MULTICULTURAL WRITERS CONFERENCE
SHAPING A COMMUNITY OF VOICES
July 17-18, 2009
Shaping a Community of Voices is a multicultural writers conference that focuses on building community among writers of color through workshops, readings, and panel discussions. Creative workshops and readings will focus on the craft of writing in the areas of fiction, memoir, personal essay, and poetry. Panel discussions will focus on the business of becoming published, the impact of writers of color on the publishing industry, the unique challenges faced by multicultural writers who pursue traditional paths to have their works published, and the literary community. The conference features multicultural faculty from the New England area, and is sponsored by Emerson College's Department of Professional Studies and Special Programs.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
- To provide a place to engage in discussion of themes and topics addressed by multicultural writers
- To offer workshop opportunities where multicultural writers feel safe and comfortable discussing their work as well as their target audiences
- To promote discussion about the challenges writers of color face in today's multimedia publishing industry
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Multicultural writers in the New England area who wish to take a workshop, with an established writer, in the areas of fiction, poetry, personal essay, or memoir
- Multicultural undergraduates and MFA students looking to build community
- Anyone interested in learning more about publishing their work
WORKSHOP LEADERS
Jennifer Baszile, Emily Bernard, Reginald O'Hare Gibson, Kim McLarin
Read about the conference's workshop leaders and panelists. Biography Page
GUEST PANELISTS
Eve Bridburg, Johnny Diaz, David Emblidge, Danielle Legros Georges, Thomas Glave, Helen Elaine Lee, Francisco Stork, and Lane Zacharay
Emerson College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and admits qualified individuals regardless of race, color, age, religion, or national origin, sex, sexual preference, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to individuals at the College.
SCHEDULE AND AGENDA
| Friday, July 17 |
Conference Activity |
Workshop Leader/Guest Panelist |
| 8-9a.m. | Welcome Breakfast (included) |
Workshop leaders, panelists, participants |
| 9a.m.-Noon: Workshop #1 |
Poetry (Session 1) | Reginald O'Hare Gibson |
| 9a.m.-Noon: Workshop #1 |
Fiction (Session 1) |
Kim McLarin |
| Noon-1p.m. |
Lunch (included) |
Workshop leaders, panelists, participants |
| 1:15-2:30p.m.: Panel #1A |
Finding a Literary Agent |
Lane Zachary and Eve Bridburg |
| 1:15-2:30p.m.: Panel #1B |
Publishing Your Work |
David Emblidge |
| 2:30-5:30p.m.: Workshop #2 |
Memoir Writing (Session 1) |
Jennifer Baszile |
| 2:30-5:30p.m.: Workshop #2 |
Personal Essay (Session 1) |
Emily Bernard |
| 5:30-7p.m. |
Dinner (on your own) |
|
| 7p.m. |
Evening Readings |
| Saturday, July 18 |
Conference Activity |
Workshop Leader/Guest Panelist |
| 8-9a.m. |
Breakfast (included) |
Workshop leaders, panelists, participants |
| 9a.m.-Noon: Workshop #3 |
Fiction (Session 2) |
Kim McLarin |
| 9a.m.-Noon: Workshop #3 |
Poetry (Session 2) |
Reginald O'Hare Gibson |
| Noon-1p.m. |
Lunch (included) |
Workshop leaders, panelists, participants |
| 1:15-2:30p.m.: Panel #2 |
How Does a Writer Find Community? |
Johnny Diaz, Danielle Legros Georges, Thomas Glave, Helen Elaine Lee, Francisco Stark |
| 2:30-5:30p.m.: Workshop #4 |
Personal Essay (Session 2) |
Emily Bernard |
| 2:30-5:30p.m.: Workshop #4 |
Memoir Writing (Session 2) | Jennifer Baszile |
| 5:30-7p.m. |
Dinner (on your own) |
|
| 7p.m. |
Evening Readings and Closing Reception |
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
To register for Shaping a Community of Voices, please send your completed conference registration form, payment in full, and writing submissions to the Department of Professional Studies and Special Programs at Emerson College.
Registration for the Multicultural Writers Conference (2009) is closed. Please plan to join us at the Multicultural Writers Conference in 2010.
Tuition and payment
You may register to participate in Multicultural Writers Conference workshops covering ONE or TWO genres. Registration options and prices are as follows:
$350 Option includes:- Workshops in ONE genre (3-hour class on Friday and 3-hour class on Saturday)
- Attendance at one of two panels on Friday (your choice)
- Attendance at Saturday panel
- Attendance at evening readings on Friday and Saturday
- Breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday
- Certificate of Attendance
$650 Option includes:
- Workshops in TWO genres (3-hour class, per genre, on Friday and 3-hour class, per genre on Saturday)
- Attendance at one of two panels on Friday (your choice)
- Attendance at Saturday panel
- Attendance at evening readings on Friday and Saturday
- Breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday
- Certificate of Attendance
Tuition is due upon registration for the Multicultural Writers Conference, Shaping a Community of Voices, and all programs offered through the Department of Professional Studies and Special Programs. Tuition is as priced, and participants must pay in full prior to participating in the conference.
Participants may incur additional conference-related expenses. Such expenses are separate from tuition costs and payments.
Emerson College reserves the right to change any provision of its programs and courses at any time. The College specifically reserves the right to change its tuition rates and any other financial charges. The College also reserves the right to rearrange its courses and class hours, to drop courses for which registration falls below the minimum enrollment, and to change instructor assignments.
