Publication News For Richard Vargas!

2011 Hispanic Writer Award Winner Richard Vargas has a new essay in the December Issue of Kweli Journal!

You can read an excerpt of the essay, called "My Father's Gift," here.

It's a beautiful piece of writing. Congratulations, Richard!

Registration Now Open for Taos 2012!

And classes are already starting to fill!

Make sure to check out our awesome lineup of workshops and instructors here.

And then go to this link, and click Register Now to sign up!

Happy Winter, everyone!

Another Publication for Debra Monroe!

 The prolific and talented Debra Monroe has a new piece featured in the online journal Wake!

It's a wonderful essay, with a wonderful title: Appallingly Specific Unhappy Christmases. Say that ten times fast. (It also has a kind of amazing accompanying photo: see above!)

Congratulations, Debra--and everyone else: enjoy!

Publication News Galore! Check out Debra Monroe, Emily Rapp (again) and Sharon!

Greetings, everyone! Happy almost-Thanksgiving Break! We've got lots of new (ish) publications to tell you about today...

First, our very own Conference Founder and Director Sharon Oard Warner has a new story in the Fall issue of Fifth Wednesday Jounal: it's called "Whatever's Good Will Be Gone" and, having had the recent privilege of hearing Sharon read the piece aloud, I can tell you that it is really, really, really good. So: go out and buy that immediately.

While you're at the bookstore, also make sure to pick up a copy of the current Glimmer Train--which features a lengthy interview with Debra Monroe. We all knew Debra was brilliant, but reading this interview will make you realize just how much wisdom this phenomenal woman has: on the subjects of writing and teaching, craft and influences, she is truly spectacular.

And...before you leave, check out the November/December issue of The Bark magazine, where you'll find an essay, called "Kindred Spirits," by the supremely prolific and talented Emily Rapp! The essay deals with her son, Ronan, her beloved dog, Bandit, and a hospice shelter for animals in Santa Fe (called Kindred Spirits).

Once you've gotten all of those, you may leave the store. And then: enjoy your holiday!

Emily Rapp on NPR!

We're so very proud of our girl, Emily Rapp, for all of the gorgeous writing that she's produced under very sad circumstances: her son, Ronan's, diagnosis with Tay Sachs Disease--a terminal illness.

Most recently, she wrote this piece in the New York Times. And this week, she talked about the article, and her experience parenting Ronan and writing his story, on NPR's Talk of the Nation.

Emily talks with NPR correspondent Brian Naylor; they are joined by a nurse who works with terminally ill children, and take calls from parents who have faced similar circumstances.

You can find audio from the interview here. It's very moving, well worth the listen.

Emily will be teaching a weekend workshop in memoir at this year's conference: click here for more info on that.

Congratulations again, Emily.

New Holiday Anthology from John Dufresne!

Longtime Taos instructor, novelist John Dufresne, has edited a new anthology of seventeen holiday-themed stories called Blue Christmas: Holiday Stories for the Rest of Us

John tells us that the collection will feature "original and unsentimental holiday stories" from him, as well as acclaimed writers Diana Abu-Jaber, Preston Allen, Steve Almond, Lynne Barrett, Tricia Bauer, Colin Channer, Jon Clinch, Ed Falco, Robert Goolrick, Ben Greenman, James W. Hall, Jane Hamilton, Ann Hood, Lee Martin, Ana Menendez and Les Standiford.

There will be a reading at Newtonville Books on December 15, at Books & Books in Coral Gables on December 10, and at Books on the Square in Providence on January 3.

You can click here for John's description of the book at the publisher, Books and Books', website.

Non-sappy holiday stories, edited by John? Sounds like the perfect holiday gift to us!

Check Out Priscilla Long's Science Blog at The American Scholar!

Taos Instructor Priscilla Long is blogging over at the American Scholar's blog, The Daily Scholar: posting each Wednesday in her column, Science Frictions!

Her newest post is about oceans; the one before that about dogs. She's also written about bugs, coal, the moon and, you know, Demodex folliculorum.

Very cool and interesting stuff. Check it out, and congrats, Priscilla!

BBC Radio Doc on D. H. Lawrence in New Mexico

Those Lawrence devotees among us may be interested in a new BBC production, narrated by author Geoff Dyer, about D.H. Lawrence's time in New Mexico.

Dyer travels to the D.H. Lawrence ranch, and explores the writer's remarkable creative output there--just down the road from the Conference.

The documentary feature "Lawrence in New Mexico" will be broadcast tomorrow, Thursday November 3rd, at 11:30 UK time, and can be heard worldwide live on the Radio 4 website: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4  (click 'Listen Live').

