The  Latino  Writers  Collective  celebrates  10   years  fostering  and  advancing  Latino   voices.  This  REAL  TALK  panel  shares   challenges  of  sustaining  a  Midwest  Latino   writing  group.  Learn  to  form  a  writing   community  no  matter  where  you  live.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Discover  our  successful  authors  and   programs:  Migrant  Youth  Writers   Workshops,  Pagina  Reading  Series,  and   Spanish  writing  group.  Explore  our   transition  to  a  nonprofit,  forming  a  press,   and  publishing  award-­‐winning  anthologies.   Panelists  will  also  read  their  work.     Diversifying  Historical  Fiction.    (Laird   Hunt,  Bernice  McFadden,  Nina  Revoyr,   Dolen  Perkins  Valdez,  Kim  van  Alkemade)   Too  often,  American  historical  fiction  has   cast  diverse  characters  as  one-­‐dimensional   side-­‐kicks  or  minor  characters—if  it  has   included  them  at  all.  Characters  of  color   have  filled  the  roles  of  helpful  maid  or   clever  servant  while  LGBT  characters   seemed  not  to  exist.  The  authors  on  this   panel  discuss  how  situating  diverse   protagonists  in  iconic  historical  settings   not  only  foregrounds  their  characters’   complexities,  but  also  reminds  us  that   American  history  has  always  been  rich   with  diversity.     Diversifying  MFA  Programs:  A  Case   Study.    (Jennifer    Givhan,  Debra    Allbery,  A.   Van  Jordan,  Caroline  Mar,  Adrienne  Perry)   Can  an  MFA  program  diversify  and  become   truly  inclusive?  A  panel  of  Warren  Wilson   MFA  Program  administrators,    faculty,  and   alumni  will  review  their  ongoing  efforts  to   address  diversity  within  the  student  body   and  the  faculty.  We  will  discuss  both   institutional  approaches  (e.g.  financial  aid   and  hiring)  and  student  advocacy  efforts   (e.g.  student-­‐led  organizations  and  teach-­‐ ins),  underscoring  how,  in  the  best   situations,  these  efforts  and  approaches   can  come  together  to  create  real  change.    

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Diversity  Integrated:  The  literary  art  of   inclusion..    (Lillie  Teeters,  Anjali  Enjeti,   Jon    Pineda,  Soniah  Kamal,  Valerie  Boyd)   A  diverse  panel  (Pakistani,  African-­‐ American,  mixed  race,  lesbian,  Asian-­‐ American)  will  review  problems  of   unconscious  segregation  in  literary   communities,  offering  tips  on  seeking   writers  from  marginalized  populations  to   contribute  to,  participate  in  and  enhance   critique  groups,  workshops,  creative   writing  programs,  conferences  and   organizations.  Panel  will  discuss  benefits   and  risks  of  identity-­‐based  writers’  groups   and  a  need  for  inclusion  at  all  levels  of   professional  and  creative  writing.     Does  America  Still  Dream?:  Depictions   of  class,  poverty,  and  social  im/mobility   in  literature.    (Dawn  Dorland  Perry,   Jennifer  Haigh,  Brando  Skyhorse,  Jodi   Angel,  Teka-­‐Lark  Fleming)   Authors  writing  across  genre  &  form  hold  a   transracial  conversation  about  rendering   poverty—child  hunger,  homelessness,   upheavals  of  industry,  prostitution  &   incarceration—on  the  page.  At  stake  is  the   easy  conflation  of  class  with  ethnicity,  the   challenge  of  writing  beyond  experience,   and  the  invisible,  emotional  costs  of  class   ascendance.  Can  stories,  novels,  essays,   poems,  or  memoirs  galvanize  these   otherwise  disconnected  struggles?  A   report,  via  literature,  on  the  state  of  the   American  dream.     Does  travel  writing  have  a  place  in  the   age  of  Instagram  and  Google  Earth?.     (Tom  Swick,  David  Farley,  Pam  Mandel,  Jim   Benning)   Travel  writing  developed  in  an  era  before   jetliners,  telephones  and  cameras.  But  in  a   world  where  you  can  now  explore  every  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  nook  and  cranny  of  the  planet  on  Google   Earth,  and  where  travelers  in  the  most   remote  places  can  post  instantly  to  Twitter,   Facebook  and  Instagram,  does  travel   writing  still  have  a  role  to  play?  Panelists   will  discuss  how  travel  writing  can  stay   relevant  and  compelling  in  a  rapidly   shrinking  world.     Domingo  Martinez,  Susan  Orlean,  and   Jess  Walter:  The  Thrills  and  Perils  of  A   Screen  Adaptation,  Sponsored  by  Hugo   House.    (Peter  Mountford,  Domingo   Martinez,  Susan  Orlean,  Jess  Walter)   Celebrated  authors  Domingo  Martinez,   Susan  Orlean,  and  Jess  Walter  will  discuss   their  fascinating,  heartbreaking,  and   amusing  experiences  being  involved  (or   uninvolved)  in  the  adaptation,  or  rumored   adaptation,  or  their  books  for  television   and  film.  Their  presentation  represents  a   full  range  of  experiences  with  this  so  called   "fifth  genre"  (adapting  an  original  work  for   a  different  medium).     Don’t  Drink  the  Kool-­‐Aid:  How  to  Write   About  What  You  Love  Without  Losing   Critical  Distance.    (Carrie  Shipers,  Bruce   Beasley,  Dave  Madden,  Andrea  Scarpino,   Joe  Oestreich)   Writing  our  obsessions  is  often  generative   and  satisfying,  but  our  passion  for  a  given   topic  can  make  it  difficult  to  maintain  the   necessary  perspective.  How  do  you  balance   enthusiasm  for  your  topic  with  the   acknowledgement  of  its  problematic  or   disturbing  aspects?    How  do  you  know   when  you’ve  crossed  the  line  from  clear-­‐ eyed  observer  to  doe-­‐eyed  admirer?     Panelists  discuss  strategies  for  balancing   admiration  and  insight  and  how  they  know   when  they’ve  gone  too  far  down  the  path  of   fandom.  

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  Dream  On:  Four  Debut  Authors  and   Their  Many  Paths  to  Publication.     (Jessica  Love,  Elizabeth  Briggs,  Traci  Chee,   Dana  Elmendorf,  Heidi  Heilig)   Writers  come  to  their  keyboards  with   varying  degrees  of  education  and   experience.  Some  hop  on  the  fast  track   immediately;  others  take  years  to  make  a   sale.  But  diverse  stories  require  diverse   journeys.  From  toiling  away  in  obscurity  to   landing  agents  and  book  deals,  these  debut   YA  authors  will  discuss  their  paths  to   publication,  raising  the  curtain  on   rejection,  jealousy,  and  self-­‐doubt;  the   roles  of  hard  work  and  luck,  tenacity  and   privilege;  and  what  it’s  like  really  like  to   live  the  dream.     Dynamic  Duos:  Art  and  Words   Collaborations  or  How  Prompted   Inspiration  Leads  to  Exhibition.    (Bonnie   Stufflebeam,  Evan  Klavon,  Laura  Madeline   Wiseman,  Karen  Bovenmyer,  Bruce  Bond)   "Art  is  not  produced  by  one  artist,  but  by   several,"  said  Max  Ernst.  Collaborators   from  the  Art  &  Words  Show  discuss  the   collaborative  process.  How  do   collaborations  shape  narrative?  How  does   the  vision  expand  during  the  process?     What  are  the  ways  to  approach  the   business  side  of  collaborations?  How  does   the  ongoing  collaborative  dialogue  shape   the  annual  show?  How  do  collaborations   inspire  new  work?  What  do  collaborations   of  art,  words,  and  music  teach  the   collaborators  about  their  own  work?     Ellen  Bryan  Voigt  as  Poet,  Mentor,  and   Community  Builder.    (charles    Baxter,   catherine    barnett,  marianne  boruch,   Heather  McHugh)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  The  Warren  Wilson  low  residency  writing   program,  though  much  imitated,  is  known   for  its  intensity  and  high-­‐mindedness.   What  is  its  secret  of  its  exceptional     character?  Arguably  it  is  the  guidance  of   Voigt-­‐-­‐who  stands  as  the  center  of  that  rare   thing,  an  American  matriarchy.  Similarly,   Voigt's  poetry,  though  recognized,  has   never  been  articulately  appreciated  by  a   group  of  readers  and  fellow  writers.  This   panel  would  be  both  a  tribute  and  an   unpacking  of  Voigt's  multi-­‐leveled   accompishment.     Embracing  a  Poetics  of  Joy.    (Lisa  Dordal,   Ellen  Bass,  Traci  Brimhall,  Jericho  Brown,   Frank  Gaspar)   Writers  are  often  encouraged  to  love  the   process  instead  of  focusing  on  the  end   product  –  the  finished  poem  or  published   book.  This  excellent  advice  is,  for  many  of   us,  easier  said  than  done.  What  exactly   does  loving  the  process  look  like  and  how   can  writers  maintain  this  love  for  process   in  the  midst  of  what  is  typically  a  very   competitive  playing  field.  Five  poets   discuss  their  techniques  for  keeping   process  –  and  joy!  –  front  and  center  in   their  writing  lives.     Endangered  Music:  Formal  Poetry  in  the   21st  Century.    (Larissa    Shmailo,  Annie   Finch,  Timothy    Steele  ,  Amanda  Johnston,   Dean  Kostos)   What  are  the  consequences  of  what  Brad   Leithauser  has  termed  the  "metrical   illiteracy"  of  contemporary  poetry?  Poetry   readership  in  the  US  has  diminished,  in   contrast  to  countries  where  formal  poetry   is  strong.  Offering  views  from  a  now   minority  aesthetic,  panelists  will  discuss   why  knowledge  of  prosody  and  metrical   analysis  has  waned  and  why  accentual  

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forms  such  as  spoken  word  are  popular.   We  will  demonstrate  the  essential  role  of   music  in  poetry  today  and  for   understanding  our  poetic  heritage.     Entering  the  Archives:  The   Documentation  of  Historical  Fiction.     (TaraShea  Nesbit,  Paula    McLain,  Anton   DiSclafani,  Justin  Go,  Shena  McAuliffe)   Taking  up  Susan  Howe's  claim  that  rich   material  is  found  in  the  gaps  and  silences   of  archives,  the  authors  on  this  panel   create  stories  using  the  archives  as  original   material  for  fiction.  What  ethical   considerations  are  involved  in  writing   about  real  historical  events?  When  does   research  start  to  impede  on  the  writing?   We  will  consider  the  opportunities  and   drawbacks  of  writing  about  the  past  and   provide  attendees  with  generative  ideas   towards  teaching  and  writing  historically-­‐ grounded  fiction.     Equal  Voices:  Evolution  of  the  Modern   War  Memoir.    (Adrian  Bonenberger,  Kayla   Williams,  Brian  Castner,  Jane  Blair)   In  past  wars,  up  through  Vietnam,  war   memoir  was  primarily  a  space  for   storytelling  by  educated,  male,  combat-­‐ based,  Caucasian,  politically  or   professionally  ambitious  children  of  the   elite.  This  discussion  seeks  to  describe   technological,  logistical,  and  systemic   challenges  and  opportunities  for  groups  -­‐   such  as  female  combat  veterans  -­‐  who  have   not,  traditionally,  received  adequate   representation,  and  who  are  writing  now.   This  phenomenon  has  been  written   around,  but  not  examined  in-­‐depth.     Ethics,  Embodiment,  and  the  Essay.     (Leslie  Jamison,  Maggie  Nelson,  Claudia   Rankine,  Sarah  Manguso,  Eula  Biss)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  How  do  we  approach  the  ethics  of   embodiment,  with  all  the  implications-­‐-­‐ race,  gender,  sexuality,  and  language-­‐-­‐that   arise  for  writers  working  with  the  form  of   the  essay?  This  group  of  remarkable   writers  will  engage  this  question  from  the   perspectives  of  their  recent  works   published  by  Graywolf  Press.  Introduced   by  Graywolf  director  and  publisher  Fiona   McCrae.     Ethnic,  Gender,  and  LGBTQ  Diversity  in   New  Media,  hosted  by  Submittable.     (Asta  So,  Karen  Brophy,  Jennifer  8.  Lee,   James  Yeh)   Technology  is  democratizing  media,   allowing  more  writers  to  have  a  voice   through  social  media  and  blog  platforms.   But  is  this  voice  really  everybody’s?  As  a   curator  of  social  media,  is  new  media  more   diverse  than  traditional  media?  In  this   panel,  insiders  from  Hearst,  BuzzFeed,   Rooster,  VICE  and  Submittable  will  discuss   diversity  of  ethnicity,  gender  and  sexual   orientation  in  new  media.  We’ll  see  how   our  diverse  group  of  panelists  climbed  the   ladder  and  seek  practical  ways  to  increase   diversity.     Everyone’s  a  Critic:  The  Need  and   Opportunities  for  Professional  Book   Reviewing.    (Nanvy  Lord,  Valerie  Miner,   Amy  Hoffman,  Leigh  Newman,  John   McMurtrie)   Today,  anyone  can  post  an  opinion  about  a   book  he  or  she  has  read  (or  even  not  read)   in  on-­‐line  forums.  At  the  same  time,  book   review  sections  of  publications  have  been   reduced.  With  so  many  books  competing   for  attention,  the  need  has  only  grown  for   informed,  thoughtful,  artful,  and  edited   reviews  that  appraise  books  (both  in  print   and  on-­‐line)  in  a  meaningful  context.  This  

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panel  of  professional  reviewers  who  are   also  writers  will  discuss  reviewing  goals   and  responsibilities  and  offer  tips.         Extinction,  Erasure,  and  the  Living   Practices  of  W.  S.  Merwin.    (Carl  Phillips,   Linda  Gregerson,  Stanley  Plumly,  David   Baker)   W.  S.  Merwin  may  be  our  greatest  living   poet—a  poet  of  absence  and  erasure,   whose  sixty-­‐five-­‐year  poetic  vocation   traces  words  on  a  journey,  he  says,  not  the   inscriptions  of  a  settled  people.    Four  poet-­‐ critics  look  at  Merwin’s  life  and  art  to   discuss  this  fruitful  paradox—how   grappling  with  the  conditions  of  both   linguistic  erasure  and  natural  extinction   have  led  him  to  unparalleled  works  of   presence  and  preservation  in  his  poetry,   his  bountiful  translations,  and  his  devoted   nature-­‐conservancy     First  Books:  What  to  Expect  When   You're  Expecting.    (Tim    Johnston,  Aline   Ohanesian,  Arna  Bontemps  Hemenway,   Matthew  Thomas,  Chris    Scotton)   Five  authors  discuss  the  joys  and   vulnerabilities  of  being  newly  published.   The  panelists,  who  vary  not  only  in  the   kind  of  books  they  wrote  but  also  in  the   publishing  houses  they  signed  with  and  the   kind  of  post  publication  publicity  they   engaged  in,  will  give  a  step  by  step  guide   for  writers  who  are  hoping  to  or  already   have  sold  their  first  books.     Forming  Resilient  Partnerships:  How   Literary  Non-­‐Profits,  Schools,  and   Individuals  Can  Collaborate  Effectively.     (Gerald    Richards,  Joel  Arquillos,  Rebecca   Stern)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Join  826  National,  826LA,  and  National   Novel  Writing  Month  (NaNoWriMo)  as   they  discuss  different  strategies  on  forming   partnerships  between  schools,  literary   non-­‐profits,  volunteers,  and  teachers  on   both  a  local,  national,  and  global  scale,  and   how  these  partnerships  enable  creative   solutions  to  both  educators  and  students.   What  are  the  challenges  of  maintaining   these  partnerships,  and  what  is  their   impact  on  the  diverse  population  of  under-­‐ resourced  students  they  aim  to  empower   through  writing.     Forum  for  Undergraduate  Student   Editors  (FUSE)  Caucus.    (Catherine  Dent,   Michael  Cocchiarale,  Reed  Wilson,  Rachel   Hall,  Amy  Persichetti)   Calling  all  undergraduate  students  and   faculty  advisers  engaged  in  editing  and   publishing  literary  journals,  literary   websites,  chapbooks,  and  small  presses.   Come  join  FUSE  for  its  annual  caucus,   which  includes  FUSE  chapter  updates   followed  by  a  roundtable  discussion.  This   year’s  two  topics  will  be  "Conferences  and   Networking"  and  “Will  You  Look  at  That?:     An  Exploration  of  Aesthetics  and   Influence.”    Bring  ideas  and  journals  to   exchange.     From  MFA  to  JOB:  Making  a  Living,   Making  a  Difference.    (Monica  Prince,  Jen   Benka,  Kenny  Kruse,  Amy  Stolls)   While  tenure-­‐track  teaching  and  publishing   are  often  the  dream  of  MFA  candidates,  the   competition  is  increasingly  competitive.   The  creative  and  nonprofit  sectors  hold   alternative  employment  possibilities  for   writers  while  making  a  real  difference  for   communities.    This  panel  ignites  the   imagination  around  the  journey  to   meaningful  careers  that  allow  MFA  

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graduates  to  work  within  a  community  of   writers  and  artists,  cultivate  and  curate   artistic  experiences  and  opportunities,  and   make  a  living.     From  Page  to  Screen:  Exploring   Successful  Adaptation  with  Industry   Insiders.    (Nicholas  Weinstock,  Bret   Easton  Ellis,  David  Levine,  Gillian  Bohrer,   Jill  Gillette)   Authors  have  more  opportunities  than  ever   to  bring  their  works  to  the  screen,  but  the   complexity  of  that  process  has  increased   exponentially.  This  panel,  presented  by  the   Authors  Guild,  will  explain  film  and   television  adaptation  through  the  insights   of  those  best  equipped  to  reveal  its  secrets:   authors  whose  works  have  been  adapted;   producers  and  agents  who  select,  sell,  and   develop  books  for  Hollywood;  and  industry   executives  (HBO,  Lionsgate)  who  oversee   that  lucky,  and  laborious,  journey.     From  The  Drudges:  Sustaining  a  Writing   Life  from  Outside  of  Academia.    (Jen   Fitzgerald,  Rodrigo  Toscano,  Alyss    Dixson,   Ashaki  Jackson)   The  lion’s  share  of  prizes,  grants,   fellowships,  and  accolades  originate  in   academia  and  are  awarded  to  academics.   Does  this  mean  we  have  to  teach  in  order   to  sustain  a  writing  life?    Five  panelists  will   discuss  how  a  meaningful  and  successful   writing  career  can  be  established  and   sustained  from  outside  of  the  university   cycle.     From  the  Margins:  Literary  Magazines   Supporting  Writers  of  Color.    (Jyothi   Natarajan,  Gina  Balibrera,  Ron  Kavanaugh,   Melody  Nixon,  Janice  Sapigao)   “It  isn’t  hard  to  find  writers  of  color,”   Roxane  Gay  wrote  in  a  2012  blog  post.  “All  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  you  have  to  do  is  read.”  In  this  panel,   editors  from  five  literary  magazines   dedicated  to  publishing  writers  often   marginalized  by  the  publishing  industry   talk  about  what  it  looks  like  to  publish   voices  from  the  periphery.  Topics  include:   where  they  find  new  emerging  writers  of   color,  where  they  situate  their  work  in  the   landscape  of  literary  publishing,  and  what   kinds  of  writing  they’re  looking  for  now.     From  Writing  as  a  Craft  to  MineCraft.     (Kate  Rybka  Brennan,  Rick  Brennan,  Joel   Levin)   Every  game  is  a  story.  As  the  video  game   industry  evolves  from  entertainment  to   education,  writers  are  both  players  and   designers,  translating  stories  into  games.   How  can  writers  and  educators  advance   the  craft  of  creative  writing  by  embracing   game  design  and  digital  experiences  as  a   new  literary  genre?  How  can  games   deepen  social  impact  and  enhance   education  for  a  technologically  advanced   generation?  Panelists  will  discuss  game-­‐ based  learning  for  writers  and  writing   programs.     Fulbright  Grants  in  Creative  Writing:   building  a  successful  application.     (Robert  Strong,  Oonya    Kempadoo,  Michael     Larson,  Janet    Holmes,  Nathan  Goldstone)   Many  writers  would  like  to  apply  to  the   Fulbright  program,  a  prestigious  grant  for   travel  and  writing  abroad  open  to  all   genres,  from  the  bachelor’s  level  up  to   MFAs,  PhDs,  and  professional  writers.  This   panel  focuses  on  the  application  process:   choosing  the  right  country,  attaining  a   letter  of  affiliation  from  a  host  institution,   and  writing  a  successful  statement  of   purpose.  Panelists  include  both  scholar  and  

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student  grantees,  an  international-­‐to-­‐U.S.   grantee,  and  a  Fulbright  screener.     Genre-­‐crossing  and  poetic  truth:  Lyric   nonfictions,  reported  poems.    (Tess     Taylor  ,  Camille    Dungy  ,  Robert    Polito,   Tom    Sleigh,  Brian    Turner)   This  panel  examines  the  places  where   genres  collide  and  inform  one  another.   What  happens  when  the  poet  takes  up  the   memoirist's  work,  the  reporter's  notebook,   the  essayist's  pen?  What  do  poets  learn   about  poetry  by  pushing  its  boundaries?  By   what  means  does  documentary  poetry   emerge,  and  what  can  poets  teach   documentarians?    Five  skilled  practitioners   of  both  poetry  and  nonfiction  will  explore   the  productive  sites  where  genres  overlap.     Getting  in  on  the  Inside:    Writers  of   Color  on  Editing  and  Diversity.    (J.L.   Torres,  Allen  Gee,  Duriel  Harris,  Christine   Amezquita,  Ravi    Shankar)   This  panel,  comprised  of  writers  of  color   with  editing  experience  will  discuss  topics   related  to  editing  with  a  focus  on  diversity.     Discussion  will  include  soliciting;   competing  for  a  limited  number  of  diverse   writers;  having  diverse  work  approved  by   colleagues;  nurturing  writers  of  color  early   in  their  careers;  promoting  one's  journal  as   diversity  inclined.    Panelists  will  share   their  experiences  as  writers  negotiating   writing  with  editorial  duties  and  comment   on  editing  as  a  career  option.     Girls  on  Fire:  Beyond  the  "Strong"   Female  Character  in  Books  for  Young   Readers.    (Megan    Atwood,  Anne    Ursu,   Laura  Ruby,  Swati  Avasthi,  Alicia  Williams)   What  exactly  is  a  "strong  female   character"?  What  do  people  mean  when   they  hope  to  see  "strong"  girls  in  books?  In  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  this  panel,  we  will  discuss  how  this  term   came  into  ubiquity  and  what  purpose  it   served,  while  suggesting  that  its  use  and   form  has  turned  into  something  reductive   and  wooden.  Panelists  will  complicate  the   discussion  of  what  "strong"  is  and  discuss   the  ways  in  which  we  can  speak  to  truth   and  wholeness  in  our  characters  while  still   subverting  dominant  cultural  messages.     Going  Global.    (Katharine  Coles,  Jen  Webb,   Paul  Hetherington,  Jeri  Kroll,  Xu  Xi)   Because  of  electronic  communication,  even   those  of  us  who  practice  a  language-­‐bound   art  are  now  working  on  a  global  stage,   whether  we  take  advantage  of  it  or  not.  On   this  panel,  writers  from  South  Africa,  Asia,   Australia,  and  the  U.S.,  who  among  them   have  also  worked  and/or  forged   partnerships  in  Europe,  Canada,  New   Zealand,  Antarctica,  South  America,  and   elsewhere,  talk  about  strategies  for   reaching  out  authentically  in  a   transnational  context,  as  well  as  the   benefits  and  costs  involved.     Good  Girls  Marry  Doctors:  Diasporic   Daughters  on  Obedience  and  Rebellion.     (Piyali  Bhattacharya,  Jyothi  Natarajan,   Natasha  Singh,  Phiroozeh  Romer,  Ayesha   Mattu)   The  diverse  women  on  this  panel  have   essays  in  the  new  collection,  Good  Girls   Marry  Doctors:  South  Asian  American   Daughters  on  Obedience  and  Rebellion   (Aunt  Lute  Books,  2016),  and  will  discuss   the  courage  it  took  to  write  those  brutally   honest  pieces,  what  it  means  to  air  the   proverbial  dirty  laundry  of  their  families  in   public,  and  how  to  tear  away  at  the   protective  layering  that  inevitably   surrounds  a  nonfiction  piece  about  the  self.    

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Graywolf  Press  Emerging  Authors:  On   Publishing  First  and  Second  Books.     (Jensen  Beach,  Gretchen  Marquette,  Solmaz   Sharif,  Mark  Doten,  Margaret  Dean)   Five  new  and  emerging  authors  writing  in   the  genres  of  poetry,  fiction,  and  nonfiction   discuss  their  experiences  with  publishing   their  first  and  second  books.  What  is  the   process  like,  from  landing  that  book  deal,   to  working  with  editors  and  publicists,  to   handling  the  highs  and  lows  of  book  tours   and  reviews?  How  can  a  first-­‐time  author   successfully  prepare  for  publishing  a  book?   A  group  of  dynamic  Graywolf  Press  authors   talk  candidly  about  the  publishing  process   with  editor  Steve  Woodward.     Grove  Atlantic  Writers  Question  Race:   What  Difference  Does  it  Make?.     (Margaret  Wrinkle,  Sarah    Broom,  Roxane     Gay,  Mitchell  Jackson,  Emily    Raboteau)   Critically  acclaimed  and  award-­‐winning   writers  Roxane  Gay,  Mitchell  Jackson,   Emily  Raboteau,  Sarah  Broom,  and   Margaret  Wrinkle  come  together  to  discuss   race  in  literature  and  the  literary  world     Guerrilla  Girl  Marketing.    (Katherine   Towler,  Ann  Wertz  Garvin,  Katie  Moretti,   Katie  Rose  Guest  Pryal)   Connecting  with  readers  is  an  increasing   challenge  in  a  crowded  marketplace.    The   speakers  on  this  panel  established  the  Tall   Poppies,  a  marketing  collective  for  women   writers,  to  pool  resources  and  increase   visibility.    We  believe  that  you  don’t  need   to  compete  to  get  ahead  and  that  when  we   support  each  other,  we  all  rise.    In  this   presentation,  we  share  the  specifics  of   creating  a  collective,  establishing  a   branded  social  media  presence,  and   expanding  the  reach  of  our  writing.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Hearing  Voices:  Dramatic  Monologue,   Persona,  and  the  Lyric  “I”.    (Brian     Brodeur,  David    Mason,  Joan  Murray  ,   Sarah  Rose    Nordgren)   Dramatic  monologue,  the  poetic  subgenre   of  poet-­‐as-­‐actor,  seems  to  belie  the   intimacy  often  associated  with  lyric.  Yet   even  so-­‐called  Confessional  poets  like   Lowell  and  Sexton  wrote  in  personae.  Join   us  for  a  lively  consideration  of  how  these   often  competing  modes  complicate,   compliment,  and  countervail  what  we   think  about  the  slippery  first-­‐person   pronoun  that  led  Czesław  Miłosz  to  claim:   the  purpose  of  poetry  is  to  remind  us  how   difficult  it  is  to  remain  one  person.     Helping:  A  Tribute  to  Robert  Stone.     (David    Ulin,  Jennifer  Vanderbes,  Marlon     James,  Roxana  Robinson,  Jess  Row)   On  his  passing  in  January  2015,  Robert   Stone  was  hailed  as  one  of  the  most   significant  American  novelists  of  the  last   half  century—a  chronicler  of   disillusionment  and  moral  disorder  in   post-­‐Vietnam  America,  and  of  the  often   disastrous  consequences  of  American   idealism  abroad.  This  panel  gathers   friends,  colleagues,  and  former  students  of   Stone  to  read  excerpts  of  his  work  and   share  stories  and  tributes  to  his  legacy.     How  To  Go  Home  Again:  California   Dreaming  and  the  Reality  of  the   California  Memoir.    (Tara      Ison  ,  Kelly     Daniels,  Cris  Mazza,  Jane  Rosenberg   LaForge  ,  Erin  Aubry  Kaplan)   A  promised  land  blessed  by  the  Pacific  or  a   cultural  desert;  the  future  in  industries   inspired  by  science  fiction  or  our   daydreams;  and  exotic  living  experiments.   California  represents  all  these  possibilities   and  more.  But  how  should  writers  whose  

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birthright  is  thick  with  such  lore  approach   documenting  their  own  experiences?  A   discussion  on  escaping  and  capturing  the   tropes  and  mythos  of  the  state,  from  the   idealism  of  a  new  frontier  to  the  reality  of   labor,  economics,  sexism,  and  racism.     Hybrids,  Bastards,  and  Half-­‐Breeds:  On   Writing  Hybrid  Forms.    (Catherine  Liu,   Donna  Minkowitz,  MG  Lord,  Sesshu  Foster,   Carol  Guess)   Hybrid  forms  tend  to  be  heartier  than  the   recognized,  canonical  genres,  according  to   Kim  Wright  at  The  Millions.  In  this  panel   we  explore  the  glories  of  mixing:  the   formidable  creative  power  that  can  be  won   from  blending  memoir  with  magic  realism   or  trenchant  social  critique,  fiction  with   visual  art,  lyric  with  essay,  fiction,  or  even   journalism.  Does  the  decision  to  resist  the   firm  divisions  of  genre  let  us  go  beyond   expected  sentiments,  statements,  and   permissible  content?     I  Come  to  Witness:  Writers  as  the   Children  of  James  Baldwin  and  Audre   Lorde.    (LeVan  D.    Hawkins,  JP    Howard,   Imani  Tolliver,  Ellery  Washington,  Charles   Reese)   As  American  racial  upheaval  sparks  a  new   civil  rights  movement  and  activist  writers,   poets,  and  playwrights  are  summoned  to   bear  witness,  how  can  we  create  written   art  of  enduring  value  that  continues  to   provoke  thought  like  our  queer  ancestors   James  Baldwin  and  Audre  Lorde?  Five   African-­‐American  LGBTQ  writers  dissect   the  legacy  of  the  creative  activism  of   Baldwin  and  Lorde  and  share  the  results  of   their  search  for  new  generation  writers   who  are  following  in  their  footsteps.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  I  Got  You  Babe:  The  (Dis)Harmonies  of   Collaboration.    (Dean  Rader,  Matthew   Rohrer,  Simone    Muench,  Brittany   Cavallaro,  Carol  Guess)   What  are  the  perils  and  pleasures  of   literary  co-­‐play?  Collaboration  in  film,   dance,  music,  and  the  visual  arts  is   commonplace;  however,  in  literary  fields,   authorial  collaborations  are  often  looked   upon  with  skepticism  and  incredulity  by   both  readers  and  publishers.  And  yet,   collaborative  projects  are  on  the  rise.  Five   poets  who  translate,  sample,  and  co-­‐author   collaborate  here  to  discuss  the  innovations,   advantages,  and  artistry  of  working  with   other  writers-­‐-­‐both  living  and  dead.     I  Wrote  My  First  Book  Because  I  Wanted   To  Read  It:  Black  Women  and  Their   Debut  Fiction.    (Danielle    Evans,  Cole   Lavalais,  Naomi  Jackson,  Angela  Flournoy,   Jacinda  Townsend)   Toni  Morrison  has  said  she  wrote  her  first   novel,  The  Bluest  Eye,  because  she  wanted   to  read  it.  bell  hooks  has  said,  No  black   woman  writer  in  this  culture  can  write  ‘too   much’.  This  panel  will  examine  the  ways  in   which  contemporary  black  women  writers,   in  a  "post-­‐race"  climate,  have  decided  to   approach  their  debut  work  in  relation  to   the  idea  that  books  by  black  women  aren’t   being  published  enough  or  engaged   critically.     I’m  Not  Dead  Yet:  Translating  Living   Authors.    (Steve    Bradbury,  Cole  Swensen,   Elizabeth    Harris,  Jason  Grunebaum,  Adam   Sorkin)   For  a  translator,  working  with  living   authors  offers  its  own  special  rewards,   challenges,  and  possibilities.  The  pleasure   of  discovery,  and  of  introduction,  the   movement  between  languages,  contexts,  

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and  cultures,  the  challenge  of  persuading   and  negotiation.  Four  translators  who   work  extensively  with  living  authors   discuss  the  particulars  of  those   relationships:  the  dangers,  delights,  and   sometimes  tricky  navigation  of  language   and  culture.     In  Case  You  Think  You  Don't  Belong   Here:  Imposter  Syndrome  and  AWP.     (Samantha  Dunn,  Jessie  Carty,  Aubrey   Hirsch,  Margaret  LaFleur,  Carmen   Machado)   AWP  can  be  an  overwhelming  event.  With   so  many  writers,  publishers,  presses,   literary  journals,  and  academic  programs   in  attendance  it  is  easy  to  feel  like  you   don't  belong.  This  feeling  has  a  name:   Imposter  Syndrome.  A  panel  of  writers  will   address  this  phenomenon  and  discuss   ways  to  overcome  it  while  offering  some   practical  advice  and  strategies  for  getting   the  most  out  of  the  conference,  no  matter   your  place  in  the  literary  landscape.     In  the  Box:  On  the  Dangerous  Joy  of   Writing  Outside  Your  Ethnicity,  Gender,   Orientation,  Age,  etc..    (Christian  Kiefer,   Luis  Alberto  Urrea,  Jodi  Angel,  Bich  Minh   Nguyen,  Skip  Horack)   As  fiction  writers,  we  often  feel  pressure  to   write  inside  the  confines  our  own   experience,  as  defined  by  our  ethnic   identity,  gender,  sexual  orientation,   economic  class,  and  so  on.  This  panel   explores  the  edges  and  interstices  of  that   pressure.  In  what  contexts  is  it  acceptable   to  write  outside  such  confines?  In  what   contexts  is  it  not?  What  does  "diversity"   mean  when  creating  a  fictional  world?  As   writers,  who  has  cultural  permission  to   press  past  the  confines  of  one's  own   identity?  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

    In  the  Realms  of  the  Real  and  Unreal.     (Katharine  Beutner,  Sofia  Samatar,  Carmen   Machado,  Alice  Sola  Kim,  Kelly  Link)   This  panel  explores  genres  of  fiction  that   juxtapose  the  real  and  the  unreal  in   experimental  ways:  historical  fiction,   literary  fantasy/science  fiction,  weird   fiction,  satire.  Where  do  we  draw  the  line   between  a  secondary  world  and  a  distorted   reflection  of  our  own  world's  beauty,   violence,  and  diversity?  Can  we  discern  a   poetics  of  the  unreal  in  contemporary   fiction?  How  have  the  continual  debates   over  generic  boundaries—and/or  their   irrelevance—affected  the  ways   contemporary  writers  work?     In  Whose  Image:  Trans  and   Genderqueer  Writers  on  Magic,   Spirituality,  and  (the  Bodies  of)  G-­‐d.    (CA   Conrad,  Joy    Ladin,  Ryka  Aoki,  Ian   Ellasante,  TC  Tolbert)   Spirituality,  like  writing,  hinges  on   transformation.  Similarly,  trans  and   genderqueer  writers  have  unique   experiences  with  transformation  on  and  off   the  page.  This  dynamic  panel  will  explore   the  intersections  between  ritual,  myth,   magic,  Magical  Realism,  and  even  end-­‐ rhyme  as  they  shape  our  various   embodiments  and  faiths.  We  don’t  want  to   save  you,  but  we  hope  you  are  ready  to  be   changed.     Independent  Bookselling:  Opportunities   for  Authors.    (Dennis  Johnson,  John  Evans,   Mary  Williams,  Dan  Graham,  Alex   Maslansky)   As  bookstore  chains  disappear  and   independent  bookstores  become  even   more  important,  what  should  writers  and   authors  know  about  working  with  

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booksellers?  This  panel  from  Los  Angeles-­‐ area  bookstores  will  discuss  how  writers   can  work  with  independent  booksellers  to   market  a  book.  Topics  will  include  author   events,  store  placement,  joint  promotion,   and  how  to  spread  the  word  to  the  book-­‐ buying  public.     Indigenous-­‐Aboriginal  American   Writers  Caucus.    (Kristiana  Kahakauwila,   Deborah  Miranda,  Greg  Sarris,  Casandra   Lopez,  Odilia  Galvan  Rodriguez)   Indigenous  writers  &  scholars  participate   fluidly  in  AWP,  teaching  &  directing   affiliated  programs,  or  working  as   independent  writers/scholars,  &/or  in   language  revitalization  &  community   programming.  Annually  imparting  field-­‐ related  craft,  pedagogy,  celebrations  and   concerns  as  understood  by  Indigenous-­‐ Native  writers  from  the  Americas  and   surrounding  island  nations  is  necessary.   AWP  Conferences  began  representative   caucus  discussions  2010-­‐2015.  Essential   program  development  continues  in  2016.     Inner  monologue  and  outer;  mental   landscapes  in  Native  American  Fiction.     (Erika    Wurth,  Natanya    Pulley,  Debra   Earling,  Toni  Jensen,  Bojan  Louis)   This  panel  will  address  the  unique  way   Native  American  prose  utilizes  inner  and   outer  landscapes  of  characters  in  Native   fiction.  Dialogue,  often  the  crux  of   traditional  American  fiction  drives  what   we  know  of  character’s  lives  with  one   another.  Less  traditional  fiction  explores  a   character’s  inner  landscape,  who  they  are   to  themselves.  In  experimental,  often  the   blending  of  outer  and  inner  dialogue   occurs.  The  panelist’s  work  represents  a   diverse  selection  of  Native  prose  writing   today.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

    Innocents  Abroad:  Developing  a   Successful  Creative  Writing  Study   Abroad  Program.    (Randall  Albers,  Terri   Witek,  Andy  Johnson,  Omar  Figueras,   Kathie  Bergquist)   Study  abroad  can  be  invaluable  to  the   development  of  a  creative  writer.  Program   managers  representing  a  low-­‐res  MFA,  J-­‐ Term,  and  summer  programs,  and  a  past   study  abroad  student,  will  speak  to  the   benefits  of  study  abroad  opportunities  for   creative  writing  students  and  programs,   and  the  nuts  and  bolts  of  program   management:  working  with  outside   providers;  developing  meaningful   pedagogy;  and  program  administration,   from  budgeting  to  recruitment  to  on-­‐the-­‐ ground  logistics,  with  ample  time  for  Q&A.     Innovative  Poetry  by  Black  Writers  in   California.    (Will  Alexander,  giovanni   singleton,  Lauri  Ramey,  Harryette  Mullen,   C.S.  Giscombe)   From  the  mid-­‐20th  century,  black  writers   in  America  have  produced  a  vibrant  and   diverse  array  of  experimental  and  avant-­‐ garde  poetry.  Why  has  some  of  the  boldest   and  most  original  poetry  been  overlooked?   Are  there  particular  challenges  for  black   poets  who  use  innovative  forms  and   practices  in  the  context  of  California   literary  traditions?  The  panelists,  whose   work  is  associated  with  a  varied  array  of   innovative  forms  and  styles,  will  consider   these  and  other  questions  in  a  roundtable   discussion.     Intersections:  Race,  Sexuality,  and  Other   Collisions  in  Los  Angeles  Literature.     (Alex  Espinoza,  Noel  Alumit,  Felicia  Luna   Lemus,  Myriam  Gurba,  Frederick    Smith)  

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This  panel  brings  together  LGBTQ  authors   of  color  from  the  greater  LA  area  to  explore   issues  facing  writers  of  sexual  and  racial   difference.  What  conflicts  and   confrontations  arise  as  LGBTQ  writers   navigate  the  tricky  terrains  of  ethnicity,   culture  and  class  all  while  writing,  living,   and  working  in  one  of  the  most  eclectic  and   vibrant  metropolises  in  the  country?  In  a   city  rife  with  misconceptions,  how  do  these   novelists  further  complicate  our  notion  of  a   place  we  may  think  we  already  know?     Invisible  to  Whom?:  Black  Fiction   Writers  on  Craft  and  the  White  Gaze.     (Renee  Simms,  Amina    Gautier,  Dianca     London,  Cole  Lavalais,  Andy    Johnson)   Toni  Morrison's  initial  reaction  to  Invisible   Man  was  to  ask  herself  "invisible  to   whom?"  She  explains  that  in  her  work,   she's  attempted  to  ignore  the  "white  gaze."   Her  remarks  expose  a  tension  for  black   fiction  writers.  How  do  multiple  audiences   influence  our  craft  decisions?  We  begin   with  an  overview  of  inner-­‐directed  and   other-­‐directed  black  fiction.  Then  our   panelists,  whose  work  ranges  from  realism   to  speculative  fiction,  will  share  their   writing  and  how  they  negotiate  audience   and  craft.     Iraq  Veteran-­‐Writers  10  Years  Later:     Words  After  Words  After  War.    (Peter   Molin,  Colby  Buzzell,  Kayla  Williams,   Maurice  DeCaul,  Ron  Capps)   This  panel  features  four  accomplished   veteran-­‐writers  who  each  served  in  Iraq   between  2003  and  2005  in  conversation   about  the  long-­‐lasting  consequences  of   their  experience  of  war.  Looking  back,  the   panel  asks  its  participants  to  reflect  on   their  service  and  their  writing  about  war.   Looking  forward,  it  asks  them  about  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  current  writing  projects  that  directly  or   indirectly  address  the  ongoing  importance   of  the  Iraq  War  in  their  own  lives,  the  lives   of  other  veterans,  and  the  life  of  the  nation.     It  Ain't  What  They  Call  You,  It's  What   You  Answer  To:  Peeling  Off  Genre   Labels.    (Daniel  Orozco,  Doug  Dorst,   Maureen  McHugh,  Kelly  Luce,  Manuel   Gonzales)   How  does  Fantasy  Fiction  (or  Sci-­‐Fi,  or   Detective  or  Horror  Fiction)  become   Literary  Fiction?    Who  decides  how/when   the  genre  label  gets  affixed,  or  peeled  off?     Why  is  the  move  from  Genre  to  Literary   always  somehow  a  narrative  of  progress,   implying  a  lesser  realm  left  behind?    Hear   firsthand  as  a  panel  of  writers  with  varying   affinities  to  genre  fiction  reflect  on  how   they  negotiate  with  (wrestle,  embrace,   sidestep)  genre  conventions  in  the  creation   of  their  work.     It’s  Not  A  Love  Story:  Owning  The   Romantic  and  Domestic  In  Literary   Memoir.    (Liza  Monroy,  Kassi  Underwood,   Jillian    Lauren,  Alison  Singh  Gee)   Feminists  fall  in  love  and  get  married,  but   how  do  we  depict  these  stories  of  romance   and  intimacy  without  undermining  the   significance  of  our  books  and  getting   relegated  to  the  “chick  lit”  pile?  Authors  of   memoirs  on  topics  such  as  abortion,   adoption,  gay  marriage,  sex  work,  and   cultural  adaptation  discuss  how  we  have   deployed  craft  to  include  love  lives  without   suggesting  that  domesticity  is  a  panacea   for  our  narrative  conflicts  or  the  ultimate   “end”  to  a  woman’s  story.     Just  Saying:  A  Tribute  to  Rae   Armantrout.    (Stephen    Burt,  Amy  

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Catanzano,  Catherine    Wagner,  Monica     Youn,  Rae    Armantrout)   Four  author-­‐critics  approach  Armantrout’s   work  from  a  variety  of  angles,  including   her  association  with  Language  poetry,  her   exploration  of  science  through  verse,  her   treatment  of  pop  culture  and  current   events,  and  her  merging  of  everyday   experience  with  epistemological  questions   about  perception.     K-­‐12  Educator  Caucus.    (David  Griffith,   Monika    Cassel,  Scott    Gould,  Anne-­‐Marie   Oomen)   Meeting  of  K-­‐12  writer-­‐educators  to  share   best  practices  and  strategies  for  building   and  maintaining  writing  series  and   programs  in  schools,  and  to  discuss   challenges  of  teaching  creative  writing  in   the  K-­‐12  setting.  All  K-­‐12  educators  or   those  interested  in  K-­‐12  education   welcome.     Keeping  the  Change:  Volunteer   Recruitment  and  Retention  in   Community-­‐Based  Writing  Programs.     (Dare  Dukes,  Lauren  Humphrey,  Lisa   Roberts,  Richard  Gold,  Mallory  Hellman)   Volunteers  comprise  the  nonprofit’s   lifeblood,  but  passion  and  talent  rarely   come  for  free.  How  do  community-­‐based   writing  programs  attract  driven  volunteers   and  keep  them  committed?  Join  us  as   panelists  from  diverse  literary  outreach   organizations—both  new  and   established—share  successes,  discuss   challenges,  and  offer  best  practices  for   volunteer  recruitment  and  retention,  from   identifying  potential  volunteer  pools  to   recognizing  excellent  work  and  rewarding   it…all  on  a  nonprofit  budget.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Keeping  the  Circles  Strong:  Twenty   Years  of  Supporting  the  Work  and   Words  of  Native  Writers  and   Storytellers.    (Lee  Francis  IV,  Kimberly   Wieser,  Rain  Cranford-­‐Gomez)   For  more  than  twenty  years,  Wordcraft   Circle  and  Native  Writers’  Circle  of  the   Americas  have  been  dedicated  to   supporting  the  work  and  words  of   emerging  and  professional  Indigenous  and   Native  American  writers  and  storytellers.     Join  us  as  we  discuss  how  these   organizations  have  supported  their   missions  through  ideals  of  generosity,   reciprocity  and  story  with  a  focus  on   decolonization  through  literature,  youth   literacy,  language  revitalization,  and   community  revitalization.     Korean  Feminist  Poetics  and   Translation.    (Eunsong  Kim  ,  Johannes   Goransson   ,  Ji  Yoon  Lee,  Don  Mee  Choi,   Joyelle  McSweeney)   South  Korea’s  contemporary  history  has   been  deeply  impacted  by  the  U.S.  imperial   policies.  Yet  its  history  remains  relatively   unknown:  its  war,  dictatorships,  and  47   Free  Trade  Agreements.  We  poets  and   translators  will  discuss  feminist  Korean   poets  and  propose  poetry-­‐as-­‐activism  and   translation-­‐as-­‐resistance  to  colonizing   power.     Latino  Caucus.    (Ruben  Quesada,   Francisco    Aragón,  Celeste  Mendoza,   Lorenzo  Herrera  y  Lozano,  Deborah   Paredez)   Latino  writers  are  becoming  increasingly   visible.  However  there  is  still  work  to  be   done  to  address  inequalities  in  access  &   visibility  within  the  literary  community.   The  Latino  Caucus  creates  a  space  to   network  with  new,  emerging,  &  established  

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writers  of  varied  Latino  identities,  discuss   issues  around  the  obstacles  to  publication   (e.g.  active  oppression,  stereotypes,  &   historical  marginalization),  and  discuss   panel  &  event  planning  to  increase  Latino   participation  at  AWP.     Laugh  to  Keep  from  Crying:  Using   Humor  to  Write  Through  Pain.    (Lee   Griffith,  Ariel  Felton,  Harrison  Key,  Cal   Morgan,  Lauren  Wolf)   Knock,  knock.  Who’s  there?  Searing   emotional  trauma!  Emerging  and   established  authors  and  editors  will   discuss  using  humor  to  explore  painful   subjects,  including  racism,  mental  health,   abuse,  death,  and  more,  while  also  looking   at  what  topics,  if  any,  are  off  limits.  Harper   Perennial  editor  will  discuss  working  with   authors  going  through  this  funny,  yet   difficult  and  not  always  fun  process.  So  go   ahead.  Let  the  trauma  in.  It  can't  hurt   you—if  it's  hilarious.     Launching  Your  Passion  Project.    (Rachel   Fershleiser,  Amanda  Bullock,  Maris   Kreizman,  Colin  Dickey,  Allison  Devers)   How  can  writers  bring  their  passion   projects  to  life?  This  panel  will  investigate   the  practical  and  creative  ways  in  which  a   collection  of  esteemed  writers  launched   zines,  marathon  readings,  anthologies,   literary  websites  and  more-­‐-­‐all  while   remaining  focused  on  both  their  day  jobs   and  their  larger  artistic  visions.     Learning  the  Craft  of  Children’s   Literature  in  an  Adult  World.    (Eliot   Schrefer,  Donna    Freitas,  Rebecca  Chace,   Patricia  McCormick,  Kathi    Appelt)   As  more  writing  programs  add  children’s   and  YA  tracks  within  larger  pools  of  MFA   students,  it’s  not  easy  to  figure  out  how  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  best  to  teach—and  learn—the  craft  of   writing  for  younger  audiences.  Where  are   the  traditional  MFA  program  structures   useful  to  those  writing  for  children,  and   where  are  they  potentially  a  challenge?   How  do  we  keep  the  highest  standards  for   writing  for  children,  all  while  defending  it   against  those  who  would  consider  it   simpler?     Les  femmes  d'un  certain  âge:  Women   Writers  Breaking  Boundaries.    (Laura   Orem,  Grace  Cavalieri,  Allison  Joseph,  Alice   Anderson,  Constance  Ford)   Five  women  writers,  pushing  and  past  50   and  at  different  stages  of  their  careers,  will   discuss  writing  at  midlife  and  beyond.  How   do  we  continue  to  “make  it  new”  after   years  of  writing?  How  has  subject  matter   and  audience  changed?  What  do  we  know   now  that  we  didn’t  know  in  our  20s  or  30s,   and  how  does  that  influence  our  art?  What   are  the  challenges  of  being  an  emerging   writer  after  40,  and  how  do  we  navigate  a   youth-­‐focused  literary  world?     Let's  Go  Make  Some  Books:  A  Tribute  to   Coffee  House  Press  founder  Allan   Kornblum.    (Chris  Fischbach,  Tree     Swenson,  Anne  Waldman,  Karen     Yamashita,  Bao  Phi)   Allan  Kornblum  (1949-­‐2014)  was  founded   Toothpaste  Press  in  1972,  which  became   Coffee  House  Press  in  1984.  He  ran  Coffee   House  as  publisher  until  2011,  after  which   he  served  as  an  editor  and  consultant  until   he  passed  away  in  November  2014.  Allan   was  a  hugely  important  figure  in  the  small   press  movement  that  helped  pave  the  way   for  the  emergence  of  the  field  of  small-­‐  to   mid-­‐sized  nonprofit  literary  publishers.   Panelists  will  pay  tribute  to  him,  and  talk   about  his  accomplishments  and  influence.  

