I’m thrilled to be back in Key West as the 31st Annual Key West Literary Seminar kicks off tonight at the San Carlos Institute on Duval Street. As a member of the event staff for the last five years, it’s an absolute highlight on my calendar. This year’s theme is “Writers on Writers,” and we’ll explore the life and works of beloved literary icons as told by some of the most provocative contemporary writers and scholars today, such as James Atlas, Blake Bailey, Billy Collins, Mark Doty, Geoff Dyer, Brad Gooch, Lyndall Gordon, Paul Hendrickson, Pico Iyer, D.T. Max, Kate Moses, Ann Napolitano, Jay Parini, Robert D. Richardson, Phyllis Rose, Julie Salamon, Alexandra Styron, Judith Thurman, Colm TóibÃn, Edmund White, and Brenda Wineapple.
The stage is set at the San Carlos Institute. Image courtesy Nick Doll Photography.
I’ve always found it fascinating to learn about the lives of interesting people in history, and it will be a special treat to gain insight into the lives of writers like Ernest Hemingway, Walt Whitman, D.H. Lawrence, Leo Tolstoy, and Emily Dickinson. The program is filled with thought-provoking panel discussions and readings, and the evenings are filled with dinners and cocktail parties.
If you’re not here in Key West during the seminar’s two consecutive weekends, January 10-13 and January 17-20, 2013,  join us virtually as we live-tweet discussions and readings on Twitter at @KeyWestLiterary and #KWLS and share highlights on Facebook at Facebook.com/KeyWestLiterarySeminar. We have some fun interactive, creative projects in the works on social media, so stay tuned! Also, be sure to read the online publication Littoral for long-form recaps and news year round.