You can also hear the programme for up to 7 days after transmission at the feature'es website,  and on the BBC's iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio.

Enjoy!

At Long Last...the Faculty Lineup for Taos 2012!

Well, we just couldn't wait any longer to share with you our faculty lineup for the 2012 Taos Conference: yes, that's how excited we are about it.

We need a few more weeks to get you the full bios and course descriptions (keep your eyes peeled), but for now, here's what we've got lined up:

Teaching weeklong workshops in Fiction: Laura Brodie, Alice Elliott Dark, Robert Boswell and Eric Puchner.

Carolyn Meyer will be teaching a weeklong class in Young Adult Fiction; Hilda Raz and Amy Beeder will both teach weeklong workshops in Poetry.

Sarah Sentilles and Justin St. Germain will be teaching weeklong classes in Memoir, and Mark Sundeen will be doing a Travel Memoir class.

In addition, Ruth Ozeki will lead a weeklong workshop in Meditation and Writing, called "Retraining the Writer's Mind," and Priscilla Long will be reprising her infamous Prose Style class, "The Art of the Sentence, the Art of the Paragraph."

We'll also have six master classes available: John Dufresne, Antonya Nelson, and Summer Wood in the Novel, Rob Wilder and Greg Martin in Memoir, and Joy Harjo will be teaching a master class in Poetry!

We've also got great stuff lined up for weekend workshops: Emily Rapp will be doing a Memoir class; Carole DeSanti will be doing Fiction, and Daniel Mueller will be doing Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry. There will also be a Poetry class with Valerie Martinez, Children's Picture Books with Ana Baca, Screenwriting with Michael Amundsen, and Publishing with Emily Forland and Wendy Weil.

Back with more details soon!

Mark Sundeen on Huffington Post!

We've already shared the exciting news that Taos Instructor Mark Sundeen's newest book, "The Man Who Quit Money," will be coming out in March from Riverhead Books.

And while you wait, you can get a small taste from reading a new essay from Mark, up today on the Huffington Post: it's called "The Other One Percent," and it explores the connection between the Occupy Wall Street movement and Mark's subject in the book--a man named Daniel Suelo who, in 2010, decided to stop participating in the normal economy. (You know, quit money.)

It's a super interesting read, and Mark raises some questions about the OWS movement that we haven't read before.

Check it out! Congrats, Mark! (And, oh yeah, Happy Halloween!)

Attnention Albuquerque Locals: Joy Harjo and Tanaya Winder Reading This Saturday at UNM Bookstore!

Well, first of all, there's the exciting news that Joy Harjo is going to teach a Master Class in Poetry at this year's Taos Conference. Yay.

Then, there's the exciting news that Joy, along with UNM MFA student Tanaya Winder, has a new book out:  "Soul Talk, Soul Language: Conversations with Joy Harjo." The book uses all kinds of different forms--interviews, columns, essays--to explore, among other themes, Joy's artistic output as a poet and musician and the influence of her tribal heritage.

And, finally, the headline: Joy and Tanaya will be appearing at the UNM Bookstore this Saturday, October 29th (at the intersection of Central and Yale) at 1 pm, to read and sign books. They will also both appear at Alamosa Bookstore (8810 Holly Ave. NE, Ste. D) on Sunday, the 30th, at 2:00 pm.

Congratulations, Joy and Tanaya! Everyone else: go hear those brililant ladies read!

D. H. Lawrence Fellow Darlin' Neal Interviewed on Public Radio!

We were wowed by the stories (as well as the lovely, warm personality!) of 2011 D.H. Lawrence Fellow Darlin' Neal, who participated in Robert Boswell's workshop this past summer.

And we were so excited to hear her get the chance to talk about her background, her inspiration, and her time in Taos on the public radio show Images, which airs on the Southern New Mexico NPR affiliate KWRG.

Darlin' was interviewed by Carrie Hamblen, and gives wonderfully thoughtful, articulate responses to her questions about writing and teaching. (She also tells a really great anecdote about reading True Grit as a young girl...) You can listen to the full interview here.

Congratulations, Darlin'! We're very proud!

Ruth Ozeki to "Re-Train" our Writer Minds at this Year's Taos Conference!

 Here we are again, to announce another exciting addition to our line-up of instructors for this year's conference! (A full list coming soon, we promise...)

In the meantime, we're thrilled to spread the word about novelist Ruth Ozeki: author of two acclaimed novels, "The Year of Meats" (best title ever, no?) and "All Over Creation."

