SASFest 2023 Events
SAINTS + SINNERS XX
All of these events are included in your SAS Weekend Registration
If you can’t make it for the whole weekend, you can purchase Writer’s Craft Sessions separately HERE.
You can also purchase Day Passes for the day(s) you’d like to attend.
Friday, March 24, 2023
10—11:15 AM—SAS Writer’s Craft
DIALOGUE FOR FICTION WRITERS: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF LISTENING—LYDIA STRYK
As a playwright new to writing fiction, Lydia Stryk observed that dialogue was often neglected in the novels she was reading —its potential perhaps not fully understood. This workshop explores the playwright’s primary tool. Listening exercises, including eavesdropping and interviewing, will be part of the workshop as participants are exposed to authentic speech and the way speech reveals and creates character, as does subtext and the unsaid. Finally, the poetry, humor and delight of spoken language will be observed, as well as the way in which the mundane nature of everyday speech can become something transcendent when deployed creatively in a scene. In preparation for the workshop, take a look at Stryk’s essay on transitioning from playwriting to fiction.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Friday, March 24, 2023
10—11:15 AM—SAS Writer’s Craft
TURNING YOUR LIFE INTO FICTION: FINDING THE STORY INSIDE THE FACTS—K.M. SOEHNLEIN
“Write what you know.” “Tell your story.” “Find your voice.” Well-intended instructions like these can get us started, then comes the hard part: turning our personal experiences into the art of fiction. K.M. Soehnlein, who mined his activist past in ACT UP and Queer Nation for his highly-praised novel Army of Lovers, will open up his writing process and share the tips and tools that guide him. In writing fiction that springs from real life, how do we get beyond the facts to create characters that work for our stories?
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Friday, March 24, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—SAS Writer’s Craft
HOW TO PRODUCE YOUR OWN AUDIOBOOK—JESS WELLS
Audio books are one of the fastest growing segments of the book market and, thankfully, it’s now easy and inexpensive to produce your own with wide distribution and larger profits. Author Jess Wells, who has narrated and produced three of her volumes, will take you through the equipment and software she uses, the changes to the manuscript required, the pitfalls of editing, and the opportunities to create your own audio book.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Friday, March 24, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—SAS Writer’s Craft
BENDING GENRE: FROM CONFUSION TO FUSION IN PROSE & POETRY—CHIP LIVINGSTON
Chip Livingston leads a writer’s craft session focusing on writing between established traditional genres, and how mixed-form narratives can add dimension, voice, surprise, and delight to both writer and reader. This master class looks at the history of “new” forms and the many varieties we can apply to our selected (or interpretive) genres, as well as how to teach your reader how to read your “hybrids.”
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Friday, March 24, 2023
11:45 AM—1:45 PM—*pre-registration is required
PITCH SESSIONS WITH UNBOUND EDITION PRESS
Unbound Edition Press’s publisher and editor in chief, Patrick Davis, and Cory Firestine, assistant editor, special projects, will be meeting with authors at SAS2023. The literary press has more than 30 titles in development and is home to best sellers and critically acclaimed works from queer authors. The editors are looking for thoughtfully challenging collections of poetry, short fiction, or essays from talented LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. Pitches will be for possible 2025 publication. For more information about Unbound Edition Press and online submission guidelines, visit: https://www.unboundedition.com
Please contact Cory Firestine at cory@unboundedition.com to schedule your in-person pitch at SAS.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal A
Friday, March 24, 2023
1—2:15 PM—SAS Writer’s Craft
WRITING HEARTBREAKING CHARACTERS: LUCY JANE BLEDSOE
Whether you’re writing mysteries, romances, thrillers, sci fi, or literary fiction, good stories and novels need heartbreaking characters. They will make or break the success of your work. A brilliant plot, stunning setting, and beautiful prose all fall flat without meaningful people moving the story along. This workshop focuses on developing dynamic characterization. We will work on how to create realistic characters and avoid stereotype, the role of conflict in character development, the importance of dialogue, and the challenge of writing love and sex. For queer characters, writing about rage is a unique and important tool, as well. Workshop participants will learn how to use the building blocks of desire, motivation, flaws, and surprise, to create characters who your readers will want to stay with until the last page.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Friday, March 24, 2023
1—2:15 PM—SAS Writer’s Craft
