2010 Festival Schedule
Saints and Sinners 2010 Schedule (152.9 KiB)
Note: you can click on the column header to re-sort the schedule by event type, venue, etc., or use the search box to find specific information. For instance, type “St. Mary’s” to see a list of all events held in St. Mary’s Salon.
| Day | Date | Time | Type | Event | Description | Venue | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 5/13/2010 | 7pm | Party, Reading | Book Launch Party/Reading | The 8th annual Saints and Sinners Literary Festival opens with an evening of cocktails and readings from the anthology: Saints and Sinners 2010: New Fiction from the Festival. A book launch party to benefit the Festival, finalists from the first annual Short Fiction Contest will read alongside some of the best names in GLBT literature. All guests receive a copy of the book—published by QueerMojo, an imprint of Rebel Satori Press—and can be the first to sample the anthology's Saints and Sinners-themed stories. Hosted by co-editor Amie M. Evans with readings by contributors: Lucy Jane Bledsoe, James Driggers, Jeff Mann, James Nolan, and our 2010 contest winner Wayne Lee Gay. | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 9:00 am | Registration | Registration/Information | Our registration and information table is open all day throughout the festival. | Bourbon Orleans Lobby | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 10 am | Master Class | BERNARD COOPER: THE POWER OF THE SHORT STORY | Poet Emily Dickinson said of reading a good poem: "I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off." The same is true of good short stories. But what is being done, craft-wise, that disarms a reader and makes a story seem greater than the sum of its parts? How do prose writers in general and fiction writers in particular write a story that astonishes the reader? This class will examine the way an emotional impact is achieved in two extremely successful short stories (handed out in class) by writers Leonard Michaels and Mary Robison. | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 10 am | Master Class | LUCY JANE BLESOE: PEOPLING YOUR STORIES—WRITING COMPLEX ENGAGING CHARACTERS | Characters are the heart of all fiction. They make or break a story. How do you create realistic ones? Avoid stereotypes? Hook your reader with people they want to spend a few minutes or several hours with? This workshop focuses on developing dynamic characterization. | St. Joseph's, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 11:30 am | Master Class | JESS WELLS: MAKING TIME FOR YOUR WRITING | Fear and self-loathing disguise themselves as procrastination and writers' block. Stop wasting time and throwing obstacles in your own way. You can harness your fear and use the techniques of well-known, successful writers to carve out a writing schedule that works for you. This workshop will teach you to :
| St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 11:30 am | Master Class | K.M. SOEHNLEIN: GETTING YOUR NOVEL IN SHAPE—A PLAN FOR REVISION | You've written a draft of a novel, or a lot of pages that you hope might some day become a novel. Now what? One of the biggest errors first-time novelists make is not putting enough time into revision. This class will give you an overview for the process of revising. We will look at craft (structure, plot, character development, and language) and process (how to seek feedback, how to use it, and how to become your own best editor). This is a class designed for the writer who not only wants to finish a novel, but wants make sure it's good. | St. Joseph's, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 1:30 pm | Master Class | MICHAEL NAVA: FROM VISION TO COMPLETION—A BLUEPRINT ON NOVEL WRITING | Multiple Lambda award winning novelist Michael Nava will share his perspective and experience on how to take that amorphous idea for a book all the way through the outline, the character development, the plot shaping, and those oh-so-pesky rewrites and revisions to shape your idea into a book editors and readers will love. | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 1:30 pm | Master Class | FIONA ZEDDE: POETRY AND THE NOVEL—EXPLORING POETIC LANGUAGE IN PROSE | Although it has been an undercover fact for some, poetry and the novel have been illicit lovers for ages. This workshop will seek to pull back the curtains on this delicious love affair, exploring the ways in which poetry can and has enriched the novel and how such a partnership can create beautiful and fresh writing that lovers of both verse and prose can enjoy. | St. Joseph's, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 3:00 pm | Master Class | RADCLYFFE: TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF ePUBLISHING | The Bold Strokes Books publisher discusses the present and future of eBooks—where do they fit in the modern publishing model, what are readers looking for, to DRM or not to DRM, and what about: pricing, piracy, formats, and advantages for authors. | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 3:00 pm | Master Class | JIM GRIMSLEY: WORLDBUILDING IN GENRE WRITING—SF/FANTASY | The workshop will examine the ways in which worlds are constructed with a focus on genre writing, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and, to a degree, other kinds of