For the first time, the annual Barrelhouse writers’ conference, Conversations and Connections, was held on April 15, 2023, at American University (AU). The aim of the one-day conference is to give practical advice to writers through panel discussions and workshops, and opportunities to speak with editors and publishers in a friendly, supportive setting.
Melissa Scholes Young, Director of Undergraduate Creative Writing and Professor, was instrumental in bringing the conference to AU's campus and hosting Barrelhouse. By inviting and combining the literary communities of AU, DC, and Barrelhouse, Professor Scholes Young facilitated just the perfect event for practicing literary citizenship right here at AU. Attendance was free for current AU students and discounted for AU alumni. Barrelhouse and AU will collaborate again for this conference in 2024.
AU’s MFA community was well represented. Stephanie Grant, the Executive Director of AU’s MFA program in Creative Writing and Professor, gave opening remarks, noting that building a literary community through this conference was just the right antidote for the lonely act of writing. Several current MFA students participated in the conference and assisted in its logistics. MFA Professors Kyle Dargan, Stephanie Grant, David Keplinger, Patricia Park, and Dolen Perkins-Valdez held a panel discussion on “Do I Need an MFA?” to a near-capacity audience. Professor Patricia Park also held a craft workshop on “Young Adult Voice in Fiction.” MFA graduates Tara Campbell hosted the author readings, and Karan Madhok, who was one of the four featured authors, read from his new novel, A Beautiful Decay.
Barrelhouse is an independent, nonprofit literary organization that produces a biannual print journal featuring fiction, poetry, interviews, and essays about music, art, and the detritus of popular culture. Barrelhouse has a web site posting short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interviews, and book reviews. It is also a small press that publishes about two books a year. All proceeds from the conference support participating small presses and literary magazines, and Barrelhouse.
This year’s conference was sold out, as in previous ones. That is not surprising. For a reasonable fee that is a fraction or large conferences, writers can select 3 writing craft panels to attend out of 15 diverse topics (or move around to attend part of more panels), 3 plenary craft/workshop sessions, readings and Q & A with four featured authors, and the choice of one book from those authors. Attendees can also allocate $20 of their fee to one of the participating literary magazines or small presses, each of whom offer an incentive. This year, for example, The Sun generously offered a free 12-month digital subscription. A highlight is that each participants gets one speed-dating ticket with an editor or publisher.
The wide range of panel and craft workshops to choose from catered to the needs and challenges of both emerging and advanced writers. In addition to Young Adult fiction, other topics included how to read well in public, building tension in horror, writing persona poems, traditional vs small vs self-publishing, working with metaphor, surrealism in poetry, trauma in memoir, self-marketing tips and tricks, working with editors, pitching/submitting freelance and literary essays, applying design thinking to the writing process, and structuring poetry manuscripts.
There were many smiles coming out of speed-dating with editors. A large number bought second tickets to speed-date again with a different editor. There was much sharing, network-building, and satisfaction among participants during Happy Hour. These are clear signals that writers just starting out, published ones looking to hone their craft, and their network of friends should already mark their calendars and register early for the Barrelhouse conference in 2024.
https://www.barrelhousemag.com/
Written by: Fernando Manibog
Cover photo accessed from Barrelhouse's website https://www.writersconnectconference.com/