I'm a writer without a network.

There I said it. I'm a writer....yet I have no writer friends or associates. How is that possible? How did I manage to create such a solitary existence for myself? These are questions I ask myself, among many others like my usual "who am I and why I am here?" This year I attended a writer's conference at Medgar Evers College, but I really didn't get as much as I was expecting from it. I suppose I was hoping to experience something like I experienced in Las Vegas in 2009 at the Black Writers Reunion & Conference, where I met some talented up and coming writers who inspired me. And now, the 2012 Black Writers Reunion & Conference is right around the corner and I still haven't made up my mind on whether or not to attend. I'll have a lot going on around this time, saving for my fall tuition being one. I have to prioritize. I attended in 2009 and still think about, it was just that rewarding. Worth every penny. In looking at the photos from last year's conference, I recognize some faces and see how attending every year builds lasting friendships and professional connections. I want that....no, I need that. I'll make my final decision by the end of next week after punching a few numbers in the calculator. Check out the sessions below. How can I not make this happen, seems pretty interesting, right? Friday's lineup is going to be awesome.



Wednesday, August 29, 2012

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Telling Your Tale: Writing & Publishing Your First Novel
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm Meet the Author Reception

Thursday, August 30, 2012

7:00 am – 7:30 am Senses at Sunrise Dr. Anita Heiss
8:00 am – 3:30 am Registration
8:00 am – 9:30 am Welcome Breakfast — Opening Session
9:00 am – 7:30 pm Exhibitors
9:30 am – 5:00 pm Agent Pitch Sessions – By Appointment Only

Morning Workshops
9:35 am Writing Faction
Staging the Page
Judging Your Book By Its Cover

11:10 am 5 Senses to Impactful Fiction
Landing a Book Deal in 2012+
Gritty Writer’s Website Strategies

Afternoon Workshops
1:30 pm Get Media Coverage Now
Mastering the Art of the Book Pitch
It All Adds Up

3:05 pm Journaling as a Writing Tool
Plotting Boot Camp I (3 hrs)
Formatting Your Novel for ePublishing (3 hrs)

4:40 pm Clarity & Depth

Evening
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Poetry on the Roof


Friday, August 31, 2012

8:00 am – 2:00 pm Registration
9:00 am – 7:30 pm Exhibitors

Morning Workshops
7:00 am – 7:30 am Senses at Sunrise
7:30 am Yoga on the Beach
7:30 am Plotting Boot Camp II (3 hours)
9:00 am M.A.D. Writing (Making a Difference)
Structure & Style
Powerful Writing: Spirit, Nature & Experience

10:10 am Conquering Writer’s Block & Silencing the Inner Critic
Using Test Readers
Comedy Writing

11:20 am Balancing Life & Writing
Characters, Emotion, Viewpoint & Voice
Your Writing as an Investment in Others’ Growth
Network the Write Way


Afternoon Workshops
1:30 pm Anatomy of a Bestseller
Live the Writer’s Life AND Pay the Bills
Legal Matters that Matter to Writers
Writing for Television

3:05 pm Bios, One Sheets & About Pages
Making the Most of Your Editing Experience
Screenplay to the Silver Screen

Evening
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Reception
6:45 pm – 8:00 pm Sex On The Beach — Erotic Fiction Readings

The Eleventh National Black Writers Conference - March 29, 2012 – April 1, 2012

I first attended this conference, held at Medgar Evers Collegs in Brooklyn, NY, in 2008. I enjoyed the experience and vibe (still thinking about this tasty vegetarian restaurant across the street), and found the discussions and workshops informative and motivating. While I haven't been able to attend since, I haven't forgotten about this conference and would like to attend the next one, Thursday, March 29, 2012—Sunday, April 1, 2012.

I wanted to share the program details in case it should interest someone enough to register and hear passionate roundtable discussions on The Impact of Migration, Popular Culture, and the Natural Environment in the Literature of Black Writers.

Here's what they have planned for participants:

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Pre-Conference Activities

Spoken Word Workshop
Sponsored by the NBWC and PEN American Center
Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Youth Programs

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Workshop, readings, and program activities for elementary, middle-school and high-school students.
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Call for Papers: Presentations

10:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Exploring Themes in the Works of John Oliver Killens, Ishmael Reed, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Poetry Café

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Central Brooklyn Public Library

Friday, March 30, 2012

Film Screenings: Selected films and shorts based on literary themes
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Elders Writing Workshop

4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

Elders Writers Workshop Presentation
Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Official Conference Opening

7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Featured Speaker and Honoree
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Concert: Off-Site Event
9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Jazz concert and cultural program

Saturday, March 31, 2012

NBWC Reading Series

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The National Black Writers Conference Reading Series is sponsored by the African American Literature Book Club, the Brooklyn Literary Council, Mosaic magazine, the National Black Writers Conference.