LET’S TALK ABOUT BOOKS WITH MICHELE KARLSBERG
Join Publicist Michele Karlsberg for a straightforward conversation on how to keep up the how to in publishing. Discuss strategies for getting the word out and creating more visibility for you as an author. In today’s market we practically have unlimited power and reach. Let’s value the practical/actionable over the big picture. Amongst some other things, we will discuss book covers, social networking trends, distribution, mistakes and utilizing various author platforms.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Friday, March 24, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—SAS Writer’s Craft
EROTICA LAID BARE: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE KISS?—JERRY WHEELER
Join erotica anthologist and Lammy finalist Jerry L. Wheeler as he entices you to bump and grind out a full paragraph of hot erotica in a guided writing session that’s sure to titillate and inform. If you’re shy with sex scenes, you won’t be after we give you some strategies and some prompts to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Or whatever. For novices or anyone looking for a good time. Audience participation is key, so rev up your senses and bring your pencils. You’ll love the homework.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Friday, March 24, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—SAS Writer’s Craft
FROM PAIN TO PUBLISHED: TURNING HEARTACHE INTO MEMOIR—FELICE COHEN
Have you dreamed of writing a memoir about a painful experience, but didn’t know how or where to begin? Whether your dream is to publish your memoir, share it with family or just get it on paper, this workshop will help you narrow down your focus, outline and organize your story, and teach you numerous techniques using thought-provoking writing prompts to work through the discomfort that comes from writing about pain. Author Felice Cohen will touch upon examples from her own experience of heartache and loss and how she used writing to heal and create an award-winning memoir. Though we each have a unique experience; we can heal the same way: by writing down what hurts us.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Friday, March 24, 2023
3:00 – 4:15–Writer’s Craft Session
INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING: DEVELOPING YOUR STORY FOR STAGE OR SCREEN with FELICE PICANO
Writing for feature films and television shows takes a great story and proper presentation to get the right attention. Author Felice Picano will go over all the elements to make your script the best it can be, with many visual examples and anecdotes from his experiences.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Friday, March 24, 2023
2:45—4:45 PM—*pre-registration is required
PITCH SESSIONS WITH RATTLING GOOD YARNS PRESS
Rattling Good Yarns Press managing publisher, Ian Henzel, will be meeting with authors at SAS2023. RGYP is looking for novels or story collections; no poetry or plays. They are most interested in unusual perspectives on topics of interest to the LGBTQ+ community. Pitches will be for possible 2024 publication. For more information about Rattling Good Yarns and online submission guidelines, visit: rattlinggoodyarns.com/submissions/
Please email Ian at: ian.henzel@rattlinggoodyarns.com to book your time slot!
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal A
Friday, March 24, 2023
4 – 5:15—Literary Discussion (TW)
DON’T BAN OUR BOOKS: WRITING IN THE AGE OF CENSORSHIP
As book banning efforts grow and spread, with moves to suppress AP courses in African-American history and decrease access to LGBTQ materials, writers must become ever stronger champions of their work. How do we support libraries and bookstores that are right on the front lines of these efforts? This panel surveys the scene from a variety of perspectives. Kerri Westenberg has covered book banning for 64 Parishes. Gregg Shapiro is an entertainment journalist and published author, and Sonnet Ireland, has served as president of the Louisiana Library Association. Chris Smith, director of adult programming at the Jefferson Parish Library moderates.
Hotel Monteleone, Queen Anne Ballroom
Saturday, March 25, 2023
10—11:15—Literary Discussion
YA FICTION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
In the 2020s, young queers still find themselves isolated and oppressed. More than ever they need the comfort and wisdom of books directed to them, with characters whose struggles they can recognize and with whom they can identify. Queer YA books can show these young readers the way to becoming fully realized people. Today, though, the authors of these books face not only the task of crafting useful, engrossing narratives. They face the possibilities of censorship and of having to defend their works to conservative parents, teachers, librarians, and school administrators. This panel addresses the complex issues facing queer YA authors in an age of unprecedented political polarization and a great expansion of sexual
and gender identity.
Panelists: Chris Clarkson, Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Greg Herren, Gary Eldon Peter, and David Valdes.
