Six distinguished authors will headline three scholarly and creative conferences presented by Fresno State’s Department of English this spring.
The sixth annual WordFest event will take place Feb. 6, featuring craft talks and readings from novelist Justin Torres, graphic memoirist MariNaomi and poet David Campos. The seventh annual Undergraduate Conference on Multiethnic Literatures of the Americas will take place March 11 and 12, featuring keynote addresses from fiction writer and graphic novelist Mat Johnson and Stanford scholar Michele Elam. And the 36th annual Young Writers’ Conference will take place April 6, featuring a keynote address from poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil.
WordFest
A professor of English at University of California, Los Angeles, Torres is the author of the novel “We the Animals,” a national bestseller that has been translated into 15 languages.
Drawing and writing graphic memoirs since 1997, MariNaomi is the author of four prize-winning books including “Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22.”
A Fresno State alumnus, Campos is the author of the poetry collection “Furious Dusk,” which won the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize.
The WordFest craft talks will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, in the University Student Union (Room 309). Campos will present at 9 a.m., Torres at 11 a.m. and MariNaomi at 3 p.m. Parking is free in suggested lots P30 and P31.
The WordFest reading and book signing will be held at 7 p.m. in the Alice Peters Auditorium (Peters Business building, Room 191) in the University Business Center. Parking is free in suggested lots P5 and P6.
All WordFest sessions are free and open to the public. WordFest is presented by the San Joaquin Literary Association, and it is co-sponsored by the Chicano Writers and Artists Association and The Normal School literary magazine. For information, contact Randa Jarrar at rjarrar@csufresno.edu or 559.278.1569.
Undergraduate Conference on Multiethnic Literatures of the Americas
Johnson, a professor of creative writing at the University of Houston, will deliver his keynote address for the Undergraduate Conference on Multiethnic Literatures of the Americas at 2 p.m. Friday, March 11, in the Alice Peters Auditorium (Peters Business building, Room 191) in the University Business Center.
Johnson is author of the graphic novel “Incognegro,” the novel “PYM” and other award-winning works.
Elam, a professor of English at Stanford University, will deliver her keynote for the conference at 7 p.m. Friday, March 11, in the University Business Center (Room 192).
Elam is the author of the scholarly book “The Souls of Mixed Folk: Race, Politics and Aesthetics in the New Millennium.”
Both keynotes are free and open to the public. Parking costs $3 in suggested lots P5 and P6. For information, contact Samina Najmi at snajmi@csufresno.edu or 559.278.2660.
Young Writers’ Conference
Nezhukumatathil will deliver her keynote address at the Young Writers’ Conference at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, April 6, in the Satellite Student Union.
A professor of English at The State University of New York-Fredonia, Nezhukumatathil is the author of three poetry collections, including “Lucky Fish,” a featured selection in The New York Times and on PBS. Recognized as a “poetry ambassador,” she is anthologized in multiple high school AP English textbooks.
The keynote address is free and open to the public. Parking costs $3 in suggested lots P6 and P15. For information, contact Tanya Nichols at tanichols@csufresno.edu or 559.278.1569.
