2016 Seaside Writers Conference Schedule
All Workshops, Seminars, and Readings are in Assembly Hall, Seaside Institute Academic Village unless otherwise noted.
Saturday, May 14
5PM Welcome reception (and registration) - Bud and Alley's PIZZA (near obelisk on way to beach, west side of central shops).
7PM Headliner reading: Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Assembly Hall, Academic Village
Reception afterward
Sunday, May 15
930-1015 Seminar: Elizabeth Stuckey-French: “It’s All About Audacity”
1030 – 4PM Agent meetings with Duvall Osteen (Academic Village courtyard)
Workshop meetings –
1030-1230 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (upstairs)
130-330 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
5-6PM Scholar Reading, reception following
Monday, May 16
930-1015 AM Seminar: Duvall Osteen: “How it Works: From Query to Book”
Workshop meetings
10:30 - 1230 Matt Bondurant(downstairs)
10:30 – 1230 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
130 – 330 Rebecca Makkai (downstairs)
5-6PM Fellows Reading, reception following
Tuesday, May 17
930-1-15 Seminar: Matt Bondurant: “Moment of Impact”
Workshop meetings
1030-1230 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (downstairs)
130-330 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
1030 – 4PM Agent consultations w/ Alex Glass (Academic Village courtyard)
5-6PM Sundog Bookstore Signing Event, reception following
Wednesday, May 18
930-1015 Seminar: Rebecca Makkai: “Closing Time – Chronological Shifts”
1030-1115 Seminar: Alex Glass: “The Nonfiction Landscape: Publishing”
No Workshop: Reading Day
1030-2PM (w/ lunch break) Fellows & Scholars – Writers in the Classroom
6-8 PM Seafood Boil Fundraiser Event (Academic Village courtyard)
Thursday, May 19
930-1015 Seminar: Seth Tucker: “No Boring Poems”
Workshop meetings
1030-1230 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (upstairs)
130-330 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
1030-4PM Agent consultations w/ Alex Glass (Academic Village courtyard)
5-6PM Faculty Reading, reception to follow
Friday, May 20
930-1030 Seminar: Andre Dubus III: “Do Not Think: Dream”
Workshop meetings
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (downstairs)
1030-1230 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
130-330 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
5PM Reception (location TBA)
7-8PM Headliner Andre Dubus III
Bonfire on the Beach – End of Conference Party
Saturday, May 21
All depart
5PM Welcome reception (and registration) - Bud and Alley's PIZZA (near obelisk on way to beach, west side of central shops).
7PM Headliner reading: Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Assembly Hall, Academic Village
Reception afterward
Sunday, May 15
930-1015 Seminar: Elizabeth Stuckey-French: “It’s All About Audacity”
1030 – 4PM Agent meetings with Duvall Osteen (Academic Village courtyard)
Workshop meetings –
1030-1230 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (upstairs)
130-330 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
5-6PM Scholar Reading, reception following
Monday, May 16
930-1015 AM Seminar: Duvall Osteen: “How it Works: From Query to Book”
Workshop meetings
10:30 - 1230 Matt Bondurant(downstairs)
10:30 – 1230 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
130 – 330 Rebecca Makkai (downstairs)
5-6PM Fellows Reading, reception following
Tuesday, May 17
930-1-15 Seminar: Matt Bondurant: “Moment of Impact”
Workshop meetings
1030-1230 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (downstairs)
130-330 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
1030 – 4PM Agent consultations w/ Alex Glass (Academic Village courtyard)
5-6PM Sundog Bookstore Signing Event, reception following
Wednesday, May 18
930-1015 Seminar: Rebecca Makkai: “Closing Time – Chronological Shifts”
1030-1115 Seminar: Alex Glass: “The Nonfiction Landscape: Publishing”
No Workshop: Reading Day
1030-2PM (w/ lunch break) Fellows & Scholars – Writers in the Classroom
6-8 PM Seafood Boil Fundraiser Event (Academic Village courtyard)
Thursday, May 19
930-1015 Seminar: Seth Tucker: “No Boring Poems”
Workshop meetings
1030-1230 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (upstairs)
130-330 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
1030-4PM Agent consultations w/ Alex Glass (Academic Village courtyard)
5-6PM Faculty Reading, reception to follow
Friday, May 20
930-1030 Seminar: Andre Dubus III: “Do Not Think: Dream”
Workshop meetings
1030-1230 Rebecca Makkai (downstairs)
1030-1230 Seth Tucker (upstairs)
130-330 Matt Bondurant (downstairs)
5PM Reception (location TBA)
7-8PM Headliner Andre Dubus III
Bonfire on the Beach – End of Conference Party
Saturday, May 21
All depart
Seaside Conference Info and Logistics
Dear Seaside Writers’ Conference guest or potential visitor,
Welcome to our collection of poets, writers, and lunatics for the written word! We are thrilled that you will be joining us on the beach for the 2016 session. You should be able to find most everything you need to know in this information letter.
