Key West Literary Seminar

So Many Writers, So Many Persuasions

| | Comments (0) |
1990_program2.gif

1990. If ever a year spoke greater optimism, I, only recently turned twelve, was unaware. The eighties were down, and the twentieth century was nearly out. Our promotional literature from that year displays a timely enthusiasm. A sloop sails counter to the prevailing winds betrayed by the bent coconut palm. The postcard, below, has fireworks. And that custom-cut font, running in every direction it can to get away from itself! In the program, David Kaufelt recounts how it all began:

Literary agent Dick Duane and I were schmoozing over Diet Cokes and white meat chicken sandwiches in a Manhattan hotel bar with Rosemary Jones of the Council for Florida Libraries. She was in New York to round up authors for the council's annual lecture series. But New York publishers' publicists were having none of it, fully convinced no one in Florida read, much less bought books.

I said we have so many writers of so many persuasions in Key West, we could have our own literary festival. There was a suden enlightened silence. We could. We should. And we would.

1990.gif

Leave a comment

LITTORAL is the year-round online voice of the Key West Literary Seminar. We write about literature, Key West, and the authors who have been or will be part of our annual Seminar. Throughout the year on LITTORAL, you'll find podcasts from our growing audio archives, interviews and book reviews, news about the Seminar, links, commentary, and arcana.
Arlo Haskell is editor-in-chief. Send email to arlohaskell [at] gmail [dot] com.

 Subscribe to LITTORAL.


-->
www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called New Voices 2008. Make your own badge here.

-->

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by A.H. published on April 18, 2008 3:39 PM.

Writers' Workshops Instructors Announced was the previous entry in this blog.

James Schuyler is the Villain of this Piece is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Powered by Movable Type 4.01
Audio recordings on this page and elsewhere on www.kwls.org are being made available for educational and noncommmercial use only. All rights to the recorded  material belong to the author or authors speaking. © 2008.