This will be her first time at the Taos Conference, and she'll be teaching a workshop based on one that she's designed and taught in the past, called "Re-Training the Writer's Mind." It's designed to help us combat those infinite distractions, the ones that often keep us from our best--or any--writing: you know, email, Facebook, blogs...

Anyhow, the course will include some meditation as well as writing, and what better place to sharpen your focus than Taos?

You can read more about Ruth and her many accomplishments here on her website. And stay tuned: registration for Taos 2012 is just around the corner!

Emily Rapp in the NYT!

Emily and her son, Ronan

Taos instructor, memoirist and novelist and teacher extroardinaire Emily Rapp has an article featured in the Sunday Review section of this week's New York Times.

The essay, called "Notes from a Dragon Mom," is about Emily's experience with her son, Ronan, who has Tay Sachs disease: a terminal illness.

Some of you may have met Ronan when he and Emily's husband paid a visit to the conference: he's a beautiful boy, and Emily's writing is equally stunning.

Congratulations, Emily. All our hearts are with you and your family.

Hilda Raz To Teach Poetry Workshop!

Another instructor who we're really excited is coming BACK to teach at Taos (it's a frequent pattern, you may have noticed...) is the super accomplished poet, editor and teacher Hilda Raz.

Hilda will be teaching a weeklong poetry workshop. She's the author of numerous collections of poetry, co-author of the memoir "What Becomes You," and editor of several anthology collections.

In addition to her writing credentials, Hilda also has rich experience as an editor. She's been editor of the journal Prairie Schooner since 1987 and is a past president of AWP, the Association of Writing Programs.

Hilda recently relocated to New Mexico, where she has taken on the charge of editing the poetry collection for UNM Press.

In their September/October issue, Poets and Writers Magazine featured an interview with Hilda about her new position--for which she is constantly scouting for strong poetry manuscripts.

We're thrilled to welcome Hilda to Taos in 2012!

Wendy Weil and Emily Forland to Teach 2012 Publishing Workshop!

Back with another exciting addition to the 2012 conference!

Wendy Weil

 Literary agents Wendy Weil and Emily Forland will be returning to Taos to reprise their weekend workshop on publishing!

Wendy and Emily work together at the Wendy Weil Agency  in New York, where their impressive list of clients includes Andrea Barrett, Alice Walker, Anthony Doerr, Lawrence Wright and Sarah Vowell.

Emily Forland

Participants in their workshop will have the opportunity to learn about all the nitty gritty of navigating the publishing world: acquiring an agent, working with an agent, selling rights, "platforms," etc. It should be a useful class for published and unpublished writers alike.

You can find more information about Wendy and Emily at the Agency's website.

Stay tuned for more announcements!

Sarah Sentilles Coming to 2012 Conference!

Greetings from Albuquerque!

The fall weather is finally showing up here, and as it does we are getting closer and closer each day to finalizing our lineup of faculty for the 2012 Conference!

In case you haven't checked the website, we've announced the dates: July 15-22. Mark your calenders!

There's lots to be excited about...and we couldn't resist sharing some of that with you before it all gets settled!

 For one, we're super psyched to welcome first time instructor Sarah Sentilles. Sarah's most recent book is a (highly readable, wonderfully thought-provoking) memoir called "Breaking Up With God: A Love Story." She wrote two books before that, has a bachelors from Yale, a Masters in Divinity and Doctorate in Theology from Harvard. In other words, she's super smart and has done a lot of stuff. You can find out more about her and all her writings and accomplishments at her website.

She's also a good friend--they went to Divinity School together--of our beloved Emily Rapp, who plans to come back and teach this year, too!

Stay tuned for details on Sarah's weeklong workshop, Emily's weekend workshop, and lots of other cool happenings for 2012!

Advance Praise for Mark Sundeen's "The Man Who Quit Money"

After his reading at this year's conference, Mark got all of us anxiously awaiting the release of his new book: "The Man Who Quit Money."

It's not coming out until March 2012 (from Riverhead/Penguin), but he's already getting impressive advance praise from the likes of Elizabeth Gilbert and Bill McKibben.

You can check out what they're saying about the book, and read a summary, at the book's Facebook page.

Congrats, Mark! We can't wait to read more!

Internships at TIFERET Journal

TIFERET seeks an intern for a year-long project. Work can be completed off-site and requires 2-3 hours a week. Intern will be listed on TIFERET website and masthead and participate in editorial conference calls. The intern would oversee the Professor/Student Subscription Project offered by Council for Literary Magazines and Small Presses. This would require conversations with CLMP; an international search for professors who might want to use TIFERET in their literature, writing, or religious studies classrooms; and correspondence with professors. CLMP handles all billing matters. Please send resume to editors at @tiferetjournal.com

TIFERET seeks an intern for a year-long project. Work can be completed off-site and requires 2-3 hours a week. Intern will be listed on TIFERET website and masthead and participate in editorial conference calls. This intern would oversee and execute efforts to acquire new institutional subscribers (libraries, poetry centers, writing centers, interfaith organizations, etc.) to TIFERET. Please send resume to editors@tiferetjournal.com.