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LGBTQ  Caucus.    (Tiffany  Ferentini,   Michael    Broder,  B  Spaethe,  Miguel  M.   Morales)   The  LGBTQ  Caucus  provides  a  space  for   writers  who  identify  as  lesbian,  gay,   bisexual,  transgender,  or  queer  to  network   and  discuss  common  challenges/concerns.   These  issues  relate  to  representation  and   visibility,  and  incorporating  one’s  personal   identity  into  their  professional  lives  as   academics  and  writers.  We  discuss  and   develop  queer  representation  for  future   AWP  conferences,  as  well  as  share   publications  and  projects  with  which  we   hope  to  root  deep  in  our  social  and  literary   communities.     Limited  Resources,  Big  Dreams:  How  to   Mine  the  Rush  of  Online  Lit  Journals.     (Heather  Lefebvre,  Ralph  Pennel,  Cynthia   Plascencia,  Eric  Blankenburg,  Christopher   Allen)   Desktop  publishing  software  has  made   producing  an  online  literary  journal  easier   than  ever.  But  with  limited  staff  and   funding,  how  does  one  create  a  journal  of   the  highest  caliber?  How  does  one   establish  an  ethos,  stay  relevant,  and  grow   their  reader  base  in  a  sea  of  journals  with   similar  offerings?  And  how  can  these   journals  compete  with  more  established   presses?  Five  journal  editors—some   connected  to  universities,  others  indie— explore  these  questions  and  discuss  their   publication  processes.     Linked  and  Unlinked:  Re-­‐Imagining   Story  Writing.    (Donna  Miscolta,  Alma   Garcia,  Fred  Arroyo,  Ito  Romo)   The  creative  spectrum  between  linked  vs.   unlinked,  novel-­‐in-­‐stories  vs.  novel,  has   become  rich,  complex,  and  daunting.  Too   often  the  conversation  narrowly  focuses  on  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  genre,  place,  marketability,  and  identity— and  thus  marginalizes  the  imaginative   possibilities  of  writing  between  linked  and   unlinked  stories,  between  novel-­‐in-­‐stories   and  novel.  Four  fiction  writers  will  focus  on   the  intention,  process,  difficulties,  and  craft   issues  that  arise  in  re-­‐imagining  this   spectrum  of  story  writing.     Literary  Awards  and  Prizes:  Help  or   Hindrance?.    (Paul  Morris,  Catherine   Chung,  Molly  Antopol)   Literary  awards  and  prizes  excite  regular   interest;  writers,  editors,  publishers,  and   readers  all  pay  attention  to  them.  What   roles  do  awards  and  prizes  play  in  our   literary  culture?  Who  judges  them,  and  for   what  constituencies?  How  are  individual   writers  and  groups  of  writers  helped  or   hindered  by  them?  What  role  can  and   should  money  play?  Several  writers  who   have  judged  or  received  literary  awards   and  prizes  will  discuss  the  pros,  cons,   implications,  and  complications.     Literary  Foremothers  &  Filling  the  Gaps.     (Jeanetta  Calhoun  Mish,  Jen  Benka,  Leslie   Samuels  Entsminger,  Renée  Olander,  Jan   Freeman)   This  panel  celebrates  literary  foremothers   and  addresses  how  they’ve  been  first   acclaimed,  then  lost  and  recovered;  each   panelist  will  present  on  her  foremother(s)   and  discuss  how  foremother(s)  influenced   her  writing.  We  will  share  our   relationships  with  these  groundbreaking   writers  and  reveal  the  pedagogical  power   of  foremothers.  Foremothers  to  be   honored  include  Gwendolyn  Brooks,  June   Jordan,  Lorine  Niedecker,  Sylvia  Plath,   Muriel  Rukeyser,  and  Sappho.    

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Literary  Heroes  or  How  Great  Writers   Fuel  the  Creative  Process:  Aeschylus,   Dante,  Herbert,  Larkin  and  Rushdie.     (Michelle    Boisseau,  Janet    Burroway,  Mark   Jarman,  Chad  Davidson,  Padma   Viswanathan)   We  become  the  writers  we  become   through  the  writers  we  choose  to  show  us   what’s  possible  and  how  to  live  to  make   art.  Dickinson  had  George  Eliot,  Borges  had   DeQuincey.  Often  our  masters  come  from   experiences  vastly  different  from  ours.  We   might  not  want  to  have  a  beer  with  them,   or  they  with  us,  but  our  imaginations  are   driven,  our  craft  sharpened  by  their  work:   for  this  panel,  by  Aeschylus’  deft  motifs,   Dante’s  metatexuality,  Herbert’s   dedication,  Larkin’s  distinctions,  Rushdie’s   elaborations.     Literary  Landscapes:  Writing  Ourselves   Home.    (Cathy  Arellano,  Andrea  Serrano,   Jenn  Givhan,  Reyna  Grande,  Tanaya   Winder)   This  panel  of  writers  from  diverse   Southwest  regions  discuss  and  read  work   that  reflects  intricate  histories  and   landscapes  and  grounds  their  writing.  The   panel  from  northern  and  southern   California,  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  and   Mexico  will  address  how  their  writing   speaks  to  and  from  specific  places  and   influences  /  is  influenced  locally  and   globally.  They  will  share  how  the   development  of  them  selves,  their  writing,   and  their  histories  are  necessary  and   connected.     Literature  of  the  Los  Angeles  Riots.     (Jervey    Tervalon,  Hector  Tobar,  Shonda   Buchanan,  Gary  Phillips,  Jennifer  Joseph)   More  than  twenty  years  ago,  the  Los   Angeles  riots  galvanized  the  city.  As  with  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  such  pivotal  moments,  writers  grappled   with  history  through  the  use  of  the  written   word,  using  fiction,  poetry,  and  narrative   nonfiction  to  search  universal  truths  in   such  a  vast  city.  But  does  literature  have   any  responsibility  to  current  events?  Our   five  panelists,  who  have  all  written  about   the  riots  will  discuss  how  their  different   narrative  forms  divulged  the  tension   between  history  and  prose.     Living  Fictions:    Writing  in  LA.    (Marisa     Matarazzo,  Noel    Alumit,  Francesca  Lia   Block,  Jim  Gavin,  Maria  Amparo  Escandon)   Los  Angeles  is  a  land  of  self-­‐invention.  It   sizzles  with  the  magic  of  hope  and  is  the   place  where  dreams  and  reality  can   converge  across  a  landscape  inscribed  by   complex  cultural,  economic,  and   geographic  diversity.  How  do  these   elements  color  the  craft  and  content  of  LA’s   prose  writers?  Authors  and  teachers  in  the   UCLA  Extension  Writers’  Program  discuss   LA  as  a  sensibility,  a  metaphor,  and  most  of   all,  as  a  physical  and  psychic  influence  on   the  worlds  they  create.     Loving  the  Tug  of  War:  Tales  from  the   Trenches  of  Collaborative  Translation.     (Ming    Di,  Ellen  Doré    Watson,  Gabriela     Capraroiu,  Mario    Bojórquez,  Alí    Calderón)   What  takes  precedence  in  translation-­‐-­‐the   source  language  or  the  target  language?   How  useful  is  the  author  as  collaborator?   What  do  we  need  to  know  to  translate  well   into  or  out  of  a  language  we  weren't  born   to?  Can  informants  give  us  enough  of  the   guts  and  taste  of  the  language  and  culture   for  us  to  get  a  poem  or  story  right?  A  group   of  highly  diverse  translators  of  Arabic,   Spanish,  Portuguese,  Chinese,  Romanian   and  English  will  share  the  highs  and  lows   of  collaborative  translation.  

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Low-­‐Residency  MFA  Directors'  Caucus.     (Sean    Nevin,  Wayne    Ude)   The  low-­‐residency  director's  caucus  is  an   open-­‐forum  caucus  created  to  discuss     issues  pertaining  to  the  establishment  and   administration  of  all  AWP  low-­‐residency   MFA  programs.     Making  Monsters:  Exploring  Otherness   in  YA/MG  Literature.    (Jeramey    Kraatz,   Kirsten    Hubbard,  Stephanie  Kuehn,  Micol   Ostow,  Samantha  Mabry)   The  recognition  and  ownership  of  one’s   own  monstrosity,  in  terms  of  being   extraordinary,  can  be  powerful  and   liberating.  On  the  other  hand,  being  labeled   as  a  monster  can  strip  a  person  of  her   humanity,  the  results  of  which  can  be   devastating.  Five  young  adult  and  middle   grade  authors  representing  sci-­‐fi/fantasy,   magical  realism,  and  contemporary  fiction   discuss  the  literal  and  figurative  monsters   in  their  stories  and  how  the  idea  of   monstrousness  relates  to  the  experience  of   growing  up.     Making  Privileged  Knowledge  Public:   Science  in  Creative  Nonfiction.    (Camille   Meyers,  Melissa  Sevigny,  Melissa  Hart,  John   Marzluff,  David  Haskell)   How  can  we  make  science  writing  open,   accessible,  and  interesting  to  general   readers?  What  are  some  of  the  challenges   of  translating  scientific  information  into   lyric  essays?  When  does  journalistic   writing  become  literary?  Can  creative   nonfiction  incite  social  and  political   change?  Each  panelist  brings  a  unique   approach  to  the  field  of  science  writing  to   discuss  these  questions  and  share  their   experiences  crafting  science  into  literature.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Managing  Digital  Formatting  and   Subscriptions  for  Literary  Magazines.     (Ted  Dodson,  Minna  Proctor,  Marcia   Parlow,  Stephanie    G'Schwind)   A  variety  of  tools  and  challenges  exist  for   literary  magazine  publishers  to  both   deliver  their  wares  in  digital  form  and   build  /  manage  circulation.  Join  in  a   discussion  with  publisher  colleagues  on   various  approaches  to  digital  conversion   and  delivery,  as  well  as  the  many  ways  that   online  and  other  digital  tools  can  be  used   to  attract  new  readers,  convert  submitters,   and  manage  the  complexities  of   subscriptions  and  renewals.     Mandelstam  in  America.    (Martha  Kelly,   Alex    Cigale,  Matvei    Yankelevich,  Philip   Nikolayev,  Val    Vinokur)   Despite  the  relative  difficulty  of  his  poetry,   Russian  modernist  Osip  Mandelstam  has   enjoyed  enduring  attention  from  North   American  and  other  English-­‐speaking   translators  and  poets.  At  least  part  of  this   attention  is  due  to  the  civic  concerns  that   inform  his  work  and  to  his  explorations  of   the  construct  of  the  free  self  in  Western   society.  In  this  panel  translators  of   Mandelstam  join  with  poets,  scholars,  and   an  editor  to  discuss  why  Mandelstam   continues  to  matter  in  America.     Mapping  Collaboration  between   Universities  and  the  Community.    (Jack   McBride,  Giuseppe  Taurino,  Michele  Kotler,   Nicole  Robinson,  Amy  Risher)   University  writing  programs  can  fuel   creativity  in  schools  and  communities.   Panelists  will  discuss  how  their  campus-­‐ based  programs  provide  students  with   real-­‐world  experience  to  prepare  them  for   life  after  the  MFA  while  also  fostering   connections  between  the  university  and  

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local  institutions.  Additionally,  panelists   will  explore  ideas  for  developing   certifications,  teaching  laboratories,  and   camps  to  provide  experiential  learning  to   students,  while  generating  program   revenue.     Mayhem  and  More  Mayhem:  The  World   of  Collaborative  Writing.    (Susan  Finch,   Tom    Franklin,  Joshua  Shenk,  Justin   Petropoulos,  Jessica  Pitchford)   Collaborative  writing  creates  the  potential   for  mess  and  mayhem,  but  when  a  piece   succeeds,  collaboration  soars.  How  do  you   begin  to  collaborate?  How  do  you  find  the   right  partner?  How  do  you  revise?  How   might  you  use  collaboration  as  a  teaching   tool?  From  inspiration  to  execution,   participants  discuss  the  pleasures  and   pitfalls  in  collaborations  with  other   writers,  visual  artists,  and  even  students.     Messenger  to  the  Stars:  Luis  Omar   Salinas  (1937-­‐2008)  Pioneer  Chicano   Poet..    (Christopher  Buckley,  Diana  Garcia,   Sandra  Cisneros,  Juan  Felipe  Herrera,  Juan   Delgado)   Luis  Omar  Salinas  (1937-­‐2008)  Pioneer   Chicano  Poet.    A  tribute  to  discuss  his  new   selected  poems,  importance  to  Chicano/a   Letters  and  contemporary  poetry—from   late  1960s  political  poems  and  poems  of   self-­‐determination  in  Crazy  Gypsy,  to  his   last  poems  in  Elegy  for  Desire,  to  his  New   Selected  Poems.  Virtuoso  of  intense  lyric   originality,  mercurial  imagery,  and  social   conscience—a  testament  to  Salinas’   achievement  at  the  forefront  of  Chicano/a   poetry  in  California  for  40  years.     Monsters  Under  Your  Bed:  Writing  from   Folklore,  Reinterpreting  Legend.     (Millicent      Accardi,  Jose  Faus,  Maria  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Vasquez  Boyd,  Amy  Sayre  Baptista,  Paula   Neves)   Literary  interpretations  of  folklore  range   from  cautionary  tales  to  tales  of  terror.   Panelists  will  examine  iconic  figures  in   Latino  and  Lusophonic  cultures  like  El   Cucui,  Los  Duendes,  and  La  Llarona  and   will  explore  crafting  stories  based  on  such   mythos.  Learn  why  and  how  these   nightmarish  figures  fit  into  youth-­‐friendly   literature  promoting  life  lessons,  how  they   retain  aspects  of  frightening  folklore  and   culture,  and  how  reinterpretations  strive  to   preserve  adult  nostalgia  for  these  specters.     More  Than  Numbers:  How   Conscientious  Poetry  Editors  See   Beyond  Quotas.    (Amy    King,  Timothy   Donnelly,  Cathy  Hong,  Phillip  B.  Williams,   Lynn  Melnick)   This  panel,  featuring  editors  who  have   successfully  published  a  diversity  of  poets   in  both  magazines  and  anthologies,  will   explore  ways  that  poetry  editors  can   diversify  their  own  publications.  With  an   eye  toward  the  VIDA  Count,  we  will  discuss   how  poetry  editors  might  become  more   aware  of,  and  actively  seek  out,  the   plurality  of  voices  in  poetry  and  how  the   pages  of  journals  and  anthologies  can  only   be  enriched  by  seeking  new  voices.     Navigating  the  Job  Market  and   Negotiating  a  Contract  as  a  Female   Candidate.    (Anton    DiSclafani,  TaraShea   Nesbit,  Esther  Lee,  Hannah  Pittard)   This  panel  will  focus  on  the  concerns  that   women  encounter  on  the  academic  job   market.  Are  women  poorer  negotiators   than  their  male  counterparts,  and  if  they   are,  how  can  they  bargain  more  effectively?   Should  a  woman  secure  parental  leave  in   her  job  contract?  Is  being  pregnant  or  

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traveling  with  a  nursing  infant  a  liability   for  campus  interviews?  This  panel  will   feature  four  women  who  recently  landed   tenure-­‐track  jobs—in  fiction,  poetry,  and   non-­‐fiction—who  will  respond  to  the   above  questions.     Necessary  Hybridity:  The  Politics  &   Performance  Of  Making  Multi-­‐Genre,   Multi-­‐Media,  Multi-­‐Ethnic  Literature   Visible.    (Tisa    Bryant,  Kazim  Ali,   Amarnath  Ravva,  Micha  Cardenas,  Sesshu   Foster)   Hybridity  in  literature  is  often  thought  of   as  a  kind  of  cross-­‐pollination  that  leads  to   “vigor.”  But  what  happens  when  hybridity   is  considered  through  the  lens  of  political   and  aesthetic  necessity?  From  queer   politics  to  POC  feminism  to  post-­‐ coloniality,  hybrid  forms  been  a  critical   part  of  making  visible  otherwise  illegible   experiences.  Join  five  writers  as  they   explore  the  significance  of  hybridity  to   queerness,  trans  culture,  black  bodies,   mixed  race  narratives,  and  erased   histories.     Networking  for  Introverts.    (Meghan   Ward,  Alison  Singh  Gee,  Isaac  Fitzgerald,   Ayesha  Mattu,  Sophfronia  Scott)   "Networking"  is  a  hated  term  among   writers.  Yet  more  and  more  we  are  told   that  is  exactly  what  we  need  to  do—speak   at  events,  increase  friends  and  followers,   make  connections,  sell  those  books.  How   can  writers,  who  are  notoriously   introverted,  overcome  their  anxiety  to   open  themselves  up  to  the  world?  Five   authors  share  their  secrets  for  moving  past   their  insecurities  to  build  vast  networks  of   loyal  fans.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Never  On  Your  Own:  Creating   Community  When  Writing  Is  Done.     (Waverly  Fitzgerald,  Kathleen    Alcala,   Xochitl-­‐Julisa  Bermejo,  Josephine  Ensign,   Kelli  Russell  Agodon)   What  happens  when  the  writing  group  says   the  writing  is  ready  to  send?  How  can   writers  support  each  other,  foster   accountability  and  share  resources  pre-­‐   and  post-­‐  publication?  Members  of   Booklift,  Los  Norteños,  Seattle  7  Writers,   The  Shipping  Group,  and  Women  Who   Submit—groups  that  focus  on  promotion,   networking  and  sending  work  out—share   strategies  on  how  to  start  and  run  such  a   group,  how  to  partner  with  local   bookstores  and  writing  centers,  and  how  to   foster  community  both  on  and  offline.     New  Directions  in  Postcolonial  Writing:   A  Passage  through  South  Asia.    (Namrata   Poddar,  Sharbari    Ahmed,  V.V.   Ganeshananthan,  Soniah  Kamal,  Nayomi   Munaweera)   This  panel  of  transnational,   transdisciplinary  writers  (in  fiction,  non-­‐ fiction  and  criticism)  passes  through  South   Asia  to  reread  contemporary  American   fiction  through  a  postcolonial,  diasporic   lens  in  order  to  explore  the  ever-­‐shifting   seats  of  imperial  power,  the   reconfiguration  or  dissolution  of  the   center-­‐margin  dynamic-­‐-­‐  be  it  in  debates  of   race,  class,  gender,  ethnicity,  history  or   geography.     News  from  the  California  Writers'   Conferences:  Building  and  Sustaining  a   Creative  Community.    (Nan  Cohen,   Andrea  Bewick,  Lisa  Alvarez,  Karen  Lewis,   Cintia  Santana)   Three  of  California’s  oldest  craft-­‐based   conferences,  with  over  100  years  of  

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combined  operating  experience,  differ  in   structure  but  share  a  vision  of  a  creative   community  that  continues  to  support   writers  long  after  participants  go  home.   The  Napa  Valley  Writers’  Conference,   Mendocino  Coast  Writers’  Conference,  and   Community  of  Writers  at  Squaw  Valley  will   share  strategies  for  conference   participants,  alumni,  faculty,  and  staff  to   build  and  sustain  a  writers’  community   beyond  the  conference  week.     No  Facts,  Only  Interpretations:  An   Examination  of  the  Multiple  Point  Of   View  Novel..    (Eric  Sasson,  Anna  North,   Julia  Fierro,  Ellen  Sussman,  Rebecca   Makkai)   Five  novelists  who  have  experimented  with   POV  will  discuss  their  POV  choices  and   how  those  choices  informed  the  tone  &   shape  of  their  books.  Does  having  multiple   POVs-­‐-­‐an  accumulation  of  subjective   perspectives-­‐-­‐allow  us  to  approach  the   “truth”?  How  do  we  decide  that  another   POV  is  necessary  to  tell  the  story?  What   dangers  arise  when  that  POV  is  outside  the   writer's  gender,  race,  or  sexuality?  The   panel  will  examine  the  pitfalls  and  benefits   that  a  writer  who  experiments  with  POV   might  encounter     No  More  Dead  Bodies  on  the  Page.    (Lucy   Jane  Bledsoe,  Jane  Smiley,  Kirstin  Valdez   Quade,  Ostlund  Lori,  Griselda  Suarez)   Social  entropy,  the  ways  in  which  people   and  families  and  entire  communities  self-­‐ destruct,  is  well  represented  in  American   fiction.  Dysfunction  and  violence  seem  to   sell.  And  yet,  much  more  interesting  –  and   much  harder  to  write  well  –  are  narratives   about  how  people  connect,  what  makes   community.  This  panel  addresses  the   challenge  of  writing  stories—without  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  sentimentality—about    compassion,  love,   and  the  ways  in  which  families  of  all  stripes   succeed.     No  Place  Like  Home:  Setting  in  the   Contemporary  Short  Story.    (Anna  Ling   Kaye,  David  Gordon,  Chris  Tarry,  Ayelet   Tsabari,  Doretta  Lau)   Where  does  one  set  the  modern  short  story   in  this  globalized  age?  What  are  the  artistic   and  political  implications  of  these  choices?   In  a  modern  world  where  stories  take   place  across  and  outside  of  national   boundaries,  how  does  setting  impact   subject,  tone,  and  point  of  view?  This  panel   of  writers  with  ties  to  multiple  countries   reflect  on  how  they  situate  the  trans-­‐ national  short  story,  and  highlight   narrative  tools  to  bring  geographically  rich   narratives  to  life.     Noisy  Lit:  The  Lyric,  The  Sound,  and  The   Body  Politic.    (Matthew  Treon,   Christopher  Rosales,  Hector  Ramirez,   Courtney  McCreedy)   Where  do  our  sonic  and  literary  landscapes   intersect?  Whose  politics  are  at  stake  in   hybrid  art  forms?  A  mariachi  singer  and   author  of  Chicano  lit,  a  literary  press   fiction/music  editor,  a  novelist  working  in   musicology,  and  a  musician  making  her   living  as  a  copywriter  will  interrogate  the   relationships  between  song  structure  and   storytelling,  the  sonic  influences  of  poetry   and  hip  hop,  and  the  ways  music  and   literature  both  represent  and  reposition   transnational  identities  in  American   culture.     Non-­‐White  Authors  Also  Worry  About   Getting  It  Wrong:  Creating  Diverse   Characters  in  Children's  Literature.    

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(Kelly  Gilbert,  Heidi  Heilig,  Day  Al-­‐ Mohamed,  Rahul  Kanakia)   Half  of  America's  children  are  people  of   color,  but  only  10%  of  kid’s  books  are   written  by  PoC.  Because  of  this  gap,  the   kid's  book  industry  has  struggled  to  find   ways  for  white  authors  to  write  books  that   appeal  to  all  children.  However,  authors  of   color  also  feel  insecure  about  these  issues.   In  this  panel,  four  authors  of  color  discuss   the  pressure  to  write  characters  that  won’t   alienate  white  readers  and  address  their   successes  and  failures  in  their  attempts  to   write  inclusive  fiction.     Not  Disappearing  into  Americaness:   Code-­‐Switching  as  Cultural  Preservation   through  Language  Conservation.     (Nayelly  Barrios,  Eric  Nguyen,  Thomas   Parrie,  Gabriella    Chavez,  M.  Evelina     Galang)   Code-­‐switching,  the  practice  of  moving   between  two  or  more  languages,  provides   a  space  for  multilingual  writers  to  engage   in  both  their  ethnic  and  American   mainstream  culture.  This  panel  will  show   readers  how  writers  use  the  words  of  the   “other,”  combined  with  the  words  and   phrases  of  the  familiar  to  add  extra  layers   of  meaning  to  their  work.  This  panel  will   explore  how  code-­‐switching  engages  in   both  minority  cultures  and  the  American   mainstream,  and  how  the  “outsider”  can   join  the  conversation.     Not  Waving  but  Drowning:  Navigating   the  Waters  of  Poetry  Book  Contests.     (Vandana  Khanna,  Jon  Tribble,  Susanna   Childress,  Simeon  Berry,  Adrian  Matejka)   Often,  getting  a  poetry  manuscript   published  is  a  complicated  dance  of   guidelines,  deadlines,  entrance  fees,  and   stubborn  faith.  Poets  may  feel  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  overwhelmed  or  mystified  by  the  whole   process,  and  rightly  so.  This  panel,   comprised  of  contest  winners,  as  well  as   editors,  seeks  to  clarify  the  ins  and  outs  of   the  poetry  contest  circuit  by  offering   practical  advice  and  insight  into  the  world   of  poetry  contests  and  their  contribution  to   the  shifting  landscape  of  contemporary   poetry  publishing.     NTT  Faculty  Advocacy.    (Erin  Stalcup,  Les   Kay,  Cynthia  Reeves,  Mary  Stone,  Kyle   McCord)   Attention  has  begun  to  be  brought  to  the   oppressive  work  conditions  many  non-­‐ tenure  track  faculty  face.  These  panelists— who  are  adjuncts  and  full-­‐time  NTT  faculty,   and  writers—will  discuss  advocacy   strategies  that  have  directed  notice  toward   this  national  issue,  and  that  have  also   offered  solutions.  We’ve  participated  in   Walk  Out  Day,  drafted  Best  Practices   documents,  and  gained  local  media   coverage,  and  we  want  to  hear  what  you’re   doing  in  your  communities  to  advocate  for   fair  work  and  wages.     O  Protagonist,  Where  Art  Thou?  A  Sense   of  Place  in  21st-­‐Century  Fiction.     (Barbara  Jones,  Lauren  Francis-­‐Sharma,   Caroline  Zancan,  Rebecca  Barry,  Matthew   Thomas)   Many  if  not  most  cities  and  towns  in  the   United  States  offer  the  same  stores,  the   same  clothing,  the  same  food  these  days.   What  has  this  meant  for  the  specificity  of   place  in  fiction?  Not  only  do  readers  derive   pleasure  from  visiting  new  places  through   reading  but  memorable  characters  become   themselves  in  part  through  their  particular   past  and  present  settings.  This  panel  will   explore  how-­‐-­‐and  why-­‐-­‐strong  settings  can  

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and  sometimes  do  emerge  in  a  variety  of   contemporary  fictions.     Octavia  Butler  and  Her  Legacy.     (Katharine  Beutner,  Walidah  Imarisha,   adrienne  maree  brown,  Ayana  Jamieson,   Monica  Drake)   Octavia  Butler,  a  Pasadena  native  and   MacArthur  Fellow,  was  one  of  the  best   known  women  writers  of  science  fiction.   By  imagining  worlds  altered  by  alien   encounters,  vampirism,  or  ecological  ruin,   her  writing  addresses  questions  of  race,   gender,  and  class  fundamental  to  our   society.  The  editors  of  the  new  anthology   Octavia's  Brood,  the  head  of  the  Octavia   Butler  Legacy  Network,  and  two  writers   will  discuss  Butler’s  engagement  with   Afrofuturism  and  how  she  inspires  writers   and  artists  today.     Old  Neighborhoods,  New  Locales:  How   Place  Shapes  Our  Writing  and  our   Literary  Identities.    (Michael  Steinberg,   Phillip  Lopate,  Renee  D'Aoust,  Mimi   Schwartz,  Karen  Babine)   Place,  where  we've  grown  up  and/or  have   lived,  informs  who  we  are  and  how  we   perceive  ourselves  in  the  world.  As   nonfiction  writers,  it  also  influences  the   work  we  produce.  A  new  locale,  can,  in  fact,   be  a  catalyst  for  writing  about  a  place  we   thought  we  knew.  By  examining  their  own   and  the  works  of  others,  five   writer/teachers  from  different  locales  both   here  and  abroad,  will  discuss  and  illustrate   how  specific  places  they've  inhabited  have   helped  shape  their  personal  and  literary   selves.     On  your  terms:  managing  your  rights  to   keep  your  work  available.    (Michael   Wolfe,  Brianna  Schofield,  Lila  Bailey)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Authors  of  all  kinds  are  routinely  asked  to   sign  contracts  that  carve  up  their   copyrights  and  determine  where,  how,  and   by  whom  their  works  can  be  published.   This  panel  of  copyright  attorneys  will   examine  some  of  the  ways  authors  can   ensure  that  these  agreements  don't  end  up   standing  between  their  work  and  their   audience.  Join  us  and  we'll  work  on   demystifying  embargoes,  licenses,   negotiations,  rights  reversions,  and   terminations  of  transfers.  Be  empowered   to  shape  your  own  contracts!     One  By  One:  Editors  Explore  Single-­‐ Story  &  Single-­‐Poem  Issues.    (Heather   Lang,  Liz  Bradfield,  MRB  Chelko,  Jennifer     Tappenden,  Janie  Cannarella)   There  is  a  submovement  in  contemporary   independent  press  publication  toward   single-­‐author  issues,  and  this  panel  will   explore  the  causes  and  effects.  Discussion   points  may  include  the  vast  number  of   literary  journals  in  existence,  the  notion   that  individual  poems  and  stories  can  be   available  for  purchase  like  songs,  the   prospect  that  poetry  might  be  reclaimed   for  non-­‐poets,  the  concept  of  literature  as   visual  art,  and  more.     Our  Lavender  Past:  Queering  History  in   Fiction.    (Timothy  Schaffert,  emily   danforth,  Belinda  Acosta,  Adam    McOmber,   Rebecca  Rotert)   When  exploring  queer  lives  of  the  past,   writers  can  only  rely  so  much  on  research;   too  many  stories  have  gone  untold.   Imagination  and  instinct  become  key  in   creating  believable  queer  characters  in   history-­‐based  fiction.  How  do  writers  bring   history  alive  for  readers  who  are  well-­‐ versed  in  21st-­‐century  sexual  and  gender   politics?  Panelists  discuss  telling  old  

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stories  in  new  ways,  revising  fable  and   fairy  tale,  and  making  invisible  lives  visible   in  portraits  of  the  recent  and  distant  past.     Out  of  L.A.:    A  Tribute  to  Jayne  Cortez   (1934-­‐2012).    (Laura    Hinton,  Aldon     Nielsen,  Harryette  Mullen,  Kirsten  Ortega,   Jennifer  D.  Ryan)   Sonic/jazz  poet  Jayne  Cortez  is  celebrated   for  having  created  a  hybrid  engagement   with  music,  performance,  and  words   associated  with  that  capital  of  jazz,  New   York  City.  Yet  Cortez  grew  up  in  L.A.,   inspired  by  her  artistic  community  in   Watts.  Five  poets/critics  discuss  Cortez's   formative  relationship  to  L.A.,  including   work  with  saxophonist  Ornette  Coleman;   performances  for  the  Watts  Repertory   Theater  Company;  her  urban  poetics  as   well  as  an  ecopoetics  that  extends    "out  of   L.A"  globally.     Out  of  the  Cradle:  Writing  Our  Children.     (Leslie  Adrienne    Miller,  Debra  Gwartney,   Aimee  Nezhukumatathil,  Jon  Pineda,   Matthew  Batt)   This  panel  explores  questions  writers  ask   themselves  about  what  or  how  much  we   feel  free  to  write  about  our  children.  Do  we   owe  them  the  same  or  different  privacies   on  the  page  and  online  from  those  we   preserve  for  other  family  members?  Does   genre,  our  gender,  or  the  gender  of  our   children  matter  in  these  boundaries?  To   what  extent  do  or  should  race  and  class   affect  these  boundaries?  Do  we  have   literary  heroes  or  heroines  who  have   answered  these  questions  with  eloquence   before  us?     People  are  afraid  to  merge  in  Los   Angeles.    (Bridget  Hoida,  Jenn  Rossmann,   Reina  Prado,  Sharon  Gelman,  Liz  Gonzalez)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Literary  Los  Angeles  is  often  the  subject  of   surface-­‐deep  satire,  but  the  focus  on  zip   codes  in  the  Hollywood  glare  leaves  other   stories  undertold.  A  panel  of  Californian   authors  discuss  the  other  LA  (and  CA)   stories,  which  are  diverse,  complex,  and   deserving  of  literary  attention.  Panelists   will  discuss  authors  who  have  told  these   undertold  Golden  State  stories,  and   strategies  for  bringing  the  other  LA  to  light   in  their  own  fiction  and  poetry.     PhDon’t?  :  The  Risks  and  Rewards  of  the   Doctorate  for  Writers.    (Joshua  Bernstein,   Jameelah  Lang,  Rone  Shavers,  Ben  Stroud,   Genevieve  Kaplan)   What  are  the  drawbacks  and  benefits  for   writers  of  pursuing  a  doctorate?  We  ask   whether  the  Ph.D.  “academizes”  creative   writing;  offers  students  too  much  comfort,   or  not  enough;  sufficiently  accommodates   women  and  minorities;  preselects  for  a   certain  kind  of  writer  (e.g.,  one  who  can   meet  the  testing  requirements);  promotes   creativity  or  hinders  it  (through   coursework,  teaching,  doctoral  exams,   etc.);  and  offers  enough  preparation  for   teaching  creative  writing  at  the  college   level  and  elsewhere.     Philip  Levine  Prize  Winners   Remembering  Philip  Levine.    (Sarah   Wetzel,  Corrinne  Clegg  Hales,  Neil  Aitken,   Barbara  B.    Curiel,  Steve  Gehrke)   Philip  Levine,  former  US  Poet  Laureate  and   Pulitzer  Prize  winner,  died  in  2015.  Known   as  the  “Whitman  of  the  industrial   heartland,"  in  the  words  of  poet  Edward   Hirsch,  Levine  taught  for  30  years  at   California  State  University,  Fresno.   Moderated  by  CSU  Fresno  Professor   Corrinne  Hales,  four  winners  of  the  Levine   Prize  read  selections  from  Levine’s  work,  

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discuss  aspects  of  his  life  and  work  that   continue  to  affect  American  poetry   including  their  own,  and  read  from  their   award-­‐winning  manuscripts.     Phoning  It  In:  Using  QR  Codes  to  Bring   Poetry  to  a  New  Audience.    (Keetje   Kuipers,  Jaena  Alabi,  Victoria  Poling,   Melissa  Hall,  Fred  Courtright)   How  can  we  bring  poetry  to  a  wider   audience?  When  plugged  into  phones,  how   do  we  get  young  people  to  plug  into   poems?  Partnering  with  publishers  Copper   Canyon  and  BOA  Editions,  Auburn   University’s  Poem  of  the  Day  uses  QR  code   technology  to  bring  a  new  contemporary   poem  to  thousands  of  people  across  our   campus  each  day.  Come  learn  from  a   copyright  permissions  expert,  small  press   development  and  programing   administrators,  and  a  university  librarian   about  how  to  start  a  poetry  reader   revolution.     Pitch  Perfect:  How  to  Write  and   Successfully  Pitch  Freelance  Articles  to   Magazine  Editors.    (Christine  Lee,  Mark   Armstrong,  Doree  Shafrir,  Rachel  Riederer,   Marie  Myung-­‐Ok  Lee)   Five  writers  and  editors  with  extensive   backgrounds  in  print  and  digital   periodicals  discuss  the  tenets  of  pitching   nonfiction  work.  How  do  you  catch  an   editor’s  eye?  How  can  you  make  your  pitch   stand  out?  The  diverse  panel  of  prominent   editors  and  writers  with  a  track  record  of   pitching  success  will  detail  and  provide   insights  into  what  it  takes  to  get  freelance   work  accepted  at  a  journal  or  magazine,   while  exploring  topics  of  professional   etiquette,  and  how  to  nurture  business   relationships.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Planning  and  Running  a  University   Literary  Center.    (Lauri    Ramey,  Sesshu   Foster,  Marisela  Norte,  Anthony  Joseph,   Jamie  Tice)   University  literary  centers  promote   community  connections,  cultural  values,   diverse  voices,  writer  opportunities,   service  learning,  and  mutually  rewarding   partnerships.  The  Center  for  Contemporary   Poetry  and  Poetics  (CCPP)  at  Cal  State  L.A.,   now  celebrating  its  10th  anniversary,   provides  an  example  of  how  to  establish   and  run  a  flourishing  site-­‐specific   university  literary  center.  All  panelists  are   CCPP  participants,  who  will  provide   practical  advice  and  discuss  the  benefits  of   such  a  Center.     Pleasures  and  Perqs  of  Indie  Publishing.     (Maggie  Kast,  Jotham    Burrello,  J.L./Jessica   Powers,  Patricia  Ann  McNair,  Eric  Charles   May)   An  indie  publisher,  an  indie  publicist,  and   four  writers  of  memoir  and  fiction  (adult   and  YA)  gather  to  discuss  the  pros  and   cons  of  going  the  indie  route.  We  cover  the   roles  of  publisher  and  writer  in  editing  and   design  of  a  book  as  well  as  marketing,   publicity,  distribution  and  negotiation  of   contract.  We  also  address  questions  of   dialogue  between  publisher  and  writer  and   control  of  the  process.     Poems  for  the  Next  Generation:   Bringing  Poetry  to  Teenagers  and  Young   Adults.    (Brett  Lauer,  Amber  Atiya,  E   Kristin  Anderson,  Kerri  Webster,  Lynn   Melnick)   The  poetry  that  young  people  learn  in   school  is  often  outdated,  poorly  explained   and  lacking  diversity.  On  this  panel,  we  will   explore  how  contemporary  poetry  can   reach  young  people  in  high  schools  &  

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colleges  through  teaching,  publications  and   contests.  Poetry  is  a  vibrant,  living  art,  and   deserves  to  be  taught  to  young  people  in  a   way  that  speaks  to  them  where  they  are,   and  through  poets  who  are  writing  the   21st  century  as  we  live  in  it.     Poetics  of  Drought:  Language,   Remediation,  and  Landscape.    (Kristin   George  Bagdanov,  Matthew  Cooperman,   Angela  Hume  Lewandowski,  Brenda   Hillman,  Rusty  Morrison)   How  does  the  environment  affect  poetry?   Can  poetry  affect  the  environment?  As   California  continues  to  face  the  most   severe  drought  on  record,  this  panel  asks   California  ecopoets  to  consider  how   drought  has  affected  their  writing  process.   Poets  will  discuss  what  a  poetics  of   drought  might  look  like  and  consider  how  a   poem  both  adapts  to  the  conditions  of   drought,  and  might  somehow  remediate  it.   Can  the  poem  be  a  site  of  conservation,   irrigation,  wellspring,  or  reservoir?  Can  it   effect  change?     POETRY  PIONEERS  OF  THE  GOLDEN   STATE.    (Jim  Natal,  Joyce  Jenkins,  Kevin   Patrick  Sullivan,  Donald  Kingfisher   Campbell  ,  Consuelo  Marshall)   Featuring  four  cultural  workers  who  have   labored  tirelessly  to  insure  that  poetry  is   alive  and  thriving  throughout  the  diverse   state  of  California.  Each  panelist  will   describe  the  goals  for  their  specific  literary   niche  or  focus  and  explain  what  inspired   their  programmatic  ideas  and  where  the   funds  came  to  support  them.  In  addition,   panelists  will  discuss  how  audiences,   volunteers  and  funders  have  changed   through  the  years  and  how  they  are   adapting  their  programs  in  response  to   these  changes.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

