Dan's Papers - August 1, 2008 - Southampton Writers Conference: 12 Months in 12 Days

This past Sunday marked the conclusion the 33rd annual Writers Conference at Stony Brook Southampton University. And while many gatherings on the East End claim to have world-class attributes, the level of talent and promise at this conference trumps all. The conference provides a playground of inspiration and guidance for aspiring or already published authors, teachers of writing and editors via workshops, lectures, readings, small-group discussions, open mic nights and the overall creative energy on campus. As a participant, I was able to experience all the wonderful writers and teachers, and aside from all the learning and sharing, have some unforgettable fun along the way, too.

As Julie Sheehan, who has lived on the East End for 12 years and is a professor of poetry at Stony Brook Southampton and winner of multiple poetry awards including the Barnard Women Poets Prize and the Paris Review Bernard F. Conners Prize for Poetry, said, "Who wouldn't want to come here for 10 days in July?" What's better than hanging out with a bunch of writers on Coopers Beach in Southampton and coming back to campus to hear the words of US Poet Laureate and New York State Poet Laureate Billy Collins? It's not surprising why this conference attracts so many people from across the country - attendees came from Georgia, Washington DC, Vermont, California, Colorado, Virginia, Texas and lest we forget, Brooklyn. Many writers were from Brooklyn. Sheehan explained the process: "And so they apply, some are admitted, and off they go, little knowing that the schedule will be so packed with useful, entertaining readings and lectures - not to mention their writing workshops - that the beach will become something of an afterthought. This is what we call a 'good' problem, and many conferees had it."

As far as the faculty is concerned there were a few first-timers including Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott and flash fiction guru Amy Hempel, and, of course, many of the usual suspects, such as Alan Alda, Roger Rosenblatt, Marsha Norman, Melissa Bank, Matt Klam, Frank McCourt, Meg Wolitzer, Hilma Wolitzer, Ursula Hegi, Carol Muske-Dukes, 2008's Pulitzer Prize winner in poetry, Phillip Schultz and Billy Collins. This year, however, some new things were offered. First there was the food. Creative dinner options with green, yellow and red stickers marked menu options educating diners about which food options were the healthiest, and which to eat in moderation. From range-free chicken quesadillas to Japanese coleslaw there was something for everyone. Then there was yoga. Emily Weitz, conference attendee and writer of Dan's Papers' "Inspirations" column, taught complimentary yoga classes designed specifically to help writers clear their minds so they could face the open page with freedom and attention. Weitz is educated in the Anusara style and teaches at many yoga studios in the Hamptons. Then there were the electives. Want to learn how to write about sex? Elizabeth Benedict, author of five critically acclaimed novels, was able to offer a few power plays in her craft lecture. What about dark humor? Gahan Wilson, "master of the macabre" and creator of this year's writers conference poster, explained his signature "really far out" process. But those looking for a break from the written word were able to take a workshop on beginning photography with award-winning photographer Chip Cooper.

And all of this carries with it even greater weight because it was just under three years ago, at the time that Long Island University no longer could keep the satellite campus, that the possibility of the Southampton campus shutting down and being made into condos was a real thing. But since Stony Brook University acquired the campus, they have provided and supported East End writers and the continuation of the writers conference. Sheehan noted, "It's an intellectual safe haven from the sometimes frenzied commercial pressures writers face, and East End writers, despite their national reputations, need it just as much as anyone else. The writers conference and MFA program also provide a home for The Southampton Review, the literary magazine which just launched its third issue, and opportunities for area authors."

Melissa Bank, my workshop professor and author of The Wonder Spot and the bestselling The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, noted why the writers conference is such a wonderful opportunity for the creative East End community, "As a writer, you spend a lot of time by yourself in a room, usually staring at a blank page or screen; the conference offers not only a reprieve from that isolation but a real sense of community - an enormous amount of goodwill, dedication, intelligence and inspiration." Bank has lived in Sag Harbor for over 10 years. Matt Klam, short-story writer, Guggenheim fellow and winner of various awards including the O. Henry award, said, "This is the seventh year that I've taught at the conference. Just when I think I've seen it all, I'm proven wrong. It's profound."

Besides the enormous amount of talent that the conference recruited and the nightly open mic readings, creative improv and walks down Old Montauk Highway to Tiderunners Sports Bar, the most magical day by far was the last. The 120 participants got up behind the microphone and read their best work - with a large range in voice, literary style, taste and subject the readings were marvelous. Robert Reeves, founding director of the Creative Writing MFA Program at Stony Brook Southampton and director of the Southampton Writers Conference, said, "Once again, we seemed to have packed about 12 months into 12 days. Each conference develops its own identity, and what was most striking about this one is the sheer number of talented writers who participated in the workshops. For example, we had two workshops in poetry, one taught by Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott and another by US Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Both Walcott and Collins report that these workshops attracted the strongest group of poets they have ever taught. We must be doing something right."