Taos Instructor and Staff Weigh In on 9/11 Anniversary

Last year, 2011 Taos Instructor and novelist Porochista Khakpour contributed this essay to the New York Times' editorial coverage of the ninth anniversary of 9/11.

This year, for the tenth anniversary, she participated in this video that discusses the writing of and response to that op-ed. As you'll see at the link, you probably haven't heard of her fellow contributors: just Tom Brokaw, Daniel Libeskind and Joseph S. Nye :)

Porochista also writes about her experience in documenting 9/11 in this essay on the Granta website.

Porochista is off to Europe, soon, and we'll miss her: but before that she'll be participating in this September 22nd artists' talk, hosted by On the Media's Brooke Gladstone, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Meanwhile, Taos Conference Graduate Assistant and Brooklyn native Elizabeth Tannen also had an essay published for the anniversary of 9/11: you can find hers on the NPR opinion page.

Congrats to all!

Jane Ciabattari in Poets and Writers!

Two-time Taos Conference fiction instructor and former President of the National Book Critics' Circle Jane Ciabattari has an essay in Poets and Writers about book reviewing.

The piece is called "Back from the Dead: The State of Book Reviewing" and you can check it out here!

Congrats, Jane!

2011 Participant Receives 1st Prize!

Jim Herod has received notice that a short story he wrote won first prize in the category of fiction at the 2011 Alabama Writers’ Conclave. Herod’s 2500 word story titled “Hear What I See” was conceived from his experiences in Kenya last October. Marian Lewis, AWC contest chairperson, told Jim Herod, “Your descriptions and the presentation of your story are so rich, I almost felt as if I were there. You capture the beauty of the language and the harshness of the land and you make it come alive. To say that I enjoyed reading the story is an understatement.”

The Alabama Writers’ Conclave is one of the oldest continuing writers' organizations in the United States. It attracts writers and contest participants from all across the United States. In fact, writers from at least fourteen states were represented in the contests.

Herod’s story was written in first person from the perspective of a Maasai mystic whose English name is I See. In Swahili, his name is Kunoa. Kunoa sees what is to be. He is called to translate for two Americans who have been kidnapped by Somalian bandits. In this story, the culture, environment, and struggle for survival by the Maasai tribesmen is portrayed, and even Kunoa finds a surprise.

The URL for AWC is http://www.alabamawritersconclave.org/

A Few Photos from the 2011 Conference!

Well, we're all getting back to work here in the office. And, any minute now, we'll feel recovered from the conference!

Seriously, though, it was a truly wonderful week. We've started to go through the (many, many) photos Teddy took, and in a few weeks you'll all receive an email with your class photo.

For now, though, here are a few shots to keep you going!

Keynote Gail Caldwell Reading

Debra Monroe and Participant

Literary Agent Emma Sweeney and Participants at her Roundtable

Mark Sundeen's Class Meeting Outside

Featured Artist Peggy McGivern Signing Photos

Participant Jim Herod reading outside

Interns Jean Louise and Emily with Now Adopted Lyra!

Participant Tom Claffey

Participant Reading In Sagebrush Courtyard

Instructor Emily Rapp meeting with participant

Moby Dickens Bookshop in the Conference Center

Outside the Conference Center

Sharon with Interns Micah, Emily and Jean Louise at Friday Reception

Native Writer Award Winner Khara Ellasante Blogs About Her Taos Experience!

One of the many highlights of this year's 2011 Conference was our two, wonderful Native Writer Award Winners: Monty Little and Khara Ellasante.

Both Monty and Khara joined us in Taos for the weekend, shared their work with participants, and took Navajo poet Luci Tapahonso's workshop, "A Weekend Poemfest."

Khara has written a really lovely post about her experience on the First Peoples blog. Check it out! And thanks, Khara, for the touching and thoughtful piece!

New Essay from Debra Monroe!

At one of the fabulous faculty readings last night here in Taos, Debra Monroe read from a new essay posted on the website The Morning News, called "The Sex Trade in Northwest Wisconsin."

As Debra put it, the title makes the piece sound a bit raunchier than it is! But regardless, it's a great essay--both to hear aloud and to read, about growing up and getting out of a small Wisconsin town.

