The 30th Napa Valley Writers’ Conference July 25–30, 2010

The Conference offers Napa Valley book-lovers and writers a wonderful opportunity to hear readings and lectures by world-class authors of poetry and fiction July 25 through July 29, 2010.

Reading Schedule

Sunday, 25 July 2010

Napa Valley College Upper Valley Campus, St. Helena Reading at 7:30.

• Arthur Sze
• Michael Byers

Monday, 26 July 2010

Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa Wine reception at 7:30pm. Reading at 8.

• Major Jackson
• Ron Carlson

Tuesday, 27 July 2010

30th Anniversary Celebration and Reading Educational Center for the Performing Arts, Napa Valley College Main Campus, Napa Anniversary Celebration begins at 6pm with reading to follow (approximately 7:15–7:30).

• C.D. Wright
• Curtis Sittenfeld

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

No reading.

Thursday, 29 July 2010

Beringer Winery, St. Helena Wine reception at 7:30pm. Reading at 8.

• Brenda Hillman
• Lan Samantha Chang

Lecture Schedule

All lectures take place at Napa Valley College Upper Valley Campus in St. Helena.

Monday 26 July 2010

• Poetry — 9–10 am: C.D. Wright, “What is poetry today? A brisk and bushy sketch of models and media into which poetry’s energy has poured new forms”
• Fiction — 1:30–2:30 pm: Lan Samantha Chang, “Unfold: part two”

Tuesday 27 July 2010

• Poetry — 9–10 am: Brenda Hillman, “The six Ss of ecology for writers”
• Fiction — 1:30–2:30 pm: Michael Byers, “The metaphysical description, or, how many potatoes makes how much vodka?”

Wednesday 28 July 2010

• Poetry — 9–10 am: Arthur Sze, “The poetics of emptiness”
• Fiction — 1:30–2:30 pm — Ron Carlson, “The girl in the car.” We’ll talk about the process of finding the story by looking at one tender example.

Thursday 29 July 2010

• Poetry — 9–10 am: Major Jackson, “Strategies of poetic engagement”
• Fiction — 1:30–2:30 pm: Curtis Sittenfeld, “Q&A with Curtis Sittenfeld”

Tickets

Tickets are $25 for lectures and $10 for readings.

Tickets for the 30th Anniversary Celebration (Tuesday, July 27) will be $25 for those attending the reception at 6pm. If you wish to ONLY attend the reading that night, tickets will be $10.

Community Housing hosts and students with a current student ID are invited to attend lectures and readings as our guests.

Audit the Conference

Those wishing to attend all the lectures may do so for a fee of $175. Those wishing to attend just the poetry or fiction series (half of the lectures) may do so for $90.

For further information, please contact Charlotte or Andrea (707–967-2900 x1611; ).

Previous readings & lectures

2009

Elizabeth Alexander, Carl Dennis, Jane Hirshfield, David St. John, Robert Boswell, Peter Ho Davies, Antonya Nelson, ZZ Packer

2008

Ron Carlson, Lan Samantha Chang, Ehud Havazalet, Ann Packer, Mark Doty, Nick Flynn, Brenda Hillman, Claudia Rankine, Paul Lisicky

2007

Dan Chaon, Laura Kasischke, Antonya Nelson, Christopher Tilghman, Elizabeth Alexander, Stephen Dunn, Jane Hirshfield, David St. John, Robert Boswell