Episodes
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Ramona Ausubel, Mary Otis, and Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, moderated by Jasmin Darznik
Relationships between mothers and daughters can be fraught or fruitful—especially for fiction writers. Bring your mom, or your daughter—you might find common ground through some fabulous new fiction in this session.Buy the books here
With the support of California College of the Arts MFA Writing program
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Anthony Cody and Paisley Rekdal, moderated by Tess Taylor
Many of us, when faced by stacks of dusty old documents, might leave the work to the archivists—or consign the mess to the recycling bin of history. In this session, we'll hear from those who instead look at archives and envision poetry. Poet Paisley Rekdal vividly documents how the heroic narrative of the transcontinental railroad is intertwined with the history of Chinese exclusion. Anthony Cody centers on the ongoing legacy of trauma along the US–Mexico border after the end of the Mexican–American War.Buy the books here
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Katy Hays, Marcie R. Rendon, and Brendan Slocumb, moderated by Laurie R. King
Not even the rarified realms of art are safe in the imaginations of these writers, where intrigue lurks even in the concert hall or the museum.Buy the books here
With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
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Chenxing Han, interviewed by Faith Adiele
We instantly fell in love with Chenxing Han’s "one long listening: a memoir of grief, friendship, and spiritual care." A hospital chaplain and caregiver in the making, Han journeys from a mountaintop monastery in Taiwan to oncology wards in San Francisco, from oceanside Ireland to riverfront Phnom Penh. The book's short chapters alternate among narrative, reflections, letters to a dying friend, memories of a migratory childhood, and wry twists and hilarious footnotes everywhere.
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Jonathan Escoffery, Tsering Yangzom Lama, and Jens Liljestrand, moderated by Leslie Carol Roberts
Here's your chance to meet three astonishingly talented young authors, from around the world, at the beginning of their careers—you'll be able to boast that you saw them when! In addition to learning about their new works, we'll hear about these debut authors' paths to publication and heed their advice to aspiring authors.
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Forrest Gander and Olivia E. Sears, moderated by CJ Evans
Voltaire once claimed, "It is impossible to translate poetry. Can you translate music?" If that's true, these talented translators have certainly achieved the impossible—in this session, they'll share insights into how they did so. Olivia Sears and Forrest Gander will read from their translations and also engage in conversation—moderated by CJ Evans, poet and editorial director of Two Lines Press—about the unique (if not impossible) challenges and rewards that poetry grants the translator.
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Cory Doctorow, interviewed by Glynn Washington
In cyber-security, the red team plays attack; the blue team plays defense. Martin Hench, the protagonist of Cory Doctorow’s latest too close to home for comfort thriller, Red Team Blues, was born to play attack. Doctorow’s novels are always feasts for the imagination, and this one is no different. It's jam-packed with cutting-edge ideas, twists and turns, and characters you won’t be able to not care about. In conversation with Doctorow will be Glynn Washington, creator and host of NPR’s Snap Judgment.
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Jamil Jan Kochai, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, and Susanne Pari, moderated by Lance Knobel
Stories transcend borders, build bridges across cultural divides, and foster empathy. Join Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Jamil Jan Kochai, and Susanne Pari to explore themes of identity, displacement, and the impact of historical events on individual lives.
With the support of SACHI
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K-Ming Chang, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and Brandon Hobson, moderated by Rita Chang-Eppig
At times in these accomplished writers' fiction, the boundaries between the spirit world and the "real world" grow porous or indiscernible, in ways that expand realities and excite readers' imaginations. Woven throughout all of these masterful works of fiction is a reverence for the resonant power of ancient and mysterious tales and spirits.
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Ava Chin, Fae Myenne Ng, and Paisley Rekdal, moderated by Kathryn Ma
The Chinese exclusion era started in 1882 and ended (at least on paper) some sixty years later, but, as the authors in this session profoundly reveal, its echoes still reverberate from coast to coast.
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Jessica Johns, Nick Medina, Marcie R. Rendon, and Margaret Verble, moderated by Melissa Stoner
These Native American and First Nations authors have published exciting new works in the genres of mysteries, thrillers, psychological horror, and historical suspense. How do these writers incorporate historical and current crises—such as the disappearances of Native women or the atrocities of child separation—into their work? How do their novels re-appropriate racist stereotypes? And how does their fiction shape perceptions of contemporary Indigenous communities among Native and non-Native audiences alike?
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Rina Ayuyang, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and Jane Smiley, moderated by Blaise Zerega
The sweeping landscapes of the American West offer writers a broad canvas on which to set epic stories. Three masterful storytellers will transport us through the rich and complex history of California and Colorado as only the best fiction can.
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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.
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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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