The conference will take place Nov. 9-10 with headliners Allison Joseph and Megan Mayhew Bergman
CONWAY — The C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference will host its second annual event Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9–10 on the University of Central Arkansas campus.
The conference includes a Friday evening reading from Allison Joseph, author of numerous books of poetry, most recently Confessions of a Barefaced Woman and Corporal Muse, published recently by Little Rock’s Sibling Rivalry Press.
The lecture will start at 6 p.m. at UCA’s College of Business Auditorium and will be followed by a reception. Joseph’s work frequently joins autobiography to cultural narratives and histories of Afro-Carib communities. Joseph’s honors include fellowships from the Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences and from the Illinois Arts Council.
“Given the success of last year’s conference, when over 190 writers gathered, we are thrilled to be hosting this important meeting again at UCA,” said Sandy Longhorn, conference director and assistant professor of Creative Writing.
Saturday will feature a lunchtime reading from Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of the short story collections Almost Famous Women and Birds of a Lesser Paradise. Bergman is an essayist for The Paris Review and contributes literary criticism to The Washington Post and New York Times. The lecture will start at 12:15 p.m. at the McCastlain Hall Ballroom.
In addition to Bergman’s talk, Saturday will include a book fair, along with craft talks featuring information on writing, publishing, and editing; practical advice from experienced women-identifying writers on how to balance writing, work and home life; and readings from creative works. For a list of accepted panel proposals, visit cdwrightconference.org/2018-schedule.
“Our panels and readings feature women-identifying writers from across the country, and especially the south. This lineup is sure to offer valuable advice and entertainment to writers and readers alike,” Longhorn said.
On Friday afternoon, organizers will host two pre-conference writing workshops. Monda Strange Fason, a writer and educator from Conway, will lead “Diving into the Wreck: #MeToo and the Power of Telling.” Writer Amy Letter of Drake University will lead “Comics 101,” for which no artistic skill is necessary. Each workshop is limited to 15 participants and open to all genres and skill levels.
The conference is open to all, though it will cater to women-identifying writers from all genres and all experience levels, from journalism to mass market books to literary endeavors, and beyond. The conference’s goal is to provide a space for camaraderie, connection-making and inspiration.
Conference attendees have the option of registering for the conference only for $100, or for the conference plus one of the pre-conference writing workshops for $135. Registration fees include access to events, on-site catering and parking passes. Conference organizers seek to ensure that all events are accessible and inclusive. Attendees may also choose to attend the Saturday lunchtime event only, featuring a talk from Megan Mayhew Bergman and a buffet lunch, for a cost of $25. To register for the conference, visit cdwrightconference.org/conference.
The C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference is named in honor of C.D. Wright (1949–2016), one of America’s foremost poets. Wright was born in Mountain Home and published more than a dozen books in her lifetime. Among her many honors are a National Book Critics Circle Award, two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, a MacArthur Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.
For more information, contact Longhorn at 501-450-5108 or cdwrightconference@gmail.com
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