Panels and Roundtable Discussions

Defining “Urban,” “Street,” and “Hip-Hop” Literature: Its Evolution and Impact on American Culture

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

This panel is based on the concept that the publishing industry, mainly mainstream, and some writers and editors, have labeled “urban literature,” “street lit,” and/or “hip-hop literature as stories with an urban setting that portray the gritty side of black American life. Moreover, they have viewed the new crop of black writers of this literature as not being “literary” and have often characterized their stories as poorly written. Yet, for years, black writers such as Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, and Chester Himes wrote books that fit into what might be called “urban literature.” Yet white writers such as Richard Price, author of the raw street novel Clockers, and Hubert Selby, author of Last Exit to Brooklyn, wrote books with urban-based themes. These writers did not have their texts so categorized. Are urban-based stories by white writers classified differently than urban-based stories by the new group of black writers? How much does the craft of writing play in the manner in which the books are defined? Who determines the definition? Should we broaden our definitions and understanding of urban literature?
Is this literature here to stay or is it just a fad? We want the participants on this panel to discuss the origins of urban-themed stories, what constitutes them, how are they defined today and what impact these stories reveal about contemporary American culture.

Migration and Cultural Memory in the Literature of Black Writers

1 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Pan-African Literary Forum

The globalization of today’s society and the migration of black writers to various parts of the African Diaspora have had an impact on our definitions of black writers and on the literature they produce. One theme central to the literature of black writers throughout the African Diaspora is the value of cultural memory. Cultural memories convey the spirit, language, traditions, music, art, history, values, and belief systems of a people. When there is no cultural memory, there is no way for people to survive. The writers on this panel will examine the ways in which black writers who move back and forth among the geographical boundaries of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe define themselves across cultural boundaries and represent and analyze cultural memory in the literature they produce.

The Impact of Popular Culture on Politics in the Literature of Black Writers
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

We live in a society constructed by politics and our nation has developed a political consciousness that informs our elections, our media, our literature, our films, our economy, and our global interactions with the world. Our civil rights, religious, and societal movements are informed by politics. Politics is often at the center of our lives. As citizens of this country, we continually examine the impact of politics in our lives. Black writers have always responded to politics through the critical analysis of politics in the government, popular culture, and world economy and through the creation of political thrillers, suspense stories, and cautionary tales. The panelists will discuss the impact of politics in the literature of black writers from these varying perspectives.

Tribute and Awards Program

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College
1650 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225

VIP Reception
ABI Bldg., Medgar Evers College
1638 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Talkshops

10:00 a.m.–11:15 a.m. Fiction; Poetry; Book Reviews

11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Dramatic Writing; Creative Nonfiction; Book Proposals

Panels and Roundtable Discussions

Black Writers and Ecoliterature: Stories, Essays, and Poetry Shaped by the Natural Environment

12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

As our global society becomes smaller and the impact of global warming and natural disasters are magnified, issues of conservation and the need to protect the natural habitat and the environment have become more pressing. Black writers have responded to these issues in varying ways. Through their novels, essays, poetry, short stories and plays, they have written cautionary tales that prepare us for what will happen if we do not protect the environment and their works have raised public awareness about crises such as war, famine, and natural disasters. Writers on this panel will discuss the literature that raises public awareness about the need to restore life-sustaining communities.

The Role of Social Media: Black Writers Take Literature to the Web

2 p.m.–3:30 p.m.

The use of the social media for marketing, promoting, and publishing in the writing world is well documented. There is an argument that social media techniques have leveled the playing field and have helped to make the writing and publishing of books more accessible for all writers. The writers on this panel will discuss the implications of the Internet for black writers and the ways in which the Internet can be used and/or has been used to affect the marketing and kind of writing produced by black writers.

Being Sold or Selling Ourselves: Black Writers and the Marketplace

4:00 p.m.– 5:30 p.m.

Black writers face a number of challenges in the publishing industry. Publishers, for example, often believe that there is no audience for serious literary fiction. The literature created by black writers is often narrowly defined, thus resulting in the fact that black writers are marginalized from mainstream presses and forced to either self-publish or publish with small independent presses. The literary industry professionals on this panel, from mainstream, independent and small presses, discuss these challenges and offer their perspectives on solutions for overcoming these obstacles.

The 10th National Black Writers' Conference

MAJOR CORRECTION!!!! : An astute reader pointed out a major error that perhaps my excitement made impossible for me to see. The writers conference information below is from 2010 NOT 2011. After first thinking the conference wouldn't be held this year, I stumbled onto the page from 2010, and not realizing it, assumed a 2011 conference had magically appeared just for me. Why couldn't I see the year read "2010"?

