Mendocino Coast Writers Conference: Our Community

The latest news from our community of writers is...

August 2008

In this issue:
-Dates set for 2009 Conference
-2008 Conference Highlights
-More MCWC Community Literary News

20th Anniversary 2009 Mendocino Coast Writers Conference

Will be held from July 30 – August 2, 2009 on the College of the Redwoods Fort Bragg Campus, with some events happening in historic community locations nearby. Save the dates and check back soon for announcements about more faculty, editors, and agents. Confirmed so far are poet Ellen Bass (The Human Line) and Newberry Honor author Gennifer Choldenko (Al Capone Does My Shirts.)

2008 Conference Highlights

With keynote talks by Michael Datcher and James D. Houston, along with seminars led by stellar faculty members, the recent conference provided something for everyone. Craft workshops, critique sessions, agent chat rooms, and relaxing patio lunches fueled the creative dynamic. For some photos, check out www.mcwc.org [photos button]

MCWC Community Literary News

Author Jana McBurney-Lin sends news that My Half of the Sky has just been released in trade paperback. Since original publication in 2006, the novel set in modern China has received several awards, including the ABA BookSense Pick. Jana presented at the 2007 MCWC Paths to Publishing Panel.
Pamela Alma Bass (MCWC 2008 participant) has an essay, My Penguin Pilgrimage, upcoming in the September 2008 issue of Twins Magazine. Pamela teaches humor writing at U.C. Berkeley Extension.
Washington Burning, a narrative history of how the nation’s capital city was created from wilderness is just out from Random House. Author Les Standiford is a former faculty presenter of the conference.
Former faculty member John Dufresne’s newest novel, Requiem, Mass. (W. W. Norton), chronicles the misadventures of a quirky Massachusetts family from the vantage point of son John, who is hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as “a very amusing, unreliable narrator.” Requiem was a recent People Magazine Pick of the Week.

Young Writers at MCWC

Where are they now?
John Paul Bove, a 2008 Point Arena High graduate, who has attended MCWC in 2007 and 2008, is off to U.C. Santa Cruz

Jasper Henderson (FB High 2008, MCWC 2007) will attend Harvard this fall

Kate Lewis (Mendocino Community HS 2008, MCWC 2006) is heading to Warren Wilson

Marie Champagne (Community HS 2008, MCWC 2006) completed a collection of poetry as her senior project and will be studying locally

Erica Schimmel (Willits HS 2008, MCWC 2006, 2007) will be majoring in Creative Writing at San Francisco State.

Allegra Fisher (MCWC 2006) has completed a novel and will be teaching creative writing for her senior project at Mendocino Community High this year.

If you know high school students who might want to attend MCWC during Summer 2009, please refer them to the new guidelines for the HS Scholarship program.

Newsletter Archive

2008 Issues:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August

August 2008