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Welcome to the San Diego Writers FestivalThe San Diego Writers Festival is a free, community-based event designed to celebrate the power of writing and storytelling. A few years ago, as the idea of the festival was being born, we sat down with our team and asked three important questions: 

• What if there was a place where all stories could be nurtured and heard?

• What if we opened our community up to stories from underserved, disenfranchised, or neglected parts of our community? 

• How can we create a fun, inclusive experience where we share in the joy of all things writing?

All agreed that we must champion stories, for we knew that stories transform both the teller and the listener. In whatever form you welcome a story into your life—by reading a book, listening to a podcast, diving into a graphic novel, watching a movie or a play, or attending a poetry reading—stories can make you laugh, cry, or think; can lift you up; or can ask you to see the world in a new and unique way. Stories are our bridges to communicate and understand one another. 

We invite you to join us on our mission to hear one another, be educated and illuminated by one another, or be transformed or inspired by one another.

One story at a time.

Announcing our Keynote Speaker:Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black

Headlining the Festival this year is Piper Kerman, renowned for her bestselling memoir, turned into the groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning Netflix series, Orange Is the New Black. Her social-phenomenon literary work chronicles the 13 months she spent in a federal correctional institution after a brief involvement with drug trafficking that sent her to prison on money laundering charges. In her satirical and deeply insightful book, Kerman explores the experience of incarceration and the lives of the amazing women she met in prison: their friendships and families, their issues with mental illness, their substance abuse, and their cliques and

codes of behavior. Orange Is the New Black and the subsequent smash Netflix show pioneered the way we tell stories in the traditional print world as well as in the new age of streaming entertainment. Kerman will give a keynote speech and Q & A as well as an onstage interview with award-winning playwright and festival co-founder Marni Freedman about Kerman’s legendary book, her memoir teaching, and her work for prison education reform.

www.SanDiegoWritersFestival.com

April 13, 2019at the Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common

330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101

10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (library closes at 6:00 p.m.)

2019 PROGRAM

Words. Stories. Community.Before we tell our stories we are separate;

after, we are family.

For complete event descriptions and speaker bios, please visit: SanDiegoWritersFestival.com

Empowered:How Indie Comic Creators Build Universes

with Aaron Nabus, Keithan Jones, Travis Rivas, Angela Nixon, and Terry MayoPa

nel

Our Partners: Thank you to our Sponsors:

Schedule of Events10 a.m.

Room Location1 p.m. 4 p.m. 7 p.m.

Neil Morgan Auditorium1st Floor

Mary Hollis Clark Conference Center1st Floor

Room 5635th Floor

Author Central: Book Signings1st Floor lobby

Jaffe Room5th Floor

Shiley Special Events Suite9th Floor

Katie and Dan Sullivan Library Commission Room9th Floor

Children’s ProgrammingDenny Sanford Children’s Library1st Floor

Opening Pageantry and Taiko DrumsWelcome by Festival Founders Jeniffer Thompson

and Marni Freedman; Welcome by Library Director Misty Jones

SDWF 2019 Awards Welcome by Britt Nevetsky; two-min. film

of Festival of Books; Gill Sotu Spoken Word Performance

The Bold Poet:Finding Your Muse

with Tania Pryputniewicz

Writing about Physical and Intellectual Disabilities

with Kelly Bargabos

Writing and Mindfulness with Melissa Bloom

Authors Talk the Debut Experiencewith Chris Baron and Rich Farrell

Children’s Author Marcie Colleen reads

PENGUINAUT!

Children’s Author Sally J. Pla reads

Benji, the Bad Day, and Me

Children’s Author Henry Herz reads

Good Egg and Bad Apple

Children’s Author Marta Arroyo reads Jorge and the Lost

Cookie Jar

KidsWrite! Awards Presentation

Writing about the Body: Finding the Feminine Self Through Words

with Dixie King of the International Women’s Writing Guild

Ask an Expert with San Diego Writers, Ink

You Know Poetry. You Know Karaoke.

Now There’s Poetry Karaoke.with Judy Reeves and Steve Montgomery

Using Children’s Books to Promote Inclusion of Children with

Disabilities with Dr. Karen Dobyns, OTR/L

The Science Behind Writing a Bestseller:

How Understanding the Field of Neuroscience-Storytelling Can Make You a Better Writer

with W. Craig Reed

Meet the AuthorKristin Rockaway, Zoe Ghahremani,

Jennifer Coburn, Neal Griffin, Marci Colleen, Sally J. Pla, Tania Pryputniewicz, Judy Reeves, Jill G. Hall, Thomas Larson, Margaret Dilloway,

and Caitlin Rother

Meet the AuthorBrooke Warner, Marta Arroyo, Demetra

Brodsky, Marcie Colleen, Sally J. Pla, Dixie King, Chris Baron, and Rich Farrell

Meet the AuthorKeithan Jones, Dean Nelson, Mahshid Hager,

Alephonsion Deng, and Henry Herz, Dr. Gloria A. Chance, Laura Cathcart Robbins,

Tiffany Vakilian, Jack Webb, JohnnieRenee Nia Nelson, Seretta Martin,

and Penelope

Meet the AuthorJohn Vorhaus, Henry Herz, Lisa Kessler,

Sylvia Mendoza, Edith Eger, Jean Guerrero, Marivi Soliven, Steve Montgomery,

and W. Craig Reed

Aaron Nabus, Travis Rivas, Angela Nixon, Terry Mayo, Kelly Bargabos,

Mickey Brent, Diane Anderson-Minshall, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Sam Ledel,