Well after the error was pointed out to me, I went back to the website and lo and behold, the 2011 information magically appeared. (More like they just updated it today or yesterday, and had I only waited, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of my fancy cut/paste and coloring job.) Well, I'm very disappointed. Medgar Evers College won't be holding a conference this year. Instead they will host a one-day symposium to celebrate the works of playwright August Wilson. The 11th National Black Writers' Conference will be held in March 2012. The conference theme will be "The Impact of Migration, Popular Culture and the Natural Environment in the Literature of Black Writers." I'll be there, no doubt about that.

**********************************************************************************
ORIGINAL POST - For laughs and giggles I suppose

I'm tempted to attend the National Black Writers' Conference this year. It's held at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. I've gone in the past and really enjoyed the panel discussions. I'm especially interested in the "Speculative Fiction: Fantasy, Horror & the Supernatural in the Fiction of Black Writers" panel. Oh why must I live where I live when NYC has so much that I enjoy. But the nation's capital isn't too bad, it's been good to me. For the most part.

But back to the conference. Toni Morrison is this year's honorary chair. And to add to the enticement, there's a restaurant right across the street that serves very tasty soul food-inspired dishes.


Thursday, March 25, 2010

Writing & Literature Workshops for Elementary, Middle School & High School Students

9:00 am to 11:30am
Elementary School Program
Cheryl and Wade Hudson, Zetta Elliot, Tony Medina

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Middle School Writing Workshop
Tonya Hegamin

High School Program
Tara Betts, John Murillo and Abiodun Oyewole, Featured Poets

High School Writing Workshop - Sponsored by PEN American Center

4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Elders Workshop Presentation (Medgar Evers College)
Donna Hill, Moderator

9:30 am to 10:45 am
"The Resurrection of Memory in the Works of Toni Morrison"
Robin Ford, Moderator

12:30 pm to 1:45 pm
"Music as Language in African American Texts"
Emmanuela Maurice, Moderator

2:00 pm to 3:15 pm
"The Legacy of John Oliver Killens"
TBA, Moderator

3:30 pm to 4:45 pm
"The Politics of Language"
Baker Wilson, Moderator

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Presentation of Student Play, Fanon Founders Auditorium
Featuring Students at Medgar Evers College, Written by Prof. Delridge Hunter

7:00 PM

Official Conference Opening:
A Conversation with Kamau Brathwaite and Welcome to South End Press
Terrie M. Williams, Mistress of Ceremonies

Thomas Sayers-Ellis, Introduction of Kamau Brathwaite
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College, CUNY



Friday, March 26, 2010

10:00 am to 11:30 am
"The Black Writer as Literary Activist"
Patrick Oliver, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Dorothea Smartt, and Frank Wilderson III
Louis Reyes Rivera, Moderator

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
"Politics and Satire in the Literature of Black Writers"
Herb Boyd, Thomas Bradshaw, Charles D. Ellison and Major Owens
Obery M.Hendricks as Moderator

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
"Shifting Identities: The Black Writer in the African Diaspora"
Edwidge Danticat, Courttia Newland, Colin Channer and Carole Boyce-Davies Jacqueline Brice-Finch, Moderator

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
"Black Writers Reconstructing the Master Narrative"
Catherine Acholonu, John F Baker Jr., Breena Clarke & Betty DeRamus
Pamela Newkirk, Moderator

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
"Tribute to Toni Cade Bambara"
Malaika Adero, Hattie Gossett, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Linda Holmes, Louis Massiah, Eugene Redmond, Eleanor Traylor, Cheryl Wall, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Sonia Sanchez
Linda J. Holmes Moderator


Saturday, March 27, 2010

10:00 am to 11:30 am
"The Impact of Hip Hop and Popular Culture in the Literature of Black Writers"
Steven C. Fullwood, Felicia Pride & Toure
Karen Hunter, Moderator

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
"The Impact of the Internet: Blogging, Publishing and Writing"
Grace Ali, Nick Charles, Troy Johnson & April Silver
Esther Armah, Moderator

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
"Literary Encounters: East Meets West—A Dialogue"
Meena Alexander, Marina Budhos, Shelley Eversley, and M G Vassinji
Margaret Cox, Moderator

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
"The Impact of War & Natural Disasters in Literature by Black Writers"
Chris Abani, Phyllis Montana LeBlanc, James McBride and Maaza Mengiste

5:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Kevin Powell – Featured Speaker
"Black Writers Creating Memories and Lighting the Way"

Readings

11:00 am to 11:30 am
Donna Hill
Sponsored by the Center for Black Literature

12:00 pm to 12:30 pm
Colson Whitehead
Sponsored by the National Black Writers Conference

