During the years Tennessee Williams lived in Key West, he swam at South Beach every morning before sitting down to write. “I work everywhere,” Williams said of Key West, “but I work best here.”
KEY WEST LITERARY SEMINAR
The Key West Literary Seminar has attracted lovers of literature to Key West for more than a quarter of a century. Each year in January, we explore a different literary theme, bringing acclaimed writers and readers from all over the world together in this historic island city. Four days of readings, conversations, lectures, panel discussions, and parties add up to an event that is one of today's smartest and most high-spirited literary gatherings.
Our 29th annual Seminar will take place in January 2011. The Hungry Muse: An Exploration of Food in Literature will present dozens of today’s most compelling, thought-provoking, and funniest writers– memoirists, novelists, poets, historians, journalists, and all manner of lettered gastronome and gourmand. It promises to be a mouthwatering and fascinating investigation not simply of the stuff we eat, but of all the things food stands for in our thoughts and words and stories. Confirmed speakers include Roy Blount Jr., Frank Bruni, Kate Christensen, Jonathan Gold, Adam Gopnik, Gael Greene, Madhur Jaffrey, Mark Kurlansky, Ruth Reichl, Michael Ruhlman, and Calvin Trillin.
Our Writers' Workshop Program, also in January, provides writers at all stages of development with various opportunities to explore the craft of writing. This year's distinguished faculty will include Alan Cheuse, Billy Collins, and Susan Shreve.
Last year's Seminar saw an extraordinary assembly of poets gathered in Key West. Clearing the Sill of the World paid tribute to Richard Wilbur, who was joined by many of the leading poets of our time, including Kay Ryan, Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Maxine Kumin, Robert Pinsky, Paul Muldoon, and Yusef Komunyakaa. Pictures, audio recordings, and more from this historic event are archived on Littoral.
L I T T O R A L is our year-round online journal, dedicated to sharing the rich life of letters in our island city. Visit now for an exclusive interview with Frank Bruni, an illustrated profile of James Leo Herlihy in 1960s Key West, Stuart Krimko's analysis of James Tate's offbeat humor, and vintage photographs of Shel Silverstein and James Merrill. You'll also find new releases from our Audio Archives Project, with more than 70 recordings of unique presentations by writers including Gore Vidal, Junot Díaz, Mark Strand, Joy Williams, Eric Foner, and Kay Ryan. To stay connected with us, sign up for our email list, subscribe to Littoral, or join other fans and friends on Facebook or Twitter.