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Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing
Conference Schedule Saturday, Feb 22, 2020
Featuring over 50 craft talks, workshops, panels, and presentations, the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference is eclectic, balanced, and diverse, providing comprehensive coverage of the creative writing field.
To find sessions on Saturday, keep reading.
You can also find conference sessions on Friday, find advanced workshops on Thursday, or view the full schedule for this year.
To learn more about the conference, you can meet our faculty or register for the conference today!
Find Sessions on Saturday, February 22
Where to Begin: The Art of Starting Your Story
Matt Bell, Peter Twal, Sarah Viren, Justin Noga
Matt Bell, Peter Twal, Sarah Viren, Justin Noga
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Carson Ballroom, Old Main
Panel; Fiction, Novels, Short Stories, Writing Process
Panel; Fiction, Novels, Short Stories, Writing Process
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Heritage, University Club
Presentation; Agents, Business of Writing, Editing, Publishing
Presentation; Agents, Business of Writing, Editing, Publishing
The Art of Process: Writing About Another Process
Reyes Ramirez
Reyes Ramirez
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Thoren, University Club
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Mixed Genre
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Mixed Genre
Say It Plain
Solmaz Sharif
Solmaz Sharif
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Basha, Old Main
Craft Talk, Presentation, Workshop; Creative Practice, Poetry, Social Justice
Craft Talk, Presentation, Workshop; Creative Practice, Poetry, Social Justice
Theater Poetics and Unpacking
Kay Ulanday Barrett
Kay Ulanday Barrett
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Traditions, University Club
Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Disability, Gender, Gender Studies, LGBTQIA, Mixed Genre, Race, Social Justice
Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Disability, Gender, Gender Studies, LGBTQIA, Mixed Genre, Race, Social Justice
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Tooker, Old Main
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation; Creative Practice, Visual Art, Writing Process
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation; Creative Practice, Visual Art, Writing Process
In Translation: The Craft of Crossing Languages
Ryka Aoki, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Laura Tohe, Ryan Greene, Claudia Nuñez de Ibieta
Ryka Aoki, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Laura Tohe, Ryan Greene, Claudia Nuñez de Ibieta
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Carson Ballroom, Old Main
Panel; Translation, World Literature
Panel; Translation, World Literature
Balancing it All: Combining Romance with Other Genres
HelenKay Dimon
HelenKay Dimon
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Heritage, University Club
Craft Talk, Discussion, Presentation; Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Mixed Genre, Romance
Craft Talk, Discussion, Presentation; Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Mixed Genre, Romance
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Thoren, University Club
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Lecture, Workshop; Autobiography, Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, Personal Essays
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Lecture, Workshop; Autobiography, Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, Personal Essays
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Basha, Old Main
Generative Workshop, Seminar, Workshop; Creative Nonfiction, Family History, Journalism, Memoir, Mixed Genre, Personal Essays, Research
Generative Workshop, Seminar, Workshop; Creative Nonfiction, Family History, Journalism, Memoir, Mixed Genre, Personal Essays, Research
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Traditions, University Club
Discussion, Presentation; Latinx, Mixed Genre, Social Justice
Discussion, Presentation; Latinx, Mixed Genre, Social Justice
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Tooker, Old Main
Generative Workshop, Performative Workshop, Workshop; Creative Practice, Experimental, Hybrid, LGBTQIA, Mixed Genre, Race, Research, Social Justice
Generative Workshop, Performative Workshop, Workshop; Creative Practice, Experimental, Hybrid, LGBTQIA, Mixed Genre, Race, Research, Social Justice
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Carson Ballroom, Old Main
Reading; Mixed Genre, Students
Reading; Mixed Genre, Students
When the Muse is Muscle and Memory
Peggy Robles Alvarado
Peggy Robles Alvarado
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Basha, Old Main
Generative Workshop, Workshop; Mixed Genre
Generative Workshop, Workshop; Mixed Genre
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Traditions, University Club
Workshop; Poetry
Workshop; Poetry
The Political Landscape of Creative Writing
Sherwin Bitsui, Solmaz Sharif, tanner menard
Sherwin Bitsui, Solmaz Sharif, tanner menard
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Carson Ballroom, Old Main
Panel; Mixed Genre
Panel; Mixed Genre
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Tooker, Old Main
Collaboration, Conversation, Discussion, Generative Workshop, Workshop; Community, Creative Practice, Experimental, Fiction, Hybrid, Writing Process
Collaboration, Conversation, Discussion, Generative Workshop, Workshop; Community, Creative Practice, Experimental, Fiction, Hybrid, Writing Process
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Heritage, University Club
Craft Talk, Talk; Human Rights, Mixed Genre
Craft Talk, Talk; Human Rights, Mixed Genre
Just World Building
Andrew Hudson
Andrew Hudson
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Thoren, University Club
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Fiction, Novels, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Social Justice
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Fiction, Novels, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Social Justice
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tooker, Old Main
Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Autobiography, Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry
Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Autobiography, Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry
So, You Wrote Your First Book. Now What?
Ivelisse Rodriguez, Vanessa Hua, Andrea Avery, Cathy Linh Che, Justin Petropoulos
Ivelisse Rodriguez, Vanessa Hua, Andrea Avery, Cathy Linh Che, Justin Petropoulos
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Carson Ballroom, Old Main
Panel; Business of Writing, Publishing
Panel; Business of Writing, Publishing
Winning with Serial Fiction
Michael A Stackpole
Michael A Stackpole
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Heritage, University Club
Craft Talk, Presentation, Workshop; Fiction, Mixed Genre, Novels, Publishing, Short Stories
Craft Talk, Presentation, Workshop; Fiction, Mixed Genre, Novels, Publishing, Short Stories
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Thoren, University Club
Conversation, Craft Talk, Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Criticism, Gender, LGBTQIA, Race, Sexuality, Short Stories, Social Justice
Conversation, Craft Talk, Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Criticism, Gender, LGBTQIA, Race, Sexuality, Short Stories, Social Justice
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Basha, Old Main
Craft Talk, Presentation; Experimental, Hybrid, Mixed Genre, Poetry
Craft Talk, Presentation; Experimental, Hybrid, Mixed Genre, Poetry
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Traditions, University Club
Craft Talk, Presentation, Workshop; Mixed Genre
Craft Talk, Presentation, Workshop; Mixed Genre
Wading through the Noise: Resilience and the Role Critique Plays in Revision
Natalie Scenters Zapico, Jenny Irish, Bill Konigsberg, Malik Toms
Natalie Scenters Zapico, Jenny Irish, Bill Konigsberg, Malik Toms
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Carson Ballroom, Old Main
Panel; Criticism, Mixed Genre, Revision
Panel; Criticism, Mixed Genre, Revision
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Heritage, University Club
Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Poetry, Social Justice
Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Poetry, Social Justice
Making the Fantastical Real
Judith Starkston
Judith Starkston
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Thoren, University Club
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Fantasy, Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical Fiction, History, Mixed Genre, Novels, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction
Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Fantasy, Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical Fiction, History, Mixed Genre, Novels, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Basha, Old Main
Conversation, Craft Talk, Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Climate Fiction, Fiction, Mixed Genre, Nature Writing
Conversation, Craft Talk, Discussion, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop; Climate Fiction, Fiction, Mixed Genre, Nature Writing
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Tooker, Old Main
Presentation; Book Arts, Book Design, Business of Writing, Publishing
Presentation; Book Arts, Book Design, Business of Writing, Publishing