A Steel Pen Weekend

Almost one-hundred people experienced the Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference last weekend, and the number swelled to over one-hundred when including attendance at the pre- and post-conference events.

It was a great weekend, and I can think of several ways to describe it: fun-filled, enlightening, stimulating, and entertaining. In this week’s blog post, I am going to leave you with pictures from some of the events and workshops I experienced.

At Friday night’s welcome, we viewed an exhibit of river flags and enjoyed an offering from emerging poet Lily Rex. The highlight of the evening was a talk and poetry reading by author/poet Wang Ping. Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

At the conference on Saturday, I enjoyed browsing through the bookfair and attending the sessions. Here is a picture from the bookfair.

 



And here are pictures from the sessions I attended:

 

A panel on “Historical (Re)tell: The Writing and Craft of Telling Retellings of the Historic”;

Another panel presentation on “Getting Over the Transom: Tips for litmag acceptances from ccr eds.”;

Carla Lee Suson talking about “Perfect Pitch: Developing the Phrase that Defines Your Manuscript”;

And “How to Work with an Illustrator, Self-Publish, and Promote a Children’s Book” with author James B. Dworkin and illustrator Michael Chelich.

 

But the highlight of the conference was the evening banquet with keynote speaker Bryan Furuness, who addressed us on “Writing in the Wilderness.”

 

 

I hope to see you at next year’s conference.



The Literary Equivalent of a High-Speed Alligator Ride: A Fiction Reading by Bryan Furuness and Michael Poore

by

Miranda Peterson

 

The 2015 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference is quickly approaching. Along with its speedy arrival is the anticipation of the conference’s Featured Reading from Noon–1:00, with Bryan Furuness and Michal Poore. Each author has an incredibly unique style, destined to have the audience buckling their seatbelts and holding on to their pens at the very start of the session.

 

Bryan Furuness, the 2015 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference’s keynote speaker, is an instructor at Butler University, a writer, and an editor. He is a northwest Indiana native, which is reflected in his novel The Lost Episodes of Revie Bryson. Bryan Furuness with Michael Martone is co-editor of Winesburg, Indiana. His other creative writing works have been published in various literary magazines.

 

In regard to the Fiction Reading, Bryan Furuness is strengthening the anticipation of registered conference attendees by giving no word on what pieces he intends to read.  Though readers of Furuness’ work have an idea of his creative style, the reading itself will amplify the overall experience of his creative literary pieces. When it comes to Q&A following the reading, roles may be reversed. Furuness will need to buckle his seatbelt as audience attendees question everything from novel writing to publishing. When asked to reflect on past Q&A experiences, Furuness responded, “The minute I end a Q&A, I am filled with hot regret. I want to revise all my answers, but I've yet to meet the audience that will cooperate with this request.” The 2015 Steel Pen Reading and Q&A will hopefully give Furuness the opportunity to keep the audience intrigued, then to relax, loosen his seatbelt, and give his best response to every question.

 

Michael Poore, the co-speaker at the midday reading, has similar Midwestern roots, being born and raised in Ohio. After two years of undergraduate school at Ohio University, then numerous interesting jobs, Poore returned to OU and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Education. During his time at OU, Michael Poore published a cartoon strip in the OU Post.  Creative Writing courses at OU were what led him into more serious creative writing. Poore’s “massive upheaval” in life came when he “was working as a substitute teacher, and [he] moved from SE Ohio to Chicagoland.” From that point on, Poore has published numerous pieces in various literary publications. Poore’s more recent writing career includes writing and publishing Up Jumps the Devil, along with six months of radio interviews and book signings to promote the work. Poore revealed, “Now things are quiet again, and I’m working on a new novel.”

 

The fiction reading by Michael Poore is sure to excite the audience. Poore’s physical voice as an author will reveal the true creative element of his literary work. When asked to reflect on past Q&A experiences, Poore responded, “The thing that stays with me is always the people who came to listen and participate . . .  The audience turns the event from a plan and a schedule into a living thing.” In order to keep pace with the theme of the reading, Poore reiterates, “It’s a two way street, after all.” The author and audience connection and experience for this reading will be positively seat gripping. Poore’s concluding element of a reading is that “[He] feel[s] ten feet tall after a reading.  More importantly, [he] tend[s] to feel that the audience consists of giants, too.” 

 

The 2015 Steel Pen Writers’ Conference takes place October 10, 2015. For registration information visit http://www.indianawritersconsortium.org/IWC-creative-writing-conference.asp.



Brian Furuness to Keynote the 2015 Steel Pen Writers' Conference

by

Adam Webb

 

This year the Indiana Writers’ Consortium welcomes Bryan Furuness as the keynote speaker for the Steel Pen Writers’ Conference. Bryan is a writer and editor who teaches at Butler University. Before teaching at Butler, Bryan worked for the Indianapolis Star and earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. Bryan also has ties to the region growing up in a working class family near Gary.

Bryan’s first novel, The Lost Episodes of Revie Bryson, follows the misadventures of an adolescent dreamer growing up in the Midwest and has generated much acclaim both in Indiana and nationwide. The character Revie also shows up in Bryan’s work “Man of Steel,” which earned a Pushcart Prize Special Mention in 2010. Check out “Man of Steel” by following this link: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papers/259.

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Episodes-Revie-Bryson/dp/193785423X

His work has appeared in such literary magazines as Ninth Letter, Southeast Review, Freight Stories, and Hobart. His work can also be found in New Stories from the Midwest and Best American Nonrequired Reading.

Bryan’s writing has a Raymond Carver meets Thomas Pynchon feel with a mix of George Saunders. Bryan was quoted in an interview with the website phdincreativewriting.wordpress.com that Civilewarland in Bad Decline by Saunders helped him find his voice. “I realized that my writing didn’t have to sound like a neutered British person with a thesaurus fetish.” Bryan also told phdincreativewriting.wordpress.com that, “Writing is solitary; being a writer is wrapped up in community. Writing is action; being a writer is a kind of reflection.”

There is no doubt that keynote speaker Bryan Furuness will wow the crowd with wit and wisdom, so make sure you register for the IWC 2015 Steel Pen Writers’ Conference at indianwritersconsortium.org. The conference is Saturday October 10^th at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville, Indiana.