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Dale Chihuly’s art glass at the Phipps.
I’m home from a great weekend in Pittsburgh, where I spent my days with other writers as we explored the genre of Creative Nonfiction, hosted by the magazine of the same name. Held at the University Club at the University of Pittsburgh, the setting was perfect. I stayed in a hotel in the neighborhood and enjoyed my morning and late afternoon walks back and forth. Though I’m not one for sitting for long periods of time, my interest was held firmly by the presentations and the information I received.
Friday was all about the publishing process. Presentations about the role of literary magazines in a writer’s career, self-publishing, the benefits of going with a small press, and crowdfunding by experts in the their fields were helpful.
I especially enjoyed talks by Dinty W. Moore, writer and editor of Brevity, an online magazine that publishes creative nonfiction essays of 750 words or less. Lee Gutkind, founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine, imparted with great wisdom and enthusiasm, his love for the genre along with its history. He is considered by Vanity Fair, to be the Godfather behind the nonfiction movement.
Editor and agent, Emily Loose, brought insight to the ever changing landscape of the publishing industry, helping us to explore the pros and cons of both traditional publishing and self publishing. For those interested in crowdfunding, CEO of Inkshares, Larry Levitsky, spoke about his company. Hattie Fletcher, of In Fact Books, and Michael Simms, of Autumn House Press, discussed working with a small press.
Saturday, was my favorite part of the conference. “Style & Substance: The Craft of Creative Nonfiction,” and it’s various aspects were discussed by Dinty W. Moore and Lee Gutkind. They were followed by novelist and memoir writer, Jane Bernstein and then memoirist and nonfiction writer, Peter Trachtenberg. I was inspired by every word they had to say and felt I’d fallen into a delicious garden of wisdom. As a result, I’m beginning the rewrite of my book all over again to hopefully include some of the ideas they passed on. That same afternoon I had a private consultation with Emily Loose, who gave me some excellent advice about approaching an agent and the need to take one’s time in the editing process.
On Sunday morning I went a writing session where CNF’s Boot Camp style of writing prompts and motivational techniques were used. I discovered that I have more difficulty writing with pen and paper than I do writing on my computer. It used to be just the opposite. In the afternoon, I met with Dinty Moore and six other writers for a critique of the work we had all brought to the conference. It was extremely helpful and validated the thoughts I’d had the previous day about how to make my memoir even better than it already is :-). I loved it.
In between all that, I was given a fantastic tour of the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, by a fellow writer and new friend. I loved seeing the glasswork of Dale Chihuly, tucked into the lushness of the gardens. I also helped my husband, scout out St. Anne Cemetery for the graves sites of several of his ancestors. He spent his weekend exploring graveyards and old houses, getting ready to do some writing about his family of origin.
We also enjoyed fabulous food. Legume, a farm to table restaurant, and Paris 66, a French bistro, were Bill’s and my favorites. I even managed to stay with my gluten and sugar-free way of eating without missing the sweetness of outragious desserts or the tang of freshly baked sourdough bread right from the oven.
I would highly recommend this conference to anyone who is in the throws of starting or is in the midst of a nonfiction writing project. I learned a lot and enjoyed my time surrounded by other writers, all of whom had their own wisdom to share. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere without sales hype, just the passing along of valuable information. Maybe I’ll go again next year!
Sounds like the conference was just the boost you needed, Joan. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Candace. It was a super boost and I’m happily back doing a rewrite.
Joan, it sounds like they packed in a lot of terrific sessions! What was your best takeaway or tip? Maybe I’ll join you next time!
Valerie, There was so much to take away. The best part was the validation of what I thought I had to do to make my book better. I’d been wanting to change a few things but couldn’t seem to get up the nerve. Since the conference I’m making the changes I thought were necessary It’s also really nice to be with other writers and talk about what we’ve been doing.
I’d love for you to come along next year!
I oh-so-wish I could have been a wee speck perched on your shoulder for the wonderful conference. It sounds like you came away with a treasure trove of information!
I did come away with so much, Laurie. Now I procede to rewrite with much confidence and belief in myself.
I love reasons to go to Pittsburgh, since my daughter lives there. But maybe the conference will be at a new place next year?
What a great conference at a great time for you, Joan! You found the best in the field and were able to get detailed attention to your work. How valuable that is.
Now, write on in full knowledge that you have a powerful story and the power to tell it — all inside you.
Shirley, Thank you for all of your encouraging words. It was definitely the right place for me to be. As I begin rewriting I’m happy in all that I learned.
The conference is alway is Pittsburgh, as that is where Creative Nonfiction’s offices are. I hope you plan to go next year.
Oh–that sounds like such a wonderful experience! I’ve been reading Brevity and Creative Nonfiction’s anthologies for years now. Really, the best in my opinion.
I’m thrilled to hear that you’re writing your story. Richard Gilbert and I were having a discussion on his blog about memoir writing and illness/healing, and I said that in many ways, the survival quest of our age is “how do we respond to illness/injury.” So much of what we physically survive today, would have killed us not very long ago. Instead of killing us, it damages us, changes us, but we’re still here. Therefore we need the stories of others, I think–because the central question, which has not previously been much explored in literature, is “how do we live (meaning, live well, live happily) after illness takes so much of what we had taken for granted? And so true, that the story isn’t “what happened” but “how we respond.”
He asked if I knew of any good stories…. yours sounds like it’s going to be the kind I’ve been looking for. Keep writing!
Tracy,
Thanks for honoring me with yiour words.
I so agree with you about our stories being a response to an event rather than just telling what happened. I’ve just ordered Richard’s book and really look forward to reading it. I follow his blog, too. He’s great.
And also thanks for following me here. I look forward to your comments.
Joan
Joan, it sounds like this conference was perfectly timed for you. You already have a powerful story. Now you get to apply all you learned to make it the best it can be. Thanks for sharing.
Kathy, Thanks so much for your support and confidence. I so appreciate your kind words.