UntitledTown Book and Author Festival

Racial identity has always been a part of our narrative as authors -- and representation in the literary world is more important now than ever. This panel will explore how our cultural and ethnic heritage interweaves into our art and will attempt to answer the question "Am I allowed to write characters of color if I'm white?" Moderated by UWGB Christina Ortiz.

In Zen Buddhism, the concept of shoshin, also known as "beginner's mind," refers to the lack of preconceptions and an attitude of openness that come with learning a new skill or subject for the first time. We're not here to talk about Buddhism, but we are here to talk about what happens when two writers expand their artistic mediums to include working with film, sound, comedy, and the visual arts. In this dialogue, writers Patricia Killelea and Monica McFawn share how moving beyond page-based writing re-introduces "beginner's mind," invigorating approaches to writing, storytelling, and lyricism.

Never judge a book by its cover and never judge a literary art by the lack of a book. Panel discussion about all the things that aren't traditional book narratives, moderated by UWGB's own Bryan Carr.

The author of "We Think with Ink" describes different ways to get students' work into the hands of people outside the classroom. Learn how to address the subject of rejection, something all writers tend to dread, and discover a variety of ways to motivate young writers, including games and activities. Bring a pen and paper!