ASPEN WORDS ANNOUNCES PUBLIC EVENTS LINEUP FOR JUNE WRITERS CONFERENCE & LITERARY FESTIVAL
Best-selling author and former Los Angeles Times op-ed columnist Meghan Daum, award-winning writer-photographer-filmmaker Pete McBride, and Aspen Words Literary Prize Winner Tayari Jones among those scheduled to speak June 17-20 in Aspen
Aspen, CO (May 17, 2019) – Tickets and passes are on sale now for the
public events at the
Aspen Summer Words Writers Conference & Literary Festival (June 16-21). In addition to writing workshops and a readers retreat, the conference, founded in 1976, includes author panels in the afternoons and evenings that are open to the public. This year’s events lineup features Summer Words faculty – fiction writers
Rumaan Alam, Tom Barbash, Susan Minot and
Samrat Upadhyay, memoirists
Nick Flynnand
Heather Harpham, poet
Tina Chang, nonfiction author and editor
Laura Fraser, essayist
Meghan Daum and
Pete McBride, a Roaring Fork Valley native – along with Tayari Jones, winner of the $35,000 Aspen Words Literary Prize for her novel “An American Marriage.”
Series passes, both member ($75) and non-member ($100), and individual tickets ($25) can be purchased through the
Aspen Showtix website, by visiting the Wheeler Opera House box office or by calling 970-920-5770. The series pass includes access to all five public events.
2019 SUMMER WORDS PUBLIC PANELS LINEUP
Monday, June 17
- Crafting Memorable Characters and Compelling Dialogue
3:30-4:30 p.m. | The Gant Conference Center
Characters who readers remember and dialogue that rings true are essential elements of great writing. Tom Barbash, Heather Harpham, Susan Minot and Samrat Upadhyay share advice about how to create unforgettable characters who sound believable and bring a story--whether fiction or nonfiction--to life.
- Writing Your Way Around the Globe
5:15-6:30 p.m. | Belly Up
Writing and travel are both about discovery. Authors Laura Fraser and Pete McBride, whose work has taken them to far-flung corners of the planet, will share insights into finding and telling great stories about the unfamiliar, and cultivating a sense of curiosity and adventure as a reader and writer.
Moderator: Amiee White Beazley, award-winning travel journalist
Tuesday, June 18
- The Business of Being a Writer
4:00-5:00 p.m. | The Gant Conference Center
What does it take to effectively collaborate with an agent and editor and build a lasting career as a writer? Authors Rumaan Alam and Susan Minot will be joined by agents Allison Hunter and Seth Fishman and editor Vanessa Mobley to discuss the ins and outs of today’s literary world.
- Tayari Jones on Social Justice, the Writing Life and Oprah
6:00-7:00 p.m. | Belly Up
Tayari Jones, winner of the 2019 Aspen Words Literary Prize for her novel “An American Marriage,” will discuss her work, why she wrote about race, incarceration and feminism, and what happened when Oprah Winfrey called her.
Moderator: Adrienne Brodeur, Aspen Words executive director
Thursday, June 20
- The Takeaway
4:00-5:15 p.m. | The Gant Conference Center
Need a boost of inspiration to keep the writing momentum going after a creative week in Aspen? Summer Words faculty, Tom Barbash, Tina Chang, Meghan Daum, Nick Flynn, and Laura Fraser will discuss how to stay motivated amidst the demands of everyday life and share the best and worst writing advice they ever received, among other topics.
Questions or requests for author interviews can be directed to:
Elizabeth Nix
Program Associate
Aspen Words | Aspen Institute
[email protected]
Phone: 970-925-3122 x 4
Aspen Words was founded in 1976 as a literary center based in Aspen, CO. A program of the Aspen Institute, its mission is to encourage writers, inspire readers and connect people through the power of stories. For more information, visit
www.aspenwords.org.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, D.C; Aspen, CO; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit
www.aspeninstitute.org.
