Bird by Bird & Beyond Schedule

Bird by Bird & Beyond Event Schedule

January 18, 2014

Sonoma Sheraton, Petaluma, CA

Bird by Bird and Beyond will be a day focused on building storytelling skills and work strategies for writers and others interested in personal narrative. This event is open to everyone. No previous writing experience required.

In the morning Theo Pauline Nestor, Candace Walsh, and Tanya Taylor Rubinstein will teach a series of classes in the three most popular genres of personal narrative: Memoir, Essay, and Solo Performance. The classes’ primary focus will be on concrete techniques that build a story up and hold it together; the secondary focus will be on understanding and developing our own individual styles of work and developing strategies that get us to the work and keep us there.

After lunch and an on-stage interview with Nestor, Anne Lamott will give her talk “Almost Every Single Thing I Know About Writing,” during which she’ll share with us not only how she does what she does so well but also “why writing might be a matter of life and death” and the beloved topics of “messes,” “hysteria,” and “despair.” The talk will be followed by a Q &A session and a book signing.

8:30a.m.: Check in

9:00: Welcome: Theo Pauline Nestor

9:10: Almost Every Single Thing I Know About Writing a Memoir: Class taught by Theo Pauline Nestor

10:00 to 11:00: Almost Every Single Thing I Know About Writing an Essay or Blog Post: Class taught by Candace Walsh.

11: 00 to Noon: Almost Every Single Thing I Know About Writing a One-Person Show: Class taught by Tanya Taylor Rubinstein.

Noon to 1p.m.: Lunch (included in price of event)

Books for sale during lunch from our partner, Copperfield Books

1:00 p.m.: Anne Lamott interviewed onstage by Theo Pauline Nestor

1:30-2:30p.m.: Anne Lamott keynote: “Almost Every Single Thing I Know About Writing”

Q & A

Book signing

4pm: Writing activities with Nestor, Walsh, and Rubinstein