    Poets  on  Craft:  “The  Furious  and   Burning  Duende”.    (Iris  Mahan,  John   Murillo,  Aracelis  Girmay,  Sandra  Beasley,   Mahogany  Browne)   Lorca  tells  us  that  the  artist  is  possessed  by   duende,  a  malign  spirit  that  burns  the   blood  like  powdered  glass.  This  panel  asks   if  poets  can  or  should  summon  duende  at   will.  Is  it  fleeting  and  ephemeral,  or  can  it   be  harnessed  as  an  instrument  of  craft?     Five  poets  who  have  written  about  and   with  duende  will  share  their  experiences   invoking  the  dark,  elusive  creative  force.   We  promise  gracious  and  fiery  exchanges   on  this  evocative  subject.     Politics  and  Literary  Fiction.    (Katie     Raissian,  Francisco  Goldman,  Patricia   Engel,  Rabih    Alameddine,  Jonathan  Lee)   Award-­‐winning  and  highly  acclaimed   authors  Rabih  Alameddine,  Francisco   Goldman,  Patricia  Engel,  and  Jonathan  Lee   discuss  political  preoccupations  in  their   writing  and  the  importance  of  political   awareness  in  contemporary  literature     Printing  the  Forked  Tongue:  Bilingual   Publishing  after  Gloria  Anzaldúa’s   Borderlands/La  Frontera.    (Britt   Haraway,  elena  minor,  Diana  Lopez,  Maria   Miranda  Maloney,  Raina  J.  León)   Gloria  Anzaldúa  demanded  her  freest   expression,  whether  in  Spanish,  English   and/or  the  in-­‐between.  The  literary  world   had  trouble  keeping  up—and  to  an  extent   still  does.  There  are  contemporary   publishers  that  take  up  her  challenge  and   seize  an  opportunity  to  create  open  spaces   for  language.  Whereas  Anzaldúa  was  told   to  wash  the  linguistic  richness  off  of  her   tongue,  these  editors  encourage  writers  to   blossom  into  their  natural  language  palate  

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and  create  their  best  words  in  the  best   order.     Privacy  Matters:  Sell  Your  Books  Not   Your  Soul.    (M.  M.    DeVoe,  Mat    Johnson,   Lev  Grossman,  Miranda  Beverly-­‐ Whittemore)   Does  a  huge  Twitter  following  really  result   in  bestselling  books?  Are  Friends  equal  to   fans?  Today’s  published  authors  are   required  to  have  a  social  media  presence   and  constantly  interact  with  their  readers:   In  this  age  of  Twitter,  Instagram,  Facebook,   Tumblr,  et  al,  how  can  authors  maintain   the  interest  of  a  24/7  fan  base  and  still   keep  a  modicum  of  privacy?  Join  our   distinguished  panel  of  social  media  mavens   from  various  genres  as  we  discuss   everything  personal  and  how  to  keep  it   that  way.     Problem  Child:  Promoting  Your  First   Book  of  Poetry.    (Susannah    Nevison,   Andrew  McFadyen-­‐Ketchum,  Hannah   Notess,  Marcus  Wicker,  Ron  Mitchell)   Four  poets  with  successful  first  collections   and  a  publisher  will  address  both  expected   and  unexpected  challenges  promoting  their   work,  including  assuming  duties   traditionally  provided  by  publishers,  a   necessity  in  the  current  climate  of  staff  cuts   and  budget  reductions.  Topics  will  include   maximizing  social  media,  booking  readings,   developing  relationships  with  critics  and   reviewers,  utilizing  existing  technologies   such  as  Square,  and  creating  unique   advertising  and  marketing  campaigns.     Process  and  the  Mid-­‐Career  Memoir.     (Jennifer  Baumgardner,  Ana  Castillo,  Chef   Rossi)   When  is  it  time  to  tell  your  story?  How  do   you  translate  having  a  story  to  tell  to  the  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  meaningful  execution  of  a  "real"  book?  Chef   Rossi,  a  rollicking  rock  and  roll  caterer  of   queer  weddings  and  feminist   extravaganzas,  publishes  her  memoir   (Feminist  Press,  2015)  at  age  51.  in  her   fifties,  Chicana  feminist  Ana  Castillo  (famed   for  her  fiction,  poetry,  and  essays)   meditates  on  the  experience  of  raising  a   brown  son  in  America.  Two  wildly   different  voices  answer  questions  about   process  and  form.     Publicity  and  the  Independent  Press.     (Kelly  Forsythe,  Jenna  Fisher,  Chelsey   Slattum,  Brittany  Dennison,  Heather   Brown)   This  panel  draws  together  the  voices  of  five   literary  publicists  freelancing  or  on  staff   with  independent  presses  of  various  sizes.   Discussion  will  revolve  around  how  to   communicate  with  authors  to  build  a   successful  publicity  campaign  and   identifying  unique  promotional   opportunities  based  on  a  press's  aesthetic,   an  author's  background,  and  the  subject   matter  of  a  book.  The  panel  will  also   address  the  outlying  challenges  of   weathering  the  "media  storms"  of  major   prizes  or  public  notice.     Publishing  poets  of  color;  the  power  of   diversity  and  the  literary  landscape..     (Jennifer  Flescher,  Don    Share,  Carmen     Gimenez  Smith,  Nate  Marshall,  Camille     Rankine)   Publishing  poets  of  color;  the  power  of   diversity  and  the  literary  landscape.  The   literary  world  is  plagued  with  the  lack  of   diversity  on  it’s  mastheads,  boards  and   pages.  What  can  publishers,  editors  and   writers  must  do  to  work  toward  more   meaningful  diversity  in  literary  magazine   publishing?  We  need  to  build  of  trust,  

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relationships  and  communication.  Five   editors  discuss  what  they  see  as  their   current  challenges  and  successes,  and   where  we  need  to  go  next.     Publishing  Translations:  University   Presses.    (Russell  Valentino,  Gary  Dunham   ,  John  Donatich)   University  presses  have  long  been  at  the   forefront  of  translation  publishing  in  the   U.S.,  and  today  is  no  exception.  Through   long  traditions  of  curating  scholarly  and   artistic  works  and  a  variety  of  new   initiatives,  today’s  university  presses   continue  to  lead  the  way  in  bringing  to   light  new  voices  from  around  the  world,   forgotten  classics,  and  newly  unearthed   masterpieces  from  the  past.  This  panel  will   feature  editors  from  leading  university   presses  committed  to  translated  literature.     Queer  &  Undercommon  Publishing:   sussing  out  livable  futures  with   Tract/Trace  +  Timeless,  Infinite  Light.     (Angel    Dominguez,  JH    Phrydas,  Emji   Spero,  Joel  Gregory,  Zoe  Tuck)   Tract/Trace  and  Timeless,  Infinite  Light  act   as  sites  of  radical  investigation  and   exploration  into  language,  creating  a  space   for  queer,  undercommon  and  otherwise   marginalized  artists  and  writers  “who   believe  in  a  livable  life;  for  sussing  out   tactics  for  a  livable  future.”  This  panel   seeks  to  discuss  these  tactics,  their   approaches  and  applications  in  hopes  of   providing  a  decolonized  approach  to   writing  and  publishing.     Queering  History:  Whose  Story  Is  It,   Anyway?.    (Carter  Sickels,  Brandy    Wilson,   Ellery  Washington,  Ellis  Avery,  Ames   Hawkins)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Queer  histories  are  often  erased  or  altered   by  dominant  narratives.  How  do  we  claim,   document,  and  imagine  the  stories  of   LGBTQ  history  in  our  art?  Established  and   emerging  panelists  working  in  multiple   genres  discuss  their  projects,  and  the   challenges  and  rewards  of  researching  and   writing  queer  histories  of  distant  and   recent  pasts.  We’ll  explore  the  tensions   between  social/political  responsibility  and   storytelling,  and  discuss  the  concerns  of   representing  past  marginalized  voices.       Queertopia  or  Bust:  Thoughts  on   Intersectional  Queer  Poetics.    (Jason   Schneiderman,  Rickey  Laurentiis,  Julie   Enzser,  Viet  Le,  Trace  Peterson)   “Queer”  emerged  in  the  1990s  as  an   activist  formation  that  challenged  liberal   politics  and  became  the  preferred  term  in   academia  for  everyone  who  was  not   straight  or  normatively  gendered.  The   inclusivity  of  “queer”  has  been  contested   by  those  who  felt  instrumentalized  or   excluded  by  the  term.  Though  it  continues   to  be  useful  as  a  rubric  (and  easier  to  say   than  “LGBTQIA”),  is  queer  really  working,   and  for  whom?  Four  poet-­‐editors  discuss   their  experience  at  the  intersections  of   queer  identity.     Re-­‐writing  the  Iconic  West:  Native  and   Latino  Writers  on  Crafting  Change.     (Toni    Jensen,  Stephen  Graham  Jones,  Tim   Hernandez,  Erika  Wurth,  Ito  Romo)   From  the  cowboy  on  horseback  to  the   detective  on  the  dark,  city  streets,  the   fictional  icons  of  the  West  loom  both   familiar  and  large.  Their  stories  have  the   ease  of  familiarity,  but  what  if  the  stories   you  want  to  tell  shift  the  vantage  point?   What  if  your  hero  is  the  one  shot  by  the   cowboy,  the  man  turning  the  corner  to  

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avoid  the  detective?  A  diverse  set  of   writers  will  discuss  strategies  for  telling   the  West’s  iconic  stories  through  a  wide   range  of  viewpoints  and  in  diverse  cultural   contexts.     Read  the  Essay,  Buy  the  Book?.    (Anna   North,  Tony    Tulathimutte,  Eric  Sasson,   Esme  Wang,  Marie-­‐Helene  Bertino)   In  today’s  publishing  climate,  writing   essays  related  to  a  book  has  become  as   important  a  part  of  promotion  as  giving   readings  or  interviews.  What  makes  a   successful  essay  of  this  kind,  for  the  writer   and  for  the  reader?  How  can  writers  craft   and  place  essays  that  are  both  meaningful   in  their  own  right  and  acquaint  the  reader   with  them  and  with  their  books?  The  five   writers  on  this  panel  will  explore,  along   with  the  audience,  the  place  of  the  book-­‐ related  essay  in  a  writer’s  life  and  career.     READ  THIS  POEM:  Promoting  Poets  and   Community.    (David  Welch,  Mary  Gannon,   Anna  Gross,  Kristen  Evans)   During  National  Poetry  Month  2015,  the   Academy  of  American  Poets  teamed  with   826  National  to  produce  Read  This  Poem   as  each  826  chapter  named  a  local   Ambassador  who  selected  &  introduced  a   poem  written  by  a  poet  in  their   community.  The  Poetry  Ambassador  then   asked  the  poet  to  do  the  same  &  so  on,   creating  a  kind  of  published  poetry  chain.   Join  us  for  a  discussion  highlighting  the   diverse  group  of  poems/poets  featured,   how  to  promote  local  literature,  &   integrating  poetry  with  community  service.     Ready,  Set,  Crawl:  Taking  Literature  to   the  Streets.    (Jill  Meyers,  Suzanne  Russo,   Sally  Shore,  Brian  McGuigan,  Jen   Siriganian)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  What  started  in  San  Francisco  in  2004  has   grown  to  be  one  of  the  most  anticipated   literary  nights  of  the  year  in  LA,  NYC,   Seattle,  Austin,  and  elsewhere.  A  literary   pub  crawl  where  cerebral  meets  madcap,   Lit  Crawl  taps  into  each  city’s  local  scene   for  a  night  of  readings,  games,  and  literary   karaoke  in  venues  from  tattoo  parlors  to   police  stations  to  cemeteries.  Panelists   discuss  how  they  organize  these  free   events,  build  up  the  local  literary   community,  and  bring  attention  to  writers’   work.     Reimagining  Literary  Spaces.    (Michael   Snediker,  Zinzi  Clemmons,  Yasmin  Belkhyr,   Maisha  Z.  Johnson,  Corinne  Manning)   Literary  journals  must  go  beyond  stating  a   commitment  to  diversity.  To  change  the   literary  landscape  and  make  public  more   work  by  POC,  LGBTQ,  women,working   class  and  differently  abled  communities,   journals  must  reimagine  the  traditional   structure  of  submissions  or  even  the  role  of   literary  spaces.  Editors  from  Apogee,  The   Offing,  Specter,  Winter  Tangerine,  BGD  and   The  James  Franco  Review  will  share  their   experience  of  how  they  re-­‐visioned   journals  or  differently  approached  the   editing  process.     Remembering  Claudia  Emerson.    (Emilia   Phillips,  Jill  McCorkle,  Alan  Shapiro,   Kathleen  Graber)   Claudia  Emerson’s  death  in  2015  grieved   her  friends  and  her  readers,  and  this  event   will  feature  panelists  remembering  her   spirit  and  her  work  and  inviting  audience   members  to  participate  by  themselves   reading  her  poems  so  that  her  single  voice   resonates  through  a  chorus  of  witnesses.   The  panelists  will  focus  on  her  posthumous  

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books,  The  Opposite  House  and  The   Impossible  Bottle.     Renewing  Constraint:  The  Legacy  and   Practice  of  Restricted  Writing.    (Shannon   Skelton,  Kristin    Miller,  Jenni  Baker,  April   Krassner,  Laura  Martin)   In  a  New  Yorker  interview,  Nathan   Englander  said,  “Maybe  it  sounds  crazy,  but   with  writing  it’s  infinity  that  is  limiting,   and  the  limited  that  allows  for  the  truly   infinite.”  From  the  founding  of  Oulipo  to   the  contemporary  avant  garde,  limited   forms  offer  writers  new  avenues  of   expression.  Focusing  on  constraint  as  a   tool  for  enhancing  creativity,  panelists  will   explore  the  history  of  constrained  writing   and  discuss  its  current  applications  in   practice,  pedagogy,  and  publication.     Reverberant  Silence:  Making  and   Meaning  a  New  Silence.    (Jeffrey  Levine,   Ilya  Kaminsky,  Ruth  Ellen  Kocher,  Prageeta   Sharma,  Amaud  Johnson)   Referring  to  the  challenge  of  this  remark   by  Mark  Doty:  "One  ambition  of  poetry  is  to   create  a  reverberant  silence  in  its  wake,   one  that  means  more  or  differently  than   the  silence  that  preceded  the  poem,"  four   culturally  astute  poets  of  highly  diverse   cultural  and  ethnic  backgrounds  speak  and   debate  about  how  and  by  what  means  the   silence  that  a  poem  leaves  in  its  wake  is   intentionally  and  irrevocably  altered,  and   how  reverberant  poetry  makes  a  case  for  a   new  approach  to  reading  and  listening.     Revising  Nonfiction:  Surprise,   Reflection,  and  Telling  the  Truth.    (Erica   Trabold,  Matthew  Gavin  Frank,  Laura   Julier,  Kathleen  Livingston)   Revision  remains  crucial  to  any  writing   process,  serving  to  strengthen  the  work.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  However,  sometimes  revision  dilutes  early   insights,  and  the  writing  suffers.  Nonfiction   writers  are  often  susceptible  to  over-­‐ revision  because  of  memory  and  its   malleability.  How  do  journal  editors  work   with  writers  to  bring  a  piece  to  its  best   version?  What  risks  are  there  in  revision,   and  what  can  be  gained?  This  panel  brings   writers  and  editors  into  conversation   about  the  negotiations  of  revising   nonfiction.     Rhyme  Gone  Radical,  or  Beyond  the   Hallmark  Card.    (David  J.  Daniels,  Randall   Mann,  Joshua  Mehigan,  Mary  Austin   Speaker,  Marilyn  Nelson)   Rhyme  (particularly  end-­‐rhyme)  sparked  a   heated  debate  among  poets  recently.  One   poet  called  it  the  worst  thing  still  haunting   us.  Others  dismissed  it  as  hokey,   antiquated,  mawkish,  and  naive.  But  rhyme   has  gone  fairly  radical  in  recent  poetry,  and   plenty  of  poets  use  rhyme  in  varied  and   unpredictable  ways.  Five  poets,  from   diverse  aesthetic  and  cultural   backgrounds,  will  discuss  rhyme's  ongoing   potency  in  their  own  work  while  arguing   for  its  vital  and  inventive  place  in   contemporary  verse.     Saving  or  Sinking  the  World  through   Translation:  International  Perspectives   on  Creative  Process.    (Helene  Cardona,   Sidney  Wade,  Jennifer    Kwon  Dobbs,  Ani   Gjika,  Willis  Barnstone)   Does  translation  infuse  or  confuse  us?  How   do  temporal,  esthetic,  religious  and   political  beliefs  shape  the  literature,   history,  and  fate  of  nations?  Working  with   Albanian,  Aramaic,  Chinese,  Hebrew,   Greek,  Korean,  Latin,  French,  Spanish,   Turkish  and  Vietnamese,  this  panel’s  poets,   translators  and  scholars  discuss  their  roles  

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as  intermediaries,  technicians,  magicians   and  alchemists  working  between   languages  to  create  inspired  texts  spanning   cultural  differences,  geographic  distances,   and  time.     Science  That  Sells.    (Kathryn  Miles,  Sean     Carroll  ,  Besty  Amster,  Stephen  Morrow,   Karen    Kaplan)   Once  relegated  to  scholarly  journals  and   niche  publications,  science  writing  has   become  a  powerful  voice  in  publishing  and   a  place  where  writers  can  take  on  issues   ranging  from  climate  change  and  animal   extinction  to  breast  cancer  and  GMO  food.     This  round  table  discussion  with  writers,   editors,  and  agents  explores  new  trends  in   popular  science  writing,  what  stories,   essays,  and  books  are  getting  sold,  and   why.     Seeing  There:    The  Intersection  of  Visual   and  Literary  Art.    (KRISTEN  RADTKE,   Beowulf  Sheehan,  Jeff  Sharlet,  Timothy   Taranto,  Nomi  Victor)   From  a  book  cover  or  author  portrait  to   comics,  photo  essays,  and  accompanying   illustrations,  writers  are  constantly   confronted  with  how  visual  imagery   compliments  or  complicates  the  written   word.  How  can  images  be  crafted  that   contribute  to  poetry  and  prose?  Can  an   image  ever  take  the  place  of  language?   What  role  does  design  and  photography   play  within  contemporary  publishing?  This   panel  will  examine  how  images  and  text   cohere  to  create  a  product  that  is  arresting   for  both  reader  and  writer.     Sensuality,  the  Body,  and  the  Quest  for   Authenticity  in  Translation.    (Johannes   Goransson,  Alireza    Taheri  Araghi  ,  Diana     Arterian,  Yvette    Siegert)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  When  we  speak  of  translation,  we  often   speak  (metaphorically)  of  the  body:  of   mother  tongue  and  foreign  tongues,   foreign  texts  and  bodies  of  work,   faithfulness  and  betrayal,  contexts  and   origins,  the  crossing  of  boundaries  and   borders.  Meanwhile  translation  can  entail   quite  radical  experiences  of  embodiment— of  possession  by  ghosts,  ventriloquism  and   impersonation,  vertigo  and  de  ja  vu.    This   panel  will  discuss  translation’s  implication   for  embodiments  both  literal  and   metaphorical.     Serial  Killers:  How  to  Survive  the  Series   Poem.    (John  A.  Nieves,  Cynthia  Marie   Hoffman,  Alexandra  Teague,  Kathryn   Nuernberger,  Nicky  Beer)   This  panel  will  explore  the  dangers  and   allure  of  the  serial  poem.  Panelists  will   offer  insight  into  the  types  of  poems   included  in  successful  series,  share  the   processes  and  challenges  involved  in   creating  their  own  series,  and  look  at  the   recent  resurgence  of  the  series  poem.  From   series  that  reconstruct  history  to  series   that  engage  folklore  to  series  that  center  on   a  modal  unity  like  elegy  or  ekphrasis,   panelists  will  share  best  practices  to  help   others  build  their  serial  m.o.     Sex,  Drugs,  and  Rock  N'  Roll:  Poem   Pairings.    (Beth  Bachmann,  Nick  Flynn,   Kristin  Naca,  Saeed  Jones)   This  panel  focuses  on  the  spirit  and  grit  of   the  music  of  the  City  of  Our  Lady  Queen  of   Angels.  In  an  exploration  of  the  art  of   excess  and  consequence,  highs  and  lows,   panelists  will  read  and  discuss  poems   paired  with  L.A.'s  historic  sinner-­‐songsters,   such  as  Tom  Waits,  Billy  Idol,  The  Bags,  El   Vez,  N.W.A.  and  the  Beach  Boys.  Panelists   will  read  poems,  offer  strategies  for  writing  

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about  sex  and  drugs,  and  respond  to  the   question,  what  makes  a  poem  rock  n'  roll?   Welcome  to  the  jungle.     Sex,  Drugs,  Violence  (and  Rock  n’  Roll):   Exploring  the  Boundaries  of  Young   Adult  Lit.    (Katie  Cortese,  Nova    Ren  Suma,   Bill  Konigsberg,  Taylor  Haggerty,  Jordan   Hamessley)   In  recent  years,  bestselling  young  adult   books  have  portrayed  suicide,  mental   illness,  murder,  untimely  death,  frank   sexual  encounters,  governmental  coups,   use  and  abuse  of  alcohol  and  drugs  legal   and  not,  homelessness,  pregnancy,  and  a   host  of  other  issues  often  associated  with   the  adult  world.  The  authors,  agent,  and   editor  on  this  panel  will  address  the   boundaries  imposed  by  the  “young”  in   young  adult  (and  may  challenge  their   existence),  while  offering  tips  for  writers   hoping  to  toe  the  line.     Shattered  Quiet:  Women  Writers  on  the   Truths  and  Consequences  of  Breaking   Silence  and  Writing  the  Unspoken.    (Lori     Horvitz,  Lee  Ann  Roripaugh,  Natanya   Pulley,  Sharon  Harrigan,  Alexandria     Marzano-­‐Lesnevich)   In  this  panel,  five  women  authors  who  have   published  work  in  memoir  and  lyric   memoir—Lori  Horvitz,  Alexandria   Marzano-­‐Lesnevich,  Sharon  Harrigan,   Natanya  Pulley  and  Lee  Ann  Roripaugh— address  both  the  radiant  liberations  and   real-­‐life  risks  and  outcomes  of  writing   narratives  that  break  silences  and  reveal   raw,  volatile,  and  vulnerable  truths  about   personal  trauma,   emotional/physical/sexual  abuse,  mental   or  physical  illness,  and  dysfunctional   family  dynamics.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Short  Nonfiction:  A  Genre  for  Building   Literary  Careers.    (David  Weinstein,  David   Groff,  Jabari  Asim,  Sarah  Seltzer,  Tim   Denevi)   Writers  of  all  genres  benefit  from   publishing  short  nonfiction.  In  book   reviews  and  op-­‐eds,  countless   opportunities  exist  to  be  seen  and  heard— and  to  pave  the  way  to  book  publication.   Panelists  at  all  stages  of  their  careers  will   discuss  how  to  build  authority  in  today’s   nonfiction  landscape.  Along  with  practical   advice  on  breaking  in,  they  will  emphasize   the  nuances  of  producing,  pitching,  and   promoting  different  forms  within  the   genre—of  value  to  both  the  writer  and  the   culture  at  large.     Should  I  Know  Who  You  Are?  Book  PR   for  the  Modern  Age.    (Leslie  Pietrzyk,  Lori   A.  May,  Betsy  Teter,  Beth  Parker,  Jane   Friedman)   Turns  out  that  writing  the  book  is  a  cinch   compared  to  promoting  the  dang  thing.   How  can  writers  embrace  shameless  self-­‐ promotion  while  avoiding  the  dangerous   humble-­‐brag;  how  can  we  claim  media  and   reviewer  attention  in  a  crowded   marketplace?  How  will  readers  find  us?  An   independent  book  publicist,  small  press   publisher,  and  two  publicity-­‐minded   authors  offer  insight  and  tips  to  help   writers  of  all  genres  navigate  old  and  new   media.     Slouching  Tiger,  Unsung  Dragon:    The   Next  Chapter  of  Asian-­‐American   Writing.    (Anna    Ling  Kaye,  Ed  Lin,  Doretta     Lau,  Chiwan  Choi,  Paolo  Javier)   What  does  it  mean  to  be  a  writer  of  Asian   descent  publishing  in  North  America?   These  five  writers  are  exploring  territory   beyond  tiger  moms  and  immigrant  

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hardship,  venturing  into  updated   expressions  of  Confucianism,  Asian   masculinity,  and  contemporary  Asian   culture.  The  panelists  will  discuss   traditional  and  experimental  approaches  to   Asian-­‐American  fiction  and  poetry,  and   explore  how  artistic  and  professional   choices  impact  perceptions  of  their  work   and  their  identities.     Smooth  Criminals:  What’s  at  Stake   When  We  Break  the  Rules?.    (Juan   Martinez,  Susan  Hubbard,  Robin  Rozanski,   Julie  Iromuanya)   What  writing  rule  do  you  hate?  Love?  We   all  break  a  few:  we  switch  POV  halfway   through  a  story,  we  use  too  many   exclamation  marks,  we  don’t  write  what   we  know,  or  we  use  the  wrong  form,  the   wrong  genre.  We’ll  balance  the  costs  and   benefits  of  these  misdemeanors.  We’ll   explore  how  rules  hinge  on  cultural,  ethnic,   and  social  backgrounds.  We’ll  provide  rule-­‐ breaking  exercises  that  have  helped   generate  exciting  material,  and  we’ll  talk   about  how  rule-­‐breaking  has  helped  us   publish  and  teach.     Sneak  Preview:  A  Late  Style  of  Fire-­‐-­‐the   Larry  Levis  Documentary.    (Gregory     Donovan,  David  St.  John,  Carolyn  Forché,   Carol  Muske-­‐Dukes,  Michele  Poulos)   A  preview  screening  and  discussion  by  the   filmmaker  &  participants  in  A  Late  Style  of   Fire,  the  revealing,  unconventional  feature-­‐ length  documentary  film  about  Larry  Levis,   exploring  his  life  &  work  through  narration   creatively  unveiled  in  words  from  his   poems  as  well  as  photos,  videos,  artful   visual  explorations,  &  featuring  interviews   with  notable  poets  Philip  Levine,  Charles   Wright,  Carolyn  Forché,  David  St.  John,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Carol  Muske-­‐Dukes,  Norman  Dubie,  &   more,  along  with  family,  lovers,  &  friends.     So  You  Think  You  Want  to  Start  a  Lit   Mag:  Straight  Talk  from  Editors  about   Launching  Mags  and  Keeping  Them   Afloat..    (Kathy  Daneman,  Jennifer  Acker,   Benjamin  Samuel,  Jonathan  Lee,  Natalie   Eilbert)   You  want  to  start  a  literary  magazine,  or   recover  an  old  one.  Why?  And,  now  what?   How  do  you  communicate  your  vision,  and   what  do  you  need  to  spend  your  nights  and   weekends  doing  to  realize  it?  Founders  and   editors  from  A  Public  Space,  Atlas,  The   Common,  and  Electric  Literature  share   their  experiences  and  advise  how  to   balance  the  idealism  and  realism  necessary   to  gain  fame  and  fortune-­‐-­‐or  at  least  some   fun,  excellent  writing,  and  great   community-­‐-­‐through  running  lit  mags.     Social  Justice  in  Speculative  and   Fantastical  Fiction  for  Young  Readers.     (Anne  Ursu,  Justina  Ireland,  Daniel  José   Older,  William  Alexander,  Tananarive  Due)   Fantasy  for  young  readers  is  a  serious   business.  By  presenting  parallel  worlds   and  heightened  realities,  speculative  and   fantastical  fictions  can  explore  issues  of   power,  personal  responsibility,  and  justice,   and  can  entice  kids  and  teens  to  think   critically  about  their  own  world.  Panelists   will  discuss  how  they  use  the  tools  of  SFF   to  illuminate  injustice,  confront  the   monstrous,  and  communicate  crucial  ideas   about  race,  class,  and  gender-­‐-­‐while  giving   kids  the  great  stories  they  crave.       SPD/CLMP  Annual  Publisher  Meeting.     (Brent    Cunningham,  Ted  Dodson,  Kathy   Daneman,  Jeffrey    Lependorf,  Laura   Moriarty)  

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The  staffs  of  the  Community  of  Literary   Magazines  and  Presses  (CLMP)  and  Small   Press  Distribution  (SPD)  discuss  issues   facing  publishers,  organizational  goals,  and   upcoming  programs.  Both  new  and   longstanding  members,  as  well  as  those   contemplating  joining  either  organization,   should  plan  to  attend.     Speculative  Fiction:  Defining  the  rules  of   a  rule-­‐breaking  genre.    (Rob    Spillman,   Marie-­‐Helene  Bertino,  Ramona  Ausubel,   Aimee  Bender,  Manuel  Gonzales)   What  are  the  risks  of  breaking  rules  in   fiction?  What  are  the  rewards?  Do  unicorns   exist?  5  award-­‐winning  speculative  writers   share  their  origin  stories  and  reasons  for   writing  fiction  that  eschews  formal   convention  (and  occasionally  the  laws  of   physics).  Though  speculative  fiction  is   often  marginalized,  they  discuss  why  it   should  be  necessary  reading  for  students  of   any  genre,  and  offer  practical  advice  for   writers  who  want  to  try  it  and  teachers   who  want  to  implement  it  into  their   curriculum.     Spinsters,  Pretty  Girls,  and  Bears,  Oh   My!:  Four  Decades  of  Lesbian  Writing   and  Publishing.    (Brandy  Wilson,   Katherine  Forrest,  KG  MacGregor,  Karin     Kallmaker,  Rita  Mae  Reese)   Small  lesbian  presses  were  the  wellspring   of  lesbian  writing—romance,  mystery,   erotica,  poetry  and  literary  fiction.  How  did   these  presses  shape  lesbian  writers  and   readers?  In  the  age  of  digital  publishing   allowing  writers  to  bypass  publishers  for   greater  profits  and  autonomy,  why  choose   to  publish  with  a  small  press?  How  do   small  presses  stay  relevant?  An  editor  with   over  30  years  experience  and  a  spectrum   of  writers,  representing  four  presses  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  discuss  the  past  and  future  of  lesbian   publishing.   Staging  the  Story:  Film  techniques  to   engage  YA  readers.    (Sheryl    Scarborough,   Ingrid  Sundberg,  Cori  McCarthy,  Amy  Rose   Capetta,  Jennifer  Bosworth)   High-­‐octane  entertainment  is  a  teen  staple.   But  all  that  razzle-­‐dazzle  can  skew  their   expectations  of  books.  Our  five  panelists   reveal  techniques  they  pulled  from  film,  TV   or  theater  and  how  they  applied  them  to   create  notable  YA  fiction.  Specific  craft   focus  on  how  action  pacing,  alternate  POVs,   cinematic  motifs  and  serial  construction   can  lure  readers  into  the  imagination  zone.   As  well  as  tips  on  how  to  apply  these  skills   to  your  own  work.     Stand  Up  Poetry  in  a  Stand  Up  Town.     (Kim  Dower,  Charles  Harper  Webb,  Ron   Koertge,  Brendan  Constantine,  Michael   Constantine)   Poets  who  encapsulate  a  vibrant  and   growing  poetry  scene  in  Los  Angeles  (and   beyond)  and  a  veteran  comic  actor  show   how  poetry  can  not  only  be  relished  on  the   page,  but  devoured  on  the  stage—funny   and  fun  without  sacrificing  depth  and  craft.   Learn  presentation  tips,  secrets  and  tricks   from  poets  who  inspire,  who  will  teach  you   how  to  connect  emotionally  with  an   audience  and  to  stretch  your  style  to  ignite   both  the  hilarity  and  despair  unique  to   your  work.     Stories  to  Live:  Joan  Didion  and  Today's   Essayists.    (Colin  Rafferty,  Meghan  Daum,   Leslie  Jamison,  Brian  Oliu,  Kristen  Radtke)   California  native  Joan  Didion,  with  her   blend  of  reportage,  lyricism,  and  the   personal,  forged  a  path  in  the  sixties  and   seventies  for  the  writing  that  we  now  call   “creative  nonfiction.”  Five  essayists  who  

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have  followed  in  Didion’s  wake  discuss  her   influence  on  them,  considering  how  she   serves  as  a  guide  for  navigating  the   complicated  terrain  of  today  and   explaining  how  her  models,  whether  in  the   essay,  the  memoir,  or  the  travelogue,  have   affected  their  own  writing.     Story  as  Survival  :  LGBTQ  Memoir.    (Julia   Koets,  Mark  Doty,  Julie  Marie  Wade,  Barrie   Jean  Borich,  Paul  Lisicky)   This  panel  will  discuss  how  memoir  can  be   a  form  of  survival  for  queer  writers  and   readers.  How  does  the  book  act  as  a   dwelling  place  for  LGBTQ  writers  who  are   rejected  from  their  families  and   communities;  how  does  memoir  allow  for   liberatory  performances  of  gender  and   sexuality;  how  can  queer  writers  re-­‐write   history  in  crucial  ways?  Many  of  the   writers  on  this  panel  are  also  fiction   writers  or  poets:  how  are  the  stakes   different  when  it  comes  to  writing  memoir   about  sexuality  and  gender?     Story  by  Design:  Visual  Narratives.     (Zach  Dodson,  Alexandra  Chasin,  Stephen   Farrell,  Samantha  Gorman,  Warren  Lehrer)   There  is  a  secret  history  of  designed  works   in  fiction,  from  Tristram  Shandy  to  House   of  Leaves.  Incorporating  the  tools  of   design,  authors  can  create  works  of  visual   literature  in  which  typography,  image,  and   visual  sequence  are  integral.  Starting  from   writing  and  print  design,  these  designers-­‐ as-­‐authors,  interactive  storytellers,   professors  and  publishers  of  visual   narrative  explore  the  design  thinking   behind  these  works.  This  panel  is  a  writer’s   bridge  to  the  visual  and  interactive  realms.     Stray  Dogs:  Writing  from  the  Other   America.    (Ron    Cooper,  Michael    Gills,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Joseph  Haske,  Larry    Fondation,  William   Hastings)   The  panelists  all  come  from  lower  class   upbringings  and  write  about  the  lives  of   the  poor,  the  downtrodden,  and  the   marginalized.  All  the  panelists  publish  with   small  presses.  The  panelists  will  discuss   the  place  of  writing,  particularly  fiction,  by   and  about  poor  people  in  the  American   literary  tradition  and  in  the  current  state  of   literature.     Succeed  Better:  The  Many  Ways  Our   Words  Can  Bear  Fruit.    (David  Ebenbach,   Erika  Dreifus,  Anna  McCormally,  Margaret   Luongo,  Dawn  Dorland  Perry)   Faced  with  Amazon  rankings,  bestseller   statuses,  and  zero-­‐sum  “top  writer”  lists,   you  might  think  that  success  is  all  about   numbers—but  numbers  are  the  palest   measure  of  what  our  work  can  do  in  the   world.  The  writers  and  editors  on  this   panel  will  share  personal  stories  about   how  writing  can  lead  to  poignant   encounters,  salved  wounds,  changed  lives,   and  empowered  people.  This  conversation   will  broaden  the  definition  of  success  to   encompass  the  things  that  mean  the  most.     Teaching  Beyond  the  Academy:   Mentoring  Elderly  Students  at  Writers'   Centers,  Local  Ys,  and  Elder  Care   Facilities.    (Jennifer  Franklin,  Sally   Bliumis-­‐Dunn,  Tony  Howarth,  Lorraine   Bahr,  Frances  Richey)   How  do  we  most  effectively  teach  elderly   students?  Panelists  discuss  subtle/   pronounced  differences  of  teaching   creative  writing  workshops  (all  genres)  to   a  distinct,  often  distinguished   demographic.  Instructors  who  specialize  in   teaching  outside  the  academy  share   experiences  and  offer  advice  on  teaching  

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this  cohort.  Dos  and  don'ts  of  approach  will   be  explored.  A  student  in  his  80s  shares   experiences,  published  work,  and  what  he   and  others  are  looking  for  in  teachers,   mentors,  and  courses.     Tendrils  and  Roots:  Place-­‐ing  the   Personal  in  the  Contemporary  Eco-­‐ elegy.    (Sandra  Meek,  Brenda  Hillman,   Sherwin  Bitsui,  Laura-­‐Gray    Street,   Marcella  Durand)   Writing  in  a  "late  age"-­‐-­‐post-­‐Modern,  post-­‐ Confessional,  post-­‐Postmodern-­‐-­‐ contemporary  ecopoetry  is  often  elegiac,   acutely  aware  not  only  of  perennial   transience,  but  of  potentially  irrevocable   environmental  devastation.  How,  in  a   poetry  that  does  not  view  the  human  as   nature's  center,  can  the  poet  include  "self"   to  weave  a  complex  ecology  without   reducing  "Nature"  to  an  echo  chamber   speaking  back  "I"?  Panelists,  all  eco-­‐ elegists,  discuss  the  mode's  challenges  and   generative  possibilities.     The  Absence  of  Color:  Addressing  the   Lack  of  Diverse  Writers  of  Children’s   Books.    (Laurisa  Reyes,  Chana  Keefer)   Of  the  3200+  children's  books  published   each  year,  fewer  than  8%  feature   characters  of  color.  Efforts  to  address  the   lack  of  diversity  in  children’s  books,  such   as  the  #WeNeedDiverseBooks  campaign,   are  directed  at  professionals  currently   writing  and  working  within  the   predominantly  white  industry.  However,   effectual  change  demands  that  we   recognize  the  absence  of  diverse  authors,   ascertain  the  reasons  for  this  absence,  and   strategize  ways  to  increase  the  numbers  of   diverse  writers  in  the  future.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  The  Academic  Job  Market  in  Creative   Writing:  Considering  Identity.    (Patricia   Killelea,  Janelle  Adsit,  Ching-­‐In  Chen,  Sarah   Sloane,  Chris  Santiago)   A  panel  of  recent  hires  and  search   committee  members  speak  frankly  about   the  academic  hiring  process  from  both   sides  of  the  interview  table.  Focusing  on   questions  of  identity,  panelists  address   bias  and  problematize  definitions  of  fit.   Panelists  describe  choices  made  in  crafting   professional  narratives  and  reconceive   genres  like  cover  letters  as  documents  that   not  only  persuade  search  committees,  but   also  subvert  the  genre  in  ways  that  address   the  candidate's  own  needs.     The  Active  Politics  of  Queer/Feminist  of   Color  and  Indigenous  Feminist   Publishing  Movements.    (Lisa    Moore,   Felicia    Montes,  Tanaya  Winder,  Audrey   Castillo,  Kim  Tran)   Queer/feminist  of  color  and  indigenous   publisher-­‐activists  have  historically   demonstrated  their  commitments  to   amplifying  the  voices  of  transgressive   artists  and  writers  in  the  U.S.  publishing   culture  that  relentlessly  attempts  to  erase   us.  This  gathering  of  queer/feminist  of   color  publishers  from  As/Us,  Mujeres  de   Maiz,  RedBone,  and  Third  Woman  will   address  the  politics  that  undergird  our   impetus  to  publish  alternative   writing/thought  and  how  we  understand   publishing  as  a  form  of  activism.     The  Amateur’s  Raid  in  a  World  of   Specialists:  Research  and  the  Personal   Essay.    (Michele  Morano,  John  T.    Price,   Ned    Stuckey-­‐French,  Mara  Naselli)   Scott  Russell  Sanders  describes  the  essay   form  as  “an  amateur’s  raid  in  a  world  of   specialists.”  These  panelists  have  all  waded  

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into  specialized  worlds,  gathering   information  that  they  marry  with  personal   experience  on  the  page.  They  will  discuss  a   variety  of  creative  ways  to  conduct   research  and  craft  narratives  that  combine   new  knowledge  with  a  distinctive,  fluid   voice.     The  Art  of  the  Book  Review.    (Joseph   Salvatore,  Helen  Schulman,  Courtney   Maum,  Tony  Leuzzi,  Scott  Cheshire)   Thousands  of  books  are  published  each   year.  We're  led  to  many  of  them  by   intelligent,  engaging,  well-­‐made  book   reviews,  which  not  only  investigate  and   articulate  the  mysteries  and  pleasures  a   literary  text  offers,  but  also  please  the   reader  with  their  style.  Five  widely   published  writers/critics/editors  will   discuss  the  review  as  a  genre  in  its  own   right,  a  unique  artistic  form  that   contributes  to  the  formation  of  taste,  raises   the  level  of  public  discourse,  and   establishes  critical  reputation.     The  Ashcan  School  Redux.    (Jen   Fitzgerald,  Erika  L.  Sanchez,  Rodrigo   Toscano,  Alyss  Dixson,  Christopher  Soto)   As  our  society  is  consumed  by  a  fabricated   and  polished  version  of  reality,  Social   Realist  writers  are  organically  moving   toward  a  resurgence  of  the  “Ashcan   School.”    Panelists  representing  different   forms  of  activism  will  discuss  how  their   work  has  allowed  them  to  cull  from  lived   experiences  to  create  their  art.    The  brick   and  mortar  of  human  interaction  and  the   witnessing  of  events  shape  our  personal   narratives  and  fuel  our  writing.     The  Asian  Face  of  War,  Gaining   Perspectives  from  Both  Sides  –  a  look  at   WWII,  Vietnam,  and  Korea..    (Gregory  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Dunne,  Lois    Jones,  Ross  Cantalupo,  Mong   Lan,  Kyoko    Yoshida)   How  does  literature  remain  conversant   with  the  history  of  war  in  Asia?  Why  does  it   remain  vital  and  relevant?  Seventy  years   after  WWII,  and  forty  years  after  the  fall  of   Saigon,  a  gathering  of  writers,  whose  work   was  published  in  Kyoto  Journal  and  who   write  out  of  an  awareness  of  war,  address   questions  of  war  and  literature’s  ongoing   response  to  it.  Four  writers,  some  based   outside  the  United  States,  will  speak  to   Japanese,  Korean,  and  Vietnamese   literature  in  light  of  history  and  war.     The  Author  as  Entrepreneur:  How  to   Build  Your  Writing  Business.    (Mary   Rasenberger,  Janis  Nelson,  Alexander  Chee,   Lauren  Cerand)   A  successful  writing  career  demands  more   than  writing  books.  Every  author,  whether   self-­‐published  or  traditionally  published,   increasingly  takes  on  the  role  of  small   business  owner,  making  more  decisions  at   each  step  of  the  publishing  and  marketing   process,  from  contract  negotiation  to   reading  tour.  This  panel,  presented  by  the   Authors  Guild,  will  explore  what  authors   need  to  know  about  contracts,  taxes,   marketing  and  publicity  to  succeed  in  an   ever  more  competitive  publishing   marketplace.     The  Black  Jazz  Poetic  in  the  21st   Century:    Ancient  to  the  Future?.     (Tyehimba  Jess,  Duriel  Harris,  Geoffrey     Jacques,  Harmony    Holiday,  Jerriod  Avant)   As  Jazz  approaches  its  centennial,  a   multigenerational  panel  of  Black  poets   analyze  how  its  influence  has  shaped  their   understanding  of  craft  and  what  that   influence  will  look  and  sound  like  in  the   21st  century.  In  an  age  where  Jazz  has  been  