We have tried to address everything we can, but please let us know if we have left anything out.
Please contact Seth Tucker or Matt Bondurant at: [email protected]
or call Seth Tucker at 303-868-3873.
DATES:
Conference takes place May 14th through May 21st, 2016, and occurs annually the second or third week of May.
LOCATION:
This conference is beachside in the village of Seaside, Florida, in between Panama City and Pensacola on the gulf side of Florida. Most of the activities and classes take place right off the town center at the Seaside Institute, and in buildings adjacent. We also spend a great deal of time on the white marble beach, listening to the waves and talking literature and writing while sitting under beach umbrellas.
Lodging will be assigned once you have arrived.
Address: The Seaside Institute Assembly Hall
168 Smolian Circle
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Seaside+Institute/@30.3203344,-86.1392878,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x1458c867f34b3147:0x2b339249d19d2f8
PAYMENTS AND DEADLINES
As a reminder, all payments for full enrollment for the conference, or enrollment for just the a la carte option for a workshop with faculty, are due by May 7th, 2016. All other a la carte options are first-come, first-serve, but will remain open throughout the conference. All payments should go through our online portal.
http://seasidewritersconference.weebly.com
WORKSHOPS
Faculty members are selected for their writing and their teaching and are experts of craft, aesthetic, and the professional concerns surrounding the art of writing. Each workshop will spend significant time with your manuscript. We ask faculty members to plan their sessions so that each participant’s work receives appropriate attention. Workshops are central to our conference, and will meet for four days for a total of four two to three-hour sessions. If you have paid full tuition or paid for the workshop, you will be assigned a faculty member, who will be assisted by a couple of rising star fellows and scholars (who will be experts in their own right, and will add to the experience), and who will also be members of the workshop. Workshop assignments will be made known to you electronically at least two weeks before the Conference begins. While you will receive hard copies of compiled workshop manuscripts when you arrive at registration, we suggest that you read and familiarize yourself with your fellow workshop members’ writing before coming to Seaside (otherwise, you will be working on their critiques when you could be having fun). You will be provided with pdf files well before your trip.
MANUSCRIPTS
Your manuscript should reflect the genre in which you applied and have been admitted (short story writers may submit more than one story, as long as the total number of pages does not exceed the page limit given below. Novel writers are encouraged to include a synopsis of the overall action.)
We ask that you submit no more than 20 pages of poetry or prose (double-spaced with normal borders and formatting).
Workshop manuscripts are due by May 7th, 2016. Email as an attachment (pdf or doc) to [email protected].
Faculty members will not necessarily line-edit or revise your work for you, but will offer counsel based on their experience and knowledge of the craft of writing. Decisions as to which manuscripts, or portions thereof, will be considered and discussed in your assigned workshop are made by the faculty members directing the workshop.
TRAVEL TO AND FROM SEASIDE
From Tallahassee Airport (TLH, a 2.5 hour drive):
Head north toward Terminal Loop Road. Slight left onto FL-263 N/Capital Cir SW. Keep right to continue on Capital Cir SW. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left to merge onto I-10 W. Follow I-10 W to US-331 S in DeFuniak Springs. Take exit 85 from I-10 W. Take exit 85 for US-331 toward De Funiak Springs/Freeport. Turn left onto US-331 S (signs for Freeport). Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto US-98 E. Turn right onto County Rd 283 S. Turn left onto E Co Hwy 30A. Turn left onto W Ruskin St. Turn right onto Smolian Cir. Destination will be on the left.
