F199. Obsession in the Archives: The Art of Research in Fiction and Poetry

E141-142, Oregon Convention Center, Level 1
Friday, March 29, 2019
12:00 pm to 1:15 pm

 

The muse strikes in the form of research—now what? Having conducted intensive research on subjects such as Black Vaudeville, octopuses, and the life of Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad, panelists share strategies for coping with research-mania and wrangling intimidating amounts of information. They also discuss taking creative liberties with their findings, considering the questions of when and how fictionalized fact can best serve the “truth.”


Participants

Moderator:

Valerie Vogrin is the author of a novel, Shebang. She was awarded a Pushcart Prize in 2010. She is a professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where she is managing editor of Sou’wester.

Amaud Jamaul Johnson is the author of two poetry collections, Darktown Follies (Tupelo 2013) and Red Summer (Tupelo 2006), winner of the Dorset Prize. His honors include a Wallace Stegner Fellowship and a Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Fellowship. He teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Nicky Beer is the author of two books of poems, The Octopus Game and The Diminishing House, both winners of the Colorado Book Award for Poetry. Her awards include an NEA grant and a Ruth Lilly Fellowship. She is an associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver.

Jasmin Darznik is the author of the novel Song of a Captive Bird and a memoir, The Good Daughter. She is a professor in the MFA and Writing and Literature programs at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

Silas Hansen teaches creative writing at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. His essays have appeared in Slate, Colorado Review, The Normal School, Hayden's Ferry Review, Redivider, Puerto del Sol, and elsewhere.

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