In other Monroe-related news, Debra's acclaimed memoir, "On the Outskirts of Normal," just came out in paperback.

Congrats Debra, and enjoy!

Taos Conference Getting Underway! Final Schedule of Events

 

 

Greetings from Taos! We're about to get started with the opening ceremonies and keynote reading here at the Sagebrush and are looking forward to getting to meet all of you! There have been a couple of last minute additions and changes to the schedule: what's posted on the website is accurate, but here is the final version so you can check here as well. See you soon!

 

Sunday, July 10

Weeklong Workshops and Master Classes
3-5 pm Registration for Weeklong Workshops
5-6 pm Dr. Katherine Toy Miller: "Spiritual Connections: Georgia O'Keeffe
and D. H. Lawrence"
6 pm Buffet Dinner & Opening Ceremonies for Weeklong Participants & Faculty
8 pm Keynote Reading by Gail Caldwell (Open to the Public)

Monday, July 11

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 1 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Darlin' Neal, D.H. Lawrence Fellow
1-2 pm Round Table: Cinco Puntos Press
and Independent Press Publishers - Lee and Bobby Byrd
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 1 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Ciabattari, Martin, Rapp
Mini-Van Excursion: Taos Pueblo**

Tuesday, July 12

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 2 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Richard Vargas, Hispanic Writer Award
1-2 pm Round Table: Literary Agent, Emma Sweeney
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 2 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Boswell, Davis, Houston, Bush
Mini-Van Excursion: San Francisco de Asis Mission Church**

Wednesday, July 13

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 3 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Linda Michel-Cassidy, Taos Resident Writer Award
1-2 pm Round Table: Jared Bush: The Screenwriter's Survival Guide
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 3 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Dufresne, Long, Monroe, Nelson
Mini-Van Excursion: The Harwood Museum of Art**

Thursday, July 14

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 4 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Cedar Brant, Leo Love Award in Poetry
1-2 pm Round Table: "Knock-em Dead at the Mic" with Lisa Lenard-Cook & Lynn Miller
1-2 pm Round Table: Laura Tisdel,Associate Editor for Viking, Penguin, and Plume Books
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 4 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Glazner, Khakpour, Wilder
8-10 pm Open Mic in the Sagebrush Inn Cantina
Mini-Van Excursion: Mabel Dodge Luhan House**

Friday, July 15

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 5 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Emma Rainey, Leo Love Award in Prose
1-2 pm Round Table: Literary Agent, Kit Ward and Debra Monroe (Master Class: Memoir)
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 5 of 5)
Mini-Van Excursion: Taos Plaza**

Weeklong and Weekend Participants and Faculty

Weekend Workshops

4-5 pm Registration for Weekend Workshops

Weeklong and Weekend Participants and Faculty

5:30 pm Faculty Readings: Agee, Sundeen, Wood
6:30 pm Social with Cash Bar/Reception and Signing by Featured Artist, Peggy McGivern

Saturday, July 16

Weekend Workshops
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am Breakfast & Opening Ceremonies for Weekend Participants & Faculty
10 am-12 pm Weekend Workshops (Session 1 of 4)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 pm Reading by Monty Little and Khara Ellasante, Native Writer Award
2-4 p.m. Weekend Workshops (Session 2 of 4)
5 p.m. Social with Cash Bar for Weekend Participants & Faculty
5:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Chávez, García, Gwin, Randall, Tapahonso

Sunday, July 17

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
10 am-12 pm Weekend Workshops (Session 3 of 4)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
1-2 pm Round Table: Amy Block Joy -Taos to Press in 16 months:
My Wonderful Experience as a Participant!  
2-4 pm Weekend Workshops (Session 4 of 4)
*The Sagebrush Inn offers complimentary breakfast to Conference participants lodging at the Sagebrush Inn and Comfort Suites. The Quality Inn offers complimentary breakfast to Conference participants lodging at the Quality Inn.
** The conference offers mini-van excursions to participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Trips take place twice each day, Monday-Friday, and depart from the Conference Center. Seating is limited. Changes in destination may occur.

A Second Native Writer Award Winner: Khara Ellesante!

We're so pleased to announce that we were able to award two Native Writer Scholarships for the 2011 conference. The first went to Monty Little, and the second to Tennessee native Khara Ellesante. Both will read from their work during the conference on Saturday the 16th, at 12:30 pm at the Sagebrush.

