New Leaves Writers' Conference Starts This Week, April 7-11

New Leaves Writers' Conference Starts This Week, April 7-11

Fall for the Book + Mason’s Creative Writing Program is hosting the 2014 New Leaves conference April 7-11—welcoming poet Rebecca Dunham, novelist Dinaw Mengestu, novelist and memoirist Mary Gordon, fiction writer Kyle Minor, along with independent public relations representative and consultant Lauren Cerand and literary agent Jeff Kleinman, and alumni and faculty of Mason’s MFA program.

The week’s events: 

Rebecca Dunham • Monday, April 7, 7:30 p.m., in the Johnson Center, Meeting Room D. Dunham is an alum of Mason’s Mason MFA poetry program and author of three books of poetry:Fascicle, The Flight Cage and Glass Armonica

Dinaw Mengestu • Tuesday, April 8, 6 p.m., Grand Tier 3, Center for the Arts. Mengestu, born in Ethopia, is noted for his fictions that re-create the experiences of the African diaspora, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears and, most recently, All Our Names

Mary Gordon • Wednesday, April 9, 7:30 p.m., Johnson Center, Meeting Room D. Gordon’s works range from novels including In the Company of Women to short stories, essays, and a trio of memoirs, the most recent of which is Circling My Mother: A Memoir

Kyle Minor • Thursday, April 10, 7:30 p.m., Johnson Center, Meeting Room F. Minor is the author of two short story collections, In the Devil’s Territory and most recently Praying Drunk

Jeff Kleinman, literary agent, in conversation • Friday, April 11, 11 a.m., English Department Conference Room, Robinson Hall A, Room 447. 

A panel of recently published writers discussing their experiences, including Kyle Minor; MFA fiction alum Amanda Duffy, whose first novel is due out in April; MFA poetry alum Alyse Knorr, whose first book appeared in 2013; and Mason undergrad alum Paul Laudiero, who is publishing his first novel through Tumblr • Friday, April 11, 1 p.m., Research Building, Room 163. 

A conversation on marketing and social media with independent public relations representative and consultant Lauren Cerand • Friday, April 11, 2:30 p.m., Research Building, Room 165. 

A discussion about Stillhouse Press, a new independent publishing house started by members of the Mason community • Friday, April 11, 4 p.m., Research Building, Room 163 

MFA Faculty Eric Pankey and Alan Cheuse read from their new books. • 4:30pm., Research Building, Room 163 

LoudFire Reading, featuring students currently enrolled in Mason’s MFA program in Creative Writing • 6 p.m., Junior Ballroom in the Mason Inn and Conference Center. Followed by a reception.