Pushing the Envelope: Risk and Vulnerability
To push the envelope is to test a limit—to go a little farther than feels safe. For writers, this means risk. It means doubt. It means vulnerability. It means taking the leap to follow a path that perhaps only you can see.
This year at Desert Nights, Rising Stars, we ask a simple, difficult question: how do you push the envelope of your work—and find the courage to take the risks that will deepen it? In a generous, attentive community of writers, we’ll share lessons learned, examine risks of craft and content, and support one another as we listen for the heart of our stories.
Our 2026 keynote speaker is the visionary, genre-bending, bestselling novelist Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.
Announcement
9/8/26: Due to an unexpected scheduling conflict, Stephen Graham Jones will no longer be able to join us in person at DNRS. He will, however, be joining us live virtually for the keynote on October 16.
We saw this as an opportunity to reimagine the event around a theme that has been resonating strongly with our community this year: Pushing the Envelope in Writing: Risk and Vulnerability. Stephen will now be joined in conversation by two remarkable writers from the ASU community: Jenny Irish, ASU professor and author of five books, including the genre-bending Hatch and I Am Faithful; Hayden Casey, ASU MFA alum and author of the novel A Harvest of Furies and the story collection Show Me Where the Hurt Is, a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize.
Together, these three writers will explore what it means to take risks on the page: to work across and against genre, to embrace vulnerability, to venture into unsettling territory, and to challenge our own ideas about what writing can do. In some ways, this new format feels particularly right for this year’s conference. Risk means responding to the unexpected—and sometimes a change in plans opens the door to a conversation you hadn't imagined before.
The keynote will be followed by an on-site book signing with Irish and Casey, and books by all three writers will be available for purchase. Additionally, we have a special gift for our DNRS registrants: every conference registrant will receive an exclusive Stephen Graham Jones bookplate.
Registering for the conference
Registration opens June 1 | Register before July 15 to save $50
Our conference has a number of ways to participate and engage so you can create the experience that works best for you:
- Earlybird registration is $175 through July 15
- Standard registration is $225
- Single-day passes are available for $100
We offer several discounted rates:
- Seniors (65+), Arizona educators, active or retired military, people with disabilities - $140
- Students - $80
- ASU community (students, faculty, staff) - $80
We offer a registration rate of $50 under MFA Presents and Community Writers for those interested in presenting at the conference. Emerging writers can also apply for the Conference Teaching Fellowship, which offers the opportunity to teach alongside conference faculty and receive free registration. We also offer scholarships; these include the Open Scholarship, which is open to everyone, and the Arizona Educator Scholarship, open to all Arizona educators (K-12, community college, and university level instructors).
The Piper Center is committed to making all reasonable accommodations that will allow all attendees to participate in conference events. ASU and the Piper Center comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and strive to make our conference accessible to all participants.
What last year's attendees are saying:
Our sponsors
Putting together a creative writing conference is a monumental endeavor, one we couldn't possibly accomplish without support. We're deeply grateful to all of the businesses, organizations, and individuals who donate to the conference for their graciousness, generosity, and commitment to the literary arts.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Beyond recognition, sponsors receive special registration rates, exhibitor space, advertising, promotional opportunities and more. Your investment allows us to continue improving the lives of individual writers and giving back to the larger community. Learn more about becoming a sponsor today!