Here's some info on Khara:

Khara Ellasante is a Two-Spirit Choctaw/African American poet, artist, and activist. In her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, Khara studied Sociology and Creative Writing at the University of Memphis. She currently resides in Tucson, Arizona, where she is a grad student in American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona. Her academic work focuses on the historic intersections and acculturative influences of American Indian, African American, and West African literature and music as well as Two-Spirit and Queer experiences portrayed in literature. Khara’s current creative work centers around her families’ histories and the expression and assertion of variegated gender and ethnic identities in a “check-box” culture. She is a staunch advocate for LGBTQ2 youth and an aficionado of the Blues.

Congratulations Khara, and can't wait to see you all tomorrow (or, shortly) in Taos!

Home-Sharing Opportunity for Weekend Participant, Across the Street from the Sagebrush!

Here's this message from returning participant Jen Villareal:

Small beautiful home with loft bedroom available for sharing over the weekend workshop with a week-long participant. Home is directly across the street from the Sagebrush, a little less than a mile away, about a 12-minute walk or 3-minute drive. It's available 7/15 to 17 or 18 for $60/night. I'm hoping for someone looking for an artistic writing retreat - there's a great porch for reading, writing, painting and watching the sunset and summer lightning storms. Please contact Jen Villareal at jenmcvillareal@gmail.com for information & photos of the home.

Exciting Book News for Taos Instructor Greg Martin!

We're thrilled to announce that Greg Martin's new book, a memoir called "Stories for Boys," is now officially forthcoming from Hawthorne Books in Fall 2012!

It's Greg's second memoir: his first was called "Mountain City," and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Greg teaches a master class in memoir at Taos and is part of the creative writing program faculty here at UNM.

Greg has gotten so much recognition for his teaching here at UNM, and we're so excited to hear of this much-deserved recognition of his writing! Congratulations, Greg!

New Poems from Hispanic Writer Award Winner Richard Vargas!

 

 

Richard Vargas has some new poems out in Kweli, a publication he describes as "a very cool online literary journal." 

 

The poems, called "for a friend who objects to comparing the events leading up to the Holocaust with what is happening today in Arizona" and "the origami master's wife speaks," are both from Richard's new poetry collection, We Go Boom. 

 

Congratulations, Richard!

Notice About the New Mexico Forest Fires

We have been receiving calls and emails regarding the forest fires now burning in New Mexico, especially the “Las Conchas Fire” outside of Los Alamos, which is about 60 miles (as the crow flies) southwest of Taos and on the opposite side of the Rio Grande River.

That fire poses no risk to Taos, nor any risk to the main transportation routes to Taos from Colorado, Santa Fe, Arizona, or Texas.  We are confident that the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference will be held as scheduled from July 10 through 17.   

We are monitoring fire developments daily with multiple close friends in Taos, who indicate that some smoke can be observed in the skies above Taos and small to modest amounts are in the ground level air from time to time, depending on wind directions.  They further indicate that activities in Taos continue essentially normally. 

National Forests in New Mexico have been closed to public access because of the extreme dryness this season.  Please realize that there have been extensive forest fires New Mexico in many past summers – thus, this, unfortunately, is not a rare event for us Westerners.

We very much look forward to seeing all of you in Taos on Sunday, July 10th for weeklong workshop participants, and on Friday, July 15th for weekend workshop participants!

Bio for Native Writer Award Winner, Monty Little!

 

 

We're so pleased to introduce this year's winner of the Native Writer Award Scholarship! Here's some background on Monty: 

 

Monty Little is a Diné (Navajo) artist from Tuba City, Arizona. He is Ashiihi (Salt) clan, born for Tl’iziłani (Manygoats) clan. He currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is an undergraduate at the Institute of American Indian Arts, majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Studio Arts. He is a recipient of the 2011 Truman Capote Scholarship. The juxtaposition of harsh realities on the Navajo reservation, the beauty of openness and the content of home heavily influence Monty’s poems.

Monty recently was Honorably Discharged from the United States Marine Corps after serving four years with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in Camp Pendleton, California. While in the Marine Corps, Monty deployed to Okinawa in 2005, and to Ar Ramadi, Iraq, in 2007. He is currently spending his summer listening to punk rock, writing, painting, and spending time with family.

Room Share Opportunity!

Looking for someone (female, non-smoker) to share a room in the Comfort Suites during weeklong workshop. Please contact taosconf@unm.edu and we will get you in touch.

Another Updated Conference Schedule!

This one includes all our scheduled roundtables and readings: there will be a lot going on, so check it out!