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reported  to  be  Americans'  least  favorite   music  genre,  how  do  younger  Black  poets   access  a  Jazz  Aesthetic  to  reclaim,   reimagine  and  regenerate  it  for   themselves?    How  do  mid-­‐career  poets   relate  and  regenerate  a  Jazz  aesthetic  in   their  practice  and  praxis?     The  Business  of  Publishing  Your  First   Novel:  Author  and  Publisher   Perspectives.    (Dennis  Johnson,  Catie   Disabato,  Edan  Lepucki,  Kirk  Lynn,   Maxwell  Neely-­‐Cohen)   Melville  House  co-­‐publisher  and  co-­‐ founder  Dennis  Johnson  will  lead  a   practical  discussion  of  the  publishing   process  with  three  authors  in  various   stages  of  their  literary  careers.  Topics  will   include:  acquisitions,  editing,  big-­‐house  vs.   independent  publishers,  publicity,   marketing,  tours,  social-­‐networking,  and   the  changing  role  of  the  author.     The  California  Prose  Poem.    (Brad   Crenshaw,  Marilyn  Chin,  Killarney  Clarey,   Gary    Young,  Stephen  Kessler)   The  prose  poem  has  enjoyed  particular   success  among  California  poets.  The  scenic   landscape,  the  ethnic  voices,  the  meditative   optimism  have  been  favorite  themes.  Five   Californian  poets,  each  with  a  distinct   approach  to  the  prose  poem,  will  discuss   why  they  chose  to  write  in  this  form,  and   their  strategies  used  to  distinguish  their   work  from  lined  poetry,  on  the  one  hand,   and  discursive  narrative  on  the  other.   Together  they  will  share  what  they  have   learned  from  their  challenging,  creative   muses.     The  Changing  Face  of  Book  Publicity:   Get  the  Most  from  Your  Publicist.     (Angela    Pneuman,  Michelle  Blankenship,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Mitchell  Jackson,  Kirker  Butler,  Van   Khanna)   You’ve  sold  your  book,  only  to  find  out  that   the  independent  press,  university  press  or   even  the  traditional  New  York  press  has   limited  resources  dedicated  to  its  publicity.   This  panel  of  publicists  and  authors   discusses  how  best  to  coordinate  efforts   between  in-­‐house  publicists  and   independent  publicists  and  explores  the   measures  you  should—and  should  not— take  on  your  own  behalf.  Discussion  will   include  traditional  media  and  social  media,   as  well  as  how  to  use  events  to  your   advantage.     The  Changing  Face(s)  of  Publishing.     (Wayne  Miller,  Jane  Friedman,  Erin  Belieu,   Daniel  José  Older,  Roberto  Tejada)   Digital  innovation,  the  VIDA  count,   #WeNeedDiverseBooks,  a  seeming   explosion  of  translations—the  face  of   publishing,  tools  for  publishing,  and   reasons  for  being  a  publisher  are  all   changing  at  a  disorienting  speed.  In  this   panel,  editors  and  contributors  to  the   recently  released  Literary  Publishing  in  the   21st  Century  will  debate  and  interrogate   issues  of  success,  power,  diversity,  and   politics  (among  others)  as  literary   publishing—and  authors—look  to  the  next   thirty  years.     The  Darkening  Trapeze:  Last  Poems  of   Larry  Levis.    (David    St.  John,  Carolyn   Forche,  Linda  Gregerson,  Terrance  Hayes,   Tony  Hoagland)   This  panel  will  consider  the  lasting  legacy   of  California  poet  Larry  Levis  (1946-­‐1995)   viewed  through  the  lens  of  the  forthcoming   (January,  2016)  posthumous  collection,   The  Darkening  Trapeze..  The  panel  will   discuss  Levis’  enormous  stylistic  and  

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philosophical  influence  upon  an  entire   younger  generation  of  poets,  as  well  as  the   poets  of  his  own,  as  well  as  the  longtime   friendship  between  Levis  and  his  mentor   Philip  Levine.       The  Ethics  of  the  Artist:  Writing  about   Family  in  Essay  and  Memoir.    (Laura     Cronk,  Alice    Cohen,  Julie  Metz,  Brando   Skyhorse,  Aspen  Matis)   After  a  writer  realizes  that  a  story  must  be   told  comes  a  difficult  question.  Can  this   story  be  told?  Nonfiction  writers  must   grapple  with  the  rights  of  others  in  their   stories.  In  this  panel,  essayists  and   memoirists  discuss  the  ethical  and  artistic   quandaries  of  writing  nonfiction.  What  are   the  real  costs  of  writing  about  family,  for   both  the  writer  and  those  written  about?   How  do  responsibility  and  freedom   intersect  in  nonfiction?     The  Garden  of  Forking  Paths:  Journals   Focusing  on  Translation.    (Martin  Rock,   Daniel  Simon,  Wayne  Miller,  Elizabeth   Clark  Wessel)   Access  to  writing  in  translation  is  essential   to  all  writers,  and  a  growing  number  of   literary  journals  are  focusing  heavily  on   publishing  translated  works.  Editors  of   journals  that  focus  on  translation  will   engage  in  a  discussion  on  the  necessity  of   translation  to  a  robust  and  diverse  literary   community.  We  will  also  focus  on  the   practice  of  translation,  ranging  from  ethics   to  accuracy  to  the  process  of  obtaining   rights  and  paying  translators  for  their   work.     The  Global  MFA:  Travel,  Displacement,   and  Writing.    (Richard  Katrovas,  T.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Geronimo  Johnson,  Cherae  Clark,  Samrat   Upadhyay,  Katie  Moulton)   How  does  travel  help  to  displace  writers   and  their  work?    How  does  displacement   contribute  to  a  writer’s  development?     How  can  MFA  programs  design  and  fund   such  opportunities  for  their  students?     Panelists  who  have  developed  and   participated  in  excursions  to  the  Czech   Republic  and  Nepal  explore  the   relationship  of  such  journeys  to  graduate   work,  teaching  practice,  and  writing   completed  during  and  after  their  MFA   experiences,  as  well  as  offering  strategies   for  developing  such  initiatives.     The  Imperfect  Writing  Life.    (Samantha   Dunn,  Carol  Edgarian,  Dani  Shapiro,  Andre   Dubus  III,  Bill  Clegg)   Chaos.  False  starts.    Inner  critics.  Jobs,  kids,   mates.    Social  media  distractions.    It’s  a   wonder  books  ever  get  written.  Some   writers  make  it  look  easy,  but  the  truth  is   that  it’s  tough  for  anyone  to  get  to  the  page   when  life  throws  its  inevitable  curveballs.   Four  bestselling  authors  talk  about  how   they  negotiate  the  crooked  path  to  getting   the  job  done.     The  Life  of  the  Poet  in  the  World.     (Samuel  Ace,  R.  Erica  Doyle,  CA  Conrad,   Sueyeun  Juliette  Lee)   Only  recent  history  has  put  poets  into   universities.  In  the  past,  poets  have   traveled,  begged,  worked  in  insurance   companies,  as  lawyers,  surveyors,   merchants,  doctors,  census  takers.   Although  some  of  us  now  teach  in   universities,  this  is  a  gathering  of  poets   who  have  worked  outside  of  the  academy  -­‐   by  choice,  chance,  struggle  and/or  luck,   surviving  through  audacity,  guile,   starvation,  love.  Come  hear  the  reasons,  

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histories,  work  and  trajectories  of  these   writing  lives  in  the  world.     The  Literary  Genius  of  Kendrick  Lamar.     (Rion  Scott,  Mensah    Demary,  Nathaniel   Marshall,  Kiese  Laymon,  Natalie  Graham)   Hip-­‐hop  and  literature  have  always   intersected,  but  the  genres  find  an  even   greater  connection  in  the  work  of   Compton,  CA’s  Kendrick  Lamar,  who  has   released  three  albums  that  rival  the   greatest  works  of  fiction  and  creative  non-­‐ fiction  in  depth  of  theme,  imagery  and   storytelling  complexity.  In  this  panel,   writers  influenced  by  Lamar's  work   discuss  what  writers  can  learn  about   storytelling  from  the  rapper's  albums   which  are  novelistic  in  both  scope  and   structure.     The  Long  and  The  Short  of  It.    (Oindrila     Mukherjee,  Samrat  Upadhyay,  Kevin     Wilson,  Amber    Dermont,  Tiphanie   Yanique)   If  writing  a  novel  requires  the  long-­‐term   commitment  and  continual  nurturing  of  a   marriage,  then  writing  a  short  story   resembles  a  fling  –  short,  sharp,  and   remembered  forever.  While  many  writers   (and  readers)  are  particularly  drawn  to   one  of  these  forms,  some  feel  compelled  to   practice  both,  sometimes  simultaneously   or  in  close  succession.  Come  hear  writers   who  have  found  success  with  both  novels   and  story  collections  discuss  the  challenges   and  rewards  of  their  literary  promiscuity.     The  Long  View:  Moving  from  Essay  to   Book.    (Geeta  Kothari,  Ladette  Randolph,   Irina  Reyn,  Marie  Myung-­‐Ok  Lee,  Elizabeth   Kadetsky)   A  narrative  inherently  changes  shape  when   an  author  moves  from  short  story  to  novel,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  but  what  about  from  essay  to  booklength   nonfiction?  What  gets  upset  when  the   word  count  lengthens,  and  what  might  be   gained  by  starting  from  the  kernel  of  a   theme  or  a  structural  motif  contained  in  an   essay?  Might  an  essay  collection  gain   market  power  by  tackling  a  larger  subject   that  strikes  a  chord  with  a  wide   readership?  Editors  and  writers  discuss   their  experiences  in  making  books  that   began  as  essays.     The  Many  Voices  of  Poetry.    (Wendy   Martin,  Don  Share,  Tess  Taylor,  Atsuro   Riley,  Stephen  Burt)   This  panel  of  accomplished  poets,  critics,   editors  and  teachers  will  discuss  the  many   voices  of  contemporary  American  poetry   with  an  emphasis  on  the  aesthetics,  craft   and  antecedents  of  Confessional,  Lyric,   Neoformalist,  Spoken  Word,  Conceptual,   historical  and  political  poetry.  The   panelists  will  also  explore  the  many  new   voices  of  contemporary  U.S.  poetry  from   poets  in  diverse  multicultural  communities   including  Afro-­‐American,  Asian-­‐American,   Latino/Latina  as  well  as  Feminist,  LGBT   and  others.     The  Meaning  of  Every(MFA)thing:   Program  Directors  Tell  All.    (Michelle   Herman,  Kevin  Canty,  Michael    Byers,  Jean   McGarry,  Dara  Wier)   Directors  of  5  renowned  MFA  programs   talk  frankly  about  all  aspects  of  the   application  process,  from  how  to  narrow   the  field  for  your  applications  and  when   and  why  to  embark  on  an  MFA  to  how  to   prepare  the  most  effective  and  successful   application-­‐-­‐including  a  discussion  of   writing  samples  and  personal  statements-­‐-­‐ and  how  to  choose  from  among  the   programs  to  which  you've  been  admitted  

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and  how  to  navigate  waiting  lists.  We'll  talk   about  variations  among  programs  and   answer  all  your  questions.     The  Music  Issue:  Poetry's  Root  Influence   (Hosted  by  The  Oxford  American).     (Ansel  Elkins  ,  Thomas  Sayers  Ellis,  Ada   Limon,  Don  Share,  Rebecca  Gayle    Howell)   Roots  music  represents  a  diversity  of  styles   ranging  from  Tejano  to  gospel  to  blues  and   beyond—sound  work  from  the  crossroads   of  place,  family,  and  culture.  Poetry,  too,   has  an  Americana  tradition,  a  divergent   verse  that  sings  the  multitudes  of  our  fly-­‐ over  selves.  The  Oxford  American  presents   a  conversation  about  musical  influence   that  moves  through  the  global  into  the   local  and  returns  us  to  the  origins  of   poetry:  the  beat,  the  breath.     The  NEA  Turns  50:  Celebrating  a  Half   Century  of  Support  for  Literature  in   America.    (Amy  Stolls,  Fiona  McCrae,  Ken   Chen,  Luis  Alberto  Urrea,  Natasha   Tretheway)   What  do  Ralph  Ellison,  Harper  Lee,  and   John  Steinbeck  have  in  common?  They   were  among  the  first  council  members  of   the  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts  in   1966  that  argued  for  grants  to  creative   writers.  Since  then,  the  NEA  has  been  the   unsung  hero  behind  the  successful  careers   of  many  thousands  of  writers  and  literary   organizations.  Join  key  members  of  the   literary  community  in  a  discussion  of  the   NEA  and  the  literary  landscape  over  the   last  50  years,  and  what  the  next  50  years   might  look  like.     The  Necessity  of  Science  Writing  and   Scientific  Literacy  in  the  Anthropocene.     (Nancy  Lord,  Eva  Saulitis,  Marilyn  Sigman,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Elizabeth  Bradfield,  Melissa  Hendricks   Joyce)   Many  scientists  apply  the  term   “anthropocene”  to  the  geological  era  we   now  live  in—with  humans  the  dominant   force  in  planet-­‐scale  change.   Understanding  the  science  behind  global   warming,  extinctions,  etc.  is  essential  to   prepare  for  the  future.  Today’s  creative   writers  are  called  upon  to  research  and   present  scientific  topics  in  factual  and   accessible  forms.  Panelists  will  share  their   experiences  writing  and  teaching  science-­‐ focused  narratives  for  general  audiences.     The  New  Globalism.    (Marie    Mockett,   Sunil  Yapa,  Peter  Mountford,  Marlon     James,  Luis  Urrea)   We  live  in  a  radically  new  world,  one   where  we  practice  Buddhism  in  California,   import  Texan  rice  to  India,  and  watch   Hollywood  movies  high  in  the  Andes.  We   are  writers  traversing  the  globe,  obsessed   with  the  intersections  of  culture  and   economy  in  a  globally-­‐engaged,  post-­‐ colonial  literature.  How  does  such  work   demand  even  greater  empathy?  How  is  a   multiple  heritage  a  new  strength?  What  is   the  new  frontier  for  an  American  literature   born  of  two  worlds?  Come  hear  us  talk   about  it.     The  New  Nature  Writing.    (Michelle   Nijhuis,  Sarah  Gilman,  Meera  Subramanian,   Christine    Woodside)   What  is  the  impact  of  global  warming  on   contemporary  literature  and  creative   nonfiction  in  particular?  How  do  you  write   creatively  about  climate  change?  And  how   can  we  engage  new  audiences  about  a   deeply  polemic  issue?  Through  a  sustained   discussion  of  craft,  best  practices,  and   theory  this  panel  will  explore  the  ways  in  

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which  global  warming  has  destabilized  and   redefined  our  literary  interaction  with   nature.     The  New  Nonfiction:  Where  Literary   Writing  Bumps  into  Journalism.    (Martha   Nichols,  Fred  Setterberg,  Yi  Shun  Lai,   Autumn  Stephens,  Valerie  Boyd)   In  the  brave  new  media  world,  journalists   aren’t  the  only  ones  publishing  magazine   articles.  But  as  journalism  and  creative   nonfiction  merge,  there’s  more  confusion   than  ever  about  what  nonfiction  is—and   it's  not  what  you  think.  This  panel  of   journalists  and  editors,  from  both  coasts   and  in  between,  will  discuss  what  it  takes   to  combine  accurate  reporting  with  literary   technique.  They'll  address  audience   questions  along  with  hot  buttons  like  bias,   narrative  reconstruction,  and  fact  fudging.     The  New  Translation  Economy.    (Will   Evans,  Chad  Post,  Oliva  Sears,  Stephen       Sparks  ,  Jadranka  Vrsalovic-­‐Carevic)   Translators,  publishers,  booksellers,  and   cultural  agencies  work  together  to  create   the  economic  context  for  the  publication  of   translations,  affecting  what  gets  translated   and  by  whom  fundamentally.  This  panel   will  discuss  striking  the  economic  balance   balance  between  authors,  translators,   publishers,  distributors,  bookstores,   cultural  organizations,  and  readers  to   create  a  more  vibrant  and  diverse   translation  marketplace  and  readership.     The  Odd  Couple:  Literature  and   Commerce.    (Manjula  Martin,  Kima  Jones,   Ayesha  Pande,  Jane  Friedman)   Is  literature  an  art,  or  is  it  a  business?   Every  working  writer  is  in  a  constant  state   of  negotiation  between  creativity  and   commerce,  life  and  work,  love  and  money.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  This  panel  explores  how  literary  authors   navigate  such  seemingly  opposing  aspects   of  their  work.  Join  a  novelist,  a   poet/publicist,  a  literary  agent,  and  a   publishing  expert  as  we  share  strategies   for  balancing  the  “writing  life”  with  real   life—and  creating  a  sustainable  career  in   the  process.     The  Other  Side  of  the  Slushpile:  Agents   on  Agenting.    (April  Wolfe,  Meredith   Kaffel,  Noah  Ballard,  Emma  Patterson,   Michelle  Brower)   The  world  of  literary  agents  can  seem   murky  and  impenetrable  to  authors   beginning  the  querying  process,  but  it   doesn't  have  to  be  that  way!  This  panel  will   focus  on  candidly  exploring  how  authors   and  agents  actually  find  each  other  in  the   real  world.  What  do  agents  actually  do,   why  do  they  do  it,  and  what  does  it  take  to   get  their  attention?  With  an  extended   question  and  answer  session,  writers  will   have  the  opportunity  to  ask  our  panel  of   actively  acquiring  agents  their  most   burning  questions.     The  Persistence  of  Memory:  Poets   Writing  Memoir.    (Jeffrey  Thomson,  Beth   Ann    Fennelly,  Brian    Turner,  Richard     Blanco)   Poetry  and  memoir  are  often  thought  of  as   closely  related—each  begins  in  and  works   with  memory  and  the  inner  life  of  self  to   articulate  a  world  in  language.    So  what   happens  when  poets  enter  the  arena  of   prose  and  tell  their  stories  in  long  form?     Four  award-­‐winning  poets  discuss  their   recent  memoirs  and  explore  the   interactions  and  bonds  between  the  forms.     Using  their  own  craft  as  examples,  they   discuss  the  challenges  of  memoir  as  well  as  

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the  freedoms,  the  limitations  as  well  as   possibilities.     The  Poetic  Past:  Crafting  Poems   Through  Historical  Material.    (Linwood   Rumney,  Campbell  McGrath,  Collier   Nogues,  Bettina  Judd,  John  Drury)   Contemporary  poetry  is  filled  with  work   that  explores  historical  material.  Reflecting   on  the  importance  of  this  tradition,  this   panel  will  offer  insights  into  writing   strategies,  research  practices,  and   professional  opportunities  for  such  work.   What  is  the  poet’s  responsibility  to   historical  accuracy  and  representing   historical  figures?  What  kind  of  research  is   done  in  crafting  such  poems?  What   strategies  can  poets  use  to  write  about  and   through  historical  material?     The  Poetics  of  Loss:    Writing  About   Private,  Public  and  Historical  Grief.     (Richard  Michelson,  Martin  Espada,  Doug   Anderson,  Jan  Freeman)   How  do  we  write—and  write  well—about   grief  and  loss?  Can  poetry  of  personal  grief   console  family,  friends  or  the  poet  him  or   herself?  Can  poetry  of  communal  grief   console  a  community  or  nation?  How  can   poets  contribute  to  the  search  for  meaning   at  a  time  of  personal  or  collective  crisis?   How  should  poets  respond  to  the   ceremonies  of  loss?  Is  it  the  poet's   responsibility  to  articulate  hope  and  the   possibility  of  redemption  in  the  face  of   loss?     The  Print  Journal  in  a  Digital  Age.     (Michael  Dumanis,  John  Freeman,  Brigid   Hughes,  Uzoamaka  Maduka,  Wayne  Miller)   Five  editors  of  print  literary  journals   founded  in  the  past  ten  years  discuss  the   challenges  and  opportunities  presented  by  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  print  publishing  in  an  era  when  internet   publishing  may  seem  a  less  risky  choice   due  to  its  low  cost  and  universal   distribution.  Why  make  a  commitment  to   print  in  the  21st  century?  Has  the  role  of   the  magazine  changed?  Who  still  reads   print  journals  these  days,  and  why?  How   can  print  literary  culture  be  reinvigorated?   Might  this  be  a  favorable  time  for  a  print   renaissance?     The  Queer  Writer’s  Dilemma:  LGBTQ   Writers  on  Identity  and  Representation.     (Tiffany  Ferentini,  Brian  Kornell,  Kim  van   Alkemade,  Garth  Greenwell,  Lauren   Espinoza)   Is  there  a  difference  between  being  a  queer   writer,  and  a  writer  who  “happens  to  be”   queer?  Is  there  a  social  obligation  for   LGBTQ  writers  to  write  exclusively  queer   pieces,  or  is  their  identity  alone  enough  to   establish  themselves  in  the  queer  writing   community?  In  this  panel,  LGBTQ  writers   who  have  established  themselves  as   editors,  translators,  and  academics  debate   what  it  means  to  identify  as  a  queer  writer,   and  how  their  writing  identity  transcends   the  written  page.     The  Return  of  Aphrodite’s  Daughter:   Rhetoric  in  Contemporary  Poetry.     (Jericho    Brown,  Sharon  Dolin,  Linda   Gregerson,  Phillis  Levin,  Rosanna  Warren)   Persuasion  is  Aphrodite's  daughter:  it  is   she  who  beguiles  our  mortal  hearts.  So   wrote  Sappho  2,600  years  ago,  and   rhetorical  figures  persist  as  the  structural   foundation  of  many  memorable  lines  of   poetry—from  Mark  Doty  to  Terrance   Hayes  to  Lyn  Hejinian.  After  a  successful   panel  in  Seattle,  five  contemporary  poets   return  to  discuss  five  different  rhetorical   figures  such  as:  apostrophe,  occupatio,  

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litotes,  and  antanaclasis  as  it  exists  in  their   own  poems  and  in  those  of  poets  they   admire.     The  Rise  of  the  Literary  Podcast  Genre:   What  Mistakes  Not  to  Make  in  Your  First   Year  of  Starting  a  Podcast.    (Abigail   Browning,  Kevin    Larimer,  Tom  McAllister,   Lindsay  Garbutt)   Given  the  nature  of  smart  phones  and   access  to  digital  media,  the  podcast  genre   is  emerging  as  one  of  the  most  pervasive   arts  and  entertainment  mediums  today.    A   young  field  (early  mentions  date  to  2004),   literary  podcasts  provide  game-­‐changing   possibilities  for  presses,  literary   magazines,  MFA  Programs,  and  writers  to   broaden  reach  and  engage  millennials  to   boomers  (and  beyond).  Learn  what  you   need  to  get  started,  and  what  mistakes  to   avoid  in  your  first  year  behind  the   microphone.     The  Science  of  Story:  Creative   Nonfiction  and  Cognitive  Science.    (Sean     Prentiss,  Jessica  Hendry  Nelson,  Matt  Gavin   Frank,  Nancer  Ballard)   New  research  in  cognitive/neuroscience   illuminates  how  and  why  creative   nonfiction  works.  We  will  explore  why  our   perception  of  time  slows  during  crisis  and   how  to  replicate  crisis  on  the  page   (showing)  and  why  the  best  nonfiction   engages  the  prefrontal  cortex  through   introspection,  reflection,  and  speculation   (components  of  telling).  This  panel  will   examine  elements  of  creative  nonfiction   and  offer  suggestions  on  how  we  can  use   science  to  improve  our  writing  and  writing   lives.       The  Special  Relationship:  Transatlantic   Literary  Alliances.    (Emma  Claire  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Sweeney,  Elizabeth  L.    Silver  ,  Ifeona    Fulani   ,  Kim      Stafford,  Wendy        Vaizey)   What  are  the  similarities  and  differences   between  creative  writing  programs  in  the   US  and  UK?  We  will  explore  this  in  relation   to  students’  writing  and  future  careers.   Familiarity  with  both  education  systems   can  open  up  professional  opportunities   and  networks  while  also  broadening   creative  and  intellectual  horizons.  But  how   can  we  ensure  that  our  cross-­‐cultural   exchange  enhances  rather  than  hampers   our  writing,  academic  resumes,  and   publication  trajectories?     The  Tattooed  Desert:  A  Tribute  to  and   Reading  from  Richard  Shelton,  hosted   by  the  U  of  Ariz.  Poetry  Center.    (Alison   Deming,  Mark  Doty,  Ken  Lamberton,  Naomi   Shihab  Nye,  Richard  Shelton)   A  panel/reading  to  celebrate  the  life  of   poet,  writer,  teacher,  and  literary  citizen   Richard  Shelton.    Shelton's  12  collections  of   poetry  include  the  The  Tattooed  Desert,   Selected  Poems:  1969-­‐1981,  and  The  Last   Person  to  Hear  Your  Voice.    A  critical   influence  in  the  20th  century  American   literary  landscape  and  a  quintessential   voice  of  the  American  Southwest,  Shelton's   work  as  an  educator  perseveres,   particularly  in  the  Arizona  prison-­‐writing   program  he  launched  in  1974  that   continues  today.     The  Translator  as  Coauthor:   Collaborative  Translation.    (Edward   Gauvin,  Shabnam  Nadiya,  Kareem  James   Abu-­‐Zeid,  Karen  Emmerich,  Susan  Harris)   When  translators  and  authors  collaborate,   we  often  assume  that  the  translation   replicates  the  original.  Yet  the  results  often   differ  not  only  in  the  obvious  linguistic   ways,  but  also  in  content,  organization,  and  

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even  plot,  as  writers  take  opportunities  to   revise  and  translators  both  render  and   rewrite  the  evolving  text.  Four  translators   discuss  their  experiences  in  working  with   their  authors  to  bring  their  works  into   English,  and  the  creative  strategies   involved  in  collaboration.     The  Violence  of  the  Page.    (Lucy  Corin,   Maggie  Nelson  ,  Brian    Evenson,  Percival     Everett,  Ben  Weissman)   This  panel  will  explore  the  various  tones,   reasons,  genealogies,  and  methodologies   writers  might  choose  to  employ  when   representing  violence,  cruelty,  and  bodies   on  the  page.  The  writers  on  this  panel  have   explored  these  issues  in  a  variety  of  genres   (fiction,  scholarship,  poetry)  and  in  a   variety  of  registers  (comedic,  elegiac,   outrageous,  conceptual,  documentary,  and   more),  and  are  uniquely  capable  of   discussing  the  aesthetic,  political,  and   metabolic  effects  of  such  writing  on  both   creator  an     The  Visionary  Advisor:  Running  a   Student  Literary  Journal  at  a  Two-­‐Year   College  Campus.    (Britton  Shurley,  Sarah     Gutowski,  Melissa  Tyndall,  Evan  Balkan,   Phoebe  Reeves)   Why  should  you  start  a  literary  journal  for   your  two-­‐year  writing  program,  and  how   can  you  make  it  work?  Faculty  advisors   share  their  experiences  with  different   methods  of  production  and  aesthetic:   journals  publishing  primarily  student  work   or  professional  work,  distributed  on-­‐line  or   in  print,  and  edited  partially  or  wholly  by   students.  The  advisor  must  be  both  a   repository  of  institutional  memory  and  a   visionary,  mentoring  students  and   sustaining  the  publication  while  imagining   its  future.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  The  Writing's  on  the  Wall:  Alternatives   Careers  for  the  Creative  Writer.     (Andrew  McFadyen-­‐Ketchum,  T.J.  Jarrett,   Jesse  Waters,  Maggie  Smith-­‐Beehler,  Karen   Mack)   The  writing’s  on  the  wall,  folks:  teaching  at   the  college  level  is  no  longer  a  means  of   making  a  living  for  the  vast  majority  of   creative  writers.  So  what  do  we  do?  This   panel’s  diverse  group  of  writers  working   outside  the  classroom  will  explore  a   variety  of  alternative  careers  for  the   creative  writer,  including  ghostwriting,   software  development,  editing,  executive   communications,  literary  consulting,   directing  writing  centers  and  houses,   public  relations,  and  more.     The  Year  of  Practical  Thinking:  Getting  a   First  Book  to  Print.    (Shanna  Mahin,  Matt   Sumell,  Gwendolyn  Knapp,  Kevin  Sampsell,   Jennifer  Pashley)   Five  fiction  and  memoir  authors  from   wide-­‐ranging  backgrounds  -­‐-­‐  from  big  five   houses  to  tiny  indie  presses  -­‐-­‐  discuss  the   process  of  getting  their  debut  book  to   print.    We'll  discuss  the  agent  query  and   search,  the  sale  (including  money),  the   editing  process,  publicity,  and  planning  a   book  tour.  Everyone  talks  about  how  to  get   published.  What  do  you  do  once  you  sign   the  contract?     Then  We  Came  to  the  End.    (Marie   Mockett,  Heidi  Durrow,  Hasanthika   Sirisena,  Allison  Devers,  Sunil  Yapa)   How  do  you  know  when  you  are  at  the  end   of  a  story?  Western  stories  are  said  to   finish  in  one  of  two  ways:  a  wedding  or  a   funeral.  The  Japanese  psychoanalyst  Hayao   Kawai  has  said  that  the  preferred  ending  to   a  story  in  Japan  is  with  a  beautiful  image.   So,  is  the  ending  to  a  story  partly  a  cultural  

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preference?  Does  every  story  have  one   perfect  ending?     There  and  Back  Again:  Writing  from  the   Road.    (Erika  Krouse,  Kai  Carlson-­‐Wee,   Kim  Barnes,  Andrew  McFadyen-­‐Ketchum,   Maggie  Shipstead)   Five  established  and  emerging  writers  who   work  in  poetry,  fiction,  and  nonfiction   discuss  each  of  their  unique  journeys  in  the   world.  These  travels  include  train-­‐hopping   across  the  US,  marches  in  Ferguson  and   Baltimore,  the  Amtrak  Writing  Residency,   and  The  Arctic  Circle  Residency.  Panelists   address  how  these  endeavors  changed   their  writing  in  ways  they  did  not  expect,   including  personal  research,  craft   development,  and  discoveries  of  larger   environmental,  social,  and  racial  truths.     There's  No  I  in  We:  Writing  Creative   Nonfiction  About  The  Groups  We  Belong   To.    (Maggie  Mertens,  Honor  Moore,  Huan   Hsu,  Ainsley  McWha,  Elissa  Washuta)   We  all  belong  to  groups.  When  we  write   creative  nonfiction  about  our  family,  race,   religion,  gender,  sexuality,  generation,  or   industry,  many  of  us  struggle  to  balance   and  maintain  our  own  first-­‐person  voice   within  a  story  that  might  be  shared  by   many  different  people.  Four  writers  who   have  navigated  the  tug  of  war  between  the   I  and  the  We,  of  various  groups,  discuss   how  to  successfully  write  first-­‐person   narratives  that  tell  more  than  just  one's   own  story.     These  Living  Songs:  Poetry  and   Advocacy  in  the  West.    (Lisa  Simon,   Sandra    Alcosser,  Danell    Jones,  Caroline   Patterson,  Tami  Haaland)   Advocacy  for  both  contemporary  and   historic  poetry  is  a  challenge,  particularly  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  in  large  western  states  where  distance  and   limited  resources  complicate  the  task.  This   panel  will  focus  on  historic  poets  with   connections  to  Montana,  such  as  Grace   Stone  Coates,  Marjorie  Frost  Fraser,  and   J.V.  Cunningham,  as  well  as  contemporary   poets  associated  with  Montana  and  the   West.  Panelists  will  share  poetry  and   discuss  critical  publications  and  radio   programming  designed  to    promote  poets   and  poetry.     Think  Like  an  Editor.    (Matt  Weiland,   Christopher  Cox,  Mary  Norris,  Paul  Reyes,   Sasha  Weiss)   Four  seasoned  magazine  editors  reveal  the   secrets  of  their  trade  and  go  behind  the   scenes  at  some  of  our  most  celebrated   publications.  Join  Christopher  Cox  (deputy   editor  of  Harper’s),  Mary  Norris   (copyeditor  at  The  New  Yorker  and   bestselling  author  of  Between  You  &  Me),   Paul  Reyes  (deputy  editor  of  VQR),  and   Sasha  Weiss  (story  editor  at  the  New  York   Times  Magazine)  for  a  practical   conversation  on  what  makes  pieces  work   and  what  makes  prose  sing,  from  pitching   ideas  to  polishing  commas.     THIS  ENDS  NOW:  Fiction  in  the  Time  of   Crisis.    (Martha    Southgate,  Ravi  Howard,   Asali  Solomon,  Brian  Gilmore,  Sanderia   Faye)   If  you  want  to  change  the  world,  pick  up   your  pen  and  write–Martin  Luther  King,  Jr.     Our  communities  are  in  crisis;  this  is   undisputedly  true.  This  panel  will  consider   the  ways  that  African  American  fiction   writers  respond.  Can  writing  be  an   instrument  of  social  change?  Are  we   obligated  to  focus  our  work  on  the  crisis  at   hand?  Kimbilio  Fellows  will  discuss  the   demands  that  these  troubled  times  place  

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on  our  work,  including  how/if  we  have   responded.  #blacklivesmatter     Through  the  closet:  Writing  human   complexity  in  queer  characters  in   fiction.    (Kate    Maruyama,  Jeanne   Thornton,  Frederick  Smith,  Seth  Fischer,   Catie  Disabato)   The  typical  “coming  out  of  the  closet”   narrative  is  a  fantasy  of  a  starkly   contrasted  before  and  after,  of  complete   disclosure  and  consequence.  Through  the   lens  of  their  works  of  fiction,  the  panelists   will  discuss  the  limitations  of  this   oversimplified  account  of  the  queer   experience  and  explore  their  varying   approaches  in  writing  queer  characters  in   all  of  their  human  nuances  and  differences   across  genres  and  time  peri     To  Hell  and  Back:  Trauma  and  the   Transformational  Arc  in  Personal   Narrative.    (Janice  Gary,  Sue  Silverman,   Melissa  Febos,  Marilyn  Bousquin,  Laura   Bogart)   Great  storytelling  shows  how  a  character   grows  and  changes.  This  is  true  whether  in   fiction  or  nonfiction  and  yet  true  stories  of   personal  growth  and  transformation  are   often  belittled  as  "navel  gazing"  in  the   literary  community  especially  when  it   comes  to  women's  stories.  Five  writers,  all   of  whom  have  taken  the  risk  to  write  about   difficult  life  experiences  will  discuss  the   transformational  arc  in  personal  narrative   and  what  it  takes  to  transcend  trauma  and   turn  it  into  powerful  literature.     Trans  Memoir:  Resisting  Literary   Tropes  and  Narrative  Narcissism.     (Cooper  Bombardier,  Elliott  DeLine,  Joy   Ladin,  Everett  Maroon)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  This  will  be  a  panel  discussion.  Four   published  transgender  authors  will  discuss   their  work  in  memoir,  including:  Joy  Ladin,   Gottesman  Professor  of  English  at  Yeshiva   University  Elliott  DeLine,  an  author  from   Syracuse,  New  York  Cooper  Lee   Bombardier,  an  author  and  creative   writing  instructor  from  Portland,  Oregon   Everett  Maroon,  an  author  from  Walla   Walla,  Washington     Translating  the  Sacred  in  a  Post-­‐ Religious  Age.    (Afaa  Michael  Weaver,  Ewa   Chrusciel,  Cole      Swensen,  Karen  An-­‐hwei   Lee)   Our  panel  explores  the  translation  of   sacred  texts  in  our  secular  age.    What  is  a   faithful  translation  of  a  religious  text?    How   are  concepts  of  freedom  vs.  fidelity   problematized?  In  a  post-­‐religious  context,   are  ritualized  methods  of  translating   sacred  writings  relevant?    In  diverse   tongues  of  global  faith  traditions  –  Hebrew,   Chinese,  Polish,  Aramaic,  Greek  –  our   panelists  share  insights  on  translating   sacred  texts,  then  discuss  the  politics  and   poetics  of  their  strategies.     Translation  and  Influence.    (Sarah   Stickney,  Martha  Collins,  Curtis  Bauer,   Adam  Giannelli,  Piotr  Florczyk)   Translation  is  an  intimate  act.  The  work  of   carrying  an  author  from  one  language  into   another  leaves  a  mark  on  the  translator.   What  effect  does  this  have  on  the   translator's  poetry?  Where  does  the  poet   locate  his  or  her  voice  amid  the  tangle  of   other  voices?  Is  something  learned  about   language  that  couldn't  have  been  learned   from  English?  Five  poets  who  translate   address  how  they  have  transformed,   challenged,  stolen  from  and  been  

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nourished  by  the  powerful  influences  of   authors  they  translate.     Translation  as  a  Democratizing  Force.     (Wendy  Call,  Alison  Mandaville,  Peter   Crume,  Cecilia  Martinez-­‐Gil,  John  Oliver   Simon)   Three  poets,  a  prose  writer,  and  a  scholar,   translators  all,  explore  the  democratizing   power  of  translation.  We  consider  how   translation  –  with  examples  from   Azerbaijani  and  indigenous  Mexican  poets,   a  poet’s  self-­‐translation,  ASL/sign   interpretation  of  speech  and  story  in  the   US  and  Kenya,  and  work  in  multilingual   children’s  poetry  –    empowers  writers  and   increases  equity  in  the  world  of  words  and   ideas,  where  new  possibilities  for  living   together  are  imagined,  shared,  and  set  into   motion.     Translation  as  Animation:  New  Poetry   from  Japan.    (Kyoko    Yoshida  ,  Forrest     Gander  ,  Sawako  Nakayasu,  Goro  Takano,   James  Shea)   Beginning  with  a  short  reading,  this  panel   of  translators  and  writers  will  explore  the   formal  problems,  aesthetic  choices,  and   political  implications  of  translating   contemporary  Japanese  poetry.  Panelists   will  discuss  the  diversity  of  Japanese   poetry  and  consider  how  the  pleasures  and   challenges  of  translation  animate  their  own   writing.  Poets  under  discussion  include   Takashi  Hiraide,  Sayumi  Kamakura,  Shirō   Murano,  Kiwao  Nomura,  and  Gozo   Yoshimasu.     Translation  as  Pure  Writing  IV:   NonFiction.    (Becka  McKay,  Lina  Maria     Ferreira  Cabeza-­‐Vanegas,  Sarah  Viren,  Jen   Zoble,  Mani  Rao)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  This  panel  follows  last  year’s  on  poetry   translations  (as  well  as  the  2014  panel  on   fiction  translations)  by  turning  to  creative   nonfiction  and  exploring  the  pleasures  and   virtues  of  translation  as  pure  creative   nonfiction  writing,  where  the  writers  are   not  distracted  by  what  sort  of  form  to   employ,  how  to  develop  a  character,  or   how  in  the  world  to  end  or  begin.  The   panel  will  also  examine  the  question  of   whether  the  idea  of  “truth”  in  nonfiction  is   affected  by  the  presence  of  translation.     Translation  in  the  Creative  Writing   Classroom:  A  Dire  Necessity  in  Our   Global  Culture.    (Orlando    Menes,  Donald   Bogen,  Aviya  Kushner,  Ae  Hee  Lee,  Alethea   Tusher)   A  discussion  featuring  professors  and   graduate  students  in  creative  writing   programs  who  are  committed  to  literary   translation  as  a  craft  for  crossing  borders,   cultures,  and  geographies,  not  just  the   traditional  notion  of  “transporting”  a  text   from  one  language  to  another;  in  fact,  these   writers  envision  translation  as  a  more   holistic  and  empathic  practice,  so  that   engagement  with  another  language  is  more   appropriately  described  as  a  weaving  of   cultures  rather  than  a  bridging  of  cultures.     Translation  Poetics  Continuum.    (Anna     Deeny  Morales,  Raúl    Zurita,  Valerie  Mejer,   Daniel  Borzutzky)   This  panel  brings  together  poets  and   translators  from  different  countries,   generations  and  political  contexts.  Through   bilingual  readings,  talks  and  dialogue,   speakers  focus  on  the  translation  of  poetry   that  emphasizes  continuously  shifting   political,  historical  and  geographic   contexts.  The  panel  will  consider  the   ethical  imperative  of  translation  as  an  art  

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that  continues  these  dynamic  shifts   initiated  in  the  original  text.     Treating  Your  Setting  Like  A  Character.     (Dana  Elmendorf,  Elizabeth  Briggs,  Jessica   Love,  Kathryn  Rose,  Rachel  Searles)   Though  some  writers  approach  setting  as  a   description  of  details  through  the  five   senses,  treating  your  setting  like  a   character  gives  it  depth  and  value  with  a   more  organic  experience  for  the  reader.   Five  children’s  authors  whose  books  range   from  contemporary  to  sci-­‐fi  to  fantasy   share  how  they  develop  their  settings  like  a   character.  They’ll  discuss  how  to  make   your  setting  feel  real  by  going  beyond   physical  descriptions  and  giving  it  a   backstory,  personality,  and  character  arc.     Truth  and  Consequences:  The  Essential   Role  of  Research  in  Creative  Nonfiction.     (Joey  Franklin,  Eula  Biss,  Elena  Passarello,   Michael  Downs)   Meaningful  research  is  the  lifeblood  of   great  nonfiction,  but  in  the  age  of  Google   and  Wikipedia,  what  constitutes   meaningful  research?  Where  should  we   start  digging,  and  how  do  we  make  the   most  of  what  we  find?  How  do  we  learn  to   trust  serendipity  and  allow  research  to   shape  our  stories?  We  will  discuss   approaches  to  gathering,  processing,  and   interpreting  research,  as  well  as  strategies   for  navigating  the  aesthetic  and  ethical   consequences  of  telling  the  artful,  well-­‐ researched  truth.     Turning  into  Dwelling:  A  Tribute  to   Christopher  Gilbert.    (Ed  Pavlic,  Terrance   Hayes,  Kevin  Young,  Thomas  Sayers  Ellis,   Elizabeth  Alexander)   Christopher  Gilbert  published  one  book  in   his  lifetime,  the  extraordinary  collection  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Across  the  Mutual  Landscape,  but  his   unique  music  and  style  have  influenced  an   extraordinary  range  of  contemporary   American  poets.  Join  us  for  readings  and   appreciations  of  Gilbert's  singular  work,   now  available  for  discovery  again  in  the   new  book  Turning  into  Dwelling.  "Let's  be   simultaneous!"  is  Gilbert's  great  imploring   for  our  mutuality.  Come  and  find  out  what   it  means.     TWO  SIDES  OF  THE  MIRROR:  WRITING   ABOUT  BODY  IMAGE  ACROSS  GENDER.     (Jim  Warner,  Ray  Shea,  Brian  Oliu,  Ronnie   K.  Stephens,  Tabitha  Blankenbiller)   The  drive  to  stay  thin,  young,  attractive  and   sexy  is  a  struggle  synonymous  with   womanhood.  What  are  often  overlooked— in  both  our  culture  at  large  and  in   nonfiction  writing—are  the  challenges  men   face  with  similarly  impossible  demands  on   ideal  size,  shape  and  appearance.  This   discussion  will  bring  together  writers   working  against  gender  expectation  to   expand  the  conversation  on  body  image.     Two-­‐Year  College  Caucus.    (Kris  Bigalk,   Marianne  Botos,  Simone  Zelitch,  Denise   Hill,  Mary    Lannon)   Do  you  teach  at  a  two-­‐year  college?     Interested  in  job  opportunities  at  two-­‐year   colleges?    With  almost  half  of  all  students   beginning  college  careers  at  two-­‐year   colleges,  and  increasing  numbers  of  MFA’s   landing  two-­‐year  college  teaching  jobs,  the   future  of  creative  writing  courses  and   programs  at  our  campuses  looks  bright.     Join  us  for  our  annual  meeting,  where   you'll  meet  other  community  college   faculty,  learn  about  pedagogy,  programs,   jobs,  and  resources.      