Moderator: David Pratt.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Saturday, March 25, 2023
10—11:15 AM—Literary Discussion
POTENTIALS IN QUEER PUBLISHING
So much has changed in the last few decades in GLBTQ+ publishing. Queer writers and queer characters and content are less marginalized. There are more GLBTQ+ books and stories and films being published and produced than ever before, yet at least in the United States, conservative backlashes against queer stories (and their writers and readers) are rapidly threatening inclusion and limiting access to our stories. With growing representation of sexually diverse characters in mainstream media, especially in the area of Young Adult literature, panelists will address current publishing trends, new platforms, expanding opportunities, and the changing landscape of GLBTQ+ publishing and editing, and how these changes affect specialty (niche) publishers and potential avenues for reaching more readers.
Panelists: Samiya Bashir, David Groff, Brad Richard, and Carol Rosenfeld.
Moderator: Chip Livingston
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Saturday, March 25, 2023
10—11:15—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Jonathan Alexander, Chris Belcher, Daniel M. Jaffe, Jameson Currier, Guy Mark Foster, Jess Wells, and Emanuel Xavier for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Saturday, March 25, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
SONG OF MYSELF: WRITING AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FICTION/POETRY AND MEMOIR
In his seminal poem, “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman explored the notion of self, as Audre Lorde did a century later in her “biomythography,” Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. Many LGBTQ+ writers have continued self-exploration through autobiographical fiction and poetry as well as memoir. What’s the appeal of these forms of writing? Why are they especially important for LGBTQ+ writers? How is the process of writing memoir similar to that of writing autobiographical fiction and poetry? How is it different? Panelists will explore these and other questions.
Panelists: Chris Belcher, Guy Mark Foster, Cheryl A. Head, and Steven Reigns.
Moderator: Daniel M. Jaffe.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Saturday, March 25, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
GAY CITIES: FINDING A SPIRITUAL HOME
We hear it all the time here in New Orleans: “I came for Mardi Gras (or Jazzfest or Southern Decadence) and I never left.” Some cities just function as gay meccas, offering a warm and welcoming environment for LGBTQ arrivals seeking sanctuary or a sense of home. These writers – Rick Karlin (Chicago), Jewelle Gomez (San Francisco) Felice Picano (New York and Los Angeles and Frank Perez (New Orleans)—talk about their home places and why they’ve endured as central to the gay experience. Moderator: John Magill.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Saturday, March 25, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Allison Blevins, Todd Boss, Felice Cohen, Michael Montlack, James K. Moran, Jen Rouse, and David Swatling for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Saturday, March 25, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
QUEER WRITING AS RESISTANCE
In today’s volatile political climate, the importance of queer writing and storytelling is a crucial tool in the push for queer equality. It is more important than ever for authors to write powerful assertions of LGBTQ+ identity in poetry, fiction, and memoir. These assertions can take the form of powerful poetry about living in a gay body, resistance to gay conversion therapy, or matter-of-fact references to gay marriage as the norm. Join five masters of writing resistance as we discuss the ongoing struggle and how they use their work to make room for everyone at the table—making sure that LGBTQ+ characters are seen, known, loved, and understood.
Panelists: Allison Blevins, K.M. Soehnlein, De’Shawn Charles Winslow, and Emanuel Xavier.
Moderator: Judith Katz.
Sponsored by The Publishing Triangle.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Saturday, March 25, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
SEX WORK AND STORYTELLING: TODAY’S VOICES ON THE WORLD’S OLDEST PROFESSION
Stories about sex work reveal the complexity, diversity, and humanity of sex working communities. Portrayed on page and screen, the lived experiences of sex workers explode stereotypes and stigma with personal histories, regional specificities, and intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality. This panel will discuss the world of sex work and questions for society showcased in memoir, documentary, and cultural observation.
Panelists: Matthew Cullen, Patrick Davis, Mark S. King, and Delaney McLemore.
Moderator: Alan Williams.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Saturday, March 25, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Henry Alley, St Sukie de la Croix, Sheri Reynolds, Wes Jamison, Miah Jeffra, Jessica Jopp, and Jerry Wheeler for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Saturday, March 25, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Literary Discussion
CREATING CREDIBLE WORLDS: SETTINGS THAT WORK HARD FOR YOUR STORY
Setting is not a simple backdrop, like a green screen on which a film is shot, or something that you invent at the last minute. Setting in fiction plays an important role in theme, plot, genre, and even characterization. Our panel will discuss eight key ways that setting works in fiction; when and how they develop a landscape for their story; and how their settings challenge protagonists while helping you control the movement of your characters.
