Homecoming, May 28-31, 2020

This is a first look at Homecoming sessions. Times are subject to change, and room assignments will be published later. For alums who come in on Wednesday evening, we will be offering a Dutch-treat dinner at a nearby restaurant.


Registration is open now at https://mfahomecoming2020.questionpro.com !

 

THURSDAY, MAY 28
HOMECOMING KICKS OFF!

12:30 – 12:45 p.m. Homecoming Registration

12:45 – 1:15 p.m. Welcome Gathering

1:30 – 4:00, with break at 2:30. Writing in Community Session 1. Nancy Chen Long (P ’13)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Faculty/Guest Lectures (open to alums and students)

  • Fiction, CNF, W4C. Michele Zakis (W4CYA ’18), “Write Out of the Graveyard.”
  • Professional Enrichment. Katy Yocom (F ’03), “The Author Book Tour.”
  • Faculty Lectures in poetry and dramatic writing.

2:45 – 4:00 p.m. Generative sessions (alums only)

  • Fiction, CNF, W4C. Claudia Love Mair (CNF ’17), “Writing to Inspire (Spiritual Writing)”
  • Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Screenwriting, Playwriting. Diana McQuady (F ’14), “Finding Setting Inspiration from Familiar Places.”

4:15 – 5:00 p.m. Nancy Chen Long (P ’13), Literary Chat.

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Spalding’s Festival of Contemporary Writing. Distinguished Visiting Writer Kevin Willmott, winner of the Spalding Prize for the Promotion of Peace and Justice in Literature. Willmott is the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of BlacKkKlansman and a frequent collaborator with Spike Lee.

7:00 – 9ish p.m. Old Louisville walking tour, led by David Dominé (F ’13).

Dinner on your own.

 

FRIDAY, MAY 29

9:00 – 9:45 a.m. Q&A with Distinguished Visiting Writer Kevin Willmott. (Brown Hotel, 1st fl., Citation)

9:00 – 12:30. Writing in Community with Nancy Chen Long. (Come and go as you please)

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Alumni sessions (alums only)

  • Writing life panel. Bridgette Dutta Portman (PW ’18), Claudia Love Mair (CNF ’17), Kate Beer Pilkington (F ’12). “Writing While Parenting.”
  • Craft: Fiction. Lora Hilty (F ’12), “The Switchback Structure: Juxtaposing Time.”

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Alumni lectures (alums only)

  • Craft: CNF. Farah Casalini (CNF ’17), “A Fickle Mind: Writing Outside of Your Memory and Inside Emotional Truth.”
  • Craft: Screenwriting. Brett Niethamer (SW ’17), “Origin Stories in Film and TV.”

12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Lunch break and nap time.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Faculty and guest lectures (open to students and alums)

  • Professional Enrichment. Annie Frazier Crandell (F ’17), “Envisioning Revision”
  • Faculty lecture(s) in playwriting and poetry.

 

3:15–4:15 p.m. Terry Price (F ’06), Labyrinth Session

 

4:45– 5:45 p.m. Celebration of Recently Published Books by Alumni.

Marjetta Geerling (W4CYA ’11), Cold Nose, Warm Heart

Drema Drudge (F ’13), Victorine

Jill Kelly Koren (P ’08), Though the Word Is a Lie

Alicia Anthony (F ’16), Inherent Truth

Amy Clark (P ’04), Roundabout

Nancy Chen Long (P ’13), Wider than the Sky

Katy Yocom (F ’03), Three Ways to Disappear

5:45 – 6:15 Book Sales and Signing with Cash Bar.  

Dinner on your own.

9:00 p.m. Alumni After-Party Literary Reading. A reading by alumni who signed up in advance with Teneice Durrant (P’06), host, at teneiced@gmail.com.

 

SATURDAY, MAY 30

10:30 – 11:30/11:45 a.m. Curriculum sessions (open to students and alums)

  • Professional Enrichment Lecture. Alicia Anthony (F ’16), “An Author’s Guide to Reluctantly Going Indie.”
  • Craft Generative Workshop (75 minutes). Fiction, CNF. Kellie Carle (F ’16), “Writing the Listicle”
  • Faculty lecture TBA.

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.Homecoming lunch.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.  Terry Price at labyrinth to walk with anyone who wants to walk with him.

2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Informal discussion on publication, led by Nancy Chen Long. (Alumni only.)

Homecoming Farewell Gathering.

For those who can stay till evening, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Graduation, followed by reception, cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres.

 

SUNDAY, MAY 31

Spalding’s annual Day at the Downs.

 

Register now at https://mfahomecoming2020.questionpro.com