Martha K. Davis, Rebecca Chamaa, and Mimi Feldman

Meet the AuthorAlonso Nunez, Brae Wyckoff, Thomas Larson,

Kirsten Imani Kasai, Mona de Vestel, Michelle Zive, PhD, Dr. Karen Dobyns, OTR/L, Dr. Gina Simmons, PhD, and Marni Freedman

Donna Agins, Andrea Moriarty, Jonathan Maberry, Stephanie Diaz Slagle,

Mary E. Pearson, Dr. David Brin, Mardie Schroeder, Deborah Tobola, Madonna Treadway, Lanae Wangler,

Nancy Villalobos, and Bob Gilberg

Piper Kerman in the Library Shop Piper Kerman in the Library Shop

Avoiding the Slush Pile:Tips to Make Yourself Marketable to Agents

with Elise Capron of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

All About the Graphic Novelwith Alonso Nunez of the Little Fish

Comic Book Studio

Border Voices:A New Approach to Writing Poetry

with Jack Webb, JohnnieRenee Nia Nelson, and Seretta Martin

Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black

Keynote Speaker sponsored by the San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books

Paul Klee-Inspired WordArt Projectwith Donna Agins

Bringing Shakespeare’s Words to LifeAn Interactive Performance by the Teen Actors of

The Theatre School at North Coast Rep

Five-Minute Author Readings with Mardie Schroeder, Deborah Tobola,

Madonna Treadway, Lanae Wangler, Nancy Villalobos, Bob Gilberg, and Penelope

Reflection & Takeaway:The Heart and Soul of Memoir

with Brooke Warner of She Writes Press

Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black

On stage interview with Festival Co-Founder, Marni Freedman

The Comic Toolbox:How to Be Funny Even if You’re Not Comedy Writing with John Vorhaus

11 a.m. 2 p.m. 5 p.m.12 p.m. 3 p.m. 6 p.m.

Black Stories Matterwith Dr. Gloria A. Chance, Laura Cathcart Robbins,

Tiffany Vakilian, and Keithan JonesPane

l

Writers on Succeedingwith Jared Kuritz, Kristin Rockaway, Zoe Ghahremani, Jennifer Coburn,

and Neal GriffinPane

l

Voice, Genre, and the Writer’s Perspective:

The Many Paths to Publication with Judy Reeves, Jill G. Hall, Thomas Larson,

Margaret Dilloway, and Caitlin Rother

Pane

l The Traditional Path to Children’s Book Publishing

with Henry Herz, Demetra Brodsky, Marcie Colleen, Jonathan Maberry, and Sally J. Pla

Pane

l

How to Write Breakthrough Sci-Fi/Fantasy

with Henry Herz, Jonathan Maberry, Stephanie Diaz Slagle, Mary E. Pearson,

and Dr. David Brin

Pane

l

LGBTQ Authors Speak:

Voice, Representation, and What Happens Next? with Mickey Brent, Diane Anderson-

Minshall, Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Sam Ledel, and Martha K. Davis

Pane

l Utopia, Dystopia and Feminism with Kirsten Imani Kasai, Mona de Vestel

and Michelle Zive, PhDPane

l Fiction International and A Hundred Ghosts Storytelling Experience

with Stephen Silke, Harold Jaffe, Brenda Taulbee, Valorie K. Ruiz, Thomas Gresham,

and Kurt Kroeber

Pane

l

Writing about Mental Health Issues

with Rebecca Chamaa, Mimi Feldman, and Dr. Gina Simmons, PhD

Pane

l

Breaking Down the Walls:The Power of Immigrant Stories

with Dean Nelson, Mahshid Hager, Alephonsion Deng, and Jean GuerreroPa

nel

Cinema and TVwith Carlos de los Rios, Los Angeles film and TV producer German Michael Torres of GMT Films, San Diego film producer Cecile Cinco

of Global Edge Pictures

Pane

l Women’s Voices/Different Cultures

with Sylvia Mendoza, Edith Eger, Jean Guerrero, and Marivi Soliven Pa

nel

Evening Performaces

Neil Morgan Auditorium

7-8 p.m.

8:15-9:30 p.m.

Highlights from the Memoir Showcase(live performance)

So Say We All/VAMP Showcase

(spoken word)

Stories from the Leaders of Tomorrow

with students from e3 High share spoken word pieces, art, original music, and projects that bring

awareness and propose solutions

Romance Writing:How to Make Your Readers Feel the Love

with Lisa Kessler

What’s So Radical About Inclusion? What I Learned About Risk, Humility, and Kindness From My Son with Autism with Andrea Moriarty

Literary Agent Pitch Fest with Elise Capron, Annie Bomke,

and Patricia Nelson

Agent Pitching Prepwith Antoinette Kuritz

Lit Agents + Film/TV Pitch Festwith Capron, Bomke, and Nelson;

plus TV/film producer, German Michael Torres of GMT Films, and film producer

Cecile Cinco of Global Edge Pictures

Spirituality and the Writerwith Thomas Larson

Plunder the Darkness:Epic Fantasy Storytelling Workshop

with Brae Wyckoff

Children’s Face Painting by Remy

INCOMING: Stories from the Veteran Writers Division of

So Say We All

Poems. Kids. Inspired! Children’s Poetry Slam