fiction. Grimsley will share some of the ways he makes his own worlds detailed and complete, and will also offer information about ways to use the story to teach the reader about the world while the story is in progress. | St. Joseph's, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Friday | 5/14/2010 | 6:30 pm | Party | Welcome Party: Glitter with the Literati | Come experience true Southern Hospitality in the beautiful courtyard of the Hermann-Grima House. Prior to the Civil War, prosperous Creole families enjoyed an elegant lifestyle in the Vieux Carre. Walk through this meticulously restored residence and experience the Golden Age of New Orleans. | Courtyard, Herman-Grima House | 820 St. Louis Street |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 9:00 am | Registration | Registration/Information | Our registration and information table is open all day throughout the festival. | Bourbon Orleans Lobby | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 10:00 am | Panel | MARKETING/SOCIAL MEDIA | Let's face it, writing it down is only half the battle. Getting and keeping an audience is often where the real work begins. And now, with the storm of information offered by endless Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook loops, how can aspiring (and established) writers make sure they aren't lost in the deluge? In this panel, join marketing and social media savvy professionals as they discuss strategies for marketing work within the worldwide web. Not even sure how to turn on that computer? Contributors will share tips and insights on what works in social media as marketing and when to use good old-fashioned methods to get out the message. PANELISTS: Gregory Gerard, Michele Karlsberg, Collin Kelley, and Cecilia Tan MODERATOR: Jess Wells | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 10:00 am | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join David-Matthew Barnes, Philip Gambone, Fay Jacobs, Lee Lynch, Rena Mason, and Stefani Deoul as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word. Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 11:30 am | Panel | PATHWAYS TO PUBLICATION: DEBUT WRITERS TELL HOW THEY FOUND THEIR WAY INTO PRINT | Should you find an agent, enter a contest or publish your work yourself? What differences can you expect between a major publishing house and a university or small press? Writers whose pathways to book publication took widely different routes will discuss the strategies they used and reveal tips on how you can find a publishing process to match your book's appeal, whether that be a mainstream, literary or specialized market. Find out when and why it's worth shelling out money for contest fees or mailings to agents and publishers. Learn the do's and don'ts of marketing yourself as a writer. PANELISTS: Gregory Gerard, Sonja Livingston, Tom Mendicino, and Charles Rice-Gonzalez MODERATOR: Kelly McQuain | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 11:30 am | Panel | YOU THINK YOU KNOW US?: KEEPING IT REAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES | Teenagers can spot a fake within the first paragraph. In this panel discussion, key strategies will be explored on how to craft fiction that will ring true for young adult readers. Additional topics will include: why the young adult market is booming (again), how to stay current with pop culture and teen trends, ways to write contemporary dialogue, tools to create the ultimate teen protagonist, how to market your work to teens and what to do if your teen characters want to have sex...with each other. PANELISTS: David-Matthew Barnes, Elaine Beale, Rigoberto Gonzalez, and Rena Mason MODERATOR: Steve Berman | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 11:30 am | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Peter Dube, Collin Kelley, Joe Openshaw, Linda Kay Silva, Shawn Syms, Clara Nipper, and Chavisa Woods as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word. Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 1:00 pm | Panel | FICTION, MEMOIR AND THE SPACE IN BETWEEN | After all the literary scandals over certain memoirs' credibility, and the current debates about the relationship between fiction and reality, what is the relationship between fiction and memoir at this point in time in the 21st century? Leading authors will talk about their experience with the two genres, which genre they feel more comfortable writing in and why. Which genre is more vital currently, both generally and in the LGBT community? Is there a third genre developing somewhere in between or combining the two? They will discuss the collision of fiction and non-fiction in their work, and the role that elusive thing called memory plays in writing both fiction and memoir. PANELISTS: Bernard Cooper, Jim Grimsley, Fay Jacobs, and Linda Kay Silva MODERATOR: Jeff Mann | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 1:00 pm | Panel | TO GET THE NEWS FROM POEMS | It is difficult / to get the news from poems / yet men die miserably every day / for lack / of what is found there.”William Carlos Williams In this era of status updates and apps, are poets able to compete for the public ear? If so, just who exactly is listening? In an age where the short form of tweets and texts rules, is poetry—where concise language is key—getting more