Saturday, July 9 

1 pm Check-in opens at The Sagebrush Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn

Sunday, July 10

Weeklong Workshops and Master Classes
3-5 pm Registration for Weeklong Workshops
5-6 pm Dr. Katherine Toy Miller: "Spiritual Connections: Georgia O'Keeffe
and D. H. Lawrence"
6 pm Buffet Dinner & Opening Ceremonies for Weeklong Participants & Faculty
8 pm Keynote Reading by Gail Caldwell (Open to the Public)

Monday, July 11

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 1 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Darlin' Neal, D.H. Lawrence Fellow
1-2 pm Round Table: Cinco Puntos Press
and Independent Press Publishers - Lee and Bobby Byrd
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 1 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Ciabattari, Martin, Monroe, Rapp
Mini-Van Excursion: Taos Pueblo**

Tuesday, July 12

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 2 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Monty J. Little, Native Writer Award
1-2 pm Round Table: Literary Agent, Emma Sweeney
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 2 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Boswell, Davis, Houston, Bush
Mini-Van Excursion: D.H. Lawrence Ranch**

Wednesday, July 13

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 3 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Linda Michel-Cassidy, Taos Resident Writer Award
1-2 pm Round Table: Jared Bush on Screenwriting
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 3 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Dufresne, Long, Nelson
Mini-Van Excursion: The Harwood Museum of Art**

Thursday, July 14

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 4 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Cedar Brant, Leo Love Award in Poetry
1-2 pm Round Table: "Knock-em Dead at the Mic" with Lisa Lenard-Cook & Lynn Miller
1-2 pm Round Table: Laura Tisdel,Associate Editor for Viking, Penguin, and Plume Books
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 4 of 5)
5:30-6:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Glazner, Khakpour, Wilder
8-10 pm Open Mic in the Sagebrush Inn Cantina
Mini-Van Excursion: Mabel Dodge Luhan House**

Friday, July 15

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am- 12 pm Morning Weeklong Workshop (Session 5 of 5)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
12:30 - reading by Emma Rainey, Leo Love Award in Prose
1-2 pm Round Table: Literary Agent, Kit Ward and Debra Monroe (Master Class: Memoir)
2-5 pm Afternoon Weeklong Workshop (Session 5 of 5)
Mini-Van Excursion: Taos Plaza**

Weeklong and Weekend Participants and Faculty

Weekend Workshops

4-5 pm Registration for Weekend Workshops

Weeklong and Weekend Participants and Faculty

5:30 pm Faculty Readings: Agee, Sundeen, Wood
6:30 pm Social with Cash Bar/Reception and Signing by Featured Artist, Peggy McGivern

Saturday, July 16

Weekend Workshops
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
9 am Breakfast & Opening Ceremonies for Weekend Participants & Faculty
10 am-12 pm Weekend Workshops (Session 1 of 4)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
2-4 p.m. Weekend Workshops (Session 2 of 4)
5 p.m. Social with Cash Bar for Weekend Participants & Faculty
5:30 pm Faculty Readings (Open to the Public) Chávez, García, Gwin, Randall

 Sunday, July 17

6:30-10 am Complimentary Breakfast*
7-8 am Complimentary Instructor-Led Yoga
10 am-12 pm Weekend Workshops (Session 3 of 4)
12-1 pm Lunch Buffet
1-2 pm Round Table: Amy Block Joy -Taos to Press in 16 months:
My Wonderful Experience as a Participant!  
2-4 pm Weekend Workshops (Session 4 of 4)

Richard Vargas looking for a ride from Albuquerque to Taos!

Please contact Richard if you are headed up to Taos from Albuquerque on Sunday, July 10. Richard is happy to contribute to the gas money. You can contact him at: rvargas54@yahoo.com

Consultation Update! You can still register if you are signed up for a class!

Greetings Everyone:

The 2011 Conference is just around the corner, and we are busy here tying up every loose end.  We’re looking forward to a magical week with all of you in Taos.  We hope that you’re checking the blog  for news, but are sending out this update to make sure that everyone is in the loop.

 First of all, we've confirmed our full roster of editors and agents in attendance at the Conference.  They are all available for publishing consultations on the dates listed.  Their schedules are filling up,  so if you’re interested in sitting down with an agent or an editor, please get your registration in soon.