Panelists: Margot Douaihy, Miah Jeffra, Gary Eldon Peter, and, Timothy Schaffert.
Moderator: Jess Wells.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Saturday, March 25, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Literary Discussion
FROM THE EROTIC TO THE DIVINE: POETRY AS SACRED SONG OF SEXUALIY (C. 2003)
As song, as public incantation, as witness, ritual and testimony, poetry has always been a sacred expression—more often than not forged and propagated by queer people, whether they be shamans, healers, witches, bards or oracles. This tradition, though often overlooked in our modern scientific world, is as vital and essential today as it has been for millennia. Such poetry is a gift we as queers have a natural inclination for, and it is a gift we all have within us, whether we are aware of it or not. This panel will explore ways in which we can all participate in this most communal of art forms and share our unique gift with a confused and dualistic world that needs queer voices now more than ever.
Panelists: Flower Conroy, Lisa Dordal, Daniel W.K. Lee, Chip Livingston, and Michael Montlack.
Moderator: Brad Richard.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Saturday, March 25, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Leone Beasley, Chris Clarkson, Marco Carocari, John Copenhaver, Joel Lafayette Fletcher III, Kelly J. Ford, and Lance Ringel for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Saturday, March 25, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Featured Conversation/Interview
ANDREW HOLLERAN interviewed by Thomas Keith
Distinguished American novelist, essayist, and short story writer Andrew Holleran was born and raised partly in Aruba in the Dutch Caribbean, served in the US military, graduated from Harvard and went on to become one of the most distinguished American writers of the last fifty years. Dancer from the Dance, Holleran’s first novel, has sold millions of copies since it was published in 1978 and is considered the first classic of post-Stonewall LGBTQ+ literature. He went on to write the novels Nights in Aruba, The Beauty of Men, Grief, the short story collection In September, the Light Changes, and the essay collections Ground Zero and Chronicle of a Plague Revisited. Holleran has also written essays, articles, and reviews for Christopher Street and The Gay & Lesbian Review for forty years. His fifth and most recent novel, Kingdom of Sand, was published last year to great acclaim. In conversation with editor Thomas Keith, Holleran will take about the new novel, his influences, his reading, and his life right now.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon
Saturday, March 25, 2023
4—5:15 PM—Literary Discussion
KINDS OF LOVE: FORGING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FACE OF HISTORY
At the heart of most LGBTQ+ literature is the challenge of forging new loves, new forms of family, in the face of a society that is sometimes welcoming, sometimes combative. History is often told through love stories—grand passions, or doomed love affairs, or dutiful arrangements—that inspire our identification with historical figures. These writers have all wrestled with forms of love—whether it’s love after loss, re-establishing broken family bonds, transcending differences of belief, having the courage to reach out for love in the face of fear, or even making the choice to love again after a bitter breakup. All these stories are set against the backdrop of contemporary history and its currents of acceptance or rejection or political reality, giving context to individual struggles. These novelists are all also playwrights and can discuss the choice of genre for maximum power and immediacy.
Panelists: Eric Peterson, Sheri Reynolds, Lance Ringel, and Lydia Stryk.
Moderator: William Christy Smith.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Saturday, March 25, 2023
4—5:15 PM—Literary Discussion
WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME:
THE BAR AS COMMUNITY CENTER
In the past bars functioned as de facto community centers hosting organizational meetings, supporting sports groups, holding fundraisers and benefits as well as serving as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and of course, a place to meet people and get laid. What will the future hold for bars as the LGBTQ+ community gain wide spread acceptance from the mainstream? And what effect will social media and and various apps have on the bars? Group discussion led by St Sukie de la Croix and Rick Karlin, authors of Last Call Chicago: 1001 LGBT Friendly Taverns, Haunts and Hangouts (Rattling Good Yarns Press).