https://goo.gl/maps/RyGeETqZgjn
From Panama City (ECP, less than an hour drive):
Follow W Bay Pkwy and State Hwy 388 to FL-79 S: Head northeast on W Bay Pkwy. Slight left to stay on W Bay Pkwy. Turn right onto State Hwy 388. Take US-98 W to S Co Hwy 395 in Walton County. Turn left onto FL-79 S. Turn right onto US-98 W/Back Beach Rd/Panama City Beach Pkwy. Turn left onto S Co Hwy 395. Turn right onto E Co Hwy 30A. Turn right onto Quincy Cir. Slight left onto Smolian Cir. Destination will be on the right
https://goo.gl/maps/qRhicB9uDxM2
From Pensacola (PNS, a 1.5 hour drive):
There is also a route for highway 98 all the way to Pensacola, along the beaches, but can be agonizingly slow with traffic.
Get on I-10 E in Ferry Pass from Langley Ave and US-90 E. Head east on Airport Blvd. Keep left to stay on Airport Blvd. Turn right onto Service Center Rd. Turn left at the 1st cross street onto Francis Taylor Blvd. Turn right onto Tippin Ave. Turn right onto Langley Ave. Turn left onto US-90 E. Turn left to merge onto I-10 E. Merge onto I-10 E 10. Take exit 85 for US-331 toward De Funiak Springs/Freeport
Continue on US-331 S. Drive to Smolian Cir. Turn right onto US-331 S (signs for Freeport). Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto US-98 E. Turn right onto County Rd 283 S. Turn left onto E Co Hwy 30. Turn left onto W Ruskin St. Turn right onto Smolian Cir Destination will be on the left
https://goo.gl/maps/RCuyZxvfzWH2
Fort Walton Beach (VPS, 45 minutes to Seaside):
Get on FL-293 from FL-85 N, W John Sims Pkwy and FL-20 E
19 min (11.0 mi). Head east 0.2 miles. Use any lane to take the Florida State Route 85 N ramp 0.4 miles. Merge onto FL-85 N 2.7 miles. Use any lane to turn left onto W John Sims Pkwy 3.9 miles. Continue onto FL-20 E 3.4 miles. Slight right to merge onto FL-293. Toll road 0.3 miles. Take US-98 E to County Rd 283 S in Walton County
31 min (22.5 miles). Merge onto FL-293 Partial toll roar 6.0 miles. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto US-98 E/Emerald Coast Pkwy. Continue to follow US-98 E 16.5 miles. Follow County Rd 283 S and E Co Hwy 30A to Smolian Cir 8 min (3.9 mi)
Turn right onto County Rd 283 S 1.7 miles. Turn left onto E Co Hwy 30A 2.1 miles.
Turn left onto W Ruskin St 374 ft. Turn right onto Smolian Cir. Destination will be on the left.
https://goo.gl/maps/qFbcAUMiwbr
It is also possible to rent a vehicle in New Orleans (4.25 hours) or Mobile, AL (2.5 hours), but Tallahassee, Pensacola, Ft Walton Beach, and Panama City are the three closest airports.
MEDICAL INFORMATION
Seaside and Walton County have a small but well-equipped hospital and an active Emergency Medical Service. If you have an emergency, do not contact the SWC—call 911! SWC and our sponsors are not responsible for accident or injury of our visitors, and we endeavor to always provide a safe and responsible experience.
Having your health information would save valuable time in an emergency. Please be sure to indicate any acute allergies and their nature (insect stings, penicillin, shellfish, aspirin, etc.). We should also know if you have a condition (diabetes, epilepsy, depression, etc.) that might involve a reaction or require special treatment.
PETS
Service animals are allowed, but must have accompanied paperwork to validate their status. Pets are not allowed in SWC lodging; please leave your pet in good hands at home.
COMPUTERS
There are no computers provided, but the Seaside Institute has visitor wifi, and all cottages and SWC affiliated residences are equipped with internet.
EXERCISE
The Seaside area is full of opportunity to hike, bike, kayak, etc., including:
Bike Rental
Kayak Rental
SUPs Rental
Boat Rental
Fishing Gear Rental
JetSki Rental
ParaSail Rental
DRESS, ETC.