AGENTS:

Kit Ward (The Ward and Balkin Agency, Boston) -- available Thursday 7/14-Saturday 7/16

Emma Sweeney (The Emma Sweeney Agency, New York) -- available Monday 7/11-Wednesday 7/13

EDITORS:

Laura Tisdel (Viking, Penguin and Plume, New York) -- available Wednesday 7/13-Thursday 7/14

Lee Byrd (Cinto Puntos Press, El Paso, fiction) -- will be available Monday 7/11-Tuesday 7/12

Bobby Byrd (Cinco Puntos Press, El Paso, poetry) -- will be available Monday 7/11-Tuesday 7/12

For more information, and to register, go to: http://www.unm.edu/~taosconf/Workshops/consultations.htm 

Visiting agents and editors will offer roundtable during the conference, open to all participants. For the full schedule of all the special events at the conference, including roundtables and faculty readings, go to http://www.unm.edu/~taosconf/Workshops/special_events.htm.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any pre-conference questions, and otherwise we look forward to seeing you soon at the Sagebrush Inn Conference Center!

Best,

Sharon, Eva and Elizabeth

Katherine Toy Miller - last year's Taos Resident Award recipient to present at Conference!

Come see what participants and award winners of years past are up to!

Explore the spiritual paths of Georgia O’Keeffe and D. H. Lawrence and how their personal connections drew them to the same transformative Taos locations in a free presentation, "Spiritual Connections: Georgia O'Keeffe and D. H. Lawrence," by Dr. Katherine Toy Miller of Taos on Sunday, July 10, from 5-6 p.m. at the Sagebrush Conference Center .

Katherine Toy Miller, winner of the 2010 Taos Resident Award at the Taos Summer Writers Conference, has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in English from Florida State University and currently teaches at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Viking, Penguin and Plume Editor Laura Tisdel to Offer Publishing Consultations in Taos!

We're delighted to announce that New York book editor Laura Tisdel will be joining our roster of agents and editors available for publishing consultations at the conference with participants. We now have two agents available--Kit Ward and Emma Sweeney--as well as three editors: Laura, along with Lee Byrd and Bobby Byrd of Cinco Puntos Press. Here's some background on Laura--we can't wait to see her, and all of you, in a few weeks!

Laura Tisdel is an Associate Editor for Viking, Penguin, and Plume Books. She seeks to acquire up-market women’s fiction titles, and is drawn to especially spirited and tough female heroines and novels with a strong sense of place and cultural rooting. She’s also on the look out for playful literary novels that bend the boundaries of genre, incorporate magical twists, or hinge on original or conceptual plotting—without sacrificing the authenticity or heart of the characters. She is proud to have contributed to the publication of Ron Currie Jr’s fiction as well as City of Thieves by David Benioff. Her projects include The Sea Captain’s Wife by award-winning Canadian author Beth Powning, the forthcoming debut Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Maine native Morgan Callan Rogers, and The Magician King by Lev Grossman, the sequel to his bestselling novel The Magicians, which Viking published in 2009. She lives in Brooklyn and is a graduate of Michigan State University.

Debra Monroe and Her Agent, Kit Ward, to Lead Joint Roundtable!

Debra Monroe

We are so excited that novelist and memoirist Debra Monroe will be returning to the conference this year to teach a master class.

And we're also thrilled that, for the first time, her agent Christina (Kit) Ward will be attending! (Kit is coming to offer publishing consultations with participants, and still has a few spots open!)

And now we are doubly excited to announce that the two of them, Debra and Kit, will lead a joint roundtable together on Friday, July 15th at 1:00 at the Sagebrush.

Kit Ward

The roundtable will be called "Agent-Author Confidential," and Kit and Debra will share their experiences working through some of the  recent developments in the publishing industry.

See you there!

Participant Amy Block Joy to Give Sunday Roundtable on Her Post-Taos Book Publication!

 We're so excited to announce the addition of another roundtable to our roster at the conference!

At 1 pm on Sunday, July 17th, returning participant and author Amy Block Joy will give a roundtable titled "Taos to Press in 16 months: My Wonderful Experience as a Participant!" Here's more info from Amy on the roundtable and herself:  

Amy came to Taos in July 2008 to begin the writing of her memoir. After a consultation at Taos with Editor Alan Rinzler, they worked together for 12 months--writing and editing a chapter a month. In January 2010 she found a publisher.  Amy's talk will include a short reading from her book and a description of her experience on how her book came to be including tips for self marketing and author events. 

Amy Block Joy, Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, was born in New York and educated at the University of California, Berkeley.  She is currently a professor at UC Davis teaching a class called "Eating Green".  Her first book, Whistleblower is the nail-biting true story of what happens when someone with a lifelong habit of going along to get along is confronted with criminal activity she can't ignore.  Amy Joy--scientist, educator and administrator--was happy and comfortable conducting research while administering a $14 million program for poor families.  Certainly, nothing she had previously experienced prepared her for the resistance, collusion, and retaliation she encountered when she discovered embezzlement at the University where she had worked for more than 30 years.

She can be found online at: www.amyblockjoy.com