Story Circle Network

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Frequently Asked Questions

photo by Sandy Smith

Q: What is A Land Full of Stories Conference all about?

A: This writing conference focuses on writing about place and personal history. It is designed to help us celebrate our connections to our chosen places on our home planet, explore the importance of belonging to a place (whether urban or rural, pristine or damaged, various or seemingly monotonous), and write about our uniquely intimate associations with places and their history, culture, and physicality.

Q: What is the story behind the conference? Why now?

A: The conference began as a celebration of the Spring 2007 publication of the Story Circle Network's anthology, What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest, by The University of Texas Press. The more we talked about it, the more activities we wanted to include. So now it's not just a celebration of a book, but a full-blown writing conference!

Q: So this is a nature-writing conference?

A: Not exactly. There'll be plenty of focus on writing about nature and our connection to the land. But a person's chosen places might include city streets, a busy waterfront, or an urban park--in the Southwest, the Northeast, or anywhere in the world. Some of our chosen places may be imaginary, or fictional, or may exist only in memory. We'll be writing and talking about places, wherever they are, and the way they have shaped our personal histories, whether they are natural or human-made.

Q: What are the workshop topics? Who are the presenters?

A: Check back after March 1 for a list of topics, full workshop descriptions, and bios of presenters. Meanwhile, be sure and subscribe to the conference e-letter, so we can keep you posted on the program as it develops.

Q: What is the mission of the Story Circle Network?

A: The Network has been established to encourage women to tell their stories, to provide educational programs to foster women's storytelling, to create and maintain a nation-wide community of women story-tellers, and to promote the importance of women's storytelling to the general public. (See the Story Circle Network website for more information.)

Q: If Story Circle is a woman's organization, is A Land Full of Stories open only to women?

A: No! Registration is open to both men and women.

Q: Do I have to be a member of Story Circle to attend the conference?

A: No. All are welcome, members and non-members alike.

Q. I've already got something scheduled for part of the day on Saturday. Do I have to attend the whole conference? May I sign up for the field-writing sessions only, or do I have to attend the conference to be eligible for those?

A: You may register for individual field-writing sessions (on Thursday, June 7) and/or individual workshops (Friday June 8, Saturday June 9). Also available: registration at the door for most events.

Q: If I am a presenter at this conference, will I be able to sell my books or other wares there?

A: Sorry, this won't be possible. However, the conference book (What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest) will be sold by the university bookstore. We are exploring with them the possibility that presenters' books might be sold, as well. Please subscribe to the conference e-letter for information about this.

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