Here’s the program for this year’s WriteAngles Conference at Mount Holyoke College. The keynote speaker will be poet, essayist, translator, editor and University of Massachusetts Amherst professor, Martín Espada. Joining him on the speaker and presenter list for the day are over 20 other writers, editors and professionals from different fields who will share their expertise as it relates to the world of literature.
WriteAngles Conference 2019
DATE: October 5, 2019
VENUE: Willits-Hallowell Center,
Mount Holyoke College
8:00 to 8:45 am – Registration, Continental Breakfast, and Writers Fair (Lobby)
NEW THIS YEAR! The Writers Fair will introduce conference attendees to local writing groups that offer workshops, readings, and other events (Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, Straw Dog Writers Guild, Writers in Progress, and Writing in the Garden), and to literary magazines where they may be interested in placing their work (Mass Review, Meat for Tea, Naugatuck River Review).
8:45 to 9:45 am – Welcome and Keynote Speaker: Martin Espada (Morrison Room)
NOTE: Individual agent meetings will run concurrently with the morning panels, 9:45 to 12:45, by pre-arranged appointment.
PANEL SESSION I – 10:00 to 11:15 am (Choose one)
Dreaming on the Page: Writing from Dreams and the Unconscious (Morrison Room)
Workshop leader: Tzivia Gover
Learn to use your dreams to enhance your writing, and how to use your writing to enhance access to the wisdom and guidance of your dreams. In this interactive workshop you will use dreams as a source of raw material, and knowledge of dreams and the dreaming brain to bust through writing blocks and supercharge your creativity. Open to writers of all genres, whether you remember your dreams or not.
Building a Readership (Andreola Room)
Panelists: Anna Bozena Bowen, Joanna Lillian Brown (moderator), Sarah Buttenwieser, D. Dina Friedman
All writers and authors share one goal in common: to attract readers. In this workshop, three writers and authors will discuss the various methods they use to attract readers and build reader loyalty and will answer participant questions.
Copyrights and Trademarks: Practical Considerations for Writers (Executive Board Room)
Hun Ohm, a partner in the entertainment/intellectual property practice group of the Northampton, Massachusetts law firm, Fierst Bloomberg Ohm LLP, will discuss common copyright and trademark issues that writers may face during their careers.
PANEL SESSION II – 11:30 am to 12:45 pm (Choose one)
The Language of Diversity (Morrison Room)
Panelists: Bill Campbell, Haivan Hoang, D.K.McCutchen (moderator), James Montaño
Who is allowed to write what and why? Writers, artists, and scholars will discuss everything from the YA Wars trend to Own Voices — across genres — exploring how language might both empower marginalized voices, and possibly create a kind of sensitivity segregation. Can thoughtful language help all writers creatively engage with other cultures without fear of appropriation? Or is that enough?
How to Publish Your Essay Without Going Insane (Andreola Room)
Panelists: David Daley in conversation with Marya Zilberberg
So you wrote your sh**y first draft. After your thirty-fourth revision the piece feels finished and ready to send out. Is there value in having someone read and critique it? How do you decide what to revise based on those critiques? How do you choose the right publication out of thousands of outlets out there? How do you pick yourself up and move on after rejection? What happens once your piece is accepted? Once it’s published? What’s next? When is that book deal coming? Let us demystify the essay submission and publication process and help you get your darlings out into the world.
Read & Weed Workshop: Critiquing for Growth (Executive Board Room)
Workshop leader: Liz Bedell, Joan Axelrod-Contrada
Participants who submit work in advance will learn to apply the art of giving and receiving honest, constructive critique using strategies that can be applied to their own writing. Please indicate your interest in the workshop on your registration form, and we will contact you with additional information. Space is limited.
12:45 to 1:30 pm – Buffet Luncheon
PANEL SESSION III – 1:30 to 2:45 pm (Choose one)
Paths to Publication (Morrison Room)
Panelists: Mary Bisbee-Beek, Ellen Meeropol (moderator), Dusty Miller, Jacqueline Sheehan
There’s no one-size-fits-all route to getting your book into the hands of readers. Panelists will discuss the pros and cons of big publishers, indie presses, and hybrids, and offer suggestions about how to decide what is best for your work.
Flash Memoir (Executive Board Room)
Workshop leader: Joan Axelrod-Contrada
WriteAngles Journal founding editor will lead participants in a hands-on craft workshop. Discover how to distill scenes and characters from your own life into brief, vivid vignettes that pack a punch.
PANEL SESSION IV – 3:00 to 4:15 pm (Choose one)
Agents Panel: The Hook (Morrison Room)
Panelists: Ronald Gerber, James McGinniss, Gina Panettieri, Marya Zilberberg (moderator)
Is your book’s opening strong enough to hook an agent and readers from the first page? Find out by submitting the first 150 words of a longer piece to be read aloud by moderator Marya Zilberberg (as you listen anonymously) to our panel of agents, who will provide honest feedback and offer suggestions for sharpening and polishing the hook. Detailed submission instructions will be provided upon receipt of your registration.
Ekphrastic Poetry: Hear it! See it! Write it! (Executive Board Room)
Workshop leader: Cindy Snow
Ekphrastic poetry brings a work of art to life via words. In this workshop, we’ll read and listen to examples of ekphrasis, and we’ll write together using art as inspiration. The presenter will provide art, poetry, and prompts, and you’ll provide energy, creativity, and openness!
4:15 to 4:30 pm — Wrap-up (Morrison Room)
This year’s grant awardee will be presented. Also, names will be drawn for attendance prizes. You must be present to win.
Author: Team VoW
Valley of Writers provides resources, tools, ideas and training for new writers. We work with a writers and contributors based around the world. Our primary focus is to equip new writers with skills to help them reach new audiences and achieve their goals.
