So there's a lot that we're all excited about up here: lots of grants, our February creative nonfiction workshop, and that registration for the 2010 Port Townsend Writers' Conference begins Monday, November 9, at 9 am!

Morning workshop faculty members will include fiction writer Chris Abani, nonfiction writer Denise Chávez, poet Martín Espada, poet Dana Levin, fiction writer Micheline Aharonian Marcom, travel writer Tom Miller, nonfiction writer Bich Minh Nguyen (leading a master class), and fiction writer Ana Menéndez.

Afternoon workshop faculty members will include Wendy Call, Sam Ligon, Susan Landgraf, Susan Rich, Deborah Poe, Lana Ayers, Kelli Russell Agodon, Maya Jewell Zeller, Tamara Sellman, Kitty Hoffman, and others.

If you have never been to the Port Townsend Writers' Conference, before, here's what it's all about:

7-8—Optional Morning Freewrite, in which veteran memoirist and writing guide Ellie Mathews leads you in optional exercises to unlock the writing voice. Enjoy hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while warming up the writing muscles. This is followed by,  
8-9—Breakfast, and then the
9-11:30—Morning workshop with your core faculty member, above. You're with the same faculty member and group of fourteen students all week, which leads to a really natural writing community and development of your work. Class descriptions are available here.
9-10:30—Optional Morning Exercises. This is for those not enrolled in a core morning workshop, who want to continue freewriting exercises.
12-1:00—Lunch
2-3:30—Workshops and lectures in special topics. These are drop-in workshops. Around six or seven will be happening every afternoon, in a wide variety of topics. The only hard part is deciding which ones to take!
4-5—Craft Lecture. At 4 pm each day, our morning faculty take to the stage to talk about the writing process, from inspiration to completed work.
5:30-6:30—Dinner 
7:30—Readings by faculty members.

When registration opens, it will be available online, as well as by calling Centrum at 360.385.3102, x131 or x114. For more information, call Jordan Hartt, Director of Programs, at 360.385.3102, x131, or email jordan(at)centrum(dot)org.