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Saturday, March 25, 2023
4—5:15 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Christian Baines, Margot Douaihy, Patricia Grayhall, Cheryl A. Head, Greg Herren, J.M. Redmann, and De’Shawn Charles Winslow for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Saturday, March 25, 2023
6:30—7:45 PM
SAS FICTION CONTEST READING
Readers to include: Ariadne Blayde, Powell Burke, Marco Carocari, Judith Katz, Joshua Leonard, C.A. Munn, and Eric Peterson.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon
Sunday, March 26, 2023
10—11:15—Literary Discussion
LAMBDA LITERARY FOUNDATION
This year marks the 36th anniversary of the initial event in the history of the Lambda Literary Foundation – the publication of the first Lambda Book Report in 1987. From that beginning, Lambda has built an organization with programs to support and elevate LGBTQ+ writing and writers. Whether it’s the fellowship program, which has nurtured such promising writers as *John Copenhaver, *Miah Jeffra, Justin Torres, Chen Chen, and Tommy Pico, or the annual Lambda Literary Awards, which recognize the best work produced by writers (and attendees at this year’s SAS) such as *Rob Byrnes, *Jewelle Gomez, David Groff , Judith Katz, *Michael Nava, *J.M. Redmann, and K.M. Soehnlein. Moderated by Samiya Bashir, (she/her), a poet, artist, writer, performer, educator, and advocate and the new director of Lambda Literary, who will share her vision for the organization’s future. *Authors in bold will be joining Samiya for the discussion.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Sunday, March 26, 2023
10—11:15—Literary Discussion
COMING OF AGE IN TIME OF HIV & AIDS brings together a range of authors to reflect on the experience of growing up at the height of the AIDS epidemic, and how such experiences have shaped our creative practices. We also invite others, perhaps even younger folks who didn’t grow up at the time, to reflect on the felt legacies of the time as a crucial turning point — both in our personal lives, within queer community, and for the country as a whole. One important goal of the panel is to consider what needs to be written now — about the time of the epidemic, its many legacies, and our community’s ongoing grappling with living with HIV. This conversation will be facilitated by writer & podcaster Jonathan Alexander. Participants: Jobert E. Abueva, Gerard Cabrera, Wes Jamison, Mark S. King, and Daniel W.K. Lee. So bring yourself, your ideas, and your creativity!
Sponsored by the Bruce J. Heim Foundation.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Sunday, March 26, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
WRITING THE BODY IS WRITING EVERYTHING
When we write about or against the body—what attracts and repels us, our feelings about our own and others’—we are writing the most fundamental issues and basic emotions human beings face. But what have we been taught about the body, and what must we unlearn to move beyond gender, size, color? Is it even possible to consider the body as separate from identity? Do we trust it, and who controls it—especially in our contemporary politic? These writers—non-binary, queer, or trans—talk about the ways the body informs their work.
Panelists: AJ Dolman, Wes Jamison, emma x lirette engage with moderator Delaney McLemore.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Sunday, March 26, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—Literary Discussion
GETTING THE WORD OUT: DEVELOPING A GOOD BOOK PROMOTION STRATEGY
What makes a book reviewer or a show producer decide to cover a book? Hear from folks on both sides of the desk about what works and what doesn’t. In this electronic age, advance publicity starts earlier and earlier with carefully planned social media posts and artfully executed book trailers. And even before that, authors need to develop reasonable expectations about what publishers (indie, university, commercial, special interest houses) will do for a book (we all know big splashy tours are things of the past) and what they won’t. This panel will offer tips on approaching members of the media, preparing for interviews (print and video), and organizing readings and signings with fellow authors, as well as working with booksellers.
Panelists: Mark Chesnut, Ian Henzel, Morgan Hufstader, and Gregg Shapiro.
Moderator: Daniel M. Jaffe.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Sunday, March 26, 2023
11:30 AM—12:45 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Jobert E. Abueva, Jack Bumgardner, Tom Cardamone, Sven Davisson, Jan Edwards Hemming, Chip Livingston, and John Whittier Treat for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Sunday, March 26, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
HOW TO WRITE A MEMOIR AND KEEP YOUR SANITY OR THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING MEMOIR
There are few genres more compelling then the memoir: the true stories of our challenging journeys and our culture. Our panelists will consider three aspects of writing the memoir: the emotional demands, tradecraft, and legal issues raised by this truth telling.
Panelists include: Jonathan Alexander, Felice Cohen, Joel Lafayette Fletcher III, Patricia Grayhall, and Lori Horvitz.
