Merlin Sheldrake and Michael Pollan on Entangled Life

Kathryn Ma, Cecilia Rabess, and Erik Tarloff, moderated by Michael Shapiro

They say it's easier to make people cry than to make them laugh—in this session, we'll put that theory to the test with three authors who effectively deploy humor in their recent and forthcoming novels. In this craft-focused session, we'll engage deeply with each author's writing, first doing a close reading of specific passages that exemplify their brand of humor and then learning more about how that comedic sensibility informs the totality of the work.

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Darwin BondGraham, Neil Gross, and Ali Winston, moderated by Laura Wenus

From the Panthers to the Riders, Oakland is ground zero for legitimately questioning the very fabric of cop culture. In this session, investigative duo Darwin BondGraham and Ali Winston, San Francisco Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin, and Colby College sociology professor Neil Gross will present perspectives from individuals who have thoroughly reported on, studied, and worked with populations affected by cop culture, and have ideas about how to enact reform.

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Leslie Absher, Eric Newton, and Leta Seletzky, moderated by Sylvia Brownrigg

We often find ourselves looking back on our parents’ lives to understand our own place in the world. Join the acclaimed Sylvia Brownrigg as she guides authors Leslie Absher, Leta Seletzky, and Eric Newton through this excavation into how the lives of our fathers may offer insight into our own; it’s really only once the digging starts that the real questions come to the surface.

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Rita Cameron, Carmen Kennedy, Amanda Mei Kim, J. Michael Martinez, and Keenan Norris, moderated by Alan Soldofsky

What does it take to get beyond outlines and sh*tty first drafts to a finished manuscript? And, from there, how do you make it across the finish line to publication? Five San José State University faculty members, students, and Steinbeck Fellows with new or forthcoming books will retrace their own publication journeys and inspire you to chase your second (or third) wind in a session that offers equal parts practical advice and writerly motivation.

Sponsored by the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University

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Patricia Quintana Bidar, K-Ming Chang, Grant Faulkner, Molly Giles, Nicole Simonsen, Kara Vernor, hosted by Kirstin Chen and Jane Ciabattari

There's an art to writing a (very) short story, one that includes a captivating opening, a dynamic middle, and a surprising ending—often using fewer words than we're including in this session description. We've brought several authors of flash fiction together for a big celebration of small stories.

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Yohanca Delgado, Jonathan Leal, Antonio López, Ricardo Jaramillo, Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon, moderated by Heather Partington

These days, when Goodreads reviews and social media takedowns outnumber dwindling book review publications and shrinking newspaper book pages, what role does professional criticism still play, and how can aspiring critics best prepare to engage in the literary discourse? In this session, recent members of The National Book Critics Circle's Emerging Critics Fellowship will reflect on their own development as critics and discuss what the next generation of book critics will bring to the table.

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In partnership with the National Book Critics Circle.

Jerry Emory, Dean King, and McKenzie Long, moderated by Toby McLeod

Place is political, especially when it comes to defining and defending public lands. Come hear three fascinating stories of places worth fighting for—and the people committed to preserving them.

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Dorothee Elmiger and Jori Lewis, moderated by Ariana Proehl

Jori Lewis traces both natural and human history as she reveals the long and tortured story of the peanut's entanglement with human bondage. Swiss author Dorothee Elmiger's protagonist (also named Dorothee Elmiger) is an archivist, an obsessive collector of objects related to the violent history of the global sugar trade, which unfolds through a kaleidoscopic narrative that's as intellectually engaged as it is self-reflexive.

With the support of the Center for the Art of Translation

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Ingrid Rojas Contreras, K.M. Soehnlein, and Preeti Vangani, moderated by Dave Madden

Jori Lewis traces both natural and human history as she reveals the long and tortured story of the peanut's entanglement with human bondage. Swiss author Dorothee Elmiger's protagonist (also named Dorothee Elmiger) is an archivist, an obsessive collector of objects related to the violent history of the global sugar trade, which unfolds through a kaleidoscopic narrative that's as intellectually engaged as it is self-reflexive.

Sponsored by University of San Francisco MFA in Writing program

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Lily Chu, Claire Kann, Amy Spalding, and Taleen Voskuni, moderated by Jasmine Guillory

The course of true love never did run smooth," and nowhere is that truer than in contemporary romantic comedies, where creative roadblocks make the journey to Happily Ever After endlessly entertaining, and the destination that much sweeter.

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