Attention All Writers and Readers: The third Short Story America Festival and Conference is scheduled for the long weekend of September 24^th-26^th in Beaufort.

The festival is a celebration of literature, including the launch of the fourth volume in the Short Story America anthology series of short stories (the books from SSA are chock full of contemporary short stories by today’s authors). Short Story America is a proud Beaufort-based publisher, and the festival exists for the purpose of bringing writers and readers together, from far and near, to enjoy and learn from each other in an atmosphere of mutual interest: the love of literature. The All-Events Pass is just $45, including two catered receptions, writing workshops, panels on short fiction, and readings by visiting and local authors in the SSA book series.

Short Story America Festival and Conference Schedule:

THURSDAY, September 24th, 6:00 pm: Renowned novelist and short-story writer Richard Hawley visits from Vermont, to give a reading, discussion and signing of his new novel, Greeves Passing, which is newly published by Short Story America. Richard has stories in every volume of the SSA book series thus far, and he will also be available to sign copies of the brand-new Short Story America, Volume Four. LOCATION: ArtWorks, the Beaufort County Arts Council, 2127 Boundary Street in Beaufort. Richard’s book event is free to the public.

FRIDAY, September 25th, 6:00-8:00 pm: Catered Reception for Authors and Readers. Visiting and local authors will gather for an evening of great food and drink from local restaurants, and the company of new and old friends whose common interest is literature, and especially the great original American literary art form: the short story. LOCATION: The Lewis Reeve Sams House, 601 Bay Street in downtown Beaufort, overlooking the Beaufort River (Many thanks to owners Scott and Gwen Myers for opening their historic and beautiful home to authors and readers).

SATURDAY, September 26th, 10 am-6 pm: Workshops and panels on short fiction, and theater readings by authors in the Short Story America anthology series. LOCATION: ArtWorks, 2127 Boundary Street in Beaufort.

SATURDAY, continued, 6-9 pm: Catered Reception for Authors and Readers, followed by a panel discussion on short fiction, author readings of two award-winning stories in Short Story America, Volume Four, a screening of a short film based on a Volume Four story, and culminating in the announcement of the winners and finalists in the 2015 Short Story America Prize for Short Fiction competition. LOCATION: ArtWorks, 2127 Boundary Street in Beaufort.

To get your all-events pass to the 2015 Short Story America Festival and Conference, go to www.shortstoryamerica.com. You may also call 843-597-3220 with any questions.

Featured authors at the SSA Festival:
Jodi Paloni (Pemaquid, ME)
Gregg Cusick (Durham, NC)
Richard Hawley (Ripton, VT)
James Goertel (Buffalo, NY)
Ray Morrison (Winston-Salem, NC)
John Wallis (Hollywood, FL)
Atwood Boyd (Wilmington, NC)
Nim Stevens (Phoenix, AZ)
Eryk Pruitt (Durham, NC)
Ken Knight (Fredericksburg, VA)
Warren Slesinger (Beaufort, SC)
Gail Westerfield (Beaufort, SC)
Manny Floresca (Beaufort, SC)
Katherine Brown (Beaufort, SC)
T.D. (Tim) Johnston (Beaufort, SC)

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES (ArtWorks Theater):

JODI PALONI: Beyond Setting the Scene: The Role of Place in the Short Story
Description: An unforgettable short story lingers when a character imprints your mind or a certain scene blows your existing notions of humanity out of the water. But what about the story remembered because the writer has rendered a sense of place so compelling it connects with the reader’s personal aesthetic? We want to relive the sensibility of the landscape again and again. And what about the story where place itself serves as character? In this workshop, participants will discuss excerpts lifted from some of our most beloved short story writers in an inter-active consideration of how an author’s use of place sets thematic tone, shows character interiority (outer landscape/inner landscape), and binds the narrative arc. Time will be set aside for generative work to test out new ideas of looking at the role of place in our own short fiction. Time: 10:00-11:00

JAMES GOERTEL: “Fictionalizing the Personal, Personalizing the Fictional” (Writing at the Crossroads of Creativity and Experience) Time: 11:00-Noon
Description: The participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to discuss and implement strategies for mining personal experiences to lay the foundation for a wealth of stories and richer fiction.

LUNCH BREAK (Noon-12:30)

V.W. SCHEICH: “From Short to Screen” (The Art of Adapting Your Short Story for Film)
Description: V.W. Scheich, director and producer of the forthcoming Beaufort-based feature film BASEMENT BOB, will discuss the screenplay adaptation process for authors who wish to see their stories on screen. Time: 12:30-1:30

RICHARD HAWLEY: "Writing in the 'Epistolary' Voice: Taking Characters Deeper Than They Know"
Description: Award-winning novelist, poet and short-story writer Richard Hawley, who has written frequently in the "epistolary voice," will demonstrate and discuss how characters can be deepened by revealing the intimate interiors behind their public utterances. Time: 1:30-2:30

AFTERNOON READINGS (starting at 2:30 in ArtWorks Theater)

RICHARD HAWLEY “A Man Who Prays”
RAY MORRISON “The Leaving Train”
JOHN WALLIS “Helen’s Birthday”
JAMES GOERTEL “Man Out of Time”
NIM STEVENS “The Moon, The Tree and The Little Creek”
T.D. JOHNSTON “Gratuity”
WARREN SLESINGER “Too Much String”
ATWOOD BOYD “11/11/1969”
MANNY FLORESCA “Easter”

PANEL AND EVENING READINGS (ArtWorks Theater after 6 PM reception)
PANEL Authors Discuss Short Fiction, w/Audience Q&A
SHORT FILM “The Hoo-Doo of Sweet Mama Rosa” (Eryk Pruitt)
JODI PALONI “Deep End” (2013 Short Story America Prize Winner)
GREGG CUSICK “Cold, and Other Higher Powers” (2013 Third Prize)
followed by
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS, 2015 Short Story America Prize
followed by
SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER-PARTY: Saltus River Grill, Bay Street