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UA  Poetry  Center  Presents:  Spectacular   Poetics  &  the  Poetry  of  Spectacle.     (Hannah  Ensor,  Terrance  Hayes,  Kimiko   Hahn,  Khadijah  Queen,  Adrian  Matejka)   If  poetry  engages  with  spectacle,  why,  and   in  what  ways?  In  this  panel,  we  address   increasingly  ubiquitous  confluences  of   poetics  and  spectacle.  Is  the  poet’s  task  to   call  attention  to  bright  screens,  to  celebrity   culture,  to  the  many  public-­‐facing   pleasures  and  pains  of  the  21st  century?   Do  poets  use  spectacle  (their   understanding  of  audience,  attention,   flashing  lights)  to  their  advantage?  When  it   comes  to  spectacle,  do  we  want  today’s   poets  to  decry  it?  reveal  it?  hold  it  up?   celebrate  it?     University,  Community.    (Genevieve     Kaplan,  Nik    De  Dominic,  Renee  Angler,   Sean    Nevin,  David  Welch)   How  can  university-­‐affiliated  writing   programs  and  reading  series  best  extend   into  the  community?  Writing  program   administrators  and  outreach  coordinators   will  discuss  how  we’ve  successfully   brought  creative  writing  courses,  literary   activities,  workshops,  and  guest  writers  to   diverse  and  underserved  communities.  We   partner  with  non-­‐profits  and  community   organizations;  affiliate  with  K-­‐12   classrooms,  correctional  facilities,  and  local   libraries;  and  invite  the  community  into   the  academy.     Unsung  Epics:  Women  Veterans'  Voices.     (Kayla  Williams,  Lauren  Halloran,  Victoria   Hudson,  Mary  Doyle,  Mariette    Kalinowski)   As  novelist  Cara  Hoffman  observed,  female   veterans’  stories  have  the  power  to  enrich   our  understanding  of  war,  of  our  culture,   art,  nation  and  lives.  Yet  their  stories  are   largely  absent.  Five  female  vet  writers  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  address  this  narrative  gap:  How  do  women   veterans’  stories  differ  from  those  of  men   and  civilian  women  writing  on  war?  Can   their  work  have  the  same  commercial  and   critical  success?  Do  audiences  have   different  expectations?  How  can  these   stories  help  bridge  the  civilian-­‐military   divide?     UntitLooking  Through  the  Lens  of   Conflict:  Writing  Young  Adult  Literature   about  Families  in  Crisisled.    (Ann  Angel,   Emily  Kokie,  Terry  Farish,  Jessica  Powers)   Contemporary  Young  Adult  literature  often   contains  themes  of  family  crisis  in  which     teen  responses  to  shifts  within  the  family   dynamic  can  shatter  a  fragile  family.   Whether  caught  up  in  family  abuse,  war,   poverty,  surviving  a  family  member's   death,  or  surviving  in  a  family  broken  by   PTSD  responses  to  community  or  personal   tragedy,  teens  struggle  to  cope  within   broken  their  families.  Writers  will  discuss   the  struggle  to  portray  honest  teen   responses  to  crisis  and  the  path  to  hope.     We  Read  Joan  Didion  in  Order  to  Live:   Five  Writers  on  Learning  from  a  Master.     (Jody    Keisner,  Kelly  Daniels,  Anna   Redsand,  Cody    Todd,  Stephan  Eirik    Clark)   Panelists  will  pay  tribute  to  “the  woman   who  owns  California”  while  sharing   technical  and  personal  lessons  gleaned   from  her  essays  and  memoir.  Topics  will   include  the  unmasking  of  received  wisdom   in  Slouching  Toward  Bethlehem,  courting   moral  ambiguity  in  her  early  essays,  an   exploration  of  grief  in  Blue  Nights,  the   idiosyncratic  I  in  hybrid  True  Crime/gonzo   journalism,  and  how  place,  specifically   California,  fosters  writerly  persona  in   Where  I  Was  From.    

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We're  on  the  Road  to  Somewhere:   Approaches  to  Managing  the  Writing   Life.    (Josh  Rolnick,  Yiyun  Li,  Austin  Bunn,   Rachel  Sherman,  Sonya  Chung)   There  are  no  shortcuts  when  it  comes  to   writing.  Sometimes,  the  challenge  isn’t   getting  started  –  it’s  sticking  with  it   through  criticism  and  rejection;  doubts  and     confusion  with  the  material  itself.  In  this   inspiring  panel,  successful  writers  discuss   their  own  winding  paths  to  publication  and   offer  practical  suggestions  for  building  a   creative  and  professional  life  in  a  variety  of   writing  fields  –  including  editing,  blogging   and  screenwriting  –  while  managing  a   writing  life  over  the  long  haul.     Wealth  Gap  in  the  Literary  Landscape:   Representations  of  the  Poor  and   Working  Class.    (Sarah  Smarsh,  Luis     Rodriguez,  Karolina  Waclawiak,  Kyle     Dargan)   How  and  by  whom  are  low-­‐income  people   reflected  in  contemporary  literature?   Cross-­‐genre  writers  and  editors  of  varied   race,  ethnicity  and  locale—but  shared   personal  experience  of  poverty  and  the   working  class—discuss  economic  disparity   in  books,  magazines  and  industry  offices.   With  backgrounds  as  writing  instructors   and  activists  in  poor  areas,  panelists   celebrate  the  difficult  role  of   socioeconomic-­‐border-­‐crossers  and   challenge  editors  to  consider  class  at  a  time   of  historic  wealth  inequality.     Welcome  To  The  Party:    Asian  American   Open  Mics  in  Southern  California  as   Sites  of  Resistance.    (Janice  Sapigao,  Eddy   M.  Gana,  Jr.,  Myca  Tran,  Stephanie  Sajor,   Sean    Miura)   As  community  organizers  of  Asian   American/Pacific  Islander  (AAPI)  Open  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Mics  in  Southern  California  –  Los  Angeles,   Long  Beach,  and  Santa  Ana  –  we  will  give   brief  histories  of  our  respective  spaces.   We’ll  discuss  the  practical,  artistic,   sociopolitical  intentions  of  encouraging   and  continuing  work  for  our  communities   and  neighborhoods.  We'll  share  how  Los   Angeles/Southern  California  is  part  of  a   nationwide  network  of  AA/PI  artists   creating  and  sharing  stories  and  narratives   in  collaborative  space.     WeNeedDiverseBooks:  Shifting  the   Narrative  Lens.    (Mike  Jung,  Sona   Charaipotra,  Stacey    Lee,  Audrey     Coulthurst,  Kristy  Shen)   How  do  you  change  the  (very  white)  face  of   children's  literature?  Through  great   storytelling.  We  Need  Diverse  Books  -­‐-­‐  the   AWP  edition  -­‐-­‐  focuses  on  shifting  the  lens   while  using  classic  worldbuilding  and   storytelling  techniques.  This  WNDB   discussion  centers  on  providing  tools  for   creating  diverse  narratives  from  the   ground  up.  Learn  how  to  integrate  issues  of   race,  class,  sexuality,  gender  and/or  ability,   while  still  emphasizing  the  import  of  plot,   structure  and,  most  importantly,  character.     West  by  Southwest:    New  and   Established  Lit  Mag  Editors  on  the   Political  Economy  of  Place.    (Andrew   Tonkovich,  Dagoberto    Gilb,  Michelle   Franke,  Oscar    Villalon)   Starting  a  new  literary  arts  journal  in  the   West,  or  maintaining  one  for  three   decades,  means  understanding  audience   and  place,  political  and  literary   expectations.    As  respected  and  enduring   regional  lit  magazines  ZYZZYVA  and  Santa   Monica  Review  celebrate  three  decades,   two  excellent  newer  journals,  Rattling  Wall   and  Huizache  arrive  with  their  own  

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respective  missions  to  challenge,   complement,  and  re-­‐envision  the   possibilities  of  little  magazines  in  a  difficult   if  rewarding  literary  locale.     West  Virginia  Writers'  Workshop:  How   We  Made  It  to  Year  20,  How  Your   Writing  Conference  Can  Too!.    (Mark   Brazaitis,  Shara    McCallum,  Renee   Nicholson,  Jon    Tribble,  Michael     Czyzniejewski)   The  West  Virginia  Writers'  Workshop   celebrates  its  20th  anniversary  in  2016.   Our  annual  summer  workshop  has   prospered—okay,  sometimes  merely   squeaked  by—despite  the  ups  and  downs   of  the  economy  and  turnover  in  the  dean's   office  that  oversees  the  event.  To  sustain   the  workshop,  we  have  been  creative  with   everything  from  marketing  to  pricing  to   venues.  We'll  share  some  of  our  secrets.   Past  faculty  members  and  a  past   participant  will  read  and  share  their   impressions  of  the  workshop.     What  does  it  mean  to  be  a  Latino?.     (Maria  de  Lourdes    Victoria,  Carmen     Bernier  -­‐  Grand  ,  Donna    Miscolta,  Teresa   Luengo  Cid)   This  panel  of  latino  authors  will  explore   the  question  of  what  it  means  to  be  a  latino   in  the  United  States.  Whether  you  are  an   author  creating  a  "latino  character"  or  a   publisher  wishing  to  publish  "latino   literature",  or  a  librarian  wondering   whether  a  book  fits  within  the  "latino"   category  of  your  catalogue,  this   presentation  will  help  you  understand   more  about  the  rich  and  unique  histories  of   the  various  groups  of  people  that  have   been  part  of  the  U.S.  landscape  for   centuries.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  What  Makes  an  MFA  Program  LGBTQ-­‐ Friendly?.    (Dawn    Walsh,  Melanie  McNair,   Brock    Warren,  Terry  Wolverton,  Alistair   McCartney)   Does  being  friendly  mean  having  out  and   proud  faculty,  staff  and/or  students?  Is   visibility  enough?  What  about  course   offerings  that  include  an  LGBTQ-­‐focus?  Or   LGBTQ-­‐centered  civic  engagement   opportunities?  Is  being  friendly  too  modest   a  goal?  How  does  friendly  differ  from   affirming?  How  can  faculty  make   workshops  both  LGBTQ-­‐friendly  and   affirming?  Why  do  these  questions  even   matter?  LGBTQ-­‐identified  panelist,   including  MFA  faculty,  students  and   alumni,  address  these  questions  and  more.     What  to  Expect  When  You’re  Expecting  a   Redline.    (Mia  Lipman,  Kjerstin  Johnson,   Nadxieli  Nieto,  Olivia  Taylor  Smith,  Annie   Tucker)   Your  work  has  been  accepted— congratulations!  So  what  happens  next?   How  come  it  takes  so  long  between  that   coveted  “yes”  and  seeing  your  name  in   print?  Why  do  editors  want  to  change  your   words  after  you  worked  like  crazy  to  make   them  perfect?  And  what’s  a  redline,   anyway?  This  panel  pulls  back  the  curtain   on  the  book  and  magazine  editing  process:   the  order  of  business,  typical  time  frames,   what  the  red  marks  mean,  and  why  your   editor  wants  to  be  your  partner  in  crime   (and  isn’t  out  to  get  you).     What  We  Talk  About  When  We  Talk   About  Home:  Santa  Ana  as  Resonant   Source.    (Aracelis  Girmay,  Richard  T.     Rodríguez,  Emmy  Pérez,  Adriana   Alexander,  Sarah  Rafael  García)   What  does  it  mean  to  claim  a  place  as  home   when  you  no  longer  (or  still)  live  there?  

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What  draws  you  back  to  it  on  the  page,   whether  as  setting,  conflict,  or  “resonant   source”?  Writers  raised  in  Santa  Ana-­‐-­‐a   Latina/o-­‐majority  city  an  hour  south  of   L.A.-­‐-­‐will  discuss  their  work  in  relation  to   place,  distance,  identity,  nostalgia,  &   “authenticity.”  How  do  these  imaginaries   find  expression  across  multiple  genres  &   spaces,  in  community  &  academia?  What   are  we  talking  about  when  we  talk  about   home?     What's  Love  Got  to  Do  with  It:  Desire  in   the  Age  of  Mechanical  Reproduction.     (Jessica    Alexander,  Rachel  Levy,  Michael     Shum,  Jaclyn    Watterson,  Jose  De  La  Garza)   In  1911  E.M.  Forster  wrote  of  his   weariness  of  the  only  subject  he  could   treat—the  love  of  men  for  women.  For  a   novelist  in  the  Victorian  era,  it  seemed   impossible  to  reconcile  the  rift  between   narrative  convention  and  homosexual   desire.  Discussions  of  narrative   conventions  still  typically  elide   considerations  of  their  socially  restrictive   underpinnings.  This  panel  includes  both   queer  and  non-­‐queer  identified  writers  to   promote  dialogue  about  the  ways  that   desire  informs  our  aesthetic  choices.     What’s  the  Big  Idea?  Intention  vs.   Intuition  in  the  Writing  Process.    (Mark     Doty,  Linda  Bierds,  Kevin  Young,  Victoria   Chang,  Melissa  Stein)   When  writers  are  alone  with  the  blank   page,  how  much  is  premeditated  and  how   much  is  actually  discovered  later  on?   Project,  narrative  arc,  theme,  voice:  at  what   points  in  the  creative  process  do  we  steer   our  work  consciously?  When  are  forms  and   structures  limiting,  and  when  liberating?   How  can  we  weave  diligent  research  and   poetic  imagination,  and  how  does  all  this  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  translate  into  putting  together  a  book   manuscript?  Five  award-­‐winning  writers   explore  the  deliberate  and  the  ineffable  in   their  work.     When  I  Was  Latina:  Navigating  Privilege   in  The  Publishing  and  Writing  World.     (Deborah    Paredez,  Casandra  Lopez,  Cecilia     Rodriguez  Milanés,  Keyla  Hernandez,  Raina   León)   What  are  the  gender,  sexual,  ethnic,  and   racial  biases  that  Latinas  encounter   everyday  in  book  publishing?  How  can   Latinas  build  stronger  literary   communities?    What  are  some  of  the   pressures  that  Latinas  feel  to  fit  into  the   mold  of  what  people  perceive  to  be  Latina   writing?  In  this  panel,  editors  and  writers   will  share  their  experiences  and  offer   advice  for  creating  original  Latina  texts  and   maintaining  authentic  identities     Where  Are  You  Going,  Where  Have  We   Been?:  Five  Editors  Discuss  the  History   and  Future  of  Flash  Fiction  Anthologies.     (Tom  Hazuka,  James  Thomas,  Lynn     Mundell,  Nancy  Stohlman,  Robert  Shapard)   Since  1992,  when  the  original  Flash  Fiction   anthology  gave  the  genre  a  name  that   caught  on,  flash  fiction  has  grown  steadily   in  stature  and  popularity.  Numerous   popular  anthologies  have  followed.  Five   well-­‐known  editors  of  flash  fiction   anthologies,  three  who  were  there  from  the   beginning  and  two  who  will  be   shepherding  the  genre  into  the  future,   discuss  the  past,  present  and  future  of  flash   fiction,  especially  in  regard  to  its   appearance  in  book  form.     Where  Community  and  Culture  Collide:   15  Years  of  the  YMCA's  Downtown   Writers  Center.    (Georgia  Popoff,  Gregory  

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Pardlo,  Jennifer  Pashley,  Matthew  Gavin   Frank,  Debra  Kang  Dean)   Since  January  2001,  the  YMCA’s  Downtown   Writers  Center  in  Syracuse,  NY  has  been   the  Central  NY  State  region’s  only   community  center  for  the  literary  arts.  In   its  first  15  years,  nearly  400  authors  have   read  at  the  DWC,  and  thousands  of   students  have  honed  their  craft  at  the   DWC’s  extensive  creative  writing   workshop  series.  This  panel  of  program   staff  and  faculty,  former  students,  and   guest  authors,  will  explore  and  celebrate   the  DWC’s  wide-­‐reaching  impact  on  the   literary  arts  in  the  CNY  region.     Who  Reads  Us?.    (Thomas  Larson,  Kate   Gale,  Nicole  Walker,  Joe  Bonomo,  Hope   Edelman)   With  new  reading  platforms,  blogs,  online   journals,  writing  programs/workshops,   and  reading  groups  proliferating,  writers   have  a  potential  readership  greater  than   ever.  This  panel  asks,  who  reads  us,  in   what  forms,  and  how  is  their  access  to  our   personal  and  web  lives  affecting  how  we   write?  Have  our  expectations  about   readers  changed?  In  what  ways  does  our   readership  grow  or  shrink  with   connectivity?  How  hard  is  it  to  find  and   nourish  an  audience?  What  say  should   readers  have  in  how  we  create?     Why  We  Innovate:  The  Case  for  Hybrid   Genres.    (Marcela  Sulak,  Jacqueline   Kolosov,  Jenny    Boully,  Tung-­‐Hui  Hu,  Mary     Szybist)   Editors  and  contributors  of  Rose  Metal   Press’s  new  "Family  Resemblance:  An   Anthology  and  Exploration  of  Eight  Hybrid   Literary  Genres"  discuss  writing  and   teaching  hybrid  literature  as  innovative   acts  of  artistic,  social  and  cultural  criticism,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  and  as  radical  self-­‐creation.  Panelists   discuss  why  writers  mix  forms  and  provide   ideas  and  examples  for  crafting  and   teaching  hybrid  genres,  focusing  on   blendings  of  visual,  performative,  lyrical   and  narrative  techniques.     Winding  Up  for  the  Pitch:  Making   Effective  Proposals  to  Book  Fairs,   Bookstores,  and  Literary  Presenters.     (Kathy  Daneman,  Steph  Opitz,  Amanda     Bullock,  Maret  Orliss,  Jennifer  Ramos)   Publishers  face  enormous  competition  for   limited  time  and  space  when  approaching   book  fairs,  bookstores,  and  literary   programmers  to  feature  their  books  and   authors.  Learn  the  most  effective  ways  to   create  programming  that  fits  the  mission   and  goals  of  individual  venues  and  stand   out  from  the  crowd.  Major  festival,   bookstore,  and  literary  venue   programmers  discuss  what  they  respond   to,  what  falls  flat,  and  the  best  way  to  reach   them.     Without  Representation:  Authors  who   sold  their  literary  debuts  without  an   agent.    (Cari  Luna,  Will  Chancellor,  Sarah   Gerard,  Wendy  C.  Ortiz)   A  literary  agent  can  be  a  writer's  closest   ally  in  the  publishing  business,  but  is  your   career  sunk  if  you  don't  have  one?  Four   authors  who  sold  their  literary  debuts  to   traditional  publishers  on  their  own,  and   then  went  on  to  sign  with  agents,  discuss   their  publishing  experiences  with  and   without  representation.     Women  at  Work:  Labor  &  the  Writing   Life.    (Christine  Byl,  Eva  Saulitis,  Susanna   Mishler,  Lu-­‐Anne  Haukaas,  Tele  Aadsen)   Physical  work  is  often  held  opposite  the  life   of  the  mind,  especially  for  women.  Yet  for  

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some  writers,  manual  jobs  provide  income;   broaden  thinking;  and  nurture  creativity.   Five  women  writing  in  all  genres  discuss   how  their  work-­‐-­‐in  marine  biology,   farming,  trail  construction,  fishing  and  the   trades-­‐-­‐  supports  a  writing  life.  Join  a   conversation  about  field  camps,  live  lines,   planting  seeds  and  felling  trees,  and   consider  how  dirty  hands  can  leave  a   lasting  imprint  on  literary  culture.     Women  in  Spec:  Women  Writers  in   Speculative  Poetry  and  Fiction.     (Jeannine  Gailey,  Lesley    Wheeler,  Sally   Kindred,  Sophia  Samatar,  Nancy     Hightower)   This  cross-­‐genre  panel  celebrates  women’s   lively  contributions  to  the  male-­‐dominated   fields  of  speculative  fiction  and  poetry.   These  authors,  editors,  and  critics  discuss   recent  changes  and  controversies  in   fantasy  and  science  fiction,  addressing  how   women  are  represented  in  the  literature;   publishing  opportunities  and  challenges;   and  what  it  will  take  to  foster  women’s   voices  and  support  their  increasing   success.     Women  on  the  Verge  -­‐  Authentic  Voices   from  Outsider  Lit.    (Eve  Connell,  Viva    Las   Vegas,  Pat    Janowski,  Iris  Berry,  Sarah   Certa)   Four  authors  (3  women,  1  androgyne)   from  irreverent  small  presses  engage  in   vibrant  discussion  of  unconventional   creative  paths.  Fueled  by  life  forces   (beautiful,  cruel,  sexy,  mundane),  these   fearless  voices  approach  craft  with  raw   content  choices,  unique  writing  processes,   and  personal  muses  that  conspire  to   delight  and  repel.  Insights  into  cultural   acceptance  (or  the  lack  thereof)  provide  a   snapshot  of  challenges  in  navigating  the  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  literary  world  as  writers  hell-­‐bent  on   avoiding  the  mainstream.     Women  Publishing  Women:  The   (under)representation  of  women  in   print  and  in  publishing.    (Abbey  Gaterud,   Michelle  Wildgen,  Mary  Breaden,  Kait   Heacock,  Alicia  Bublitz)   A  candid  discussion  between  women   working  in  publishing  about  the  current   climate  for  and  visibility  of  women  writers   in  publishing  house  lists.  Looking  at  the  in-­‐ house  representation  of  women  on  staff,   women  writers  published  by  traditional   houses,  and  where  the  challenges  to   women  in  publishing  (and  being   published)  still  lie,  panelists  will  speak  to   current  trends,  awareness,  and  projects   highlighting  women,  and  offer  strategies  to   others  working  for  equal  representation.     Women  Soldiers  &  Veterans  Writing   Their  Lives.    (Sonya  Lea,  Warren     Etheredge,  Suzanne  Morrison,  Maggie   Shartel,  Kelly  Dickinson)   This  panel  features  writers  and   professionals  who  work  alongside  women   soldiers  and  veterans.  It  looks  at  military   sexual  trauma,  and  the  threat  to  personal   safety  when  a  woman  uses  her  voice  to  tell   her  story.  Five  panelists  create  a   conversation  about  what’s  essential  to   empower  women  veterans,  soldiers,  war   witnesses,  and  survivors  of  violence.  Why   are  women’s  stories  essential  for  the   soldier-­‐writer?  How  might  we  write  the   war  as  it  really  lives  in  women  and  not  as  a   masculine  trope?     Women  Who  Edit:  Literary  Journals.     (Mary    Flinn,  Lindsay  Garbutt,  Sumita   Chakraborty,  Corinne  Manning,  Emily   Nemens)  

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With  a  focus  on  the  particular  challenges  to   and  accomplishments  by  women  literary   magazine  editors,  the  panelists  will  discuss   their  roles  as  editors-­‐in-­‐chief,  founders,   and  genre  editors  at  their  respective   magazines.  Additionally,  they'll  consider   the  idea  that  gender  parity  in  editorial   positions  promotes  parity  among   contributors,  and  explore  potential   opportunities  to  cultivate  a  new  generation   of  women  editors  through  mentorship  and   example.     Women  Write  Los  Angeles.    (Tatyana   Branham,  Steph    Cha,  Lisa  Glatt,  Helena   Viramontes)   The  city  of  Los  Angeles  and  the  women   who  write  about  it  are  often  subjected  to   stereotypical  categorization.  Being  one  of   the  most  diverse  artistic  regions  in  the   country,  the  city's  female  writers  come   from  different  neighborhoods  and   backgrounds  and  offer  unique  perspectives   on  the  city  of  angels.  Panelists  will  discuss   the  challenges  and  joys  of  writing  about  the   city  of  Los  Angeles  in  their  fiction,  as  well   as  how  their  works  have  contributed  to  the   landscape  of  literary  Los  Angeles.     Women  Writers  Confront  Violence  and   its  Aftermath.    (Inara  Verzemniek,  Lina   Maria    Ferreira  Cabeza-­‐Vanegas,  Laurel   Fantauzzo,  Catina  Bacote)   For  memoirists  and  essayist  there  are   risks––emotional,  social,  and  spiritual––in   delving  into  events  like  child  abuse,  war,   and  murder,  but  there  is  an  even  greater   risk  in  remaining  silent.  Panelist  will   discuss  how  they  work  up  the  courage  to   face  brutality  on  the  page  and  the  ethics   that  guide  them.  How  can  our  narratives   move  beyond  sensationalism?  What  can  we   do  to  ensure  that  our  writing  does  not  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  succumb  to  a  narrative  of  female   victimhood  and  captures  the  complications   of  real  lives?     Women  writing  fiction  in  a  Postfeminist   Era.    (Varley      O'Connor,  Michelle  Latiolais,   Emily  Mitchell,  Lisa    Alvarez,  Melissa   Pritchard)   What  does  Post-­‐feminism  even  mean?   VIDA,  the  organization  devoted  to  defining   the  current  state  of  women  in  literature,   has  demonstrated  with  chilling  exactitude   the  very  real  marginalization  of   contemporary  women’s  writing.  Perhaps   we  may  agree  that  the  difficulties  women   writers  face  today  are  in  need  of  analysis   and  discussion.  Our  panel  of  experienced   women  fiction  writers  will  share  how  they   approach  the  problem  at  their  writing   tables,  in  publishing  arenas,  and  in  their   classrooms.     Write  Like  a  Mother*:  Parenting  as  a   Second  Act  for  Women  Writers.    (Lizzie   Skurnick,  Robin  Beth  Schaer,  Jennifer   Gilmore,  Elyssa  East,  Irina    Reyn)   The  mother  figure  looms  large  in  literature,   but  does  becoming  a  mother  have  equal   sway  over  the  established  writer’s  work?   These  panelists  will  discuss  how  becoming   a  mother  after  establishing  their  careers   has  affected  their  creative  process,  their   writing  and  the  reception  of  their  work.   Does  motherhood  make  one’s  writing  more   or  less  empathetic,  creative  or  critically   viable?  Texts  about  writing  and   motherhood  that  have  inspired  (or   horrified)  these  writers  will  also  be   discussed.     Write  Me  Right:  Ideas  and  Resources  for   Writing  Diverse  Characters.    (Najiyah    

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Maxfield,  Yvonne  Mesa,  Valarie  Budayr,   Tamara  Gray,  Brenda  Bradshaw)   It's  true  that  anyone  can  write  anyone.  But   doing  so  with  confidence,  empathy  and   authenticity  is  another  story.  Afghani   women  who  don't  know  how  to  walk  in  a   burka?  Cherokee  characters  with  Kiowa   names?  Get  concrete  suggestions  on   avoiding  these  kinds  of  pitfalls  and  writing   characters  who  will  maintain  their  both   cultural  integrity  and  their  humanity.     Writer  as  Editor/Editor  as  Writer.    (Jill   Bialosky,  Rob  Spillman,  Hannah  Tinti,   Major  Jackson,  James  Yeh)   Prominent  writer-­‐editors  talk  about  the   challenges  of  wearing  two  very  different   hats.  How  does  editing  other  writers’  work   help  or  hinder  their  own  writing?  How  do   these  writers  turn  off  their  editorial  brain   to  let  their  creativity  flow  without  letting  in   unhelpful  self-­‐criticism?  What  do  editors   learn  from  being  edited  themselves?  The   panel  will  share  wisdom  gleaned  from   being  on  both  sides  of  the  creative  process.     Writers  &  the  Greater  Community:  How   to  Make  a  Difference.    (S.  Kirk  Walsh,  Vivé     Griffith,  Joel  Arquillos  ,  Ami  Walsh)   This  panel  features  leaders  of  community   outreach  programs  for  students,  low-­‐ income  adults,  and  hospitalized  patients  to   talk  about  the  value  of  writers  helping   others  to  find  their  voices  and  how  it  can   deepen  one’s  engagement  with  the  world.   Panelists  will  discuss  the  challenges  and   rewards  of  building  outreach  programs,   and  the  unexpected  synergies  of  service   work  and  creativity.  How  to  get  started,   where  to  volunteer,  and  the  balance  of   community  outreach  with  writing  will  also   be  explored.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Writers  Editing  Writers.    (Brigid  Hughes,   Vanessa  Hutchinson,  April  Wolfe,  Yiyun  Li,   John  Haskell)   Editing  is  perhaps  one  of  the  least   glamorous  but  most  necessary  aspects  of   the  writing  process,  and  an  author’s   relationship  with  their  editor  is  one  of  the   most  valuable  ones  they  can  cultivate.  We   bring  together  two  A  Public  Space   Emerging  Writer  Fellows  to  discuss  their   own  processes  with  their  respective   mentors,  both  established  authors  and  A   Public  Space  contributors.     Writing  (and  Editing)  Sex.    (Roger     Hodge,  Jamie  Quatro,  Dani    Shapiro,  David   Means,  Christine  Schutt)   Writers  and  editors  discuss  sex  in   literature-­‐-­‐the  good,  the  bad,  and  the  ugly-­‐-­‐ and  look  at  ideas  of  craft  when  it  comes  to   depicting  and  editing  sex     Writing  &  "The  Racial  Imaginary".     (Stephanie  Grant,  Hanna    Plyvainen,  Chet'la   Sebree,  Kyle  Dargan)   In  The  Racial  Imaginary:  Writers  on  Race  in   the  Life  of  the  Mind,  Claudia  Rankine  and   Beth  Loffreda  assert:  “Many  writers  of  all   backgrounds  see  the  imagination  as   ahistorical,  as  a  generative  place  where   race  shouldn’t  enter,  a  space  for  bodies  to   transcend  the  stuff  that  doesn’t  lend  itself   much  poetry.”  Poets  and  fiction  writers   consider  their  own  work  in  light  of  the   present  historical  moment,  focusing  on   where  race  does  and  doesn’t  enter  and   whether  transcendence  remains  a   meaningful  goal.     Writing  About  Other(ed)  Spaces.    (Justin     Nobel,  Stephanie  Elizondo  Griest,  Daisy   Hernandez,  Stephen  West,  Jeremy  Jones)  

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Five  nonfiction  writers  discuss  the   pressures  and  possibilities  of  writing  about   marginalized  and  overlooked  places— empty  corners  of  Appalachia,  tornado-­‐torn   stretches  of  the  Deep  South,  transient   towns  lining  the  Mexican-­‐US  border,   immigrant  communities  in  New  Jersey  and   LA,  and  beyond.  Writing  in  forms  ranging   from  memoir  to  journalism,  the  panelists   grapple  with  how  to  honestly  and  artfully   render  people  and  places  too  often   stereotyped  or  simplified  or  silenced.     Writing  and  Trauma.    (Richard  Hoffman,   Suzanne  Strempek  Shea,  Ruthie  Rohde,   Anthony  D'Aries,  Helen  Elaine  Lee)   Panelists  examine  the  distinction  between   writing  as  therapy  and  writing  that  is   therapeutic  as  well  as  discuss  the  unique   challenges  and  opportunities  of  teaching   creative  writing  in  various  venues  –  public   and  private  schools;  colleges  and   universities;  prisons,  juvenile  detention   centers,  hospitals,  and  other  medical  and   community  settings.  Members  of  PEN/New   England’s  Freedom  to  Write  Committee   also  share  the  development  and   implementation  of  their  inaugural  Writing   &  Trauma  Conference.     Writing  around  the  Block:  How  to  Keep   the  Words  Flowing.    (Susan  Orlean,   Richard  Bausch,  D.  A.    Powell,  Melissa   Stein)   That  blank  page  has  been  staring  at  you  for   days,  weeks,  months.  How  can  you   pinpoint  what’s  holding  you  back  and   jump-­‐start  your  creativity?  How  can  you   tell  a  slump  from  a  period  of  creative   incubation?  Four  award-­‐winning  writers  of   prose  and  poetry  share  insights,  strategies,   and  tools  for  weathering  the  ups  and   downs  of  the  creative  process—and  along  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  the  way,  just  might  challenge  your   definitions  of  productivity  and  success.     Writing  at  the  Edge  of  the  Continent.     (Malcolm  Margolin,  Peggy  Shumaker,   Dominic  Luxford,  Nanci  McCloskey,  Elaine   Katzenberger)   West  Coast  Publishers  see  the  world   differently.  From  Los  Angeles  to  San   Francisco  to  Portland  to  Alaska,  we  publish   stories  in  different  light.  City  Lights  Books,   Heyday  Books,  Boreal  Books,  McSweeney's,   Tin  House  and  Red  Hen  Press  present   publishing  West  Coast  style.  The  event  will   be  moderated  by  Red  Hen  Press  Managing   Editor,  Kate  Gale.     Writing  Characters  Who  Buck  Gender   Norms.    (Lucy  Jane  Bledsoe,  Carolina  de   Robertis,  William  Lung,  Nicole  Dennis-­‐ Benn,  Lydia  Conklin)   In  a  market  that  tends  to  want  fairytales,   and  characters  who  conform  to  strict   gender  norms,  how  do  we  write  characters   who  resist  these  stereotypes  of  what  men   and  women  are  supposed  to  be?  Are  brainy   and/or  bossy  female  characters   unsympathetic?  If  a  male  character  is   excessively  romantic,  has  his  believability   been  diminished?  How  do  we  write   convincing  characters,  ones  who  do  not   reflect  standard  gender  expectations,   without  triggering  questions  about  the   characters’  credibility?     Writing  on  Fault  Lines:  Central   American  Literary  Diasporas.    (Leon     Salvatierra  ,  Raquel    Gutierrez  ,  Robert     Karimi,  Carolina    Rivera    ,  Leticia   Hernández-­‐Linares)   Since  1990,  Central  Americans  in  the  U.S.   have  tripled  in  number,  yet  mainstream   literary  and  academic  institutions  still  

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discuss  Central  Americans  in  1980s  Civil   War  terms.  This  panel  takes  up  the  vast   middle  ground  between  traditional  tropes   and  postmodern  trends,  and  explores  how   Central  American  writers  in  California  are   not  only  painting  new  and  complex  stories,   but  also  constructing  the  very  frames  to   hold  them.     Writing  on  the  Border/Escribiendo  en   La  Fronteratitled.    (Katherine    Seltzer,   Aaron  Romano-­‐Meade,  Alessandra   Narvaez-­‐Varela,  Carla    Arellano,  Giannina   Deza)   Located  on  the  U.S.-­‐Mexico  border,  The   University  of  Texas  at  El  Paso’s  Bilingual   MFA  Program  brings  together  writers  from   the  Borderland,  North  America  and  Latin   America.  How  does  a  program  function   with  classes  in  which  both  Spanish  and   English  are  spoken  and  students  have   varying  degrees  of  bilingualism?  Panelists   discuss  how  the  mixing  of  language,  culture   and  literary  traditions  affects  their   development  as  writers.     Writing  Race:  Poets  on  the  Complexity   and  Contradictions  of  Race  in  America.     (Richard  Michelson,  Martin    Espada,  Afaa   Michael  Weaver)   In  the  "post-­‐racial"  Obama  era,  the  nation   remains  racially  polarized,  as  the  tragedies   and  protests  in  Ferguson  and  elsewhere   demonstrate.  How  can  a  poet  write   truthfully  about  the  complexity  and   contradictions  of  race  in  America?  How  can   a  poet  balance  the  poem’s  message  with   the  demands  of  poetry?  How  can  a  poet   speak  on  behalf  of  his  or  her  community,   and  yet  empathize  with  other  groups?  How   can  a  poet  channel  anger  into  art,  risking   the  alienation  of  the  audience  for  the  sake   of  honesty?  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

    Writing  Sex  in  YA:  Choices  and   Consequences.    (Brandy    Colbert,  Carrie   Mesrobian,  Terra  Elan  McVoy,  Christa   Desir,  Corey  Ann  Haydu)   Young  adult  authors  will  discuss  the  craft   of  writing  sex  in  YA  literature,  as  well  as   the  meaning  behind  adult  responses  to   presumed  high-­‐risk  behavior  portrayed  in   books.  In  a  culture  bombarded  with  overt   and  unrealistic  sexual  imagery,  do  authors   have  a  responsibility  to  be  honest  with   teens  about  sex?  Do  they  have  a   responsibility  to  demonstrate  the  possible   consequences  implicit  in  sex  or  drug  and   alcohol  use?  Where  is  the  line  between   staying  true  to  our  craft  and  concerned   censorship?     Writing  the  Hyphen:  How  to  Explore,   Not  Exploit,  Your  Background.    (Allison   Amend,  Carter  Sickels,  Pauls  Toutonghi,   Mira  Jacob,  Danielle  Evans)   Writers  of  diverse  backgrounds  serve  as   ambassadors  to  unfamiliar  cultures  and   underheard  voices.  But  if  you  are  speaking   for  your  culture  or  race,  do  you  have  an   obligation  to  portray  it  in  a  positive  light?   And  will  you  be  forced,  as  a  “hyphenated   author,”  to  repeatedly  relive  your   autobiography?  Panelists  will  speak   frankly  about  their  success  and   ambivalence  as  spokespeople,  and  discuss   how  to  successfully  explore,  not  exploit,   their  ethnic,  nationalist,  and  gender   identities.     Writing  the  Spiritual  Memoir.    (Thomas   Larson,  Kathryn  Winograd,  Janice  Gary,   Kim  Barnes,  Beverly  D'Onofrio)   Five  published  memoirists,  who  also  teach   the  genre  of  nonfiction,  examine  the   spiritual  memoir.  How  much  do  we  work  

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with  or  against  religion,  building  or   blowing  up  bridges  between  a  faith   community  and  the  private  realm  of  the   spiritual?  What  craft  choices  do  we  make   when  narrating  and  describing  inner  or   abstract  experience,  especially  the   exposition  of  insight  and  the  drama  of   awakening?  Are  we  “spiritualized”  by   writing  these  books?  Panelists  discuss  our   own  and  other  spiritual  memoirs.     Writing  Violence:  Tracing  Disaster  in   Ethnic-­‐American  Writing.    (Sobia  Khan,   Phinder  Dulai,  Dunya  Mikhail,  Octavio   Quintanilla,  LaToya  Watkins)   This  panel  represents  a  wide  array  of   “Americanness”  as  Iraqi-­‐American,   Canadian-­‐Indian,  Mexican-­‐American,   Pakistani-­‐American,  and  African-­‐American   writers.  These  writers  will  discuss  how   their  individual  and  collective  communal   violent  histories  are  integral  to  their   identity  as  writers  and  to  their   writing.They  will  attempt  to  explore   questions  such  as,  how  and  why  they  write   violence  onto  the  page.Who  is  their   audience  and  how  each  writer  contributes   to  contemporary  American  literary   debates?     You  Can’t  Write  That:  The  Curious  Case   of  Bias  in  YA  Lit.    (Janet  Fox,  Joy  Preble,   Geoff  Herbach,  Cecil  Castellucci,  Varian   Johnson)   Does  gender  bias  exist  in  YA  lit?  Certainly,   numerous  scholarly  and  other  articles   propose  that  it  does.  Are  male  authors  of   YA  titles—and  male  characters  in  them—   reviewed  differently  than  female?  Than   gender  queer?  Does  everything  from  book   covers  to  marketing  to  awards  to  reader   expectation  of  story—shift  with  gender?  Or   is  this  in  itself  a  biased  perception?  This  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  panel  of  YA  authors  will  engage  in  civil   discourse  among  peers  of  the  state  of   gender  bias  in  the  field  of  YA  lit.     You  Don't  Know  Me  At  All:  The  Creation   of  Self  as  Protagonist  in  Memoir.    (Laurie   Lindeen,  Leigh  Stein,  Eileen  Cronin,   Samantha  Dunn)   Memoirists  aged  30-­‐55  who  are  also   writing  instructors,  journalists,  and  editors   explore  the  invention  of  self  as  protagonist   in  the  craft  of  memoir  writing.  In  order  to   be  a  reliable,  relatable  narrator,  the  "me"  in   memoir  must  be  a  character  and   protagonist  who  is  neither  hero,  nor  victim,    

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nor  navel  gazer  regardless  of  the  nature  of   personal  challenges.  A  true  protagonist   experiences  the  full  breadth  of  human   experience,  both  good  and  bad.  One   challenge  lies  in  saving  a  private  sense  of   self.     You  Sent  Us  What?.    (Lisa  Kastner,  Ann   Sheybani,  William    Patrick,  Jennifer     McCauley,  John  Gosslee)   This  diverse  panel  will  discuss  what   readers  and  submission  editors  look  for   when  they  review  submissions  for   potential  publication.  Followed  by  an  open   question  and  answer  period.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

 

Pedagogy   “Once,  I  Was  That  Girl”:  Creative  Writing   Pedagogy  for  Tween  and  Teen  Girls.     (Elline  Lipkin,  Allison  Deegan,  Nancy     Gruver,  Amie  Williams,  Margaret  Stohl)   “Empowering  girls”  has  become  a   catchphrase  that  can  be  relatively   meaningless.    Yet,  single-­‐sex  environments   have  been  proven  to  be  productive  spaces   in  which  creativity  is  nurtured  and  young   writers  can  grow.    Four  educators  and   writers  who  have  founded  organizations   that  serve  tween  and  teen  girls  will  speak   to  the  practical  challenges  and  the   reverberations  of  success  they  have   witnessed  while  mentoring  girls,  as  well  as   the  inspiration  this  has  brought  to  their   own  creative  work.     A  Manner  of  Being:  Writers  on  their   Mentors.    (Jeff  Parker,  Annie  Liontas,   Douglas  Unger,  Tayari  Jones,  Noy  Holland)   At  an  early  stage  the  vast  majority  of   writers  study  art  deeply  under  the   mentorship  of  other  writers.  And  these   literary  mentorships  take  many  forms:   they  may  include  the  act  of  giving   permission;  tutelage  by  a  traveler  who   knows  the  road;  the  teaching  of  aspects  of   craft;  tough  love;  and  the  modeling  of  a   certain  manner  of  being.  On  this  panel   those  who’ve  been  and  become  mentors   discuss  the  qualities  shared  by  powerful   mentors  encountered  both  inside  and   outside  of  MFA  programs.     Against  Palatable  Writing:  Dismantling   an  Inherent  Problem  in  the  Workshop.     (Zach  VandeZande,  Erin  Stalcup,  Caitlin   Pryor,  Tanaya  Winder,  Geffrey  Davis)   Often  workshops  are  driven  by   competitiveness  and  a  need  for  validation,  

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leading  to  writing  that  is  a  product  of  fear   of  failure  rather  than  courageous   exploration.  This  panel  will  look  at  the   problems  inherent  in  the  workshop  model   as  a  normalizing  force  driven  by  shame  and   lack  of  openness  to  diversity/difference,  in   order  to  provide  alternative  means  of   fostering  artistic  growth  and  aesthetic  risk   in  the  creative  writing  classroom  while   working  against  the  entrenched  system.     Class  Matters:  Considering  Class  in  the   Classroom.    (Adam  Penna,  Christina   Marrocco,  Stephanie    Lindberg,  KateLynn     Hibbard,  Mary  Lannon)   How  do  we  reach  out  to  students  with   different  class  backgrounds  in  our   classrooms,  welcome  them  to  creative   writing  workshops,  and  encourage  them  to   make  the  literary  world  their  own?    Five   writers  with  working  class  roots  share  how   their  own  stories  of  coming  to  voice  and   their  own  experiences  teaching  a  wide-­‐ range  of  students  inform  their  teaching   philosophies.  Strategies  for  students,   common  pedagogical  challenges  and  best   practices  applicable  to  classrooms  at  all   levels  will  be  discussed.     Comics,  Films,  Songs,  &  More:   Multimodality  in  Creative  Writing  &   Composition  Courses.    (Leslie  Salas,   Danita  Berg,  Nicole  Oquendo,  Kirsten  Holt,   Christine  Bailey)   Our  students  function  as  visually  literate   composers,  engaging  with  writing  and   reading  across  multiple  modes  of   communication.  Hear  from  a  panel  of   instructors  that  embrace  their  students’   comfort  with  multimodality  by  teaching  in   multimodal  formats  and  assigning  both   composition  and  creative  writing   assignments  that  push  students  outside  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  their  comfort  zones  and  into  the  types  of   writing  they’re  most  likely  to  encounter  on   the  job.     Craft  &  _____  :  Creating  Interdisciplinary   Possibilities  in  the  MFA.    (Jessica   Guzman,  Xin  Tian  Koh,  Lily  Duffy,  Ginger   Ko,  Kati-­‐Jane  Childs)   While  graduate  writing  programs  provide   guidance  and  mentorship  in  writing  poetry   and  prose,  opportunities  for  outside  study   and  participation  in  marginalized  literature   and  communities  are  often  hard  to  find.   How  do  students  find  sustenance  for  their   writing  beyond  craft?  This  panel  will   address  ways  in  which  graduate  creative   writing  programs  and  students  can   improve  literary  citizenship  by  discovering   and  building  communities  and  networks   beyond  literary  craft.     Crafting  Change:  Genderfluid  Students   in  the  Creative  Writing  Workshop.     (Kathy  Flann,  Glen  Retief,  Dallas  Carroll,   James  Magruder,  Marie  Keller)   At  a  time  when  students’  gender  identities   may  be  more  expansive  than  in  the  past,   how  can  workshop  leaders  provide   instruction  that  suits  all-­‐comers?  This   panel  will  discuss  ways  to  support  student   writers  and  to  offer  feedback  on  stories   with  non-­‐binary  characters.  The  panel  -­‐-­‐   comprised  of  three  workshop  leaders,  a   non-­‐binary  student,  and  a  representative   from  LA  Gender  Center  -­‐-­‐  will  offer  insight   into  accommodating  various  gender   identities  while  upholding  the  highest   standards  of  craft.     Creative  Writing  and  Resistance  in  the   Classroom:  Helping  Students  Write   Social  Justice.    (Nan  Cuba,  Ellen  Meeropol,   Hayan  Charara,  Achy  Obejas,  Fred  Arroyo)  

