Coverage of the 2017 Seminar: "Revealing Power: The Literature of Politics"

John Hersey Memorial Address: Robert A. Caro
Presenters: Ann Beattie, Robert A. Caro, Stephen L. Carter, Teju Cole, Gail Collins, Billy Collins, Deborah Eisenberg, Garrett Epps, Annette Gordon-Reed, Joe Klein, Rachel Kushner, Thomas Mallon, Jane Mayer, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter S. Onuf, George Saunders, Curtis Sittenfeld, Calvin Trillin, Brenda Wineapple
Writers’ Workshop Faculty: Jennine Capó Crucet, Billy Collins, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Michael Maren, Daniel Menaker, Kate Moses, Micol Ostow, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Dani Shapiro

Teju Cole delivers a moving talk and reading, "Power and Subjectivity." Photo by Mark Hedden.

"Historical Fiction in the Post-Factual World," with Joe Klein, Thomas Mallon, and Curtis Sittenfeld, moderated by Garrett Epps. Photo by Mark Hedden.

Two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins reads a selection of historical poems about politics and power. Photo by Mark Hedden.

Thomas Mallon and Joe Klein, "Historical Fiction in a Post-Factual World." Photo by Mark Hedden.

Robert A. Caro delivers the John Hersey Memorial Address. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

The San Carlos Institute. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Robert A. Caro. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Robert A. Caro takes the stage. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Daniel Menaker and Billy Collins arrive at the San Carlos on registration day. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Board president Diane Shelby. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Luncheon at the Key West Library for 2017 Teacher & Librarian Scholarship recipients. Photo by Freya Hendrickson.

Executive director Arlo Haskell. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Guests arriving at the San Carlos. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Registration is under way! Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Web designer Lindsay Malboeuf and program coordinator Freya Hendrickson hard at work in the San Carlos library. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

The fantastic staff from Books and Books @ The Studios of Key West at their pop-up shop in the San Carlos' José Martí room. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Books and Books, books and books. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Sarah Thomas prepares for the debut of the Old Town Literary Walking Tour. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Name tags ready for pickup. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Travel writer Doug Mack helps out at check-in. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Registrants receive their packets for "Revealing Power: The Literature of Politics." Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Volunteers and audience members on registration day. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Volunteer Zain Aslam and board member Michael Blades answer questions. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Board members Mary Grusin and Nancy Klingener strike a pose. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Our fantastic volunteers helping out registrants at check-in. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Audience members Matthew Helmerich, Janet Hinkle, and Jeffrey Harwell. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

An attendee rides away in style. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Jono and Jenny Helmerich. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Scholarship recipient Adeline Oka. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

A full house in Key West awaits Robert A. Caro's keynote address. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

All smiles in the audience. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Seminar guests enjoy the luxury box. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Attendees having some fun. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

Shaun Doody, scholarship recipient Juan Moya and Laura Aguirre. Photo by Ashley Kamen.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Day Three in Pictures

Featuring: Brenda Wineapple, Stephen L. Carter, Garrett Epps, Ann Beattie, Annette Gordon-Reed, Peter S. Onuf & George Saunders.


Day Two in Pictures

Featuring: Teju Cole, Joe Klein, Thomas Mallon, Curtis Sittenfeld, Billy Collins, Deborah Eisenberg, Rachel Kushner, Cynthia Crossen, Joyce Carol Oates, Jane Mayer, George Saunders and Daniel Menaker.


Day One in Pictures

Photos from opening day registration and Robert A. Caro’s keynote address: “Revealing Power: When Lyndon Johnson asked, ‘What the Hell’s the Presidency for?'”


George Saunders at Key West High School

While the seminar convened at the San Carlos for Teju Cole’s talk on “Power and Subjectivity,” a few miles away another audience gathered at Key West High School, where George Saunders spoke about “writing as a form of power” and “making yourself real.” To an audience comprised mainly of juniors …Read More


A Book of American Martyrs: A Reading by Joyce Carol Oates

For her turn on power, Joyce Carol Oates read an excerpt from her latest novel, A Book of American Martyrs. She prefaced the reading by describing the political potential among literary forms most familiar to her: Poetry being an inner monologue, short stories having the flexibility to provide a slice of life …Read More


Billy Collins on Politics, Poetry, and War

“I’m not a political poet,” asserts Billy Collins as he begins to usher the KWLS audience through an exploration of political poetry. He follows with a funny anecdote about his time as Poet Laureate, when a child asked him what his place in line was to be president. There are …Read More


Teju Cole on Power and Subjectivity

Teju Cole began his talk on Friday morning, “Power and Subjectivity,” with a disclaimer about racism. It is not about being rude, nor a lapse in manners, but is rather “an expression of systemic power” that, paradoxically, is experienced in subjective ways. To further elucidate this paradox, Cole took us …Read More


VIDEO: Robert A. Caro’s Keynote Address

To open the thirty-fifth annual Key West Literary Seminar last night, two-time Pulitzer winner Robert Caro delivered the John Hersey Memorial Address to a standing-room only audience at the historic San Carlos Institute. His keynote "Revealing Power: When Lyndon Johnson asked, 'What the Hell's the Presidency for?'" went right to ...Read More

35th Key West Literary Seminar is Underway

The 35th annual Key West Literary Seminar—“Revealing Power: The Literature of Politics”—is set to begin in just a few minutes at the San Carlos Institute with the John Hersey Memorial Address by Robert A. Caro. We’ll be posting video of Caro’s keynote here tomorrow morning, along with a stream of …Read More


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