12:45 pm to 1:15 pm
Joy James
Sponsored bySouth End Press

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Bernice McFadden, Rakesh Satyal, Tiphanie Yanique
Sponsored by the Brooklyn Literary Council

3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Allen B. Ballard, Victor LaValle, Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Sponsored by the African American Literature Book Club


Sunday, March 28, 2010


Talkshops

10:00 am to 11:15 am
Fiction, Tayari Jones
Poetry – Sonia Sanchez
Book Reviews: Clarence V. Reynolds

11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Dramatic Writing- Thulani Davis
Creative Non Fiction: TK
Book Proposals- Krishan Trotman

Panel Discussions

12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
"Speculative Fiction: Fantasy, Horror & the Supernatural in the Fiction of Black Writers"
L.A. Banks, Michael Boatman, Jewell Parker Rhodes & Cheo Tyehimba
Dale Allender, Moderator

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
"Restoring Community: Black Writers Respond to the Environmental Crises"
Majora Carter, Alixa and Naima (Climbing PoeTree), Omar Freilla
Nina Mercer, Moderator

4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
"Editors, Agents, Writers and Publishers on the Literature of Black Writers"
Regina Brooks, Linda Duggins ,Chris Jackson & Johnny Temple
Fred Beauford, Moderator



For more information, click here.

My First Writer's Conference

(Arriving at the airport)

Two weeks ago, I attended the Black Writers Reunion & Conference (www.blackwriters.org) in Las Vegas. This was a trip of "firsts" for me--my first time in Las Vegas, and my first writers' conference. I came across the conference site while looking for fiction writing groups in my area. The location piqued my interest first (Viva Las Vegas!), then the low $300 registration fee (yay, something I can afford!), and then I read the workshop descriptions--wow, the deal was sealed. The workshops were just what I needed, covering topics such as fundamentals of writing fiction, superior book marketing strategies, and writing for young readers. I booked my flight and secured my room at the host hotel, the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, that same day.

(The view from my room at the Golden Nugget--19th floor)

The conference's director/producer, Tia Ross, forwarded the conference attendees the following list of reasons to attend BWRC (compiled by Anita Clay).

To give this list a little twist, I've offered a "true/false" response.

10. Attend an event organized professionally and efficiently by cool black women.
True. I was beyond impressed at the efficiency and organization.

9. Check into a good hotel, at a reasonable rate for an affordable conference that even makes provision for scholarships.
True. The hotel rooms were very spacious, the staff very nice, very reasonable room rates, and a breakfast buffet that I still long for.

8. Meet smart, good-looking women of every age from all over the country (even Australia) who smile when they see you because they feel the bond.
True. But I don't want to leave out the men there too that fit the above description.

7. Laugh, learn and even cry with mentors who make you feel you can write, publish and take the world by storm while reminding you that your gift comes from God.
True. Yes, yes, yes to this. The presenters, most of whom are mentors, gave such boosts of encouragement and inspired us with their success stories. I also learned inside information that I've never run across during my own research.

6. Be in a place where there is no big me and little you. A place where you don’t find out the person sharing, learning and laughing next to you in a workshop is a well-known presenter in the next session. Feel the love. Feel the respect.
True and False. There was definitely no "big me, little you" thing going on; but I must say that I laughed and chatted with a few people during the first night's meet and greet--whom I assumed were attendees like me--that were actually a best-selling novelists (Rashonda Tate-Billingsley), an acclaimed poet and spoken-word artist (Marc Lacy), and an author whose book adaptation was shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival(Vincent Alexandria).

5. Hear other women’s (and men’s) stories of survival, success and beyond. Be encouraged by their dreams and yours.
True. See #7.

4. Get honest, straight information about costs, work, agents, legalities, marketing strategies and more stuff you didn’t even know to ask about.
True. I can't stress enough how informative those presentations were.

3. Meet a short, elderly man who reminds you of your father, or the father you wish you had, who cares enough to tell you not to drink out of the dirty (used) water glasses and not to leave your computer in the room and when you do, doesn’t tell you, “I told you so.”
True. I hope he's at the next one.

2. Feel special when you meet Tia, and the other ladies (especially the one who loaned us her dad) at registration and know they care about you even though they don’t know you.
True. I did feel special.

1. Find yourself. Leave believing in yourself and your talent. Leave with your heart burning inside, knowing you can and will write! AND you will come back, anywhere, any time.
True!!! I was extremely inspired by the ambitiousness, passion, talent, and publishing and marketing knowledge of the conference presenters, and the acommplishments of my fellow attendees. I have no excuse not to churn out my debut novel just in time for the next gathering. Can't wait!

(Caesar and Me. Ain't I'm cute?)