ASPEN WORDS ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL PUBLIC EVENTS LINEUP FOR JUNE WRITERS CONFERENCE & LITERARY FESTIVAL
 

Five free conversations with acclaimed authors and publishing experts, including best-selling essayist and podcaster Steve Almond, Pulitzer Prize winner 
Gregory Pardlo & NPR Books editor Petra Mayer

Aspen, CO (May 22, 2020) – Registration opens today for a series of public events to take place online during the month of June, as part of the Aspen Summer Words (Virtual) Writers Conference & Literary Festival. In addition to juried online writing workshops, the conference, founded in 1976, will include a series of conversations with authors and publishing experts, conducted via Zoom webinar, that are free and open to the public. This year’s events lineup features Summer Words faculty, including best-selling essayist and “Dear Sugars” podcaster Steve Almond, critically acclaimed novelist Christopher Castellani, author and therapist Claire Bidwell Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and memoirist Gregory Pardlo and former poet laureate of Philadelphia Yolanda Wisher, along with literary agents and editors. Moderators for the discussions include Petra Mayer, an editor at NPR Books, and Jenna Blum, a novelist and cofounder of A Mighty Blaze, which connects writers and readers in the age of COVID and beyond. 

In the spirit of supporting literary community during these challenging times, Aspen Words is offering the events free of charge. However, donations are welcome. To register, visit aspenwords.org/programs/summer-words/summer-words-public-events/. 
 

2020 SUMMER WORDS VIRTUAL PUBLIC PANELS LINEUP

Thursday, June 4
Writing About Real People
ZOOM | 5:30-6:30 p.m. MT 

What are the rules when you’re writing about friends and family or reimagining the lives of famous figures in your fiction?  We’ll explore this topic with award-winning memoirists, essayists and novelists.  

Moderator: Adrienne Brodeur, Aspen Words executive director and author of the best-selling memoir “Wild Game”
Panelists:
Steve Almond, author of 10 books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times best–sellers “Candyfreak” and “Against Football.” 
Christopher Castellani, author of four critically acclaimed novels including, most recently, “Leading Men,” and artistic director of Grub Street 
Gregory Pardlo, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and memoirist (“Air Traffic”) 
Claire Bidwell Smith, internationally renowned author of three books of nonfiction, speaker and grief expert   

Tuesday, June 9 (only open to  Summer Words students and AWN members)
The Life of a Book  
ZOOM | 5:30-6:30 p.m. MT

It takes a village to publish a book. Get an inside look at what happens once a publishing house acquires a manuscript, and find out about all that goes into bringing a book into the world. 

Presenter: Becky Saikia-Wilson, SVP, trade associate publisher at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Thursday, June 11 
People, Places, POV  
ZOOM | 5:30-6:30 p.m. MT

How do you create characters who are compelling and believable? How do you produce settings that have a life of their own? How do you figure out what voice and vantage point works best to tell your story? We’ll dive into these topics and other fundamentals of great writing. 

Moderator: Petra Mayer, editor, NPR Books
Panelists:
Steve Almond, author of 10 books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times best-sellers “Candyfreak” and “Against Football.”
Christopher Castellani, author of four critically acclaimed novels and a collection of essays on point of view in fiction, “The Art of Perspective: Who Tells the Story” 
Yolanda Wisher, former poet laureate of Philadelphia, former Aspen Words writer in residence and author of the poetry collection “Monk Easts an Afro”

Tuesday, June 16
Can I Write About This?  
ZOOM | 5:30-6:30 p.m. MT 

Can you write about people and subjects outside of your immediate experience and/or identity? What is the difference between appropriation and inclusion of a complex and diverse cast of characters? How do you balance creativity and imagination with writing about a reality outside of your life experience and understanding?  This panel will examine these questions and also ask what the publishing world is doing to create space for those voices from marginalized communities.

Moderator: Leah Henderson, author of novels “The Magic in Changing Your Stars” & “One Shadow on the Wall”
Panelists:
TBA

Wednesday, June 17 
The Business of Being a Writer  
ZOOM | 5:30-6:30 p.m. MT 

What does it take to collaborate effectively with an agent and editor and build a lasting career as a writer? What’s the impact of coronavirus on publishing? This panel of publishing experts will provide insight into what writers need to know about getting their work into the world.

Moderator: Jenna Blum, novelist and co-founder of A Mighty Blaze
Panelists:
Farley Chase, founder, Chase Literary Agency
Vanessa Mobley, executive editor, Little, Brown

Monday, June 22
The Writer’s Journey: Advice & Inspiration from Summer Words Alumni
ZOOM | 5:30-6:30 p.m. MT

Every writer’s journey looks a little bit different. Some are practically born with a pen and paper in hand, while others turn to writing after a career in an entirely different field. Many attend MFA programs; others hone their skills through journalism, blogging or clandestine diary writing. There’s no single path, no silver bullet. This panel brings together star alumni from the Aspen Summer Words program to discuss their writing and publishing journeys, provide advice for students as they launch into a writers conference, and share their new books/projects. 

Moderator: Caroline Tory, Aspen Words managing director
Panelists:
Stephanie Danler, author of best-selling novel “Bittersweet” and the new memoir “Stray”
Trapeta Mayson, Philadelphia’s 2020-2021 poet laureate, performer and teaching artist
C. Pam Zhang, author of the new novel “How Much of These Hills is Gold” 
Eilene Zimmerman, journalist and author of the new memoir “Smacked: A Story of White Collar Ambition, Addiction and Tragedy” 

Download speaker headshots:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j9jdaou3eeku4gz/AAB0naC10QiOB12N7bCQAIQja?dl=0 

Questions and interview requests can be directed to: 
Mallory Kaufman, Program Coordinator
Aspen Words | The Aspen Institute
[email protected]
Phone: 970-925-3122 ext. 2