
Coverage of the 2019 Seminar: "Under the Influence: Archetype & Adaptation"
John Hersey Memorial Address: Margaret Atwood
Presenters: Margaret Atwood, Geraldine Brooks, Meg Cabot, Joseph Cassara, Nicole Galland, Victor LaValle, Valerie Martin, Michael Mewshaw, Madeline Miller, Naomi Novik, Joyce Carol Oates, Danielle Paige, Dexter Palmer, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Eric Shanower, Kate Tuttle, Stephanie Powell Watts, Emily Wilson, Kevin Young
Writers’ Workshop Faculty: John Dufresne, Daniel Menaker, Gregory Pardlo, Emily Raboteau, Richard Russo, Katrin Schumann, Dara Wier, Joy Williams, Kevin Young
Meg Cabot and Danielle Paige: “From Princesses to Supergirls”
By Diane Hance Meg Cabot and Danielle Paige opened the first public session of the 37th annual Key West Literary Seminar with a confession: “We are both guilty,” Cabot claimed, “of writing books based on other books.” The authors began their lively conversation by sharing early influences and favorite childhood …Read More
“King Arthur, The Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, and the Undersea City,” a Conversation with Meg Cabot, Victor LaValle, Danielle Paige, and Eric Shanower
By Amber Karlins The structure of this panel — the first to explore graphic novels in the festival’s history — was, as moderator Meg Cabot described it, “very loose.” Meg began by asking panelists why graphic novels are experiencing such a surge in both quality and popularity, but this quickly …Read More
Malleability and Transformation: Geraldine Brooks and Nicole Galland
By Ross Feeler Neither Geraldine Brooks nor Nicole Galland started off with aspirations to write fiction. After holding the pages of a hot-off-the-press newspaper as a child, Geraldine Brooks pursued a career in journalism for several years and with much success. This phase of her life came to a screeching …Read More
A Conversation on “Wives and Maids, What do They Know? Equal Rights for Minor Characters”
By Andrea Rinard Margaret Atwood, Valerie Martin, and Emily Wilson engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of “Wives and Maids, What do They Know? Equal Rights for Minor Characters,” moderated by Kate Tuttle. Atwood began the session with an invocation from her Penelopiad and then discussed her impetus for writing the …Read More
Naomi Novik on “The High Cost of Magic”
By Nancy Klingener The title of Naomi Novik’s talk was “The High Cost of Magic” — a reference to the work-in-progress from which she read an excerpt. And to frame the reading, she spoke about context — and how it relates directly to the theme of this year’s Seminar. “I …Read More
No One Is Coming to Save Us: The Great Gatsby Meets the African-American South
By Deirdre Sugiuchi “This summer my goal was to read all of James Baldwin’s works,” Stephanie Powell Watts told the audience at the Key West Literary Seminar. While reading Go Tell It on the Mountain, she came to the section where Baldwin speaks of when he was five and his mother said, …Read More
Madeline Miller on “Writing Back to Homer”
by Genevieve Morgan Madeline Miller set the tone for her lively discussion, “Writing Back to Homer,” when she grasped the microphone, strode to the middle of the stage, and said she could not abide being stuck behind a podium. She started with a short passage from Circe where Odysseus asks …Read More
Rowan Ricardo Phillips at Key West High School
by Kate Peters For the past four years, the Key West Literary Seminar has been spiriting one of its esteemed authors away from the Friday morning session to speak to students at Key West High School during their third period. First Junot Díaz, then George Saunders. Last year, Jamaica Kincaid, …Read More
“Age of Bronze”: Retelling the Trojan War for Comic Book Readers
by Roxann Fournier Eric Shanower enlightened and entertained participants of the Key West Literary Seminar with his obsessively accurate depiction of the Trojan War in the graphic novel Age of Bronze. “Even though you are familiar,” he warned, “you will find surprises. I hope you like surprises.” Surprises were indeed …Read More
Emily Wilson on “Translating the Odyssey Again: How and Why”
By Michelle Alonzo On a stage aptly decorated with Doric columns and a large amphora, Emily Wilson kicked off the first talk of the 37th Annual Key West Literary Seminar, “Translating the Odyssey Again: How and Why,” by reading from her 2018 translation of Homer’s Odyssey to a packed auditorium. Contained in the …Read More
Giving Young Women a Voice: Meg Cabot and Naomi Novik in Conversation
By Jodi Turchin In an animated discussion Friday afternoon, Meg Cabot and Naomi Novik tackled topics from writing female characters who have agency in their worlds, to fanfiction and computer coding, to the distraction of the Internet. Cabot and Novik had a mutual admiration society going, led by moderator Nancy …Read More
Behind Fear: Victor LaValle’s Discussion of The Changeling
by Connie Pertuz-Meza Victor LaValle’s latest novel, The Changeling, is a hybrid fairy tale and horror story. Set in New York City, it tackles many issues that are part of our everyday reality. In his conversation with Kate Tuttle, LaValle dove into the major themes of the novel: parenting in this …Read More
Margaret Atwood’s Keynote on “Influences at Work!”
by Shayne Benowitz The 37th annual Key West Literary Seminar “Under the Influence: Archetypes & Adaptation” commenced Thursday evening with the John Hersey Memorial address delivered by the inimitable Margaret Atwood. To begin her talk, “Alert! Influences at Work!” she took to the podium and introduced herself: “I’m Margaret Atwood, …Read More
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Alert! Influences at Work!
Margaret Atwood -
The Changeling: From Maurice Sendak to Norse Myth to New York City Fairy Tale
Kate Tuttle, Victor LaValle -
Translating the Odyssey Again: How and Why
Emily Wilson -
Wives and Maids, What Do They Know? Equal Rights for Minor Characters
Emily Wilson, Kate Tuttle, Margaret Atwood, Valerie Martin -
Time Travel
Dexter Palmer, Joyce Carol Oates -
Age of Bronze: Retelling the Trojan War for Comic Book Readers
Eric Shanower -
Writing Back to Homer
Madeline Miller -
Giving Young Women a Voice: Fairy Tales in the Modern Age
Meg Cabot, Nancy Klingener, Naomi Novik -
Therefore All Seasons Shall Be Sweet to Thee: On Literary Influence and the Power of Prophesy
Rowan Ricardo Phillips -
The Plot’s the Thing
Geraldine Brooks, Nicole Galland -
Pat Conroy: Friends & Influences
Michael Mewshaw -
No One Is Coming To Save Us: The Great Gatsby Meets the African-American South
Stephanie Powell Watts -
King Arthur, the Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, and the Undersea City: Graphic Novelists in Conversation
Danielle Paige, Eric Shanower, Meg Cabot, Victor LaValle -
The High Cost of Magic
Naomi Novik -
Under the Influence of Music
Kevin Young, Rowan Ricardo Phillips -
“Assassin”
Joyce Carol Oates -
2019 Emerging Writer Awards
Joe Dornich, Michelle Peñaloza, Ross Feeler -
Bunk: Archetype of a Hoax
Kevin Young -
Readings in Conversation
Joseph Cassara, Stephanie Powell Watts -
From Princesses to Supergirls: Empowerment in Fiction for Teen Girls
Danielle Paige, Meg Cabot -
The King and the Three Imposters
Dexter Palmer -
The Other Side of the Story: Mr. March’s Civil War, Circe’s Odyssey, and Mary Reilly’s Dr. Jekyll
Geraldine Brooks, Madeline Miller, Valerie Martin