T169.
Literary Fame: Should We Strive for It? Should We Care about It?
Thursday, March 9, 2023
12:10 pm to 1:25 pm
Literary fame is not something most writers confess to seeking, but it often lurks in the background of our work. Is fame even worth pursuing? Does seeking fame warp us as writers, as human beings, or as members of a literary community? Or is the quest for recognition a motivator that keep us active and sharp? How much renown is enough? Four writers reflect on how they handle the desire for fame, and whether they find it most useful to cultivate it or to remain aloof from it.
Participants
Zack Rogow is author, editor, or translator of more than twenty books or plays. His ninth book of poems, Irreverent Litanies, was published by Regal House. His play Colette Uncensored ran in London and San Francisco. He serves as a contributing editor for Catamaran Literary Reader. www.zackrogow.com
Dion O’Reilly is the author of Ghost Dogs and Sadness of the Apex Predator. Her poems appear in Rattle, Cincinnati Review, The Sun, and The Slowdown. She is a member of The Hive PoetryCollective, which produces podcasts and events. She leads workshops with poets from all over the United States.
Richard Blanco is the youngest, first Latino, gay person to serve as Presidential Inaugural Poet. Author of two memoirs and five poetry books & awards from University of Pittsburgh, PEN, Paterson Prize, & Lambda Literary. He is Education Ambassador for the Academy of American Poets and Miami Poet Laureate.
Cornelius Eady was born in Rochester, New York, in 1954. He is the author of eight poetry collections including Victims of the Latest Dance Craze, winner of the 1985 Lamont Prize, and Brutal Imagination. He holds the Miller Chair at the University of Missouri and is cofounder of Cave Canem.
