Panels will be held in the Gathering Hall at the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business Building.
TEACHING JOBS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE FORECAST
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am
Panelists: Faith Adiele, Garrett Croker, Jackie Graves, Margaret Rhee, and Kara Wittman.
Moderated by: Stephanie Young
Description: In an era of rapidly changing labor conditions and hiring models in higher education, this panel brings together Mills faculty, alum, with local writers and scholars working in multiple contexts, from community to 4-year colleges, in composition, literature, and creative writing classrooms. Panelists will discuss the practical aspects of pursuing teaching work in these locations, including the ups and downs of their experience, how they got where they are, and the challenges of working within institutions. We’ll also address larger questions about shifts in the field, and what the future might hold for writers and scholars teaching in higher ed.
PUBLISHING 101: THE MANY, MANY PATHS TO GETTING YOUR WORK IN THE WORLD
Time: 11:45am – 1:15pm
Panelists: Samantha Giles, Jennifer Joseph, Michael Larsen, and Christine Lee Zilka.
Moderated by: Rex Leonowicz
Description: In this panel, writers, editors, and agents come together with alum of the Mills poetry and fiction programs to offer writers insight and advice on how to navigate the world of publishing. The panel will help fiction and non-fiction writers, and poets of various sensibilities to find their perfect venue. Speakers on the panel will discuss their personal paths to publication, the prose market and ways to secure an agent, what assorted types of editors keep an eye out for, and the differences between DIY publishing, small, independent presses, and large, mainstream presses.
FREE LUNCH: PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU RSVP HERE FOR LUNCH
Time: 1:15pm – 2:00pm
BRINGING IT – WRITER EDUCATORS AT WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Time: 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Panelists: Freddy Gutierrez, Josh Healey, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and Aimee Suzara.
Moderated by: mia amir
Description: This panel will feature writers working in an educational capacity independently, within the public school system, in prisons, as well as with community and arts-based organizations. Panelists will illuminate some of the employment routes the intersection of craft and teaching can take you. Discussion will also examine some of the following:
- Tips and tools for how to market yourself as an artist educator.
- Grant writing and granting trends for teaching artists.
- How to build and navigate community partnerships with organizations.
- The ethics of arts education.
PULLING THE RABBIT: THE DAY JOB AND OTHER CURIOSITIES
Time: 3:45pm – 5:15pm
Panelists: Ishmael A. Elias, Constance Hale, Rose Linke, and Michael Nicoloff.
Moderated by: Ava Sayaka Rosen
Description: We all know there are a ton of useful applications of writing. Upon entering the job market with an M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing, graduates actually have more options than they might think. Sure, there’s teaching, there’s publishing—but what else is out there? This panel is an opportunity to hear from M.A. and M.F.A. graduates who make it work. They might support their writing careers with jobs in the tech sector, arts administration, or creative labor. They might be a jack-of-all-trades, constantly taking on various projects (literary or otherwise). What these jobs all have in common is that they allow writers to pursue their own creative endeavors. Panelists will provide valuable insight not only on these paths, but how to balance your professional life with your writing life.
AGENT MEETINGS: PITCH YOUR PROJECT!
Time: 2:00 – 4:30
Agents: Amy Cloughley, Michael Larsen, Pooja Menon, Gordon Warnock.
Coordinated by: Darin Jensen
During the final two panels of the day, pre-registered students and alum will meet with one of five literary agents to practice pitching their fiction or nonfiction projects. Send your request to meet with an agent (include the genre of your writing) to Darin Jensen, djensen@mills.edu, and he will respond with details about the agent you will meet with, your meeting time and any information the agent wants you to have before the meeting. Check here for Agent Bios.
5:15pm – 6:15pm MIXER FEATURING DRINKS AND LIGHT SNACKS (NO RSVP REQUIRED)
Cirque du Work! 