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Creative  writing  students  compelled  to   write  about  social  justice  may  be  intimated   by  the  challenges  of  shaping  art,  craft  and   social  forces  in  their  writing.  How  do   teachers  encourage  students  to  explore   political  inequality  and  injustice,  while   crafting  narrative  art?  Panelists  will   discuss  specific  pedagogical  approaches   and  techniques  that  both  respect  students’   backgrounds  and  beliefs  and  encourage   their  exploration,  examination  and  literary   engagement  with  our  complex  world.     Creative  Writing  for  the  Underserved:   Ideas,  Inspiration,  Revelation.    (Jamie   FitzGerald,  Leilani  Squire,  Mike  Sonksen,   Michael  Kearns,  Dorothy  Randall  Gray)   Some  of  the  most  dedicated  practitioners   of  the  art  of  writing  are  those  who  teach   writing  workshops  outside  of  academia  in   underserved  communities,  often  for  little   to  no  recompense  other  than  the   satisfaction  of  opening  minds  and  hearts  to   the  power  of  words.  This  panel  brings   together  writers  with  collective  experience   teaching  foster  youth,  seniors,  homeless,   and  veteran  populations.  Each  will  share   best  practices,  what  motivates  them  to  do   what  they  do,  and  how  it  enriches  a  writing   life.     Creative  Writing  is  for  Everyone:   Pedagogies  for  the  Twenty-­‐First   Century.    (Alexandria  Peary,  Tom    Hunley,   Stephanie  Vanderslice,  Steve  Healey,  Tim     Mayers)   Creative  writing  can  be  relevant  not  only  to   those  on  a  path  to  become  literary  writers   but  everyone  else  as  well.  Innovative   pedagogies  can  give  nontraditional   students  and  diverse  communities  access   to  the  power  of  creative  writing  education.   Join  five  contributors  to  the  2015  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  collection  Creative  Writing  Pedagogies  for   the  Twenty-­‐First  Century  as  they  discuss   service  learning,  process  and  feminist   pedagogy,  Writing-­‐Across-­‐the-­‐Curriculum,   and  creative  literacy.     Dealing  with  Workshop  Diversity.     (Robert  McGill,  Carolyn  Smart,  Noor  Naga,   Siobhan  Phillips)   Students  bring  disparate  cultural   backgrounds,  personal  situations,  and   artistic  interests  to  the  creative  writing   workshop.  This  panel  addresses  the   challenges  and  opportunities  that  such   diversity  creates.  Presenters  will  re-­‐ imagine  goals,  practices,  and  the  teacher’s   role  in  workshops  where  students  have   cultural  expertise  that  the  teacher  lacks,   experience  with  widely  differing  genres  of   writing,  and  varying  psychological   relationships  to  their  work.     Drawing  Outside  the  Lines:  Teaching   Comics  in  the  Writing  Classroom.    (Jarod   Rosellό,  Lydia  Conklin,  Nathan  Holic,  Leslie   Salas)   As  comics  continue  to  gain  traction  as   literary  canon,  writing  instructors  can  and   should  use  this  medium  as  an  innovative   pedagogical  tool.  This  interactive  panel   presents  teacher-­‐cartoonists’  methods  of   incorporating  comics  into  curricula  not   traditionally  designed  for  comics,  from   first-­‐year  writing  courses  to  graduate   fiction  workshops.  Learn  from  experiences,   lessons,  activities,  and  challenges  to  find   ways  for  students  to  expand  traditional   notions  of  teaching  and  learning  through   comics.     Easy  As  and  Epic  Fails:  Grading  the   Creative  Writer.    (Siân  Griffiths,  Katherine  

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Coles,  Michael  Martone,  Melanie  Thon,  Josh   Robbins)   What  does  it  mean  to  fail  a  poem?  Will   students  dare  to  experiment  if  a   conventional  story  earns  a  98%?  This   panel  examines  the  ramifications  of   attaching  grades  to  creative  work,  debating   the  value  of  this  assessment  on  student   writing  improvement.  Agreeing  to   disagree,  the  members  of  this  panel  reflect   on  our  varied  assessment  practices  and   wrestle  with  the  question  of  how  to  grade   while  simultaneously  encouraging  students   to  take  the  risks  necessary  for  artistic   growth.     Education  Isn’t  an  Acronym:  Collectives,   pop-­‐ups,  and  other  alternatives  to  the   MFA.    (Tom    Healy  ,  Dorothea    Lasky  ,   Adam    Fitzgerald,  Mónica  de  la  Torre)   Poetry’s  relationship  to  traditional   educational  spaces  needs  to  be  revised  to   reflect  the  multidimensional  perspective   that  poets  use  to  create.  We  will  consider   how  alternatives  to  these  spaces  might   provide  counterpoints  for  poets  to  learn   and  grow  with  other  artists,  thinkers,  and   members  of  their  greater  communities.  In   the  panel,  five  poets  will  discuss  their  work   in  building  their  own  spaces,  such  as  the   Ashbery  Home  School,  Home  School  Miami,   BOMB  Magazine,  and  Cave  Canem.     Ekphrasis  in  the  Digital  Age:  Beyond   Mere  Description.    (Timothy    Bradford,   Amy    Catanzano,  Megan    Kaminski,   Amaranth  Borsuk,  Matthew    Cooperman)   Contemporary  ekphrasis  has  been   described  as  a  form  of  critical  meditation   that  mixes  commentary,  homage,   resistance,  argument,  and  self-­‐criticism,   but  what  does  it  look  like  in  practice,   especially  given  digital  tools?  And  how  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  does  one  push  beyond  mere  description  or   instrumentalization  of  the  work  of  art?   These  panelists  will  present  examples  from   their  own  work  and  will  offer  practical   exercises,  with  an  emphasis  on  digital   technology,  for  community,  undergraduate,   and  graduate  classrooms.     From  Sex  to  Suicide:  How  to  Navigate   the  Challenges  of  Teaching  Creative   Nonfiction.    (Kristine  Ervin,  Ruben   Martinez,  Oindrila  Mukherjee,  Glen  Retief,   Kathryn  Peterson)   With  its  emphasis  on  truth  and  fact,   creative  nonfiction  presents  more   challenges  for  teaching  than  any  other   genre.  Drawing  from  pedagogical  research   and  their  own  best  (or  worst)  practices  in   university  and  prison  instruction,  this   panel  will  explore  the  benefits  and  risks  of   teaching  nonfiction.  Topics  will  include  the   ethics  of  representation;  creating   boundaries  while  fostering  an  open   community;  and  responding  to  texts  driven   by  personal  experiences  about  violent,   illegal,  or  harmful  acts.     Full-­‐residency,  Low-­‐residency,  Online:   The  MFA  Student  and  Faculty   Experience.    (Christine  Sneed,  Philip   Graham,  Bonnie  Jo  Campbell,  Scott   Blackwood,  Patricia  Grace  King)   Current  and  former  MFA  faculty  and   students  from  Pacific  University,  Vermont   College,  University  of  Illinois-­‐Urbana,   Northwestern  University,  Warren  Wilson,   University  of  New  Orleans,  Southern   Illinois  University,  and  Regis  University   discuss  the  different  aspects  of  the  full-­‐ residency,  low-­‐residency,  and  online  MFA   programs  that  they  have  been  a  part  of.   How  these  various  models  are  organized,   how  coursework  and  thesis  advising  are  

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conducted,  among  other  topics,  will  be   addressed  in  detail.     Furries,  Fairies  and  Fetuses:  When   Earnestness  Derails  the  Short  Story.     (Ivan  Rodden,  Karen  Dwyer,  John  Fried,   Jim  Zervanos)   Write  what  you  know.  But  change  the   world.  When  novice  writers’  sincere  desire   to  express  deep  belief,  dramatize  social   change,  or  be  provocative  dictates  the   direction  of  a  plot,  the  story  often  fails.   Talking  fetuses!  Furry  conventions!  Fairies   (both  literal  and  metaphorical)  defying   parents  and  oppressive  society!  This  panel   of  experienced  instructors  will  examine  the   dilemma  and  present  ways  to  offer  strong   criticism  that  respects  student  enthusiasm   and  creates  better  art.     How  Gay  Is  This  Book?:  21st  Century   Approaches  to  the  LGBTQ  Classroom.     (Sarah  A.    Chavez  ,  Claire    Harlan  Orsi,   Stacey    Waite,  Timothy  Schaffert,  Jennifer   Perrine)   Students  and  instructors  often  differ  in   their  interpretation  of  what  constitutes  a   queer  text.  Considering  the  varieties  of   gender  identification  and  spectrum  of   sexual  orientation,  as  well  as  what  it  means   to  enact  a  queer  pedagogy  in  both  form  and   content  of  the  classroom,  panelists  will   explore  the  contemporary  pitfalls  and  joys   of  helping  to  shape  students'  engagement   with  LGBTQ  literature.  Panelists  will  read   from  potentially  contested  queer  texts  as   well  as  discuss  pedagogical  practices.     How  to  Free  a  Tamed  Tongue:  Creative   Writing  &  Multilingual  Students.     (Andrea  Lawlor,  Daniel  Chacón,  Sarah   Dowling,  Carolina  Maugeri,  Zohra  Saed)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  What  does  it  mean  to  teach  creative   writing  to  multilingual  students  in  the  US?   How  can  we  encourage  multilingual   students  to  free  themselves  from  the   hegemony  of  English  language  centered   writing,  even  while  composing  partially  or   primarily  in  English?  How  can  we  honor   our  students’  (and  our  own)  various   Englishes?  Are  we  teaching  craft,  creating   community,  or  both?  This  panel  of  writers   who  teach  will  share  their  experiences   working  with  undergraduates,  graduate   students,  and  in  the  community.     How  To  Get  Away  With  Murdering  Your   Darlings:  Revision  In  The  Classroom.     (Amy  Monticello,  Molly  Patterson,  Phong   Nguyen,  Allison  Joseph)   Writing  is  revision,  but  how  to  teach  it?   Students  leave  workshop  with  ample   feedback  on  drafts,  but  they’re  often   baffled  when  moving  forward.  From  the   fine-­‐tuning  of  a  line  to  the  reshaping  of  a   plot,  revision  is  a  re-­‐visioning  of  the  project   at  hand.  Proceeding  from  the  belief  that  the   best  is  yet  to  come,  this  panel  will  offer   practical  strategies  and  pedagogical   models  for  guiding  students  of  every  level   and  genre—poetry,  fiction,  and   nonfiction—into  and  through  the  process   of  revision.     Incarcerated  Juvenile?  Veteran?  Senior?   Teaching  &  Reaching  the  Writer  Hidden   Within  The  Underserved.    (Monona  Wali,   Robert    Fox,  Esche  Jackson,  Ashaki  Jackson,   Leslie  Ann  Poston)   Five  veteran  teachers  of  the  underserved   discuss  strategies  and  best  practices  to   bring  the  power  of  writing  into  the  lives  of   those  often  discounted  in  our  culture.  How   do  we  create  safe  classrooms  yet  raise  the   bar  for  literary  craft?  How  does  our  

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language  and  our  demeanor  affect  the   outcome  of  the  classroom?  How  do  we   craft  culture  sensitive  writing  prompts?   Panelists  will  discuss  the  challenges  and   rewards  of  working  in  unusual  classrooms   and  delve  into  how  to  best  engage  unique   populations.     Into  the  Wild  Classroom.    (Chelsea   Biondolillo,  Joe  Wilkins,  Sean  Prentiss,  Jill   Sisson  Quinn)   From  Thoreau  to  Dillard  to  Urrea.  With  less   and  less  wildness  around  most  modern   classrooms  and  with  many  students   growing  up  removed  from  nature,  it  can  be   tough  to  present  environmental  writing  as   compelling  and  salient.  Join  science  and   nature  writers  and  educators  for  a   discussion  of  concepts,  texts,  techniques,   and  exercises  that  will  reinvigorate,   diversify  and  modernize  your   environmental-­‐based  literature  and   writing  lesson  plans.     Invisible  Ethics:  Values,  Practices,  and   Greater  Goods  in  the  Creative  Writing   Classroom.    (Amy  Weldon,  Patrick  Hicks,   Sejal  Shah,  Athena  Kildegaard,  Taylor   Brorby)   We  aren't  teaching  "values"  in  a  creative   writing  classroom.  Or  are  we?  What  about   the  tacit  goods  that  underlie  writerly   practice  and  classroom  community:     civility,  attention,  curiosity,  generosity,   risk?  In  this  panel,  five  writers,  teachers,   and  activists  explore  the  often-­‐invisible   ethical  codes  that  structure  creative   writing  practice  -­‐-­‐  especially  as  we  help   students  develop  their  own  -­‐-­‐  and  share   strategies  to  make  the  classroom  a  space  of   mindfulness,  rigor,  and  joy.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Janus-­‐faced:  The  Writing  MFA  in  Art   School  and  the  University.    (Mairead   Byrne,  Amaranth    Borsuk,  John  Cayley,   Peter  Gadol,  Tracie  Morris)   In  the  university,  creative  writing  is  a   discipline  and  art  form,  traditionally   housed  in,  or  near,  Departments  of  English.     In  art  and  design  schools,  MFA  writing   programs  are  newer,  and  more  contested,   developments.  Today,  as  material  /  digital   /  performative  commitments  re-­‐shape   writing,  do  art  school  and  the  university   meet  in  the  writing  program?    This  panel   invites  discussion  from  a  range  of   positions,  disciplinary  and   interdisciplinary,  in  both  university  and  art   and  design  school.     Literature  or  Empowerment  or  Both?     Students  and  teachers  on  the  aims  and   challenges  of  community  writing   programs.    (Frances  Lefkowitz,  Darlene   Frontuto,  Mindy  Velasco,  Jaquita  Tale,   Christina  Anderson)   The  dual  aims  of  community  writing   programs—guiding  emotional  healing  and   empowerment  along  with  teaching   creative  writing—give  these  programs   their  own  set  of  challenges.  Working  with   seniors,  offenders,  at-­‐risk  youth,  and  other   underrepresented  groups,  brings  up  more   unique  issues,  including  building  trust   between  people  from  diverse  backgrounds.   Teachers  and  students  from  California's   WriteGirl,  InsideOut  Writers,  and   Community  Memoir  Project  discuss  their   goals,  approaches,  and  innovations.       Making  Connections:  Creativity  in  the   Composition  Classroom.    (Xinqiang  Li,   Joyce  Meier,  Leonora  Smith,  Stephanie   Amada,  Curtis  VanDonkelaar)  

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This  panel  discusses  the  use  of  creative   content  and  international  writing   traditions  in  the  composition  classroom.   Viewing  the  classroom  as  a  creative  space   affords  connections  to  writing  for  students   and  instructors  who  come  to  the  university   with  differing  expectations  of  what  writing   is  and  can  be.  These  moves  help  to  create   cultural  bridges  for  domestic  and   international  students  and  to  nourish  the   creative  and  scholarly  lives  of  instructors.     Medicalization  in  the  Workshop  –  Not   Always  a  Pill  for  That.    (Maggie    Leffler,   Jason  Lewis,  Sharon  Dilworth,  Doris   Iarovici,  Jennifer  Bannan)   Over  the  past  20  years  we've  noticed  more   fiction  students  diagnosing  characters,   debating  symptoms  and  proper  treatment,   often  to  the  detriment  of  workshops.  At  the   same  time,  fiction  is  increasingly  touted  as   a  tool  to  train  doctors  in  compassionate   care.    If  attention  to  fiction  can  help   doctors,  why  does  attention  to  medical   conditions  seem  to  hinder  writing   discussions?  Fiction  professors  and  a   fiction  editor  join  authors  who  are  MDs  to   discuss  medicine's  place  in  exploring   character.     More  Than  What  Meets  the  Eye:  Word   and  Image  in  a  Digital  Universe.    (Susan   Meyers,  Tammie    Kennedy,  Deborah    Poe,   Margaret  Rhee,  Trent  Hergenrader)   Members  of  this  panel  press  at  the  edges  of   multimedia  and  digital  literature:  writing   combined  with  other  mediums  like  audio,   visual  arts,  bookmaking,  physical   computing,  videos,  and  gaming.  Sharing   examples—a  poetry  machine,  a  women’s   digital  archive,  a  handmade  project,  an   experiment  in  gaming,  an  LGBTQ  eBook  in   South  Africa—we’ll  look  at  what  it  takes  to  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  get  book  arts,  visual  poetry,  and  digital   media  projects  going  (both  in  and  out  of   the  classroom)  and  what  those  projects   have  to  offer.     Non-­‐traditional  Paths  to  Teaching   Academic  Writing  Through  a  College   Writing  Center.    (Kayla  Skarbakka,  Matt   Sharkey-­‐Smith,  Jenny  Martel,  Anne  Shiell,   Basil  Considine)   Working  at  a  college  writing  center  is  not   just  a  student  job,  but  also  an  avenue  of   postgraduate  employment  with  superior   salary,  benefits,  and  stability  compared  to   adjunct  teaching.  It  is  also  open  to  a  wide   variety  of  educational  backgrounds.  Four   presenters  from  very  different  degree   experiences  (a  BA,  a  non-­‐English  MA,  an   MFA,  and  an  English  MA)  will  share  about   the  perks  of  the  job,  how  they  got  their  foot   in  the  door,  on-­‐the-­‐job  challenges,  and   what  they  look  for  when  hiring  colleagues.     Paying  It  Forward:  Literary  Mentorship.     (Dana  Levin,  Tomas  Morin,  C.  Dale  Young,   Amy  Nezhukumatathil,  Vievee  Francis)   Steering  students  through  a  tangle  of  soul,   style,  culture,  digital  and  market  forces?   It’s  called  Mentorship,  and  it’s  an  art.  In  an   academic  environment  driven  more  and   more  by  assessment  and  cost,  how  does   this  crucial,  unquantifiable  teaching   experience  develop  and  survive?  Five  poet-­‐ teachers  from  diverse  backgrounds  discuss   the  art  of  mentoring  today’s  student  as  well   as  what  their  mentors  (Donald  Justice,  Ai,   Louise  Glück,  more)  taught  them  about   teaching,  writing,  living.     Pedagogy's  Next  Wave:  Alternatives  to   the  Whole-­‐Class  Workshop.    (Lacy   Johnson,  Marissa  Landrigan,  Laura  Leigh   Morris,  Darin  Ciccotelli)  

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For  nearly  a  century,  workshop  pedagogy   has  undergone  few  if  any  changes.  Is  it   finally  time  to  re-­‐imagine  it?  This  panel  will   offer  radical  alternatives  to  the  traditional   whole-­‐class  workshop,  moving  past  the   “one  poem,  one  story”  expectation  as  well   as  small  class  and  manuscript  variations.   Not  only  will  we  explore  “guided”   workshops,  multi-­‐media  workshops  and   micro-­‐workshops  for  non-­‐traditional   populations,  but  we  will  challenge  the   primacy  that  student  texts  have  in  our   pedagogy.     Poets  in  the  Schools:  Empowering  K-­‐12   with  the  Word.    (Phyllis    Meshalum,   Jessica    Wilson  Cardenas,  John  Oliver   Simon,  Tobey  Kaplan,  Cathy  Barber)   California  Poets  in  the  Schools’  Panel  of   Poet  Teachers  present  lessons  in  relation   to  poetry  teaching  activities,  pedagogical   principles,  mentor-­‐artist  philosophy,   curriculum  context,  literacy  research  and   cross-­‐disciplinary  collaborations  engaging   K-­‐12  students,  and  the  importance  of  Poet   community.  The  lessons  in  Poetry  Crossing   demonstrate  the  dedication  of  our  Poet   Teacher  community  on  quest  for  the   empowerment  of  children.  Student   excerpts  showcase  bilingual  poetics  and   creative  form.     Teaching  Outside  the  Search  Box:   Lessons  in  Creative  Nonfiction  Research   Methods.    (John  Engler,  Barrie  Borich,   Aviya  Kushner,  Justin  Wadland)   Research  is  clearly  an  essential  part  of   writing  creative  nonfiction,  but  it's  not  so   clear  how  to  teach  students  to  use  research   and  then  weave  those  findings  into   engaging  prose.  This  panel  explores   effective  approaches  to  teaching  research   in  creative  nonfiction  and  discusses  how  to  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  introduce  various  methods,  including   gathering  sources,  travel,  immersion,  and   more.  We  seek  to  exchange  prompts,   activities,  and  assignments  designed  to   help  students  view  research  as  a  creative   act.     Teaching  Taxpayers:  Building  Support   for  the  Arts  One  Class  At  a  Time.     (Charlotte    Holmes,  Sherrie  Flick,  Toni   Jensen,  Laura  Mullen,  Tom  Williams)   Whether  or  not  our  students  become   published  writers,  they  do  go  on  to  pay   taxes,  decide  on  school  curricula,  opine   about  arts  funding  in  their  communities,   buy  books,  subscribe  to  literary  journals,   and  raise  the  next  generation  of  readers.   We,  as  teachers  of  creative  writing,  try  to   build  support  for  the  arts  that  outlives  our   classes.  By  making  informed  pedagogical   choices,  we  can  entice  student  writers  into   making  creative  work  an  essential  part  of   their  lives,  and  spreading  that   commitment.     The  All-­‐Inclusive  Workshop:  Strategies   for  Discussing  Genre  Fiction  in  the   Undergraduate  Fiction  Workshop.     (Candace  Nadon,  Michaela  Roessner,  Carla     Spataro  ,  Matt  Sailor)   There  are  tropes,  forms,  conventions,  and   terminology  specific  to  genres  such  as   science  fiction,  fantasy,  horror,  romance,   and  mystery.This  panel's  focus  is  how  to   discuss  these  and  other  genres  in  the   undergraduate  fiction  workshop.    We  will   provide  definitions  of  genres   undergraduate  teachers  are  most  likely  to   encounter  in  an  undergraduate  workshop,   terminology  specific  to  these  genres,   descriptions  of  particular  conventions  and   tropes,  and  strategies  for  how  to  workshop   genre  fiction.  

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  The  Crafty  Classroom:  Playing  with   Prosody  in  the  Workshop.    (Anna  Lena   Phillips,  Kim  Addonizio,  Annie  Finch,   Timothy  Steele)   From  terza  rima  to  tetrameter,  formal   poetics  can  enliven  a  workshop  and  offer   students  access  to  a  rich  tradition  replete   with  potential  for  new  work.  As  teachers   and  authors  of  guides  to  poetic  craft,  we   have  introduced  students  to  formal   prosody  in  both  college  courses  and   community  settings.  How  can  craft  guides   be  used  to  encourage  play  with  meter,   fixed  forms,  and  procedural  work?   Panelists’  titles  offer  a  broad  spectrum  of   strategies;  we  will  discuss  these  as  well  as   other  possibilities.     The  Language  of  Change:  Writing  to   Heal  in  Hospitals,  Prisons,  and  Other   Inhospitable  Places.    (Autumn  Stephens,   Sharon  Bray,  Sue  Diaz,  Kathy  Evans,  Rose   Black)   At  the  heart  of  writing  that  heals  lies  one   essential  question:  “What  do  you  make  of   your  experience?”  In  this  nuts-­‐and-­‐bolts   session,  writing  teachers  who  work  with  a   variety  of  special  populations  share  their   best  strategies  for  helping  students  find  the   language  they  need  to  compose  (“make”)   and  comprehend  the  stories  of  their  lives.   Key  topics  include  creating  effective   curriculum,  fostering  a  safe  atmosphere,   and  valuing  individual  transformation  over   the  publishable  story  or  poem.     The  Life  You  Save  May  Be  Your  Own:   Mentors  and  Mentees.    (Michael  Croley,   Richard  Bausch,  Robert    Bausch,  Jill     McCorkle,  Pam  Houston)   Every  young  writer  craves  that  one   fabulous  mentor  who  will  shape  his  or  her  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  work  and,  thus,  shape  his  or  her  life.  In  the   best  situation  the  student(s)  shape  you  too.   Four  writers  with  giants  for  mentors  and   troves  of  their  own  students  will  discuss   what  it  was  like  to  have  been  mentored   and  to  have  then  grown  into  the  role  of     teacher.     The  Multimodal  Workshop:  Digital   Pedagogy  for  Creative  Writing  Students.     (Raul  Palma,  Nick  White,  Silas    Hansen,   Sonya  Huber)   While  certainly  useful,  purely  craft-­‐based   pedagogy  can  privilege  the  theories  of   producing  creative  work,  rather  than  the   multiple  modes  in  which  creativity  can   flourish.  The  multimodal  workshop  de-­‐ centers  craft-­‐based  pedagogy  by  asking   students  to  extend  their  work  beyond  the   traditional  page.  In  this  panel,  instructors   discuss  how  they  include  visual,  audio,  and   tactile  texts  in  their  teaching  as  well  as   share  practical  methodologies  for   cultivating  interdisciplinary  projects.     The  Natural  Writer:  Unschooling  the   Creative  Writing  Classroom.    (Heidi     Staples,  Jonathan    Skinner,  Michael   Martone,  Deb    Unferth,  Jessica  Smith)   Can  writing  be  untaught?  Sometimes,  the   institutional  setting  of  the  creative  writing   classroom  can  foster  a  lack  of  risk-­‐taking   by  positioning  participants  as  dutiful   students  rather  than  daring  artists,  failing   to  ignite  creative  agency.  Panelists   committed  to  a  variety  of  unschooling   approaches  that  take  writing  outdoors  will   discuss  their  pedagogies  and  practices  for   students,  including  the  Walking  Classroom,   the  Poetry  Boat,  and  Four  Roaming   Elemental  Excursions  (F.R.E.E.).    

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The  Pedagogy  of  Addiction,  Grindr,   Tattoos,  Nude  Beaches:  How  Much  of   Your  Identity  to  Reveal  in  the   Classroom.    (Rachel  Simon,  Syreeta   McFadden,  Curtis  Bauer,  Melissa  Febos,   Michael  Broder)   How  do  we  model  the  writing  life  to  our   students  when  our  own  work  touches  on   intimate,  controversial,  and  disturbing   experiences  around  sex,  drugs,  violence,   and  other  modes  of  transgression?  This   panel  offers  practical  advice  on  how  and   how  much  to  bring  of  our  own  lives  into   the  creative  writing  classroom.  Panelists   include  writing  professors  whose  lives  and   work  meet  at  the  intersections  of  sex  work,   heroin  addiction,  the  gay  hook  up  app   Grindr,  queer  activism,  and  work  to  end   rape  culture.     The  Poem  You’ll  Write  Tomorrow:  How   to  Teach  Vision.    (Traci  Brimhall,  Natalie   Diaz,  David  Kirby,  Roger  Reeves,  Erika   Meitner)   Graduate  workshops  generally  focus  on  the   merits  of  an  individual  poem,  but  there   comes  a  day  (or  deadline)  when  these   poems  are  collected.  With  all  the  focus  on   individual  poems,  how  do  students  find  a   unifying  vision  for  their  work?  How  do   teachers  in  workshop  or  in  their  role  as   advisor  guide  students  beyond  craft  and   poetic  imitation  to  write  “breakthrough”   poems  in  their  voice?  How  can  a  set  of   poems  become  an  act  of  fortune  telling  to   see  the  poems  that  haven’t  yet  come  into   being?     The  Senses  and  Sensibility:  Activities  for   the  Creative  Writing  Classroom.    (Angela   So,  Brian  Brodeur,  Charles  Rice-­‐González,   Sebastian  Paramo,  Michelle  Burke)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Want  to  liven  up  your  creative  writing   classroom?  In  this  panel,  teachers  share   activities  they’ve  used  to  successfully   engage  students’  bodies  as  well  as  their   minds.  Whether  it’s  using  improvisation  to   teach  subtext  or  having  students  write   poems  after  tasting  a  dragon  fruit  while   blindfolded,  these  activities  challenge   students  to  interact  with  the  world  using   all  five  senses.  After  all,  being  a  good  writer   begins  with  being  a  good  observer.     The  Unbearable  Too-­‐Whiteness  of   Workshop.    (Joshua  Robbins,  David   Roderick,  V.V.  (Sugi)  Ganeshananthan,  F.   Douglas  Brown,  Laura  McCullough)   Continuing  the  discussion  raised  by  Junot   Diaz  who  rightfully  lambasted  the   whiteness  of  creative  writing  faculty,  this   diverse  panel  of  teachers/writers   addresses  the  implications  of  the   traditional  workshop’s  cultural   reproduction  of  whiteness  and  offers   specific  pedagogical  approaches  to  disrupt   dynamics  entrenched  by  the  very  power   structures  in  which  the  traditional   workshop  invests.  The  session’s  goal  is  to   critique  norms  with  an  eye  toward   progress,  community,  and  workshop   solidarity.     The  Use  and  Abuse  of  Memoir.    (Tom     Zoellner,  Christa  Parravani,  Maggie   Behringer,  David    McGlynn,  Tiana   Kahakauwila)   Any  writer  of  creative  nonfiction  faces  a   primary  question:  do  I  write  from  inside  or   outside  the  self?  Does  all  nonfiction   literature  ultimately  come  back  to  a   personal  perspective,  even  if  the  entire   work  is  third-­‐person  reportage?   Instructors  of  the  genre  discuss  the  extent   to  which  they  encourage  or  discourage  

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memoir  from  their  students,  and  question   whether  the  syllabus  should  include  some   instruction  on  the  art  of  interview  and   research  in  addition  to  the  exploration  of  a   personal  past.     Visual  Arts  in  Creative  Writing,   Literature,  and  Composition   Classrooms.    (Margaret  Luongo,  Zackary   Hill,  David  Ebenbach,  Jody    Bates,  Brian   Roley)   Writers  and  teachers  of  poetry,  fiction,   plays,  and  screenplays  discuss  their  use  of   visual  arts  in  creative  writing,  literature,   and  composition  classrooms.  Moving   beyond  ekphrasis,  these  educators  and   writers  describe  assignments  that  promote   parallel  thinking,  meta-­‐cognition,  and   creative  problem  solving  via  various   mediums  and  games  at  the  undergraduate   and  graduate  levels.     We  are  Your  Saviors:  Faculty  of  Color   Respond  to  the  MFA  vs  POC  Debate.     (Julie  Iromuanya,  DeMisty    Bellinger,  John   Chávez,  Randall  Horton,  Iyawó  (Kristin)   Naca)   Junot  Díaz  and  David  Mura  critically   interrogate  the  ways  that  privilege  imbues   interactions  within  predominantly  white   writing  workshops.  We  want  to  extend  this   conversation  by  considering  the  ways  that   faculty  of  color  negotiate  intersectional   identities  in  these  spaces.  Our  dual   perspective  as  marginalized-­‐leaders  has   positioned  us  to  save  the  writing   workshop.  From  both  a  position  of  power   and  marginality,  how  do  workshop  leaders   of  color  facilitate  a  fruitful  and  inclusive   writing  workshop?     We  Don’t  String  Popcorn  Necklaces   Here:  Brain  Science  And  Assessment  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Beyond  Craft.    (Laura  Valeri,  Amy   Lemmon,  Dee  Gilson,  Brendan  Constantine,   Zohra  Saed)   The  mysterious  power  of  the  brain  invites   as  much  speculation  as  the  romantic  notion   that  all  writers  possess  a  pinch  of  madness   -­‐-­‐  but  can  brain  science  help  teachers   reconcile  the  pragmatic  demands  of   program  review  with  the  playful,  uncertain   explorations    of  the  creative  process?    A   diverse  panel  of  teachers  who  have  taught   and  assessed  K-­‐12/BA/MFA  curriculums   share  how  recent  studies  in  creativity   impact  how  they  teach  and  show  how  to   design  assessment  that  survives  this   STEM-­‐obsessed  age.     We  Have  Your  Interests  at  Heart:   Teaching  Memoir  in  the  Era  of   Mandatory  Reporting.    (KATHY  FLANN,   BECKA    JAMES,  CATHERINE  CRISWELL   SPEAR,  DOROTHY  ALISON,  GLEN  RETIEF)   Students  seldom  submit  a  draft  memoir   intending  to  bring  police  to  their  door  or  to   forfeit  their  agency  over  reporting  harm   done  to  them.  Yet  broad  new  state  and   federal  mandatory  reporting  requirements   for  child  abuse  and  sexual  misconduct   make  such  scenarios  increasingly  likely.     This  panel,  bringing  together  student,  legal,   faculty,  and  memoirist  perspectives,   surveys  new  requirements  and  shares   insights  for  how  today’s  teachers  can   balance  student  trust  and  creativity  with   student  safety.     What  I  Did  When  What  I  Did  Wasn't   Working:  Teachers  on  Retooling  Their   Teaching.    (Joseph  Scapellato,  Matt  Bell,   Derek  Palacio,  Catherine  Dent,  Jameelah   Lang)   When  our  in-­‐class  lessons  and  out-­‐of-­‐class   assignments  don’t  give  our  students  what  

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we'd  hoped  they  would—when  our   pedagogical  performances  flop   unexpectedly—how  do  we  rework  what's   left?    In  this  panel,  five  teachers  of  writing   share  specific  instances  of  course  failure   and  the  attempts  at  redesign  that  followed.     Examples  of  activities,  assignments,  and   approaches  promise  to  make  this  panel   helpful  for  teachers  of  all  experience  levels.     What  Our  Speech  Still  Disrupts.     (Katharine    Haake,  Rebbecca    Brown,   Marjie    Stewart,  Kate  Kostelnik)   Fifteen  years  have  passed  since  the   publication  of  LA-­‐based  writer,  Katharine   Haake’s  text,  _What  Our  Speech  Disrupts_.   While  the  theory  wars  are  over,  their   impact  still  resonates.  Haake’s  work–on  the   intersections  of  writing,  theory,  and   pedagogy–is  unfortunately  out  of  print.   Nonetheless,  it  still  illuminates  the   marginalized  spaces  occupied  by  women,   minorities,  and  students.    Teachers  and   writers–among  them,  Haake’s  former   student  and  Haake  herself–discuss  the   book’s  impact  on  their  work.         What’s  Form  Got  to  With  It?  Focusing  on   Form  in  the  Creative  Nonfiction  Class.     (Cassandra  Kircher,  Jeremy    Jones,  Tim     Bascom,  Ned  Stuckey-­‐French,  Jessie    van   Eerden)   In  this  panel  writers  and  teachers  discuss   the  pros  and  cons  of  making  essay  “forms”   the  center  of  their  own  CNF  classes.  What   is  lost  and  gained  by  focusing  on  the   traditional  conventions  of  sub-­‐genres—or   forms—in  CNF?  For  instance,  are  the   conventions  of  travel  writing  or  literary   journalism  flexible  enough  to  allow  for   narrative  or  disjunctive  or  lyrical  forms,  or   some  combo  of  them  all?    And  how  can  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  form-­‐based  assignments  help  students   move  toward  inventing  their  own  apt   forms?   Where  We  Begin  to  Revise  the  Poem   (part  2).    (John    Hoppenthaler,  Keetje   Kuipers,  James  Harms,  Peter  Campion,   Erica  Dawson)   This  panel  will  provide  specific  revision   strategies  for  use  in  the  poetry  workshop.   Revision  at  the  level  of  the  word,  the  line,   the  sentence,  and  the  stanza  will  be   highlighted.  Each  panelist  will  provide   three  more  favorite  points  of  revision,  with   each  point  contributing  toward  an   understanding  of  the  sort  of  shaping  and   negotiation  that  goes  beyond  mere  editing,   the  sort  that  students  ought  to  be  engaged   in  as  they  prepare  their  portfolios  and   continue  on  in  a  life  of  poetry  making.    

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  Whose  story  is  it  anyway?  Teaching  the   other  in  the  college  creative  writing   classroom..    (Luanne  Smith,  Laura  Leigh   Morris,  Yvette    Benavides,  Cherise  Pollard,   Shanthi    Sekaran)   With  more  attention  on  global  literacy,   college  creative  writing  students  are  often   writing  in  all  genres  about  people  who  are   far  from  their  own  experiences.  Our   pedagogical  practices  in  the  creative   writing  classroom  have  to  evolve  to   address  these  changes  in  what  our   students  are  reading.  Is  this  their  story  to   tell?  How  far  does  write  what  you  know   go?  How  do  we  address  this  delicate   subject?  We  offer  strategies  for  addressing   these  issues  and  conversations  in  the   classroom.  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

 

Readings ¡Chicana!  Power!    A  Firme  Tejana-­‐ Califas  Reading.    (Guadalupe  García   Montaño,  Xochitl-­‐Julisa  Bermejo,  Anel   Flores,  Estella  González,  Emmy  Pérez)   With  a  brown  fist  in  the  air,  chanting  “¡Sí  Se   Puede!”  these  mujeres  bring  la  palabra.   This  is  a  reading  by  fierce  Chicana  poets   stemming  from  Texas  and  Califas.  They   exist  in  this  frontera  breaking  barriers  and   re-­‐building  bridges.  They  are  proud  to   walk  this  poetic  path.  Their  writings  reflect   their  politics,  beliefs,  and  lived  experiences   existing  within  el  otro  lado.  They  build   bridges  within  all  their  communities:   Chicana,  LGBTQ  y  más  colores.  ¡Que  Viva   Xicanisma!  ¡Viva!     #BlackPoetsSpeakOut:  From  Hashtag  to   Social  Justice  Movement.    (Amanda   Johnston,  Mahogany    Browne,  Aaron     Samuels,  Douglas  Brown)   In  the  wake  of  a  grand  jury  failing  to  indict   Darren  Wilson  in  the  murder  of  Mike   Brown,  Black  Poets  Speak  Out  (BPSO)  was   launched  to  rally  poets  and  allies  against   police  violence.  Hundreds  of  poetry  videos   were  posted  and  reached  thousands   internationally  across  social  media  outlets.   BPSO  organizers  Amanda  Johnston  and   Mahogany  L.  Browne,  along  with  regional   coordinators  F.  Douglas  Brown  and  Aaron   Samuels,  discuss  how  an  online  poetry   campaign  progressed  to  a  community   action  based  movement.     2014  National  Poetry  Series  Selections:   A  Reading.    (Sarah  Vap,  Ed  Pavlić,  Joshua   Poteat,  Nancy  Reddy,  Simeon  Berry)   Since  1979,  the  National  Poetry  Series  has   sponsored  the  publication  of  more  than   175  books  of  poetry  through  trade,  

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university,  and  small  presses,  both   launching  careers  and  validating   established  ones.  Working  each  year  with  a   changing  panel  of  judges,  the  Series   continues  to  be  a  home  for  a  myriad  of   different  voices  and  experiences.  This   reading  will  feature  the  five  poets  selected   for  the  2014  Series,  a  group  both   aesthetically  and  geographically   representative  of  the  Series’s  range.     25  Years  of  Diversity  from  Sable  and  St.   Petersburg  Review:  A  Reading.     (Elizabeth  Hodges,  Jeffrey  Renard  Allen,   Kadija  Seesay,  Thiong'o  Ngugi,  Christian   Campbell)   A  reading  celebrating  two  journals'   combined  anniversary:  Reading  for  St.   Petersburg  Review  are  Jeffrey  Renard  Allen   (The  Song  of  the  Shank)  and  Kadija  George,   editor  of  Sable  magazine.  Reading  for  Sable   are  Christian  Campbell  (Running  the  Dusk)   and  TK  Ngugi.  Elizabeth  L.  Hodges  will   moderate.     40th  Anniversary  Celebration  of  Calyx   and  Sinister  Wisdom.    (Jenny    Factor,  Jean   Hegland,  Marianne  Villanueva,  Brenna   Crotty,  Julie  R.    Enszer)   Two  venerable  feminist  publications   celebrate  their  40th  anniversary  of   publishing  in  2015.  Calyx,  a  twice  yearly   feminist  journal  celebrates  the  excellence   and  diversity  of  women’s  literature  and  art,   and  Sinister  Wisdom,  a  quarterly   multicultural  lesbian  literary  &  art  journal,   continue  to  publish  vital  new  voices   building  on  their  long  publishing  history.   Join  the  editors  to  celebrate  both  journals   and  the  broad  contributions  of  Calyx  and   Sinister  Wisdom  to  feminist  publishing.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  A  40th  Anniversary  Reading  from  the   MFA  Program  for  Writers  at  Warren   Wilson  College.    (Debra  Allbery,  Pablo   Medina,  gabrielle  calvocoressi,  Charles     Baxter,  A.  Van  Jordan)   Founded  in  1976  by  Ellen  Bryant  Voigt  as   the  nation’s  first  low-­‐residency  program,   the  MFA  Program  for  Writers  at  Warren   Wilson  College  has  counted  some  of  the   country’s  finest  poets  and  fiction  writers   among  its  faculty  and  graduates.   Continuing  a  tradition  started  by  the   program  years  ago  at  Malaprop’s   Bookstore  in  Asheville,  NC—The  Fastest   Reading  in  the  World-­‐-­‐  forty  Warren   Wilson  MFA  faculty  members  and  alumni   will  read  from  their  work,  celebrating  four   decades  of  literary  achievement.     A  Celebration  of  the  Life  and  Work  of   Philip  Levine.    (Edward    Hirsch,  Vievee   Francis,  David  St.  John,  Malena  Morling,   Dorianne    Laux)   Five  poets  who  were  close  to  Philip  Levine   and  his  work  will  speak  about  his  life,  his   influence  on  a  generation,  and  read   selections  from  his  poetry,  along  with  one   original  poem  that  was  significantly   influenced  by  his  work.    Participating  poets   will  be  Edward  Hirsch,  long  time  friend  and   colleague;  David  St.  John,  former  student   and  Levis  collaborator;  Malena  Morling,   translator  of  Levine's  work;  Vievee  Francis,   Detroit  poet  and  moderator  Dorianne  Laux.     A  Rattle  Reading:  21  Years  of  Poetry  for   the  21st  Century.    (Timothy  Green,  Troy   Jollimore,  Joan  Murray,  Chris  Anderson,   Roberta  Beary)   For  over  two  decades,  Los  Angeles  has   been  home  to  Rattle  magazine,  one  of  the   most  vibrant  and  most  read  poetry   magazines  in  the  world.  Four  poets  from  

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recent  issues  will  read  their  work,   demonstrating  the  eclectic  spirit  of  the   magazine,  and  spanning  four  of  its  tribute   themes:  Japanese  Forms,  Poets  of  Faith,   New  Yorkers,  and  Love  Poems.  Moderator   and  Rattle  editor  Timothy  Green  will   introduce  each  poet  and  briefly  discuss   Rattle’s  vision  of  poetry  in  the  21st  century   and  beyond.     A  Reading  &  Conversation  with   Rigoberto  Gonzalez,  Marilyn  Nelson,  &   D.A.  Powell,  Sponsored  by  Poetry   Society  of  America.    (Alice    Quinn,   Rigoberto  Gonzalez,  Marilyn  Nelson,  D.A.   Powell)   Three  acclaimed  contemporary  poets   Rigoberto  Gonzalez  (PSA  Shelley  Memorial   Award,  2011),  Marilyn  Nelson  (PSA  Frost   Medalist  2014),  and  D.A.  Powell  (PSA   Shelley  Memorial  Award,  2015)  will  read   from  their  work.    The  reading  will  be   followed  by  a  conversation  moderated  by   PSA  Executive  Director  Alice  Quinn.     A  Reading  and  Conversation  with   Douglas  Kearney,  Robin  Coste  Lewis  and   Gregory  Pardlo,  Sponsored  by  Cave   Canem.    (Douglas    Kearney,  Robin  Coste   Lewis,  Gregory  Pardlo,  April  Heck)   Three  poets  read  from  collections  that   provoke  new  ways  of  seeing  and  thinking   about  culture,  art,  history,  naming,  race   and  home.  They  discuss  how  strategies  of   experimental  performative  typography,   meditations  on  the  roles  played  by  desire   and  race  in  the  construction  of  the  self,  and   autobiographical  lyric  poems  connecting   the  complex  intimacies  of  domestic  life   with  the  profound  issues  of  our  day  create   a  seamless  line  between  craft,  vision  and   critical  thought.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  A  Reading  and  Conversation  with  Geoff   Dyer,  Leslie  Jamison,  and  Maggie   Nelson,  Sponsored  by  Graywolf  Press.     (Fiona  McCrae,  Geoff  Dyer,  Leslie  Jamison,   Maggie  Nelson)   Join  three  remarkable  writers  whose   works  challenge  and  invigorate  new   nonfiction  with  wit,  empathy,  intelligence,   and  style.  Geoff  Dyer  received  the  National   Book  Critics  Circle  Award  in  criticism  for   Otherwise  Known  as  the  Human  Condition.   Leslie  Jamison  is  the  author  of  the  essay   collection  The  Empathy  Exams,  a  New  York   Times  best  seller.  Maggie  Nelson  is  the   author  of  the  innovative  works  The   Argonauts  and  The  Red  Parts.  Introduced   by  Graywolf  publisher  Fiona  McCrae.     A  Reading  by  Edward  Hirsch  and   Natasha  Trethewey,  Sponsored  by  the   Academy  of  American  Poets.    (Jennifer   Benka,  Edward  Hirsch,  Natasha   Trethewey)   The  Academy  of  American  Poets  will   present  a  reading  by  the  award-­‐winning   and  best-­‐selling  poets  Edward  Hirsch  and   Natasha  Trethewey  on  the  final  night  of  the   conference.  Both  poets’  work  is  of  the   highest  artistic  quality  and  both  poets’   readings  turn  out  large  audiences.  And,   both  have  agreed,  that  if  approved  by  AWP,   they  would  be  pleased  to  present  a  reading   in  partnership  with  our  organizations.  Jen   Benka,  the  Executive  Director  of  the   Academy  of  American  Poets  would   introduce  the  event.     A  Reading  by  Kingsley  &  Kate  Tufts   Poetry  Award  Winners.    (Beth  Bachmann,   Yona  Harvey,  Michael  Ryan,  Afaa  Michael   Weaver)   The  Tufts  poetry  awards  –  based  at   Claremont  Graduate  University  –  are  two  

