Julie Wrinn's blog

March 29, 2019
The #KyWomenWriters 2019 season officially opens on Monday, April 1, when online registration will begin for the September 19–22 conference. Have a look at some of the incredible talent we’re bringing to Lexington: workshops will be led by Chantel Acevedo, Ifa Bayeza, DaMaris Hill, Barbara Hurd, Dorianne Laux, Lydia Millet, and Darcey Steinke. Their bios and workshop descriptions are now available on our website. Each workshop has a limit of 15 registrants, so don’t delay in securing your spot. At the same time, we’ll have robust offerings in the non-workshop sessions, including a craft talk by a virtuoso of the short story form and frequent New Yorker contributor, Antonya Nelson.

After months of script reading, our judges have announced 3 finalists in the 5th biennial Prize for Women Playwrights (you can read our press release here). Congratulations to:
· Bite the Apple, by Linda Manning of Bronx NY
· La Fee Verte, by Bridgette Portman of Fremont CA
· Sapphire Heights, by Anna Wright of St. Leonard's On Sea, Hastings, England

January 25, 2019
Have you heard Tracy K. Smith’s podcast, “TheSlowdown”? It’s the best new thing on the radio. Each 5-minute episode features the U.S. Poet Laureate reading aloud and interpreting a poem of her choosing. We were fortunate to host Tracy in 2014, and she in turn has featured some of our past presenters’ work on the podcast: Tarfia Faizullah (episode 11), Patricia Smith (19), Ada Limón (27), and Franny Choi (32).

Mark your calendars: KyWomenWriters2019 will take place on September 19–22, and registration will begin on April 1, 2019. Since we’re not ready to unveil our roster of conference presenters, however, it seems like a fine time to look back at what some past presenters have accomplished in the years since they came to our conference. See below. I know I’m leaving out a lot, so please consult the full list of KyWomenWriters presenters since 1979 here and reply to me with additions. We rarely invite authors back for a repeat visit—unless they’re Kentucky authors, or unless they’re Sonia Sanchez (!)—so you’re unlikely see these women again at our conference. Let that be motivation not to miss future conferences!