Bring mostly informal clothing. This is beach living at its best. It will almost certainly be hot here, especially during the day, so please plan accordingly. A sweater/sweatshirt/jeans will suffice to ward off any too-cool evening breezes. If you like to dress up occasionally, there will be events, such as a beachside reception, but for all things, formal wear is absolutely not necessary. Chances are, your directors will be walking around with flip-flops, swimming suits, and t-shirts most of the time. Be comfortable!
PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP
You may wish to bring hangers for your clothes. Bring a flashlight or headlamp and your favorite brand of insect repellent. Seaside is generally insect free, but hiking around in the panhandle of Florida is sure to bring mosquitos. You will absolutely want to bring sunscreen and appropriate protective beachwear!
If you are driving, or have the means to bring it: beach chairs, umbrellas, beach towels, beach-bags, mini-coolers, cozies, hats, insulated drinking cups, etc. Whatever you feel would make your stay on the beach more luxurious—bring it! We have a section of our beach reserved, so bring your toys.
HOUSING
You will have a single private room with private or shared bathroom (never more than two writers to a bathroom). Air conditioning is provided in all lodging. Please let us know of special access needs when completing your housing information.
If you have space packing, a small oscillating fan will move air around in a room with air- conditioning and make it feel cooler.
Bed linens, a pillow, blankets, towels, and washcloths are supplied, but daily hotel-style service is not. Some of our guests like to bring their own linens and towels even though fresh towels should appear regularly.
Recent participants have also suggested bringing a portable alarm clock, a clip-on reading light, and extension cord.
The cottages have free washing machines and dryers and access to a shared refrigerator with ice-maker. Other lodging will share living and cooking space in local homes. All lodging is within walking or biking distance to the conference events. Parking is available close to Seaside Institute. Cottages are for use by registered participants only. If you have a guest, please request our list of local motels or B&Bs. SWC is not responsible for any actions of guests or uninvited guests. Guests will have to pay a la carte pricing like all other visitors who have not opted for the full tuition or workshop fee.
OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING
If you have arranged off-campus housing, we ask that you still please let us know where you will be staying and how we may contact you during the Conference.
SOCIAL LIFE
We coordinate readings, open-mics, sunset receptions and bonfires, and other such activities. We also have several scheduled social gatherings, a few of which are of the BYOBottle variety. You may purchase beer, liquor, and wine at Publix, the local market, or local liquor stores (all within walking distance). We often offer complimentary wine and heavy appetizers at dinner and other beverages, nonalcoholic and otherwise, at receptions. We have a coffee bar at the Seaside Institute, which will often be stocked with snacks.
BOOKSTORE
The Sundog Bookstore is a long-time supporter of this conference, and all books are available to purchase there. They carry a full selection of books by Conference faculty members, fellows, and visitors, as well as stationery. SWC swag will be available at times during the course of the week, and are available online. If you have a book(s) published, please contact Sundog to have them stop it—please mention our conference when you speak to the person there, and be sure to thank them!
Sundog Books: 850-231-5481
[email protected]
http://www.sundogbooks.com
TELEPHONES
Cell phone signal is generally strong around the Seaside Institute, but can be spotty in places, especially around the less-populated beaches. We are on Central Standard Time.
MONEY
The town of Seaside is modern even if it has the feel of a 1950’s development (you are going to love it!) They have banking services, law services, computer repairs, etc.
HELP SUPPORT those who Support the SEASIDE WRITERS CONFERENCE!
Be sure you help us stake our claim in Seaside by making sure you stop in, purchase something, and mention our name to the following supportive businesses:
Sundog Bookstore
The Cabana Man (provides umbrellas and chairs, and rentals)
The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County
SeaCoast Collegiate High School
Bud and Alleys
Great Southern
IN CONCLUSION
We cannot promise breakfast, lunch, or dinners even though we often do provide food and drink. Many of our attendees go to Publix and save money by making their own meals—Seaside is a resort town, and can be expensive (but the restaurants are wonderful!)
If you must, for any reason, cancel your tuition at the Conference, please let us know at once. We offer 50% refunds ONLY after April 15th because it is unlikely after that date that we will fill the slot you have occupied with your reservation.