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of  the  most  prestigious  prizes  a   contemporary  poet  can  receive.  The   Kingsley  Tufts  Poetry  Award  was  created   to  both  honor  a  poet  and  provide  the   resources  that  allow  artists  to  continue   working  towards  the  pinnacle  of  their  craft.   The  Kate  Tufts  Discovery  Award  is   presented  to  a  first  book  by  a  poet  of   genuine  promise.  These  past  recipients   showcase  the  geographic  and  aesthetic   diversity  of  Tufts  Award  winners.     A  Reading  for  Lana  Turner:  a  Journal  of   Poetry  and  Opinion.    (Calvin  Bedient,   Cathy  Park  Hong,  Joshua    Clover,  Brenda     Hillman,  Claudia  Rankine)   The  Santa  Monica-­‐based  Lana  Turner:  a   Journal  of  Poetry  and  Opinion  celebrates   its  eighth  annual  issue  with  a  reading  by   contributors  from  past  issues.  Readers   include:  Claudia  Rankine,  Joshua  Clover,   Brenda  Hillman,  Cathy  Park  Hong.  The   event  will  be  moderated  by  journal  co-­‐ editor  Calvin  Bedient.     A  Reading  to  Celebrate  MacDowell's  110   years.    (Tracy    Winn,  Zinzi    Clemmons,   Adrianne    Harun,  Alice  Sola  Kim)   This  reading  celebrates  the  MacDowell   Colony's  110th  year  of  support  for  writers   of  diverse  cultural,  aesthetic  and   geographical  backgrounds,  providing  the   freedom  to  create  in  all  stages  of  their   careers.  Four  award-­‐winning  fiction   fellows  read,  showcasing  the  caliber  of   work  encouraged  by  MacDowell.  The   panelists  also  briefly  share  how  residency   at  the  Colony  influenced  their  development   as  writers.     A  Sarabande  Books  Reading.    (Kathleen     Ossip,  Rick  Barot,  Kerry  Howley,  John     McManus,  Wendy  S.  Walters)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  As  the  winner  of  the  inaugural  AWP  Small   Press  Award  for  excellence,  creativity,  and   innovation,  Sarabande  Books  has  been  one   of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  small   independent  presses  for  over  20  years,   praised  for  its  wide-­‐ranging  taste  and   inspired  editing.  We  celebrate  some  of  the   press’s  recent  offerings  with  a  reading  by   five  outstanding  writers  of  fiction,   nonfiction  and  poetry.  A  question-­‐and-­‐ answer  period  will  follow.     Adaptation:  Bringing  the  Novel  to  the   Big  Screen.    (Graham  Moore,  Nick  Kazan,   Mel    Toltz,  Amber    Tamblyn,  Robert  Nelson   Jacobs)   "If  the  integrity  of  a  film  adaptation  is   measured  by  the  degree  to  which  the   novelist’s  intent  is  preserved,  Mr.  Foote’s   screenplay  should  be  studied  as  a  classic.”  -­‐   Harper  Lee  on  the  movie  To  Kill  A   Mockingbird.  What  makes  a  novel  worthy   of  adaptation?  How  should  we  measure  the   success  of  an  adaptation?  How  faithful   should  a  screenwriter  remain  to  a  novel?  Is   the  author’s  intent  relevant?  In  this  panel   we  will  explore  these  questions  from  the   perspective  of  prominent  screenwriters.     After  Steinbeck  and  Jeffers:  How  the   Central  Coast  Inscribes  Us.    (Kevin  Clark,   Christopher  Buckley,  Todd  Pierce,  Micah   Perks,  Marsha  de  la  O)   A  sometimes  overlooked  but  vibrant   literary  region  that  has  produced  some  of   our  most  urgent  writing,  the  coastal  area  of   Steinbeck  and  Jeffers  ranges  from  Santa   Cruz  in  the  north  to  Ventura  in  the  south.   These  five  authors  will  try  to  answer  the   question,  how  does  the  region  influence   style  and  content?  How  do  dramatic  vistas   in  which  mountains  meet  ocean,  valleys,   and  farmlands  affect  formal,  personal,  and  

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political  facets  of  our  writing  today?  They   will  also  read  from  their  own  work.     American  Tropics.    (Patrick  Rosal,   Tiphanie  Yanique,  Willie  Perdomo,   Christina  Olivares,  Brandy  Nalani   McDougall)   Across  the  enforced  borders  of  race  and   place,  five  authors  discuss  centuries-­‐old   fantasies  about  labor,  class,  gender,   immigration,  the  body,  and  sovereignty.   These  writers,  from  the  Virgin  Islands,   Hawaii,  the  Philippines,  Puerto  Rico,  and   Cuba,  share  a  history  of  American  invasion   and  rule.  Their  writing  reveals  mostly   untapped  or  simply  ignored  versions  of  US   history.  In  short,  their  richly  varied  work   can  be  seen  together.  In  fact,  such  richness   can  make  America  see  its  secret  self.     An  FC2  Reading.    (Michael  Mejia,  Melanie   Rae  Thon,  Marc  Anthony  Richardson,   Jessica  Richardson,  Angela  Woodward)   FC2  has  been  a  leading  publisher  of   experimental  writing  for  over  40  years,   hosting  a  continually  dynamic  and  diverse   conversation  about  what  constitutes  the   innovative.  Our  authors  include,  among   many  others,  Samuel  Delaney,  Leslie   Scalapino,  Lidia  Yuknavitch,  Stephen   Graham  Jones,  Diane  WIlliams,  Lance   Olsen,  Raymond  Federman,  and  Vanessa   Place.  This  event  will  feature  readings  by   authors  of  our  latest  releases,  followed  by  a   Q&A.     Angry  Asians:  A  Hyphen  Magazine   Reading  Dismantling  the  Model   Minority  Myth.    (Ari  Laurel,  G  Yamazawa,   Amarnath  Ravva,  Celeste  Chan,  Kristina   Wong)   In  1966,  the  term  "model  minority"  was   coined  in  the  New  York  Times.  This  year  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  will  be  50  years  since  Asian  Americans   were  first  characterized  by  the  model   minority  myth,  and  they're  not  going  to   take  it  anymore.  Five  APIA  writers  will   challenge  the  stereotype  by  being   unapologetically  themselves  and  reading   their  work  about  anger,  rebellion,  and   baddest  behavior.     Audio  Drama  and  Podcasting:  the   Future  is  Now.    (Bryan  Wade,  Lance  Dann,   Fred  Greenhalgh,  Kc  Wayland)   In  the  last  decade  the  landscape  for  audio   dramatic  writing  has  been  transformed  by   the  exponential  growth  and  impact  of   podcasting.  Audiences  are  no  longer  locked   in  the  traditional  appointment-­‐listening   model,  but  can  tune  in  when  and  where   they  want.  Professional  writers  and   producers  will  discuss  the  craft  of  writing   for  this  unique  and  demanding  medium  of   the  imagination  and  how  one  engages   audiences  in  the  saturated  media  universe   of  tv,  film,  books,  music  and  multi-­‐platform   events.     Beautifully  Broken:  A  Multilingual   Reading  of  Trauma-­‐Informed  Poetry.     (Nancy  Naomi  Carlson,  Alex  Cigale,  Ilya   Kaminsky,  Jesse  Lee  Kercheval,  Sidney   Wade)   Trauma  knows  no  national  boundaries,  and   has  inspired  a  diverse  body  of  poetry  to   inscribe  that  before  which  words  are   powerless.  Poetic  response  to  trauma  is   conditioned  by  historical  context  as  well  as   personal  character.  This  panel  of   poet/translators  will  read  poems  from   such  countries  as  Martinique,  Mauritius,   Russia,  Turkey,  and  Uruguay  that  describe   or  explore  such  devastating  life   experiences  as  war,  exile,  natural  

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catastrophes,  domestic  violence,  and   prison.     Become  Another  Race?:  Writing   Dramatic  Identity  for  the  Multicultural   Audience.    (Ayshia  Stephenson,  Johnny   Jones,  Candrice  Jones,  Aleshea  Harris)   At  the  core  of  race,  there  is  drama.  Lies   society  tells  itself  about  racial  identity   perform  on  stage,  in  everyday  life,  and  in   writing.  Yet,  dramatic  literature  can  tackle   race  and  offer  audiences  pluralistic   symbols  of  person  and  culture.  In  the   writing  process,  an  author  becomes  the   entity  s/he  writes  about.  But  how  does  a   writer  become  another  race?  This  panel,  of   writers  and  practitioners,  will  offer   strategies  on  how  to  craft  dramatic   identities  that  expand  America’s  racial   imagination.     Beyond  40  Years:  A  Diasporic   Vietnamese  Artists  Network  reading  of   Vietnamese  American  Fiction  Writers.     (Aimee  Phan,  Viet  Nguyen,  Bich    Nguyen,   Vu  Tran,  Dao  Strom)   Forty  years  after  the  end  of  the  Vietnam   War,  Vietnamese  American  literature  has   flourished.The  Diasporic  Vietnamese   Artists  Network  is  a  California-­‐based   alliance  of  artists,  writers,  and  scholars   that  aims  to  promote  the  art  and  literature   of  the  Vietnamese  diaspora.  Five  award   winning  writers  will  read  from  their  most   recent  work  and  discuss  the  craft  and   politics  of  writing  in  the  diverse  genre  of   Vietnamese  American  fiction.     Beyond  Neruda:  Latin  American  Women   Poets  Burn  Down  the  House.    (Forrest   Gander,  Yvette  Seigert,  Jen  Hofer,  Jesse  Lee   Kercheval)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  A  celebration  of  writing  by  Latin  American   women  poets  whose  electrifying  work   responds  to  the  most  burning  literary  and   political  pressures  of  their  time.  These  are   poets  every  American  reader  should  know,   poets  that  teachers  should  add  to  their   syllabi  and  class  reading  lists,  poets  who   inspire  other  poets.  Readings  from   translations  of  Coral  Bracho  (Mexico),   Dolores  Dorantes  (Mexico),  Alaíde  Foppa   (Guatemala),  Circe  Maia  (Uruguay),  Valerie   Mejer  (Mexico)  and  Alejandra  Pizarnik   (Argentina).       Beyond  Our  Borders:  American  Poets   Writing  about  Latin  America.    (Mia   Leonin,  Alexandra  Lytton  Regalado,  Roy   Guzman,  Lisa  Allen  Ortiz,  Valerie  Martinez)   Beyond  the  dynamic  body  of  work  written   by  US-­‐born  Latinos  that  focuses  on   immigrant  experiences  and  cross-­‐cultural   identities,  what  have  American  poets   written  about  Latin  America?  This  reading   explores  Latin  America’s  complex  political,   cultural,  and  socio-­‐economic  landscape.   Inspired  by  fables,  linguistics,  activism,  and   travel,  five  poets  turn  their  gaze  to  Latin   America  in  a  reading  of  poems  about  life,   politics,  and  culture  in  El  Salvador,  Cuba,   Honduras,  Mexico,  and  Peru.     Beyond  Sex,  Drugs,  and  Rock  'n'  Roll:   Far  Out  Poets  Read  Poems  About  the   60s.    (Patricia    Smith  ,  Wendy  Barker,   Martin    Espada,  Alicia  Ostriker,  Dave   Parsons)   A  reading  by  poets  featured  in  Far  Out:   Poems  of  the  60s  (Wings  Press,  2016),  an   anthology  including  poems  by  more  than   seventy  poets  who  reflect  on  personal   experiences  in  the  United  States  during  the   culturally  explosive  period  between  1958  

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and  1972.  Co-­‐editors  Wendy  Barker  and   Dave  Parsons  will  also  discuss  the  process   of  creating  the  collection  and  read  from   other  selections  in  the  anthology.  (400)         BOA  Editions  40th  Anniversary   Celebration.    (Li-­‐Young  Lee,  Aracelis   Girmay,  Jillian  Weise,  Nikola  Madzirov,   Michael  Waters)   Join  five  BOA  authors  whose  poetry  spans   the  40  year  history  of  one  of  America's  true   independent  literary  treasures.  Li-­‐Young   Lee,  Aracelis  Girmay,  Jillian  Weise,  Nikola   Madzirov,  and  Michael  Waters  read  from   their  BOA  titles  and  share  a  few  words   about  BOA's  place  in  the  past,  present,  and   future  of  our  literary  landscape.     BRIEF  ENCOUNTERS:  A  COLLECTION  OF   CONTEMPORARY  NONFICTION.    (Dinah   Lenney,  David  Ulin,  Amy    Gerstler,  Bernard   Cooper,  Meghan  Daum)   BRIEF  ENCOUNTERS:  A  COLLECTION  OF   CONTEMPORARY  NONFICTION,  the  fourth   in  a  series  of  anthologies  edited  by  the  late   Judith  Kitchen  (this  one  with  co-­‐editor   Dinah  Lenney),  will  be  published  by  W.  W.   Norton  in  November,  2015.  Of  the  77   authors  included  in  the  collection,  a   significant  number  live,  work,  and  teach  in   LA.  Four  such  authors  will  read  and  talk   about  their  essays,  as  well  as  other  aspects   of  writing,  teaching,  and  appreciating   nonfiction,  long  and  short  form.     California  Poets  Consider  the  Wider   World.    (Alice  Templeton,  Lory    Bedikian,   Andrea  Carter    Brown,  Carol  V.    Davis,   Mary  Mackey)   Four  California  poets  read  and  discuss   recent  work  that  looks  at  areas  of  the   world  less  frequently  the  subject  of  poetry:  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Siberia  and  Russia,  Brazil,  a  remote  corner   of  Southwest  France,  and  the  Armenian   Diaspora  settled  in  California.  Each   explores  how  history  influences  the  way   she  sees  the  world  and  how  family  stories   are  integral  to  this  work     Celebrating  the  Unnamed  Press:  a  new   home  for  contemporary  authors  in  Los   Angeles.    (C.P.  Heiser,  Deji  Olukotun,   Gallagher  Lawson,  Esmé  Weijun  Wang,   Fabienne  Josaphat)   Join  the  Unnamed  Press  for  a  celebration  of   Los  Angeles's  new  home  for  contemporary   fiction  from  around  the  world.  Hosted  by   Unnamed  Press  founder  and  publisher  C.P.   Heiser,  this  reading  will  showcase  the   diversity  and  breadth  of  what  the   Unnamed  Press  publishes.  Unnamed  brings   international  perspectives  and  previously   unheard  voices  to  the  forefront  of  the   literary  conversation.  Interspersed  with   questions  and  commentary,  four  talented   new  authors  will  read  from  their  recent   debut  novels.     Central  American  Poetics:  Guatemalan   and  Salvadoran  Poets  in  the  City.    (Maya   Chinchilla,  Karina  Oliva,  William    Archila,   Javier  Zamora,  Gabriela  Ramirez-­‐Chavez)   Acclaimed  and  emergent  Californian   Central  American  poets  discuss  the  need   and  limits  of  writing  on  social  justice,   (historical)  memory,  trauma,  language,  and   alternative  futures  /  fantasies.  While   Central  American  poetics  used  urgency  to   end  their  civil  wars  (1970-­‐1996);  how  are   diaspora  poetics  urgent  today?  Through   poetry,  this  reading  engages  the  question   while  speaking  on  the  aesthetics  of  refuge,   loss,  and  healing  between  the  home-­‐in-­‐ diaspora  and  the  diaspora-­‐in-­‐home.    

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Contemporary  Korean  Literature  In   Translation,  A  Cross-­‐Genre  Reading  And   Conversation.    (Jake  Levine,  Chad  Post,  Yi-­‐ Deum  Kim,  Bruce    Fulton,  Kyung  Ju  Kim)   Considering  the  surge  in  popularity  of   Korean  gadgetry,  cars,  music,  film,  and   television,  there  has  been,  conversely,  a   considerable  deficit  of  attention  paid  to   contemporary  Korean  literature  abroad.   This  is  changing.  Along  with  the  South   Korean  poets  Kim  Yi-­‐Deum  and  Kim  Kyung   Ju,  a  small  group  of  highly  distinguished   poets,  translators,  and  publishers  will   participate  in  a  reading  and  conversation   illustrating  why  there  is  no  better  time   than  the  present  for  Korean  literature  in   America.     Crazy  Sunday:  Preserving  Artistic  Vision   in  Hollywood.    (Leslie    Kreiner  Wilson,  Jeff   Hoffman,  Liz    Keyishian  Wilks,  Marilyn   Beker,  Tom  Provost)   The  title  of  F.  Scott  Fitzgerald’s  story  Crazy   Sunday  –  about  a  screenwriter  who   embarrasses  himself  at  a  producer’s  party   and  elsewhere  –  acts  as  a  compelling   metaphor  for  those  who  endeavor  to   maintain  artistic  vision  –  as  well  as  moral   integrity  –  within  the  Hollywood  system.  In   addition  to  this  discussion,  the  panel  also   examines  the  challenges  of  working  in   multiple  genres  –  especially  genres  that   seem  somewhat  hostile  to  one  another   such  as  poetry  and  screenwriting.     Crossing  Genre,  Crossing  Sea:  Writing   the  South  Asian  Diaspora.    (Rajiv   Mohabir,  Amarnath  Ravva,  Gaiutra   Bahadur,  Faizal  Deen,  Neelanjana   Banerjee)   Emerging  writers  who  work  in  fiction,   poetry,  non-­‐fiction,  and  hybrid  text  read   and  discuss  how  we  map  the  imaginary  of  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  South  Asia  in  diaspora.  We  will  explore  the   complexities  of  South  Asian  diasporic   identities  as  a  series  of  cultural,  poetic,  and   ethnic  negotiations.  We  will  consider  also   how  literature  allows  us  to  grapple  with   identity  through  strained,  distant,  and   intimate  relationships  with  the   subcontinent  from  Honolulu  to  LA  to  New   York.     Delmore  Schwartz:  The  Life  and  Work  of   an  American  Writer.    (Craig  Teicher,   Jayne  Anne  Phillips,  Don  Share,  Stephen   Burt,  Kevin  Prufer)   Delmore  Schwartz  was  an  early  darling  of   the  generation  of  American  Writers  that   emerged  in  the  1940s,  a  pioneer  of   confessional  poetry  Jewish  American   fiction.    His  own  long  descent  into  mental   illness  and  substance  abuse,  as  well  as   changing  tastes,  left  his  legacy  in  disarray.     This  panel,  celebrating  the  publication  of  a   new  selection  of  Schwartz’s  writings,  will   feature  talks  and  readings  from  Schwartz’s   body  of  work  from  poetry  and  fiction   writers  who  owe  him  a  debt.     Dry  Heat:  Sizzling  Fiction  from   Sacramento  Valley  Writers  Presented   by  Stories  on  Stage  Sacramento  &  Davis.     (Valerie    Fioravanti,  Naomi  J.  Williams,   Renee    Thompson,  Sue  Staats,  Elise  Winn)   Sacramento-­‐area  writers  turn  up  the   temperature  with  passages  from  new   work.  Roster  includes  novelists  Naomi  J.   Williams  (Landfalls)  and  Renee  Thompson   (The  Plume  Hunter,  The  Bridge  at   Valentine),  short  story  writers  Valerie   Fioravanti  (Garbage  Night  at  the  Opera),   Sue  Staats,  and  Elise  Winn.  Stories  on  Stage   Sacramento  connects  and  showcases   Central  Valley  writers  and  inspired  sister   series  Stories  on  Stage  Davis.  Our  writers  

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have  had  work  featured  on  both  stages,   and  are  ready  to  heat  up  LA.     Editing  (and  Writing)  the  City.    (Aviya   Kushner,  Colleen  Kinder,  Curtis    Bauer,   Jennifer    Acker)   This  panel  explores  cities  as  sites  of   rebellion  &  revolution—personal  &   communal—as  well  as  regeneration  &   arrival.  How  does  urban  change   interweave  with  memory,  politics,   tradition,  innovation,  &  mortality?   Panelists  discuss  their  experiences  editing   work  about  cities  no  longer  like  what  the   writer  remembers,  as  well  as  cities  that  are   inaccessible  to  most  readers;  they  will   discuss  the  myriad  ways  writing  can   reveal,  interrogate,  celebrate,  reinvent  &   help  sustain  human  life  in  cities.     Eula  Biss  and  Jonathan  Lethem:  A   Reading  and  Conversation,  Sponsored   by  USC  Dornsife  English  &  PhD  in   Literature  and  Creative  Writing.    (Eula   Biss,  Jonathan  Lethem)   Join  us  for  a  reading  and  discussion  with   two  of  contemporary  literature’s  brightest   stars  Eula  Bliss  and  Jonathan  Lethem.  Eula   Biss  is  the  author  of  three  books:  On   Immunity:  An  Inoculation,  a  finalist  for  the   National  Book  Critics  Circle  Award  for   nonfiction;  Notes  from  No  Man’s  Land:   American  Essays,  winner  of  the  National   Book  Critics  Circle  Award  for  criticism;  and   a  collection  of  poetry,  The  Balloonists.  Her   work  has  been  supported  by  a  Guggenheim   Fellowship,  a  Howard  Foundation   Fellowship,  an  NEA  Literature  Fellowship,   and  a  Jaffe  Writers’  Award.    Jonathan   Lethem  is  the  author  of  over  a  dozen   books—including  the  much-­‐lauded  novels   Motherless  Brooklyn  and  The  Fortress  of   Solitude—and  the  winner  of  a  MacArthur  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Foundation  Grant.  Other  novels  include   Chronic  City,  selected  for  the  New  York   Times’  “The  10  Best  Books  of  2009”  list;   You  Don’t  Love  Me  Yet;  and  Dissident   Gardens,  a  New  York  Times  notable  book   of  2013.  These  acclaimed  authors  read   from  their  work,  discuss  their  creative   process,  and  their  plans  for  continued   future  success.     Exploring  the  Heart  of  Contemporary   Jewish  American  Poetry.    (Matthew   Silverman,  Joy  Ladin,  Deborah  Ager,   Jacqueline  Osherow,  Jennifer  Michael   Hecht)   Both  editors  and  three  contributors  to   Bloomsbury  Anthology  of  Contemporary   Jewish  American  Poetry  will  reflect  on  how   contemporary  Jewish  American  poems   celebrate  Jewish  traditions,  honor  the   human  spirit,  and  make  a  distinct   contribution  to  religious  and  non-­‐religious   subjects.  The  anthology  differs  from   previous  collections  of  Jewish  literature  by   focusing  on  the  poetry  of  writers  born  after   1945.  The  panel  will  discuss  differences   from  that  of  past  generations  and  read   from  the  anthology.     Fables,  Fibs,  and  Flat-­‐out  Lies:  The   Material  of  Making,  Sponsored  by   Copper  Canyon  Press.    (Michael  Wiegers,   Richard  Siken,  Laura  Kasischke,  Roger   Reeves)   Whatever  the  chosen  form,  making  is  a   dominant  force  in  any  artist's  life.  For   writers,  the  creative  material-­‐-­‐language-­‐-­‐is   simultaneously  precise  and  slippery,   irreducible  and  expansive;  metaphor  is  a   lie  that  tells  the  truth,  and  image  a   construct  made  from  the  sound  and   meaning  of  language.  This  reading  features   three  writers  who  practice  various  literary  

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and  artistic  forms-­‐-­‐fiction,  poetry,  non-­‐ fiction,  and  painting-­‐-­‐and  will  be  followed   by  a  conversation  moderated  by  their   editor.     FADE  IN:  On  Fiction  Writers  Learning   from  Screenwriters.    (Stephan  Clark,   David  Bishop,  Joseph  Rein,  Darlin'  Neal,   Martin  Cloutier)   Fiction  writing,  with  its  emphasis  on   language  and  ability  to  explore  internal   worlds,  can  be  a  far  different  artistic   medium  than  screenwriting,  which  must   tell  a  story  through  actions  and  images.  But   despite  these  differences,  fiction  writers   can  learn  a  great  deal  from  screenwriters.   The  panelists  will  describe  what  they've   learned  from  studying  and  teaching   screenwriting,  including  lessons  on   narrative  structure,  pacing,  editing,  mise-­‐ en-­‐scene,  and  being  succinct.     Flash  Fiction  International:  Readings   From  the  Book.    (Robert  Shapard,  Ethel   Rohan,  Berit  Ellingsen,  James  Claffey,   Mónica  Lavín)   These  authors  from  Norway,  Mexico,  and   Ireland  will  read  their  stories  and   comment  on  origins.  Flash  Fiction  has   become  a  global  phenomenon  and  this   anthology  showcases  the  diversity  of   structures,  styles,  and  narrative  strategies   employed  by  writers  from  different   cultures.  The  presentation  will  focus  on   unusual  character  development,  the  role  of   scene  setting,  and  the  issue  of  translating   metaphor  into  English.  Finally  it  will  reflect   on  just  how  large  the  world  of  small  fiction   can  be.     Fracture:  A  Reading  &  Discussion  by   Contemporary  Korean  American  Female   Poets.    (Marci  Calabretta  Cancio-­‐Bello,  EJ  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Koh,  Franny  Choi,  Hannah  Sanghee  Park,   Anna  Maria  Hong)   Muriel  Rukeyeser  once  said,  “What  would   happen  if  one  woman  told  the  truth  about   her  life?  The  world  would  split  open.”  Five   award-­‐winning  authors  discuss  difficult   truths  about  the  complexities  and   responsibilities  of  identifying  themselves   as  Korean  American  female  poets,  seeking   to  answer  practical  and  political  issues  that   arise  from  living  as  women  on  the  hyphen   between  “Asian”  and  “American.”   Presenters  also  examine  how  their  work  is   situated  in  the  fractured  identities  they   claim.     From  In-­‐Progress  to  the  Printed  Page:  A   Poetry  Reading  by  Alice  Fay  di   Castagnola  Award  Winners.    (Laura     Kasischke  ,  Rebecca  Morgan  Frank,   Timothy  Donnelly,  Mary  Jo  Bang,  Martha   Collins)   Join  us  for  a  reading  by  five  poets  who   represent  fifteen  years  of  the  Poetry   Society  of  America’s  annual  Alice  Fay  di   Castagnola  Award  for  a  poetry  manuscript-­‐ in-­‐progress.  Both  notable  and  emerging   poets  will  demonstrate  the  life  and  process   of  a  poetry  collection,  and  the  value  of   support  for  books  in  process,  with  readings   from  their  in-­‐progress  and  completed   works.     From  New  Wave  and  Punk:  Musical   influences  on  Latino  Literary  Aesthetics.     (Vickie  Vertiz,  Daniel    Chacon,  Daniel     Hernandez)   From  the  back  alleys  of  Los  Angeles  to   Mexico  City,  punk  and  New  Wave  music   have  influenced  Latino  writers  for  decades.   This  multi-­‐genre  panel  is  equal  parts   reading,  discussion,  and  listening  party.   Through  poems,  essays,  and  stories,  the  

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panelists  highlight  how,  as  listeners,  they   blend  literary  aesthetics  with  New  Wave   and  punk  sounds  to  tell  new  stories.         From  Poems  Online  to  Poets  in  Person:   a  Reading  By  Four  Cortland  Review   Poets.    (Gregory    Orr,  Laure-­‐Anne   Bosselaar,  Yusef    Komunyakaa,  Jeremy   Bass,  Ginger  Murchison)   Pursuing  a  wider  community  for  poetry   and  to  bring  poets  closer  to  their  readers,   The  Cortland  Review  makes  the  work  of   established  and  emerging  authors  and   poets  available  worldwide-­‐-­‐free  and   without  ever  going  out  of  print.  Through  its   professional  quality  video  series,   streaming  audio  and,  now,  poets   performing  original  music,  The  Cortland   Review  has  become  one  of  the  most   important  archives  of  recent  poetry,  fiction   and  criticism.  Editor  Ginger  Murchison   presents  four  TCR  dynamic  voices.       From  the  Fishouse:  A  Twelve  Year   Anniversary  Reading  &  Celebration.     (Nickole  Brown,  Tarfia  Faizullah,  Layli   Long  Soldier,  Ross  Gay,  Jamaal  May)   Since  2004,  From  the  Fishouse  has   provided  the  public  greater  access  to  the   poems  &  voices  of  emerging  US  poets  by   using  online  audio  archives,  simulcast   readings  &  other  media  to  bring  poetry   into  the  home  &  classroom.  After  a  major   overhaul,  the  new  and  improved  website   has  expanded  to  include  emerging   international  poets  while  continuing  to   showcase  the  finest  poets  writing  in  the  US.   Five  award-­‐winning  poets,  both  emerging   &  emerged,  will  read  their  work  &  work  of   other  poets  on  the  site.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Future  Tense  Books:  A  25th   Anniversary  Reading.    (Jamie  Iredell,   Kevin    Sampsell,  Chelsea  Martin,  Myriam   Gurba,  Wendy  C.    Ortiz)   Founded  in  1990,  Future  Tense  Books   continues  to  publish  some  of   contemporary  literature's  most  diverse   and  daring  voices,  many  of  whom  continue   to  contribute  to  American  letters  today,   among  them  Wendy  C.  Ortiz,  Chelsea   Martin,  and  Jamie  Iredell.  Come  hear  the   bold  and  eclectic  voices  from  the  many   years  of  Future  Tense  authors,  as  well  as   from  the  publisher,  Kevin  Sampsell.     Graywolf  Press  Reading.    (Percival   Everett,  Dana    Gioia,  Jennifer  Grotz,  Paul   Lisicky,  Diane  Seuss)   These  terrific  writers  of  poetry,  fiction,  and   nonfiction  highlight  the  breadth  and  scope   of  the  Graywolf  Press  publishing  list-­‐-­‐from   American  satire  to  the  lyrical  poem  to  the   personal  memoir  and  beyond.  Each  writer   will  read  from  recently  published  books.   Introduced  by  Graywolf  director  and   publisher  Fiona  McCrae.     Her  Western  Drama.    (Charissa    Menefee,   Sara  Israel,  Vanessa  Stewart,  Elaine     Romero,  Tiffany  Antone)   This  reading  showcases  five  award-­‐ winning  women  playwrights  whose  work   is  deeply  influenced  by-­‐-­‐-­‐and  engages   with—the  culture,  history,  politics,   landscapes,  and  people  of  the  West  and   Southwest  regions.    These  dramatists  write   about  immigration,  Hollywood,  border   issues,  rural  and  city  life,  celebrity  and   media  culture,  and  life  in  the  modern  West.     Historical  Fiction  &  Afrofuturism   Reading  (This  Present  Moment):  The  

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Black  Literary  Imagination  &  Social   Justice.    (Michael  Datcher,  J.O.    Bankole)   This  reading  will  feature  male  and  female,   LA-­‐based,  literary  fiction  writers  in   different  genres    (historical  fiction  and   Afrofuturism)  with  a  commitment  to  use   literature    as  a  means  to  interrogate  social   justice  issues.  This  reading  seeks  to   demonstrate  how  well-­‐crafted  narratives   can  be  socially-­‐relevant  without  being   pedantic  and/or  preachy.     Hugo  House  Literary  Series  All-­‐Stars.     (Jennine    Capo  Crucet,  Natalie  Diaz,  Nick   Flynn,  Roxane  Gay,  Jess  Walter)   The  Literary  Series  at  Hugo  House,   Seattle's  place  for  writers,  features  three   writers  and  a  musician,  all  performing  new   work  commissioned  by  Hugo  House  on  a   theme—such  as  death,  humor,  or  both  of   those  combined.  This  reading  features  five   former  Lit  Series  stars  reading  excerpts   from  the  works  they  produced  for  their   respective  events.  The  panelists  will  also   briefly  discuss  the  joys  and  horrors  of   writing  to  a  prompt,  and  what  became  of   the  work  they  produced  for  the  series.     I'll  Tell  You  Mine:  Iowa  NWP  Anthology   Group  Reading.    (Hope  Edelman,  George   Yatchisin,  Marilyn  Abildskov,  Tom  Fate,   Ryan  Van  Meter)   The  Iowa  Nonfiction  Writing  Program,   founded  in  the  late  1970s,  is  the  first  (and   only)  freestanding  nonfiction  writing   program  in  the  country.  The  new  anthology   I'll  Tell  You  Mine:  Thirty  Years  of  Essays   from  the  Iowa  Nonfiction  Program,   published  by  the  University  of  Chicago   Press,  features  18  works  from  NWP   alumni,  all  begun  during  the  writers'  time   in  graduate  school.  Five  authors  whose   work  appears  in  the  book  will  read  their  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  essays  and  share  stories  about  the  process   of  writing  the  pieces.     In  Celebration  of  Poetry  of  Resistance  -­‐   A  Multicultural  Response  to  Arizona  SB   1070,  Xenophobia  &  Injustice.     (Francisco  Alarcón,  Odilia  Galván   Rodríguez  ,  Iris  De  Anda  ,  Sonia  Gutiérrez,   Juan  Felipe    Herrera)   From  more  than  3,000  poems  posted  on   Poets  Responding  to  SB  1070,  a  Facebook   created  in  2010  in  response  to  a   controversial  law  in  Arizona,  a   groundbreaking  response  featuring  the   works  of  88  poets  from  different   backgrounds  is  coming  together  as  an   anthology.  Five  poets  read  from  their  own   works  that  reflect  a  resurgent  multicultural   Civil  Right  Movement  in  the  USA.    Come   and  see  accomplished  poets  read  some   cutting  edge  poems  included  in  this   anthology  as  well  as  from  their  acclaimed   works.     In  their  Own  Words:  Muslim  Women   Poets:  A  Reading  and  Discussion.     (Deema    Shehabi,  Shadab  Zeest  Hashmi,   Lena    Khalaf  Tuffaha)   Three  Muslim  American  women  will  read   from  their  works  and  discuss  the   representation  of  Muslim  women  in  the   West.  Through  their  own  work  and  in  the   collaboration  with  others,  this  panel  will   focus  on  how  these  women  preserve  an   identity  that  not  only  serves  to  counter   common  stereotypes  but  also  that  creates  a   complex,  personal  yet  universal,  narrative   that  defies  narrow  constructs.     In  Translation:  A  Reading  by  Students  of   UTEP’S  Bilingual  Creative  Writing  MFA   of  the  Americas.    (Katherine  Seltzer,  

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Andrea  Castillo,  Fatima  Masoud,  Aaron   Romano-­‐Meade,  Oscar  Zapata)   (Andrea  Castillo,  Fatima  S.  Masoud,  Aaron   J.  Romano-­‐Meade,  Katherine  Elizabeth   Seltzer,  Oscar  Zapata)  The  Bilingual   Creative  Writing  MFA  program  at  the   University  of  Texas  at  El  Paso  equips   students  with  the  cultural  and  linguistic   resources  to  work  and  write  in  their  native   language,  read  and  write  in  a  second   language,  and  produce  translations.  This   reading  showcases  fiction  and  translations   by  a  diverse  group  of  UTEP’s  MFA  writers,   each  at  different  levels  of  bilingualism.     Inheriting  the  War  Anthology  Reading:   Poetry  and  Prose  by  Descendants  of   Vietnam  Veterans  of  Refugees.    (Ocean   Vuong,  Cathy  Linh  Che,  Philip    Metres,   Laren  McClung,  Monica  Sok)   The  collective  voices  in  this  reading  convey   the  inter-­‐generational  inheritance  of   trauma  and  the  troubling  aftermath  of  war.   These  writers  describe  the  burden  of  war   that  comes  into  the  household,  addressing   the  consequences  of  exile,  relocation,  Agent   Orange,  post-­‐traumatic  stress,  addiction,   domestic  violence,    and  together  illustrate   the  long-­‐term  effects  of  war  as  it  does  not   end  on  the  battlefield.     Inspired  by  Wonder:  A  WITS  Reading.     (Renee  Watson,  Janine  Joseph,  Marc   McKee,  Lacy  Johnson,  Renee  Flagler)   Wonder,  unfiltered  curiosity,  and   deepened  imagination  open  us  up  as   writers  to  seeing  the  extraordinary  in  the   ordinary.  Writers  who  teach  in  schools  or   community  classrooms  often  develop  an   unexpected  symbiotic  relationship  in   which  students  and  writers  inspire  one   another.  This  reading  honors  the   imagination  and  the  ways  in  which  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  teaching  can  enhance  the  creative  process.   Four  writers  who  have  taught  in  WITS   programs  share  work  by  a  student  and   then  read  some  of  their  own.     Intersectionality  Squared:  Queer  POC   Theater  Artists  on  Writing,  Performing   and  Publishing.    (Prince  Gomalvilas,  R.   Zamora  Linmark,  Luis    Alfaro,  D'Lo  D'Lo,   Sigrid    Gilmer)   Just  like  queer  people  of  color  constantly   negotiate  multiple  identities,  theater  offers   an  equally  complex  arena  for  writers  to   move  fluidly  between  the  worlds  of  prose,   poetry,  performance,  and  publishing.  On   this  panel,  four  renowned  queer  theater   artists  from  diverse  backgrounds  will  give   exciting  mini-­‐performances,  discuss  their   explorations  of  race,  class,  sexuality  and   practices  of  witness,  along  with  how  they   traverse  the  continuum  from  writing  to   embodied  performance  to  publication.     Jotas:  A  Chicana  Lesbian  Reading  by   Barrio-­‐based  Writers.    (Verónica  Reyes,   Myriam  Gurba,  Raquel  Gutiérrez,  Griselda   Suárez)   ¡Orale!  This  is  a  queer  reading  by  Chicana   poets  and  writers  from  East  L.A.,  Long   Beach,  and  beyond  these  fronteras.  This  is   the  next  generación.  Their  writings  reflect   their  politics,  beliefs,  and  lived  experiences   of  la  jotería  existing  in  this  país.  Their   hybrid  writings  build  bridges  within  all   their  communities:  LGBTQ  and  gente  of   color.  They  are  proud  of  their  roots.  This  is   ¡Soy  Chicana  Lesbiana!  Femme,  Butch  ¡Y   Que!     Kelly  Link,  Emily  St.  John  Mandel,  and   Ruth  Ozeki:  A  Reading  and   Conversation,  Sponsored  by  Penguin  

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Random  House  Speakers  Bureau.    (Emily   St.  John  Mandel,  Ruth  Ozeki,  Kelly  Link)   This  event  will  bring  together  three   brilliant  contemporary  female  writers,   Kelly  Link,  Emily  St.  John  Mandel,  and  Ruth   Ozeki,  to  read  and  discuss  their  craft  and   experiences  as  genre-­‐bending  authors.   Kelly  Link  is  the  recipient  of  an  NEA  grant   and  is  the  author  of  Get  in  Trouble.  Emily   St.  John  Mandel  is  the  author  of  Station   Eleven,  a  finalist  for  the  2014  National   Book  Award.  Ruth  Ozeki  is  the  author  of  A   Tale  for  the  Time  Being,  which  was   shortlisted  for  the  Man  Booker  Prize.     Land  of  Upheaval:  A  Literary  Journey   through  Haiti’s  Modern  History.    (Hector     Duarte  Jr.,  M.J.    Fievre,  Fabienne  Josaphat,   Katia  D.  Ulysse)   "It  is  the  destiny  of  the  people  of  Haiti  to   suffer,"  President  François  Duvalier  once   said.  Fabienne  Josaphat,  M.J.  Fievre,  and   Katia  D.  Ulysse  will  share  first  and  third-­‐ person  accounts  of  the  days  of  Papa  Doc   Duvalier,  the  tumultuous  times  of   President-­‐Priest  Jean-­‐Bertrand  Aristide,   and  the  2012  earthquake  tragedy.  The   panel  will  discuss  how  myths  and  tales   about  Haiti  have  been  used  for  political   ends.  Three  authors.  Three  voices.  Three   slices  of  chaotic  Haitian  history.     Las  Vegas  Writes:  UNLV  -­‐  Black   Mountain  Institute  Almuni  Fiction   Reading.    (David    Armstrong,  Dan  Josefson,   Alissa  Nutting,  Vu  Tran,  Maile  Chapman)   The  UNLV-­‐Black  Mountain  Institute   Creative  Writing  International  program   presents  readings  by  four  of  its  prize-­‐ winning  fiction  alumni:  David  Armstrong,   Dan  Josefson,  Alissa  Nutting,  and  Vu  Tran.   All  four  writers  read  from  new  work  and   celebrate  this  unique  young  program  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  (founded  in  1998),  and  talk  about  how   living  and  making  art  in  Las  Vegas   transformed  both  their  writing  and  the   unusual  city  and  community  in  which  it  all   happened.    Moderated  by  novelist  Maile   Chapman,  editor  of  "Witness."     Latinos  in  Lotusland:  An  Anthology  of   Contemporary  Southern  California   Literature.    (Daniel  Olivas,  Reyna  Grande,   Melanie  González,  Alejandro  Morales,  Luis   Alberto  Urrea)   Latinos  in  Lotusland:  An  Anthology  of   Contemporary  Southern  California   Literature  is  a  landmark  anthology   spanning  60  years  of  Los  Angeles  fiction   that  includes  the  work  of  thirty-­‐four   Latina/o  writers.  We're  introduced  to  a   myriad  of  lives  that  defy  stereotypes  and   shatter  any  preconceptions  of  what  it   means  to  be  Latina/o  in  the  City  of  Angels.   These  actors  perform  on  a  stage  set  with   palm  trees,  freeways,  mountains,  and  sand   in  communities  from  East  L.A.  and  El   Sereno  to  Malibu  and  Hollywood.     Les  Figues  Press  Reading.    (Teresa   Carmody,  Alta  Ifland,  Frances  Richard,   Harold  Abramowitz,  Divya  Victor)   Writers  published  by  Los  Angeles-­‐based   Les  Figues  Press  as  part  of  the  TrenchArt   Series  will  present  readings  from  their   books,  and  from  "TrenchArt  Monographs:   hurry  up  please  its  time"—a  new  essay   anthology  about  the  politics,  poetics,  and   possibilities  of  writing.  In  a  post-­‐reading   conversation  with  LFP  co-­‐founding  editor,   authors  will  explore  poetic  interventions  of   the  TrenchArt  series,  and  its  contributions   to  conceptual  poetry,  essay   experimentation,  and  Los  Angeles   publishing.    

