|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A journey through the literary landscape of Yosemite and beyond…. February
23-27, 2003, at The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley. To download a PDF version of the Winter Literary Conference brochure, click here. Conference
Description
The Yosemite Association invites you to attend the Third Annual Yosemite Winter Literary Conference, to be held February 23 through 27, 2003 in Yosemite National Park. Through workshops, panel discussions, readings, and informal sessions, participants will celebrate and explore the literary landscape of California, the Sierra Nevada, and the American West with a distinguished group of writers, publishers, artists, photographers, and scientists. Join us in Yosemite Valley in the sublime winter season for a journey into the literature and landscape of the west. The conference is designed for a variety of interest levels, from curious students and readers of western literature to aspiring and accomplished writers. Its goal is to attract and introduce writers and other artists to Yosemite and to engage them in literary contemplation, activity, and exchange. In the morning you'll join presenters for workshops, talks, and readings, while afternoons will offer options for both indoor and outdoor experiences, from skiing, snowshoeing, and ranger-led walks to panel discussions, cross-disciplinary presentations, and mini-writing workshops. A special evening presentation will conclude each day. Other events include book signings, an opening night welcoming reception, and a closing night dinner banquet (included in the conference fee). Enrollments are limited to 125 and will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. The Yosemite
Winter Literary Conference is presented by the Yosemite Association
in conjunction with the John Muir Institute for the Environment, University
of California at Davis, and Yosemite Concession Services, Inc. Francisco
X. Alarcon is one of the nation's most prominent Chicano poets.
In Snake Poems (winner of the American Book Award in 1993) and
seven other volumes, he explores the links between the mythic/literal
landscapes of Atztlan life in ur-Mexico and contemporary multicultural
America. Laughing Tomatoes (1997) and three following volumes
of poetry for children received special awards from the American Library
Karen Joy Fowler is the author of four ingenious books of fiction, starting with Sarah Canary (1991), of which the New York Times Book Review wrote, "The sheer confidence of her vision blinds the reader in a vivid dream." Set in the Northwest Territory in the 19th century, the novel is a modern classic with readers all over the planet. Sister Noon (2001), her most recent novel, was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Phil Frank is an Honorary California State Park Ranger and creator of the cartoon series "Farley," now in its 28th year. He is the author of five cartoon collections, including Fur and Loafing in Yosemite (1999). Gerald Haslam has almost twenty books in print, many of which chronicle the regions of his birth (Bakersfield) and rearing (Oildale). A distinguished Californian of letters, he has recently published Straight White Male, Condor Dreams, and Coming of Age in California. Jack Hicks is Yosemite conference organizer and director. He is editor (with Maxine Hong Kingston, James Houston and Al Young) of the landmark collection The Literature of California, volume I of which was published in 2000 by the University of California Press. Volume II will appear in 2004. Kimi Kodani Hill is editor of Shades of California and a collection of her grandfather Chiura Obata's art: Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata's Art of the Internment. Brenda Hillman's most recent collection of poems is Cascadia, named for and based on the geologic landform that preceded contemporary California. With six previous volumes (most recently, Loose Sugar in 1997), she has won a major place in contemporary American poetry. In seven novels and nonfiction books, James D. Houston has written widely on California and the Pacific Rim. The Last Paradise (1998) won the American Book Award, and Snow Mountain Passage, his most recent novel (2001), is based in part on the lives of the survivors of the ill-fated Donner Party. Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston's memoir of her family's 1942-45 internment in Manzanar relocation camp, has been in print and a modern classic since publication in 1973. She is also author of Beyond Manzanar and Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder: A Vietnam Memoir. A former rafting and hunting guide, Pam Houston lives outdoorsy in Colorado and California, and Cowboys Are My Weakness (1993) was a best-seller and critical favorite. Waltzing the Cat (short stories, 1998) and A Little More About Me (1999) are her most recent books. John Updike selected her story "The Best Girlfriend You Never Had" for Best American Short Stories of the Century. Earll Kingston has been acting professionally on the East and West Coasts and Hawaii for more than 30 years. His one-man performances have gathered wide followings, and he recently co-wrote "We Meet at Appomattox," a retelling of the events that brought Generals Grant and Lee together in April 1865. Maxine Hong Kingston is the author of three novels, the first of which, Woman Warrior (1976), catapulted her to international prominence. China Men (1980) and Tripmaster Monkey (1989) followed, as did many honorary degrees, distinctions, and awards, including the United States Presidential Medal in 1998. To Be the Poet, essays on writing, was published in 2002. A draft of The Fifth Book of Peace, her fourth novel, was destroyed in the Oakland hills firestorm of 1991. Rewritten, it will appear in 2003. Malcolm Margolin is founder and publisher of Heyday Books, the state's premier publisher of Californiana. Eldridge Moores is a geologist specializing in geology and plate tectonics in the northern Sierra Nevada. Aside from his own voluminous research on the structural origins of continents, he was the human subject around which John McPhee wrapped Assembling California (1993). Quincy
Troupe is the author of 13 books and the winnter of two American
Book Awards, for his poetry and Miles: The Autobiography. His
credits include take it to the hoop, Magic Johnson, a children's
book. He is also a two-time winner of the Heavyweight-Champion national
standup poetry competition and a featured poet on two PBS productions. Yosemite Valley, the heart of world-renowned Yosemite National Park, has inspired many notable works of art, from the impassioned prose of John Muir to the iconographic images of Ansel Adams. Winter in the valley is especially spectacular, particularly with a new blanket of snow on the granite brows of Half Dome, El Capitan, and other landmarks.
The Ahwahnee
Hotel is an historic structure and some meeting rooms are accessible
only by stairs. Please contact YA for possible accommodations. Tuition: The cost for the four-day conference is $535 ($500 for members of the Yosemite Association). This fee includes the Sunday night welcoming reception and dinner at the Wednesday night banquet. No refunds will be made to participants who need to leave early, nor are single-day options available. To enroll in the literary conference, click here.
Meals: The conference fee includes dinner at the Wednesday night banquet. Participants may order optional box lunches each day for an additional fee. For other meals, several dining options are available in Yosemite Valley, from cafeteria to delicatessen to traditional restaurant. There is also a well-supplied grocery store. Accommodations:
Participants may choose from a variety of room packages at discounted
rates offered by Yosemite Concession Services, Inc. (YCS), the park
concessioner, or make their own lodging arrangements. The four-night
rates (including tax) for the YCS lodging options are as follows: Because
these packages are already deeply discounted, Yosemite Association members
do not receive any further discount from the quoted rates.
To reserve one of these lodging packages, click
here. Visit the YCS website at www.yosemitepark.com for descriptions and photographs of the various rooms. Those wishing to arrive early for the conference or extend their stay beyond it should contract YCS Reservations at (559) 252-4848. Please contact our office at (209) 379-2646 for other housing alternatives. Cancellation Policy: Refunds will be given only for cancellations received by February 1st. A $50 cancellation fee will be charged for each enrollment.
|
3rd
Annual Yosemite Winter Literary Conference
The
Yosemite Association would like to thank our friends at Dumont Printing
in Fresno, California, for their generous donation of printing services
for the 2003 conference brochure.
The
site of the conference is the magnificent Ahwahnee Hotel, a National
Historic Landmark and one of the grand lodges in the national park system.
Known for its elegant high-ceilinged lounge and dining room, the Ahwahnee
is appointed in a Native American motif, carried out in painted beams,
wall murals, floor mosaics, and stained glass windows. With crackling
fires blazing in its over-sized rock fireplaces, the hotel will be a
cozy and inviting venue for this winter event.
Teachers:
We are pleased to offer continuing education credit in partnership with
the Department of Education of UC Berkeley Extension. Please contact
our office for more information.
