Conference benefits writers with workshops

Over the past 70 years, it has brought authors like Amy Bloom, Marguerite Young and Kurt Vonnegut to IU.

Now, the IU Writers’ Conference will return for its 71st year on June 5-10, offering workshops, classes and readings for writers and non-writers.

Speakers at this year’s conference include Gary Ferguson, Jill Godmilow and Julia Story. However, much of the excitement is for Dan Chaon and Lynda Barry, conference interns said.

Barry, a cartoonist and fiction writer, will teach a class called “Writing the Unthinkable.”

“She’s definitely going to be amazing,” Ben Smith, who recently graduated from IU with a bachelor’s degree in English, said. “She’s a creative tour de force.”

Smith is one of the interns who has been working on the IUWC all spring. Kelsey Adams, a junior majoring in English, is also one of those interns.

“It’s just a really cool medium,” Adams said, referring to Barry’s work.

Dan Chaon is the author of “Among the Missing,” a short story collection that was a finalist for a National Book Award. He was also a guest at the 2010 IUWC, Adams said.

“Since he was here last year, the community kind of knows him,” she said.
IUWC is one of the oldest writers’ conferences in the country, Assistant Director Caroline Diggins said.

She participated in the workshop last year and said there’s a lot to gain by attending.

“It’s nice to indulge in this literary week,” Diggins said. “There’s a sense of community and everyone has an open mind to hear great writing. It’s just a happy time.”

Diggins said there are two ways to participate in the conference: seeing the speakers and taking the workshops, or only seeing the speakers. The readings each night are open to anyone.

“It’s nice for writers that are not in a writing program,” she said. “It’s nice to have new eyes on your work. It’s a good thing for IU and a good thing for Indiana because it’s such a tradition.”

The conference will also feature notable faculty members such as creative writing professor Tony Ardizzone, who recently published his fourth novel, “The Whale Chaser.”

Faculty member Ross Gay spoke at the 2008 conference and said it is a great experience for students of all kinds, not just those studying English.

“Of course creative writing students would benefit from studying with a novelist or a poet they might not run into again, as would all English students,” Gay said. “But why not a business student or an engineer? Or a pre-med student or a law student?“

Students from all fields could benefit from the discussion of language that the conference offers, he said.

“Not to mention, it’s just fun to meet these folks, hang around, talk about ideas and books and words and to become a better writer in the process,” Gay said.

Participants can earn up to two credits at the undergraduate or graduate level. For an application and information, visit http://www.iuwc.indiana.edu/.