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Let  Us  Live  Loudly:  a  Dark  Noise   reading.    (Danez  Smith,  Franny    Choi,  Nate     Marshall,  Aaron    Samuels,  Fatimah  Asghar)   What  does  it  mean  to  exist  with  marginal   identities  in  a  world  that  is  bent  on  our   destruction?  How  do  we  celebrate  our   survival  while  honoring  the  legacies  of   violence  which  brought  us  here?  Join  Dark   Noise,  a  multiracial,  interdisciplinary   collective  of  6  extraordinary  emerging   voices  in  poetry,  in  an  unapologetic   celebration  of  survival.  This  reading  will   showcase  DN’s  collaborative  approaches  to   performance  &  writing,  exploring  what  it   means  to  live  loudly  in  the  margins  today.     Male  Poets  Writing  Home  and  Hearth.     (John    Hoppenthaler,  Geffrey  Davis,  Jon   Pineda,  James  Harms)   The  Victorian  idea  that  differing   propensities  of  each  gender  fit  them  for   different  positions  in  society  are  seen  in   these  lines  from  Tennyson:  "Man  for  the   field  and  woman  for  the  hearth:    /  Man  for   the  sword  and  for  the  needle  she.”  Many   female  writers  rebelled  at  the  thought  that   their  subject  matter  should  be  resigned   only  to  matters  of  hearth  but  the  reverse   was  not  common.  Few  men—even  in  our   “sensitive,  new  age  dad”  era—write  much   about  domesticity.  This  panel  offers  work   by  men  who  do.     Midwest  Magazine  Seeks  West  Coast   Writers.    (Terry  Lucas,  Karen  An-­‐hwei  Lee,   Lynne  Thompson,  Marianne  Villanueva,   Allison  Joseph)   What  happens  when  a  well-­‐established   midwestern  literary  journal  seeks  writers   from  the  West  Coast?  Crab  Orchard  Review   has  done  just  that  in  a  special  issue  called   "The  West  Coast  and  Beyond."  This  panel   will  explore  the  concept  of  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  multiregionalism,  with  readings  from  three   poets  and  a  fiction  writer  who  were  in  the   issue.  What  do  readers  and  writers  learn   when  one  region  examines  the  literature  of   another?  This  panel  of  four  west  coast   writers  will  speak  to  this  concept.     Mistaking  Planes  for  Stars:  Los  Angeles   Writing  From  Freeways  to  Flight  Paths.     (Vickie  Vertiz,  Raquel    Gutierrez,  Aida     Salazar  ,  Steve    Gutierrez,  Melinda    Palacio)   From  Bukowski  to  Viramontes,  working-­‐ class  writing  in  Los  Angeles  is  a  long-­‐ standing  tradition.  Latinos  are  the  largest   ethnic  group  in  the  county,  bringing  avant-­‐ garde  aesthetics  to  literature.  However,   many  of  our  stories  have  yet  to  be  told.   This  reading  highlights  cutting-­‐edge   poetry,  story,  and  performance  by   working-­‐class  and  queer  Latinos  from  a   little  known  part  of  Los  Angeles:  the   southeast.  From  railroad  yards  to  factory   floors,  writers  will  share  their  work  of  grit   and  heart.       Mujeres  at  the  Mic!:  A  reading  by   Nuyorican  Women  Writers.    (Peggy   Robles-­‐Alvarado,  Maria    Rodriguez-­‐   Morales,  Nancy  Mercado,  Vanessa  chica   Ferreira)   What  is  a  Nuyorican?  Are  any  of  them   women?  This  reading  will  discuss  what  it   means  to  be  a  woman  in  the  Nuyorican   Literary  movement  and  poetry   performance  scene  from  Loisaida,  El   Barrio,  The  Bronx,  Brooklyn  and  beyond  by   featuring  the  work  of  four  prominent,   intergenerational  New  York  City  based   poets  at  different  stages  of  their  careers.   With  their  defiant  and  oftentimes  nostalgic   expressions  in  English,  Spanish  and  

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Spanglish  these  mujeres  have  secured  their   spot  in  Nuyorican  history.     Multiple  Feminisms:  Celebrating  10   Years  of  Switchback  Books.    (Hanna   Andrews,  Stefania  Heim,  Morgan  Parker,   Marisa  Crawford,  Whitney    Holmes)   Switchback  Books  was  founded  with  the   vision  of  being  an  inclusive  feminist  poetry   press,  and  a  mission  to  seek  out   groundbreaking  work  by  woman-­‐identified   writers.  This  10th  anniversary  panel  brings   together  a  diverse  group  of  Switchback   poets  who  will  speak  on  the  connection   between  feminist  perspective  and  aesthetic   choices,  reflect  on  Switchback's  editorial   process,  consider  the  evolution  of  the  press   within  the  larger  field  of  contemporary   feminist  writing,  and  read/perform  from   their  work.     Nature’s  Nature:  Ecopoetry  at  Kenyon   Review.    (David  Baker,  Kimiko  Hahn,   Solmaz  Sharif,  Joanna  Klink)   What  do  poets  mean  when  they  make  a   natural  gesture?  The  poets  in  Kenyon   Review’s  2015  and  2016  special  issues  on   ecopoetics  share  an  anxiety  about   ecological  crisis,  a  devotion  to  the  natural   in  its  many  forms,  and  an  awareness  of  the   inevitable  relationship  between  nature  and   human  destiny.  Speaking  from  an  array  of   cultural  backgrounds  and  through  a  great   diversity  of  poetic  forms,  they  demonstrate   how  contemporary  poetry  may  speak   about,  speak  for,  and  speak  from  a  natural   place.     New  Directions  in  Contemporary  War   Fiction.    (Peter  Molin,  Matt  Gallagher,   Andria    Williams,  Jesse  Goolsby,  Elliot   Ackerman)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  This  panel  features  short  readings  and   commentary  by  four  first-­‐time  novelists  in   the  burgeoning  field  of  contemporary  war   literature.  The  authors'  novels,  each   published  in  either  2015  or  2016,  highlight   new  possibilities  for  representing  combat,   war,  and  military  culture  in  fiction.   Building  on  recent  critically  acclaimed   fiction  depicting  conflict  in  Iraq  and   Afghanistan,  the  panel  authors  refine  our   understanding  of  the  human  dimensions  of   war  overseas  and  on  the  home  front.     New  Generation  African  Women  Poets:   A  Reading  from  the  African  Poetry  Book   Series.    (Ladan  Osman,  Mahtem  Shiferraw,   Tsitsi    Jaji,  Warsan  Shire,  Amy  Lukau)   A  reboot  of  the  highly  successful  panel   reading  at  AWP  2014,  the  African  Poetry   Book  Series  presents  five  exciting  new  and   established  female  voices  writing  in  the   U.S.  and  abroad.  This  reading  includes   international  prize-­‐winning  poets  and   performers  who  will  share  their  work,   discuss  craft  and  process,  as  well  as   publishing  opportunities  for  African  poets.     New  Voices  of  Copper  Canyon  Press.     (Kelly    Forsythe,  Camille  Rankine,  Ocean   Vuong,  Paisley  Rekdal,  Josh  Bell)   Help  Copper  Canyon  Press  welcome  four   dynamic  poets  to  our  family,  as  they  join   our  decades-­‐long  lineage  of  award-­‐winning   and  esteemed  authors.  Each  of  these   poets—whether  emerging  or  mid-­‐career— has  recently  found  a  home  for  their  work  at   Copper  Canyon.  The  poets  will  read  from   newly  released  or  forthcoming  collections,   and  the  Press  will  provide  introductory   comments  revealing  the  story  of  how  and   why  these  manuscripts  were  selected  for   publication.    

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Norman  Dubie,  Lawrence  Ferlinghetti,   and  Heather  McHugh:  A  Reading  and   Conversation.    (Heather  McHugh,   Lawrence  Ferlinghetti,  Norman  Dubie)   Join  us  for  a  reading  with  three  of   America’s  most  respected  and  influential   poets.    Norman  Dubie  is  the  author  of  many   collections  of  poetry,  including  The   Volcano,  The  Insomniac  Liar  of  Topo,  and,   Quotations  of  Bone.  Lawrence  Ferlinghetti   is  a  poet  and  the  founder  of  City  Lights   Books  and  Publishers  in  San  Francisco,  a   bookstore  and  press  instrumental  in  the   creation  of  the  Beat  movement.  His  most   recent  works  include  Blasts  Cries  Laugher,   Time  of  Useful  Consciousness,  and  Poetry   As  Insurgent  Art.    Heather  McHugh’s  most   recent  work  includes  Upgraded  to  Serious   and  Eyeshot.    She  has  received  many   awards  including  a  MacArthur  “Genius   Grant”.         Notes  Toward  a  New  Language.    (Cynthia     Cruz,  Nina    Puro,  Louise    Mathias  ,  Allison     Benis  White  ,  Michelle    Chan  Brown)   How  does  writing  from  the  female  body  vis   a  vis  an  eating  disorder  inform  one’s   writing?  In  this  hybrid  panel   discussion/poetry  reading  participants  will   discuss  how  an  eating  disorder  is  a  means   to  refuse  the  world,  enact  Otherness  and   hybridity  (race,  class,  gender,  trauma,  etc.),   to  make  a  language  of  one's  body.   Furthermore,  we  will  discuss  how  these   iterations  translate  on  the  page  as   variations  of  silence:  stutter,  hesitation,   holes  or  space,  and  repetition  as  well  as   other  enactments.     Page  Meets  Screen:  The  Mercurial   Marriage  of  Fiction  and  Film.    (Billy    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Mernit,  Chrysanthy    Balis,  Nancy  Nigrosh,   Michael  Weiss)   As  the  adaptation  success  Gone  Girl   recently  demonstrated,  some  novels   translate  wonderfully  well  into  feature   films—though  often,  literary  bestsellers   (Snow  Falling  on  Cedars,  anyone?)  fail  at   the  multiplex.    What  kinds  of  stories  best   lend  themselves  to  adaptation?    What  is   today’s  movie  industry  looking  for  in   acquiring  a  fictional  project?  Los  Angeles   screenwriting  professionals/authors   discuss  the  evolving,  often  surprising   symbiosis  between  two  of  storytelling’s   most  enduring  mediums.     Peering  Behind  the  Orange  Curtain.     (Andrew  Tonkovich,  Gustavo  Arellano,   Stephanie  Brown,  Victoria    Patterson,  Tom   Zoellner)   Often  derided  as  a  tableau  of  gated   communities,  Botox  and  vapid  beach   towns,  California's  Orange  County  actually   is  home  to  a  sophisticated  literary  tradition   ranging  from  legends  from  the  Gabreilino   Indians,  narratives  from  migrant  laborers,   crime  fiction,  poems,  Disneyland  critiques   and  novel  excerpts.  Contributors  to  a   newly-­‐published  anthology  of  the  region's   best  work  offer  thoughts  on  the  neglected   literature  of  this  surprisingly  complicated   place.     Peter  Ho  Davies,  Joyce  Carol  Oates,  and   Roxana  Robinson:  A  Reading,  Sponsored   by  The  Author's  Guild,  Ecco,  and   Kundiman.    (Peter  Davies,  Joyce  Carol   Oates,  Roxana  Robinson)   Peter  Ho  Davies  is  the  author  of  the  novel   The  Welsh  Girl,  which  was  longlisted  for   the  Man  Booker  Prize,  and  two  story   collections,  The  Ugliest  House  in  the  World   and  Equal  Love.  Joyce  Carol  Oates  has  

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written  some  of  the  most  enduring  fiction   of  our  time,  including  We  Were  the   Mulvaneys;  Blonde,  which  was  nominated   for  the  National  Book  Award;  and  the  New   York  Times  best  seller  The  Accursed.   Roxana  Robinson  is  the  author  of  Sparta,   four  earlier  novels  including  Cost,  three   story  collections,  and  the  biography   Georgia  O’Keeffe:  A  Life.  Four  of  these  were   New  York  Times  notable  books.  She  has   received  fellowships  from  the  NEA,  the   MacDowell  Colony,  and  the  Guggenheim   Foundation  and  is  President  of  the  Authors   Guild.     Phoneme  Media  Presents  New  Voices  in   Translation.    (Angélica  Freitas,  Ahmatjan   Osman,  David  Shook,  Hilary    Kaplan)   Brazilian  poet  Angélica  Freitas  reads  from   her  English-­‐language  debut,  Rilke  Shake,   translated  from  the  Portuguese  by  Hilary   Kaplan,  who  will  join  her  to  read  the  poems   in  English,  and  Uyghur  poet  Ahmatjan   Osman  reads  from  his  selected  poems,   Uyghurland:  The  Farthest  Exile,  the  first   ever  literary  translation  from  the  Uyghur   language  of  East  Turkestan  Following  the   multilingual  reading,  Freitas,  Kaplan,  and   Osman  will  take  questions  from  the   audience.     Pitt  Poetry  Series  Reading:  The  West   Coast  Connection.    (Charles  Harper  Webb,   Arthur    Vogelsang,  David  Hernandez,   Colleen  J.  McElroy,  Joan  Kane)   Four  West  Coast  poets  with  recent  books  in   the  Pitt  Poetry  Series  read  from  their  work,     Poetry  Crosses  the  Pond:  A  Reading  and   Conversation  with  London-­‐based   Eyewear  Publishing.    (Mandy  Kahn,  Sean   Singer,  Piotr  Florczyk,  Todd  Swift,  Anthony   Seidman)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Four  American  poets  who  have  books  with   London-­‐based  Eyewear  Publishing  will   give  readings  and  engage  in  a  conversation   with  Eyewear’s  publisher  and  editor-­‐in-­‐ chief  Todd  Swift  about  why  they  chose  a   British  publishing  house,  the  differences   between  UK  and  US  poetry  audiences,  and   why  cultivating  dialogue  and  creative   interplay  between  American  and  UK-­‐based   poets,  publishers  and  readers  is   imperative.       Poetry  Los  Angeles:  Reading  the   Essential  Poems  of  the  City.    (Laurence   Goldstein,  Harryette  Mullun,  William     Mohr,  Susan  Suntree,  Garrett  Hongo)   How  do  poets  conjure  a  complex  city  into   imaginative  forms?  How  do  they  articulate   the  city’s  many  layers  and  locations   evoking  a  visible,  audible,  and  tangible   city?  How  do  they  construct  a  vital  spirit  of   place  with  intimacy  and  authenticity?   Through  readings  and  discussions  based   on  Laurence  Goldstein’s  book,  Poetry  Los   Angeles:  Reading  the  Essential  Poems  of   the  City,  panelists  will  consider  how  poets   arouse  and  sustain  readers’  attention  by   diverse  and  artful  approaches  to  urban  life.     Poetry,  Politics,  and  Place:  A  Reading   and  Conversation  with  Rachel  Eliza   Griffiths,  Naomi  Shihab  Nye,  and  Luis  J.   Rodriquez,  Sponsored  by  Poets  House.     (Stephen    Motika,  Naomi  Shihab  Nye,   Rachel  Eliza  Griffiths,  Luis  J.  Rodriguez)   These  leading  poets  read  their  poems  and   discuss  their  poetry-­‐activism  in  New  York,   San  Antonio,  Los  Angeles,  and  around  the   country.  Each  engages  poetic  practice  and   community  building  with  projects  that   expand  poetry's  place  in  our  lives  and   culture:  Griffiths  through  photography,  Nye   through  writing  for  children,  and  

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Rodriquez  through  publishing  projects  and   political  organizing.  The  transformative   power  of  poetry  brings  these  three   together  to  talk  about  how  we  can  make  a   better  world.     Puentes=Bridges:    A  Queer-­‐Straight   Mujeres  Reading.    (Olga  García   Echeverría,  Liz  González,  Melinda  Palacio,   Karleen  Pendleton  Jimenez)   Anzaldúa  and  Moraga  taught  us:  puentes.   We  must  build  bridges.  This  is  a   Queer=Straight  Mujeres  reading  by   Chicana/Latina  writers  from  this  big   frontera  called  Califas.  They  are  fierce   poets,  writers,  and  playwrights  of  this   generación.  Their  writings  reflect  their   politics,  beliefs,  and  lived  experiences   existing  within  el  otro  lado.  They  build   bridges  within  all  their  communities:   Latina,  LGBTQ  de  color.  They  stand  proud.   ¡Que  Viva  La  Mujer!  ¡Viva!  ¡Que  ¡Viva  la   Jota!  ¡Viva!     Raising  Lilly  Ledbetter:  Women  Poets   Occupy  the  Workspace-­‐-­‐an  Anthology   Reading  and  Celebration.    (Carolyne   Wright,  Vandana  Khanna,  Jacqueline   Osherow,  Kim    Addonizio,  Elaine  Sexton)   After  President  Obama  signed  the  Lilly   Ledbetter  Fair  Pay  Act,  the  editors  of  this   anthology  called  for  women  poets  of  all   backgrounds  and  job  descriptions  to  share   their  workplace  experiences—not  just  pay   and  promotion  inequity,  or  workplace   harassment  and  intimidation,  but  women’s   ever-­‐widening  range  of  occupations  and   representation  in  a  globalized  world.  Join   us  to  occupy  the  reading  space  with  five   poet  contributors  to  this  ground-­‐breaking   anthology  that  celebrates  women  in  the   workplace.    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Raising  our  Voices.    (Alice  Crow,  Sable   Sweetgrass,  Milton  Blue  House,  b:  william   bearheart,  Velma  Craig)   Spread  the  word!  Eclectic  works  rise  up   from  sea  to  shining  sea;  from  snow  and   tundra,  desert  sand,  and  city  streets.   Institute  of  American  Indian  Art  MFA   recent  graduates  and  emerging  students   will  read  from  new  works  of  poetry,  essay,   genre  fiction,  and  screenplay.  Literary   writers  will  ditch  the  kitschy;  decowboy   the  West;  and  celebrate  connections,  place   and  belonging,  and  migrations  of  meaning.     Rebel  Girls:  Pushing    Boundaries  Across   Landscapes,  Cultures  and  Confines.     (Daisy  Hernandez,  Faith  Adiele,  M.  Evelina     Galang,  Deborah    Busman,  Elmaz  Abinader)   Works  of  fiction  and  memoir  examine   several  stories  of  girls  who  broke  through,   broke  out,  and  got  broke.    We    observe  the   different  societies,  families,  cultures,  and   roles  that  bind  girls  and  the  narratives  of   rebellion  and  liberation,  or    the   experimentation  with  liberation.   Representing  a  broad  spectrum  of   backgrounds,  generations  and  family   configurations,  the  authors  demonstrate   how  the  rebel  heart  of  a  girl  can  break   through  established  roles:  cultural,   societal,  gender,  and  class.     Rejecting  "Page"  vs  "Stage":  A   Drawbridge  Reading.    (Elizabeth   Acevedo,  Clint  Smith,  Amin  Drew  Law,   Terisa  Siagatonu,  Pages  Matam)   Coming  from  both  spoken  word  &  formal   literary  backgrounds,  &  pushing  back   against  the  notion  that  these  are  mutually   exclusive,  the  Drawbridge  Collective  will   give  a  reading  that  reflects  work  imbued   with  dynamic  performance  &  literary   merit.  The  panel  will  serve  as  an  exhibition  

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of  new  voices  that  traverse  multiple  genres   &  discuss  what  it  means  to  be  young  artists   of  color  at  a  time  in  America  when  many   black  &  brown  young  people  experience   ubiquitous  violence  &  discrimination.     Remapping  Displacement:  Women   Writers  from  L.A.  Redefine  "Home".     (Melissa  Sipin,  Nayomi  Munaweera,  Rae   Paris,  Melissa  Chadburn,  Micheline   Marcom)   Writers  of  Armenian,  Sri  Lankan,  African,   and  Philippine  diasporas  will  discuss  how   their  Los  Angeles  upbringing  have   impacted  their  craft  and  narrative  of   home/displacement—home  as  a  person   and/or  a  place,  a  longing,  a  genesis,  and   journey;  displacement  as  genocide,  war,   sexual/child  abuse,  and   inherited/generational  trauma.  How  has   the  multicultural/diverse  communities  of   their  youth  invaded  their  fictions?  How  do   the  traces  of  loss  affect  the  re-­‐imaginations   of  Los  Angeles  in  their  work?     Rewriting  the  Hollywood  Gender  Gap.     (Ligiah  Villalobos,  Danielle  Wolff,  Beth   Schacter,  Susanna  Fogel,  Lesley  Tye)   Despite  the  hype  about  female  protagonists   breaking  into  top  grossing  films  and   popular  TV  shows,  female  voices  continue   to  be  underrepresented  in  the  film  and   television  industry.  Panelists  will  speak  up   about  the  challenges  facing  women  today,   tell  their  own  stories  of  working  in  the   industry,  and  talk  about  how  and  where   women  are  creating  change  and  more   diversity.     SEX  &  LOVE  &:  a  poetry  reading  and   discussion.    (Elaina  Ellis,  Deborah    Landau,   Jericho  Brown,  Bob  Hicok)  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Copper  Canyon  Press  presents  a   celebration  of  sex,  ardor,  and  the  body:   what  are  the  rewards  and  risks  of  writing   and  publishing  poetry  that  smolders?  Who   are  our  role  models  and  predecessors   when  it  comes  to  writing  sex?  Do  cultural   expectations  and  taboo  inhibit  or   encourage  vulnerability?  Revered  poets— queer  and  straight,  male  and  female,  at   various  points  in  their  careers—will  read   from  recent  publications,  followed  by  a   discussion  on  the  fine  art  of  revealing  a   poem’s  wants  and  excesses.     Small  Beer  Press:  15th  Anniversary   Reading.    (Sofia  Samatar,  Ayize  Jama-­‐ Everett,  Gavin  Grant,  Karen  Joy  Fowler,   Maureen  McHugh)   Fifteen  years  after  Small  Beer  Press  was   founded  to  publish  works  that  cross  genre   definitions,  traditional  bookstore  shelving   options,  and  academic  course  descriptions,   four  authors  from  different  parts  of  the   USA  who  now  all  live  in  California  read   from  their  books  and  then  discuss  the   spaces  their  books  were  published  into   with  Small  Beer  Press  publisher  and  co-­‐ founder  Gavin  J.  Grant.     SMC  MFA  20th  Anniversary  Reading.     (Sara  Mumolo,  Erin  McCabe,  Yuska  Lufti,   Brett  Fletcher  Lauer,  Jason  Bayani)   Saint  Mary’s  College  of  CA  MFA  Program  in   Creative  Writing  celebrates  its  20th   anniversary  with  readings  from  a  diverse   group  of  alumni.  This  reading  is  comprised   of  California  writers  in  different  stages  of   their  careers,  representing  various   aesthetic  conversations  in  creative   nonfiction,  fiction,  and  poetry.        

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So  Cal  Magical  Realism.    (Heather  Fowler,   Ben    Loory,  Bonnie  ZoBell,  Andy    Roe)   Magical  realism  has  trickled  up  the  coast   from  Latin  America  to  the  Golden  State.  Set   in  reality  with  magic  introduced  matter-­‐of-­‐ factly,  it's  less  of  a  genre  than  a  style.  One   writer  from  Northern  Mexico  and  four  So   Cal  writers  mix  it  up  with  magical   elements,  most  set  in  So  Cal  or  Mexico,   some  speculative.  Each  reads  a  sample  of   work  and  discusses  what  magical  realism   means  in  his  or  her  writing.  Q  &  A.     Ten  Years  of  5  Under  35.    (Benjamin     Samuel,  Kirstin    Allio,  Molly  Antopol,  Alex     Gilvarry,  Grace    Krilanovich)   The  National  Book  Foundation,  presenter   of  the  National  Book  Awards,  created  “5   Under  35”  in  2006  to  highlight  the  work  of   a  rising  generation  of  fiction  writers,   because  the  majority  of  winners  and   finalists  for  the  National  Book  Awards   were  mid-­‐  or  late-­‐career  writers.  We’re   celebrating  ten  years  of  bringing  the  finest   young  fiction  writers  to  the  attention  of  the   reading  public.  Come  raise  a  glass  and   listen  to  some  great  writing!     The  Art  of  Medicine:  A  reading  of   creative  nonfiction  by  health   practitioners.    (Lee  Gutkind,  Catherine   Musemeche,  Thomas  Gibbs,  Diane   Kraynak)   In  the  past  five  years,  Creative  Nonfiction   and  In  Fact  Books  have  published  five   anthologies  of  medical  narratives,   illuminating  the  professional,  personal,  and   emotional  experiences  of  doctors,  nurses,   therapists,  and  patients.  Contributors  to   several  of  these  collections  read  from  their   work  and,  in  discussion  with  the  books'   editor,  reflect  on  how  they  approach   writing  honestly  about  their  professional  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  lives  and  deal  with  ethical  questions  about   writing  patients'  stories.     The  Flash  Sequence:  A  Reading  and   Discussion.    (Deb  Marquart,  Irena  Praitis,   Siel  Ju,  Jenn  Koiter,  Sonia  Greenfield)   For  20  years,  the  Marie  Alexander  Series   has  published  hybrid  work:  prose  poems,   flash  fiction,  lyric  essays,  and  books  which   mix  all  three  and  defy  categorization.  For   our  20th  anniversary,  we  decided  to   publish  an  anthology  of  flash  sequences— that  is,  pieces  comprising  short  prose   segments.  We  received  over  400   submissions,  and  the  resulting  collection   contains  a  wide  variety  of  different   approaches  to  this  form.  Each  participant   will  read  and  discuss  his  or  her   contribution  to  the  anthology.     The  National  Book  Critics  Circle   Celebrates  Award-­‐winning  Authors  Phil   Klay,  Hector  Tobar,  and  Amy  Wilentz.     (Phil  Klay,  Hector    Tobar  ,  Amy  Wilentz  ,   Jane    Ciabattari)   Three  National  Book  Critics  Circle  award   honored  authors-­‐-­‐Phil  Klay,  Hector  Tobar,   and  Amy  Wilentz-­‐-­‐read  from  their  work   and  talk  with  NBCC  Vice  President/Online   Jane  Ciabattari  about  inspiration,  research,   readers,  awards,  the  unique  challenges  of   writing  from  international  material  (Iraq,   Chile,  Haiti)  and  the  imaginative  process   that  gives  their  work  originality.  The   National  Book  Critics  Circle  awards  have   honored  the  best  literature  published  in   English  for  40  years.     The  New  Atlantis:  Readings  by  Five  Eco-­‐ fabulist  Writers.    (Rose  Bunch,  Lily  Yu,   Christian  Moody,  Peter  Grimes,  Alexander   Lumans)  

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Eco-­‐Fab,  Eco-­‐Fic,  Cli-­‐Fi.  Hailing  back  to   such  works  as  Ursula  K.  Le  Guin’s  1975   story  “The  New  Atlantis,”  Eco-­‐fabulism   continues  to  grow  as  a  potent  catalyst  for   environmental  discussion  and,  possibly,   change.  In  this  panel,  five  fiction  writers   share  their  diverse  eco-­‐fabulist  work.  By   employing  the  fantastic  as  a  lens  to  witness   contemporary  problems,  these  readers   display  the  breadth  and  depth  of  this  hot   genre  in  the  literary  landscape.     The  New  South:  A  Reading  in  Three   Genres.    (Devin  Latham,  Dr.  David  Jamie   Poissant  ,  Adam  Vines,  Carrie  Jerrell,  Jamie   Quatro)   With  Faulkner's  South  paved  into  history,   what  defines  Southern  literature  today?  Do   contemporary  Southern  writers  still  make   use  of  old  tropes  like  familial  loyalty,  racial   tension,  and  heavy  religion  set  in  a  humid   landscape  of  live  oaks  and  wisteria?  Does   the  urban  and  suburban  South  require  new   settings  and  themes?  This  reading  features   five  Southern  writers  reading  fiction,   nonfiction,  and  poetry  that  illuminates  and   redefines  Southern  literature  today.     The  Poetry  of  Comics.    (Erica  Trabold,   Bianca  Stone,  Gabrielle  Bates,  Alexander   Rothman)   The  combination  of  text  and  image  holds   the  power  to  create  indivisible  meaning  on   the  page.  Just  as  poets  ground  their  work  in   the  arrangement  of  words,  ordered   by  such  elements  as  sound  or  sense,  most   cartoonist-­‐poets  gravitate  toward   comics’  foundational  device  of   juxtaposition.  The  tradition  of  comics  has   created  generous,  exciting  spaces  for  the   poetic,  lyric,  and  hybrid.  In  this  panel,   artists  will  showcase  and  read  from  works  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  that  live  at  the  intersection  of  the  visual   and  the  poetic.     The  Politics  of  Translation:    Aimé   Césaire's  The  Tragedy  of  King   Christophe.    (Paul  Breslin,  Rachel    Ney,   Roger  Reeves)   We  will  discuss  politically-­‐charged   translation  problems  in  this  play,  set  in   post-­‐revolutionary  Haiti.    How  should  one   translate  nègre,  in  most  contexts  a  term  of   racial  abuse,  but  for  Césaire  usually  neutral   or  honorific  (its  cognate  in  modern  Kreyòl   is  racially  unmarked,  meaning  simply   "man")?    Should  nonstandard  French  be   rendered  as  non-­‐standard  English?  Paul   Breslin  and  Rachel  Ney  will  present  the   decisions  made  in  their  new  translation.     Roger  Reeves  will  offer  a  critique  of  their   work.     The  Radioactive  Muse:  Nuclear  Disaster   and  Poetry.    (Mihaela    Moscaliuc,  Judith     Vollmer,  April  Naoko  Heck  ,  Lissa    Kiernan,   Kathleen    Flenniken)   To  commemorate  the  30th  anniversary  of   the  Chernobyl  nuclear  disaster  and  the  5th   anniversary  of  the  Fukushima  Daiichi   nuclear  disaster  (as  well  as  the  70th   anniversary,  in  2015,  of  the  atomic   bombing  of  Hiroshima  and  Nagasaki),  four   women  poets  whose  lives  have  been   marked  by  the  nuclear  industry  will  read   from  their  work  and  discuss  the   convergence  of  research  and  personal   history  in  the  making  of  their  poems.     The  War  on  Both  Sides:  Writing  on   Violence  and  Healing  in  the  Drug  War.     (Rubén  Martínez,  Luis  Rodriguez,  Raquel   Gutierrez,  Gabriela  Jauregui,  Cristina   Rivera-­‐Garza)  

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Convening  poets,  critics  and  non-­‐fiction   writers,  our  panel  asks  what  ethical  modes   are  available  to  represent  the  violence  of   the  Drug  War  that  takes  a  terrible  toll  on   both  sides  of  the  US-­‐Mexico  border.  What   aesthetic  challenges  to  presenting  the  real   arise  across  our  genres?  How  can  writing   play  a  healing  role?  We  will  stage  a   performance  dialogue,  which  includes   readings  as  well  as  conversation  among   ourselves  and  with  the  audience,   embodying  the  ideal  of  writer-­‐as-­‐public   intellectual.     Throwback  Thursday:  Four  Forms  of   Performance  From  The  Early  90’s   Nuyorican  Poet’s  Café.    (Xavier  Cavazos,   Ava  Chin,  Crystal  Williams,  Regie  Cabico)   Voices  From  the  Nuyorican  Poets  Café!   Slam  stars  from  past  celebrate  their  early   roots  at  the  Nuyorican  Poets  Café,  deemed   “the  grand  pappy  of  the  spoken  word   scene”  by  New  York  Magazine.  With  nods   to  the  Green  Mill  and  those  poets  who   came  before  them,  these  diverse,   multicultural  poets—now  published   authors,  academics,  and  actors—will   perform  work,  discuss  their  earliest   beginnings  at  NYC's  Nuyorican  Poet’s  Café   and  how  being  at  the  cafe  in  the  90’s   changed  their  writing  lives.     To  Bring  Song  to  the  World:  Four  Poets   on  Art  and  Inspiration,  Sponsored  by   Blue  Flower  Arts.    (Alison  Granucci,  W.S.   Di  Piero,  Linda  Gregerson,  Juan  Felipe   Herrera)   Whether  it  be  a  film,  a  painting,  a  song,  a   photograph,  art  in  all  forms  is  a  powerful   force  of  cross-­‐pollination  for  writers,  and   especially  for  poets,  who  engage   intellectually  and  emotionally  with  art  and   artists  across  time  and  disciplines.  Each  of  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  these  four  poet’s  individual  cultural   references  provide  a  juxtaposition  of   images  and  techniques  that  create   illuminating  renderings  of  place  and   history  within  the  landscape  of  language.     To  Infinity  (and  beyond):  Redefining   Creative  Writing  for  New  Screen  Media.     (David  Shaerf,  Angela  Ferraiolo,  Jeffrey   Wray,  Austin  Bunn)   This  panel  engages  with  the  need  to   (re)define  Creative  Writing  for  screen   media.  As  screenwriting  rapidly  fragments   from  movies  to  games,  the  web,   documentary,  there  is  a  need  to  develop   the  pedagogical  language  of  screenwriting   within  the  CW  workshop  setting.  The  aim   then,  is  to  look  at  some  of  the  new   competencies  required  for  creative  writing   for  screen:  interfacing  the  image,   interaction,  data,  animation,  and   simulation  as  writing  for  screen  continues   to  broaden  as  an  academic  discipline.     Translating  Tongues  of  Fire:  Poetic  and   Religious  Texts.    (Michael  Wright,  Tania   Runyan,  Scott  Cairns,  Rachel  Mennies)   Poets  with  religious  commitments  write   within  a  simultaneous  struggle:  how  do   you  appropriate  language  and  symbols  in  a   way  that  honors  the  tradition  while  still   innovating  with  contemporary  poetic   forms?  Join  poets  from  three  different   traditions  as  they  reflect  on  their  process   and  read  poems  that  engage  Jewish,  New   Testament,  and  Eastern  Orthodox  texts.     USC  Creative  Writing  Faculty  Reading.     (Carol  Muske-­‐Dukes,  Susan  McCabe,  Mark   Irwin,  Anna  Journey)   This  event  is  a  reading  of  USC  creative   writing  faculty,  in  fiction,  poetry,  and   creative  non-­‐fiction,  all  of  whom  teach  in  

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the  PhD  graduate  program  in   Literature/Creative  Writing.  Right  now  the   four  listed  are  poets,  but  see  note  below   about  possible  expansion.  If  expansion  is   doable,  it  could  be  considered  the   Sponsorship  Reading.     Vermont  College  of  Fine  Arts  35th   Anniversary  Reading.    (Rigoberto   Gonzalez,  LeAnne    Howe,  Alison   Hawthorne  Deming,  Neela  Vaswani,  David   Wojahn)   Vermont  College  of  Fine  Arts,  one  of  the   first  low-­‐residency  Master  of  Fine  Arts  in   Writing  programs  in  the  country,   celebrates  its  35th  anniversary  with  a   reading  by  faculty  and  alumni  of  the   program.    VCFA,  a  unique  college  focusing   solely  on  graduate  fine  arts  programs,  has   long  been  a  nationally-­‐known  leader  in   low-­‐residency  education  designed  for   adults.     Veteran  Poetry  Reading.    (Jeb  Herrin,   Karen  Skolfield,  Vicki  Hudson,  Soul  Vang)   Many  veterans  struggle  to  find  their  place   blending  into  civilian  society,  as  many   poets  struggle  to  find  their  place  in  a   literary  world  that  often  overlooks  them.   This  panel  will  bring  to  light  the   experiences  of  Veterans  through  the   literary  form  that  best  suits  the  transition   into  civilian  life.  In  this  panel,  poet   veterans  share  their  stories  through   poetry.     Visions  of  a  Feminist  Utopia:  The   Feminist  Press  and  the  Future.    (Jennifer   Baumgardner,  Rachel  Kauder  Nalebuff,   Alexandra  Brodsky)   What  is  this  future  we  say  we  believe  in?   What  does  it  look  like  and  what  are  we  like   within  it?    

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Rachel  Kauder  Nalebuff  and  Alexandra   Brodsky,  editors  of  the  groundbreaking   FEMINIST  UTOPIA  PROJECT  (Feminist   Press,  October  2015),  lead  several  of  their   contributors  in  a  reading  and  discussion  of   what  make  a  better  world  and  the  role   feminist  theory  and  activism  will  have  in   that  brave  new  reality.  The  editors  will  be   joined  by  Jennifer  Baumgardner,  director  &   publisher  of  the  Feminist  Press.     We  Are  Theatre.  SPEAK-­‐OUT  for  for   gender  parity  for  women  playwrights.     (Aphra  Behn,  Thelma  De  Castro,  Martha  Joy     Rose,  Jennie  Webb,  Laura  Shamas)   In  2012  Guerrilla  Girls  On  Tour  and  LA   Female  Playwrights  Initiative  organized  a   SPEAK-­‐OUT    in  NYC,  "WE  ARE  THEATRE"  -­‐   an  evening  of  plays  about  sexism  in   theatre.  From  50/50  in  2020  to  Little  Black   Dress,  Inc.  to  the  Kilroys,  organizations   working  towards  gender  parity  in  theatre   are  all  across  the  US.  Yet  the  stats  remain   the  same:  less  than  20%  of  all  plays   produced  in  the  US  have  been  written  by   women.  Reps  from  LAFPI,  San  Diego   Playwrights  and  the  GGOT’s  will  discuss   what  else  we  can  do.     We  Got  Here  As  Fast  as  We  Could:  Debut   Authors  Over  35.    (Mo    Daviau,  Jamie   Duclos-­‐Yourdon,  Louise  Miller,  francine  j.   harris,  Antonio  Ruiz-­‐Camacho)   Excluded  from  the  bevy  of  youth-­‐oriented   literary  awards  and  accolades  that  often   presage  success  in  the  field,  these  authors,   all  of  whom  first  published  past  the  age  of   35,  will  share  their  work  and  the  stories  of   their  longer,  windier  paths  to  publication.     What  are  you?:  Mixed-­‐race  writers  find   voice  and  community.    (Aaron  Samuels,  

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Chris  Terry,  F.  Douglas    Brown,  Suzie  F.   Garcia,  Casey  Rocheteau)   While  the  mixed-­‐race  population  explodes   in  the  U.S.,  there  is  no  definitive  mixed-­‐ race/multiracial  experience.  Mixed  identity   is  varied,  and  mixed  writers  often  do  a   form  of  literary  code  switching  as  they   write  in  multiple  communities.  In  this   panel,  a  diversity  of  mixed  authors  will   share  their  work  and  discuss  how  mixed   writers  of  different  ethnic,  economic  and   geographic  backgrounds  find  inspiration,   form  community,  and  create  in   conversation  with  one  another.     What  Playwrights  Bring  to  the   Composition  Classroom.    (Normandy     Sherwood,  Samantha    Chanse,  Eliza  Bent,   Benjamin  Gassman)   While  they  may  be  in  the  minority,   playwrights  also  teach  composition  classes.     Four  playwright-­‐teachers  discuss  the  way   their  pedagogy  is  informed  by  their   dramatic  practice.  The  panelists  will   discuss  the  ways  that  the  things   playwrights  attend  to—dialogue,  stage   images,  bodies  in  space—  are  uniquely   suited  to  help  student  writers  learn  the   ways  of  academic  writing.      The  panel  will   include  conversation  and  sharing  of   practical  techniques  for  engaging  students   using  playwriting  practices.     Wild  Equations:  A  Math  Poetry  Reading.     (Carol  Dorf,  Amy  Uyematsu,  Stephanie   Strickland,  Alice  Major,  Katie  Manning)   For  poets,  language  is  the  structure  on   which  everything  depends,  including  the   red  wheelbarrow.  But  mathematics  is  a   language,  too—a  universal  one  with  the   potential  to  link  the  logic  of  numbers  with   literary  form.  Poets  like  Wislawa   Szymborska  and  Rita  Dove,  for  instance,  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  make  use  of  pi,  statistics,  and  geometry  in   their  work.  In  this  unusual  reading  and   conversation,  Talking  Writing  magazine   presents  five  math  poets  with  different   approaches  but  a  shared  belief  in  a  fresh   take  on  the  world.     WOC  Write  Crime.    (Maria  Kelson,  Gigi   Pandian,  Naomi  Hirahara,  Rachel  Howzell   Hall,  Steph  Cha)   Women  crime  novelists  who  write  from,  or   about,  California,  read  from  new  work.   Panelists  include  mid-­‐  and  early-­‐career   novelists  who  identify  as  Indian-­‐,  African-­‐,   Japanese-­‐,  Mexican-­‐,  and  Korean-­‐American   and  write  for  a  broad  audience.  They   discuss  their  varied  publication  paths   (print/e,  legacy/indie,   commercial/literary,  large/small  presses).   They  also  address  how  pop  culture  views   of  crime  and  policing,  and  mystery  genre   structures  and  forebears,  fuel  (or  don’t)   their  inspiration.     Women  Who  Write  Fantasy  &  Science   Fiction:  A  Reading.    (Rachel  Swirsky,  Lily   Yu,  Cat  Rambo,  Camille  Griep)   Over  the  past  few  years,  women  nominated   for  a  Hugo  or  Nebula  Award  has  surged,  a   trend  that  has  occurred  once  or  twice  since   the  1950s.  Are  women  only  now   discovering  genre  fiction?  Many  will  point   out  that  science  fiction  was  created  by  a   woman  in  1818.  Listen  to  four  award-­‐ winning  and  emerging  speculative  fiction   writers  read  from  their  work.     Worlds  Within  the  Other  California.     (Armen  Bacon,  Phyllis  Brotherton,  Samina   Najmi,  Sally  Vogl,  Jacqueline  Williams)   These  works  of  creative  nonfiction  engage   with  Fresno  and  the  Central  Valley  as  a   marginalized  space  within  California—

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conservative,  Christian,  agricultural,  and   working  class—yet  also  a  place  of   intersections,  where  immigration,   assimilation,  and  hybridity  are  intensely   personal,  lived  experiences.  The  writings   represent  Fresno  lives  as  a  confluence  of   events  in  Armenia,  Iran,  Pakistan,  and   Lesotho  while  grappling  with  the  darker   underbelly  of  “diversity”  in  the  family  and   the  workplace.     WriteGirl  Celebrates  15  Years  of   Empowering  Teen  Girls  in  Los  Angeles.     (Keren  Taylor,  Amanda  Gorman,  Sholeh   Wolpe,  Barbara  Abercrombie,  Ashaki   Jackson)   WriteGirl  presents  a  cross-­‐genre  reading   celebrating  its  15th  anniversary  in  Los   Angeles.  WriteGirl  brings  the  skills  and   energy  of  professional  women  writers  to   underserved  teen  girls  through  innovative   mentorship.  Acclaimed  local  writers  and   LA’s  first  Youth  Poet  Laureate  will  read   from  their  own  work  and  WriteGirl’s   collected  anthologies  of  teen  writing,  which   have  won  70  book  awards.  The  event  will   feature  writing  activities  and  discussion   about  empowering  teens  through  self-­‐ expression.     Writers  Who  Change  the  World,   Sponsored  by  Red  Hen  Press.    (Douglas   Kearney,  Richard  Bausch,  Mona  Simpson,   Percival  Everett)   I  long  to  hear  the  story  of  your  life  which   must  captivate  the  ear  strangely.  Red  Hen   Press  presents  three  unique  voices  re-­‐ creating  what  story  is  in  American  culture.   These  writers  do  write  strangely,  and   always  tilting  against  windmills     Writing  LA:  City  as  Character.    (Leslie     Kreiner  Wilson,  Jeff    Hoffman,  Liz  

#AWP16 Accepted Events

  Keyishian  Wilks,  Beverly  Graf,  Peter   Russell)   More  and  more  screen  and  television   writers  are  getting  the  note  to  “make  the   city  a  character.”  In  this  panel,  writers,   script  consultants,  and  executives  provide   examples  of  how  Los  Angeles  has   functioned  as  a  character  in  such  scripts  as   Blade  Runner,  Chinatown,  The  Big   Lebowski,  and  L.A.  Confidential.  The  panel   also  offers  strategies  for  transforming  the   setting  of  any  screenplay  –  or  work  in   another  genre  –  into  a  character.     Writing  the  Personal  with  Helen   McDonald,  Rabih  Alameddine,  and   Francisco  Goldman,  Sponsored  by   Grove/Atlantic  Press.    (Francisco   Goldman,  Helen  McDonald,  Rabih   Alameddine,  John  Freeman)   Join  award-­‐winning  and  bestselling  Grove   Atlantic  authors  Helen  McDonald,  Rabih   Alameddine,  and  Francisco  Goldman  as   they  discuss  the  ways  in  which  they  real   life  enters  their  literary  work  and  to  what   critical  and  personal  effects.    As  fiction  and   memoir  writers  from  three  different   countries  and  cultural  backgrounds,  they   will  discuss  among  other  things  how   reactions  to  the  personal  in  their  work   differ  across  genres,  if  at  all?      

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Written  by  Our  Selves:  The  Craft  of   Immobile  Corporeality.    (Tiffany  Austin,   Destiny  Birdsong,  darlene  anita  scott,   Larrysha  Jones)   The  practice  of  liming  (doing  nothing)  in   Trinidad,  the  custom  of  re-­‐painting  effaced   murals  of  slain  gangsters  in  Jamaica,  and   recent  American  protestors’  protecting   businesses  and  each  other  by  standing   between  them  and  the  police—all  are   examples  of  black  corporeal  defiance  by   non-­‐movement.  Panelists  read  and  discuss   how  they  write  defiantly  immobile  black   corporeality  in  their  work,  thus  revising   the  dominant  narrative  of  such  bodies,   which  posits  them  as  lazy,  uncontrollable,   and  useless.     YesYes  Books  5th  Anniversary  Reading.     (Phillip  B.    Williams,  Tanya  Olson,  Ocean   Vuong,  John  Mortara,  Jonterri  Gadson)   YesYes  Books  gathers  five  of  its  authors  as   it  demonstrates  what  can  be  accomplished   when  a  young  press  strives  to  publish  fresh   new  voices  in  all  their  variety.  Though   early  in  their  careers,  the  poets  included  in   this  event  have  already  garnered  national   recognition  and  through  them  the  poetic   landscape  is  enriched  and  enlivened.  Come   celebrate  5  years  of  YesYes  Books!