Moderator: Jess Wells.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Sunday, March 26, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
IF TIME IS A BURNING LIBRARY, THEN WE ARE ALL FIREMEN: BRINGING GAY BOOKS BACK INTO PRINT
2022 saw the successful launch of the Rebel Satori reprint imprint The Library of Homosexual Congress with its first title Invisible History: The Collected Poems of Walta Borawski, edited by Philip Clark and Michael Bronski. With a particular aspect of its mission to return works of authors lost to AIDS into print, and joining other small presses, particularly ReQueered Tales and Valancourt Books with a similar focus, editor Tom Cardamone and publisher Sven Davisson will explore this archeology involved in resurrecting and preserving our literary heritage for future generations. Also joining this discussion are four LGBTQ literary icons—Jewelle Gomez, Andrew Holleran, Felice Picano, and Michael Nava.
Moderator: Tom Cardamone.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Sunday, March 26, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Literary Discussion
SINS OF THE FATHERS
William Faulkner wrote “the past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Santayana said “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In crime fiction, it’s often things that have happened in the past that must be uncovered to get to the solution of the crime–or carried such an impact on those who lived through it that it affects their present. Join us for a lively conversation about the perils and pitfalls of writing about another time and/or the past’s impact on the present–whether it’s actually set in the past, goes back and forth between past and present, or the present looking into the past.
Panelists: Marco Carocari, John Copenhaver, and Kelly J. Ford.
Moderator: Greg Herren.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon
Sunday, March 26, 2023
1—2:15 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming:, Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Gerard Cabrera, Louis Flint Ceci, AJ Dolman, Ian Henzel, Steven Reigns, and David Valdes for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Sunday, March 26, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Literary Discussion
OTHERWORLDLY: WRITING THE FANTASICAL
Building worlds for horror, fantasy, and other speculative fiction is a different type of construction altogether. It requires skill, technique, an intimate knowledge of the genre in which you’re working, and a whole lot of sweat equity in terms of plot, character, and structure. Join Christian Baines, Ariadne Blayde, James K. Moran, and David Swatling as they discuss the unique challenges and ultimate rewards of writing the paranormal.
Moderated by Jerry L. Wheeler.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal B
Sunday, March 26, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Literary Discussion
POETRY AS LIFE SUPPORT
Poetry is there in moments of pleasure, need, ceremony, grief, and love. Come hear a discussion of professional poets who are dedicated to poetry, keep it alive, and are sustained by the form. What is their drive and reason for persisting? Does poetry save and from what? What happens when the muse isn’t there? We’ll discuss poetry’s part in immortalizing love, bearing witness, pain, and homage. Is poetry on life support or does it support our lives?
Panelists: Samiya Bashir, Jewelle Gomez, David Groff, and Emanuel Xavier.
Moderator: Steven Reigns.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal C
Sunday, March 26, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Reading Series
SAINTS AND SINNERS: WRITERS READ
Sponsored by the John Burton Harter Foundation
Take the rare opportunity to hear authors in their own voice. This highlighted Festival event has authors share their vivid imaginations with their new creations, or revisiting a past work that holds special meaning. Please join us in welcoming: Robert P. Graves, Lori Horvitz, Andrew Holleran, Mark S. King, K.M. Soehnlein, and Lydia Stryk for this year’s mix of established and exciting new writers.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal D
Sunday, March 26, 2023
2:30—3:45 PM—Literary Discusion
AN EYE FOR AN EYE: JUSTICE V. REVENGE
The crime novel has always scrutinized how the justice system works, either by shining an unflinching light on its pitfalls, biases and injustices or by showing it running as smoothly as a Swiss watch. With more and more public scrutiny on crime and policing, does the crime writer have a responsibility to show the system working or to expose its inconsistencies and flaws? When does justice cross the line into vengeance? Is taking the law into one’s own hands ever justified, or is it merely vigilantism? Join us as five amazing crime writers discuss writing about crime, the justice system, and how their work explores and reflects those fine lines between personal morality and human justice.
Panelists: S.A. Cosby, Margot Douaihy, Genevieve Essig, and Michael Nava.
Moderator: J.M. Redmann.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon
4—6 PM—Special Event
CLOSING RECEPTION
We’ll induct our 2023 SAS Hall of Fame members and
present our 9th annual Saints and Sinners Emerging
Writer Award—sponsored by Rob Byrnes.
Hotel Monteleone, Lobby Level, Royal Salon