or less accessible? Could it actually enjoy a renaissance via its seeming antithesis, technology? Listen in as four fine contemporary poets read from their own work and weigh in on these questions, discussing the state of poetry today, their own proclivities toward the verse form, and the unchanging functions of poetry in an ever-changing world. Then add your own voice to the dialogue in the Q&A session that follows. There may not be any hard-and-fast answers, but the discussions are sure to prove interesting. PANELISTS: Robin Kemp, Ed Madden, Steven Reigns, and Emanuel Xavier MODERATOR: Brad Richard | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 1:00 pm | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Elaine Beale, Jameson Currier, Gregory Gerard, Lisa Girolami, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Sonja Livingston, and Kelly McQuain as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 2:30 pm | Panel | THE QUEST FOR JUSTICE | The search for truth and justice is at the heart of every mystery novel, but what makes an LGBT mystery different from their mainstream counterparts? Are the similarities stronger than the differences—is the difference merely the gender-preference of the main character, or is there more to it than that? Four masters of the mystery form discuss why they chose to write mysteries, how their sexuality has informed their characters and their work, and address the questions of seeking justice in the literary form. PANELISTS: Greg Herren, Michael Nava, Radclyffe, and J.M. Redmann MODERATOR: Anne Laughlin | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 2:30 pm | Panel | WRITING OUR HISTORY: PAST AND PRESENT | Activist, historian, writer — or all three? What happens when authors capture aspects of GLBT history in their fictional works? And how can they use their writing to both tell a story and to help move beyond the stone walls of injustice? Join these notable GLBT authors as they discuss the importance of documenting social, political, and personal issues that impact Queer life. These panelists have written about the turmoil of identity politics in the 1960s, the struggle for gay rights abroad, and the search and fight for acceptance. PANELISTS: Noel Alumit, Lee Lynch, Joe Openshaw, and Charlie Vazquez MODERATOR: Ron Suresha | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 2:30 pm | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Wayne Gregory, G. Winston James, James Magruder, Jill Malone, Emma Marie Perez, Audrey Beth Stein, Carsen Taite, and Cecilia Tan as they read from their current Lammy nominated works. They will entertain, educate, and stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word. Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 4:00 pm | Reading Series | GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES | It's been said that writing a novel is easy compared to crafting a successful short story. Indeed, the short form, with its necessary compression, can often baffle the surest hand in ways a novel never could. On this panel, masters of the short story will disscuss how they create deft, singular narratives that build entire worlds with single strokes. They'll discuss their favorite strategies, their frustrations, and their best results. PANELISTS: Peter Dube, Philip Gambone, G. Winston James, and Chavisa Woods MODERATOR: Amie M. Evans Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 4:00 pm | Reading Series | LATIN LOVERS AND MUCHO MACHO | Although the 1960s brought a literary renaissance for mainstream Chicano and Latino writers, gay and lesbian Latinos struggled to attain visibility for their stories, even within the framework of their own culture whose reliance on machismo often silenced the voices of gay Latino men. However, as times changed, these writers found a way to break the barriers and incorporate all aspects of their culture and identity into their work. A new wave of queer Latino writers discuss writing within and shattering Latino stereotypes. They will share how they got their work published and where they plan to take it next. PANELISTS: Rigoberto Gonzalez, Charlie Vazquez, and Emanuel Xavier MODERATOR: Charles Rice-Gonzalez | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Saturday | 5/15/2010 | 4:00 pm | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ EROTIC | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Gavin Atlas, Dale Chase, William Holden, Ron Suresha, Jerry Wheeler and Fiona Zedde as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word. Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 9:00 am | Registration | Registration/Information | Our registration and information table is open all day throughout the festival. | Bourbon Orleans Lobby | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 10:00 am | Panel | MEET THE PRESS | Representatives from small presses gather to discuss the joys and challenges of starting and maintaining a small press. Find out what these presses can offer writers, how to get their attention, and what to expect if your book is chosen for publication. Learn about the latest projects from representatives from presses producing LGBT works including: Bold Strokes Books, Bywater Books, Chelsea Station Editions, Circlet Press, Lethe Press, and Rebel Satori Press. PANELISTS: Steve Berman, Jameson Currier, Sven Davisson, Radclyffe, Kelly Smith, Cecilia Tan MODERATOR: Thomas Keith | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 11:30 am | Panel | WRITING INTIMACY: FROM SEX TO FAMILY DYNAMICS | When does passionate writing cross over the line into purple prose? Should sex be explicit or inferred? Where is the line between compelling family stories and navel-gazing? These panelists will discuss constructing effective intimacy between the writer and the reader. PANELISTS: Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Bernard Cooper, Jill Malone, and Fiona Zedde MODERATOR: Linda Kay Silva | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 11:30 am | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Rob Byrnes (2010 Lambda Nominee), Greg Herren (2010 Lambda Nominee), Anne Laughlin, J.M. Redmann (2010 Lambda Nominee), Suzanne Hudson, Joe Formichella, and Carol Rosenfeld as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word. Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 11:30 am | Panel | DRAMATIC WRITING ROUNDTABLE | Join fellow dramatic writers for an open discussion on current trends in writing for stage, screen and television. Topics will include: how to get your work produced/published; when do you need an agent (and how to get one); how to strategically market your script; what's hot and what's not; and have LGBT scripts become too mainstream. PANELISTS: Peter Giovanni, Lisa Girolami, James Magruder, and K.M. Soehnlein MODERATOR: David-Matthew Barnes | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 1:00 pm | Panel | DYNAMIC SETTINGS: CONNECTING CHARACTERS TO PLACE | Too often setting is just assumed, or is no more than a dull backdrop. But place can be as emotionally powerful in stories as characters. This panel is about the unique ways in which GLBT writers can use place to enhance their stories. PANELISTS: Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Jim Grimsley, K.M. Soehnlein, and Jess Wells MODERATOR: Gillian Rodger | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 1:00 pm | Panel | DON'T WRITE A BAD ROMANCE | Lady Gaga notwithstanding, the romance genre has produced some truly great writers (Daphne duMaurier, for example) and books that consistently rank in Top 100 lists. The genre has always remained consistently popular, and in LGBT fiction this is no exception. Four of the most acclaimed and successful writers of LGBT romance discuss the do's and don'ts of writing romance, and the challenges, positives and negatives of being labeled a romance writer. PANELISTS: Rob Byrnes, Marianne K. Martin, Carsen Taite, Cecilia Tan MODERATOR: Lori Perkins | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 1:00 pm | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Dustin Brookshire, Wayne Courtois, Jim Duggins, Thomas Keith, Jeff Mann, Brad Richard, and Charlie Vazquez and as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word. Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 2:30 pm | Panel | KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY: HOW TO DEFEAT SELF-DOUBT AT THE KEYBOARD | Because successful writing requires the author to spill his or her voice out onto the page, it's easy to feel vulnerable and give in to apprehension that leads to blocks in creative energy. But writers must write. And to do so, they must muster courage to look beyond the self-sabotages, the judgment, and the procrastination that so easily afflicts creative artists. So how do writers, aspiring and established, face down the fear and put their pens to paper? Join writing professionals and instructors as they offer advice about how to tame the howls of self-doubt and loathing and move through to a plan for confident prose. PANELISTS: Elaine Beale, James Magruder, Audrey Beth Stein, and Jess Wells MODERATOR: Lee Lynch | Bourbon Orleans Ballroom | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 2:30 pm | Panel | EROTICA 101: STRIPPING AWAY THE FLUFF AND GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS | How does a person start writing erotica? Do they write for a specific audience or more broadly? How important is setting and dialogue in writing erotica? Come hear from some of today's hottest erotica authors as they discuss the basics of writing erotica and share their tools and techniques for writing sex effectively. PANELISTS: Gavin Atlas, Dale Chase, William Holden, and Jerry Wheeler MODERATOR: Steve Berman | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 2:30 pm | Reading Series | SAINTS AND SINNERS READING SERIES: WRITERS READ | Come hear Festival authors read from their latest works. Join Noel Alumit, Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Bernard Cooper, Robin Kemp, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, and K.M. Soehnlein as they thrill, entertain, educate, or stimulate the literary mind with that most powerful instrument: the written word.Sponsored by: The John Burton Harter Charitable Trust | St. Mary's Salon, Bourbon Orleans | 717 Orleans St. |
| Sunday | 5/16/2010 | 4:00 pm | Party | CLOSING RECEPTION AND RECOGNITION OF THIS YEAR'S LITERARY SAINTS | Celebration, socialization, libation, and canonization. A great end to to a great Festival! | Upstairs at the Bourbon Pub/Parade | 801 Bourbon Street |
Note: All events, venues and times are subject to change.