by Katy Yocom
Spalding MFA Associate Administrative Director
WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THE ADAM JOHNSON OFF-CAMPUS EVENT
In a previous blog post, I talked about the reading and Q&A session with Adam Johnson, author of The Orphan Master’s Son. The event takes place in the distinctly funky Tim Faulkner Gallery, a warehouse art space in Louisville’s blue-collar Portland neighborhood. Here’s what to expect:
Our buses leave from the Brown at 4:30 p.m. and arrive in time for everyone to find a seat (it’s open seating), get a beverage at the cash bar, and mix and mingle at a (very) simple reception before Johnson takes the stage at 5:30. Light snacks will be provided, and the gallery’s coffee shop sells sandwiches, but my advice: Grab a snack on campus or at the Brown in the 90-minute break before this event.
If you want Johnson to sign your book, jump into line early! We’ll load buses and head back to the Brown quickly so everyone can head out for dinner on their own. And speaking of dinner…
DINE-AROUNDS
After we return from the Adam Johnson event, we’re holding a “dine-around” event for those who’d like to join in small, Dutch-treat group dinners at restaurants near the Brown. We’ve reserved tables for eight at several nearby dining spots.
A second dine-around on Tuesday evening takes us farther afield, with PGRAs and staffers leading small groups to Dutch-treat dinners at restaurants in several Louisville neighborhoods. These events offer a chance to see more of the city and get to know other MFAers in a social setting. Everyone is welcome to participate on either or both evenings. Sign-up sheets will be available at residency.
GUEST SPEAKERS AT RESIDENCY
The residency features seven noteworthy guest speakers:
Holter Graham, a professional voice actor and multiple award winner for his work in audiobooks, delivers a general-interest lecture on how to give a reading—specifically, how not to murder the beauty of your writing with poor performance skills.
Kelly Creagh (W4CYA ’08), author of the Nevermore trilogy, lectures on “The Care and Tending of the Modern Young Adult Novel: Strategies for Marketing in the Internet Era.”
Michael Dixon, playwright and author of Breaking from Realism: A Map/Quest for the Next Generation, talks about writing plays that venture beyond the strictures of conventional realism and into the imaginative realm.
Erin Keane (P ’04), culture editor for Salon.com, offers thoughts on using the news—political, cultural, or both—to frame your essays for publication, as well as advice on pitching to editors of online magazines.
Daniel Lawless, editor of Plume: A Journal of Contemporary Poetry, waxes philosophical about poetry—why write it?—in a lecture for poetry students. Separately, he offers insights from the editor’s chair on our publishing panel, which investigates the particulars of publishing in literary journals and small presses.
Jason Howard, editor of Appalachian Heritage and former senior editor of Equal Justice Magazine, shares his editorial experience on our publishing panel.
Andrea Nasfell (SW ’15), screenwriter of feature film Mom’s Night Out and the forthcoming The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, offers insights into the Hollywood screenwriting biz and considers how Hollywood is a bit like the Game of Life.
Session descriptions and guest bios can be found in the Residency Lecture Descriptions document, posted on the “Preparing for the Fall 2015 Residency” page on the MFA portal.
BETH BAUMAN’S FIRST APPEARANCE IN LOUISVILLE
Beth Bauman made her debut as a Spalding faculty member in Greece this summer; now she comes to Louisville. In addition to lecturing about creating dynamic characters in children’s literature, she also leads a discussion of her YA novel Jersey Angel, the faculty book in common for Writing for Children & YA. Beth also leads an alumni workshop in Writing for Children & YA at SpaldingCon.
INTERRELATEDNESS-OF-THE-ARTS
If you missed my previous blog post, click here to read about our Monday-evening outing to see a special performance of Failure: A Love Story, produced by Theatre[502].
Katy Yocom’s fiction, poetry, essays, and journalism have appeared in The Louisville Review, New Southerner, Open 24 Hrs., the blog StyleSubstanceSoul, Louisville Magazine, LEO Weekly, 2nd & Church, and Food & Dining, among other publications. She holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University. She is a recipient of grants from the Elizabeth George Foundation and the Kentucky Foundation for Women and was writer-in-residence at Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts.