EVENT: 32ND ANNUAL PENNWRITERS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION IS OPEN

EVENTS

Registration for the 32nd Annual Pennwriters Conference in Pittsburgh is now open: http://bit.ly/pennwriters2019.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
JESSICA STRAWSER AND JASON JACK MILLER

Thursday Pre-Conference Intensive Faculty
Timons Esaias - The Crafts of Fiction: The Nuts, the Bolts, and Hoisting the Girders into Place
Deborah Riley-Magnus - Author Marketing Master Class
Coroner Lyell P. Cook - Coroners: Their history, What they do, What they see

Friday Networking Luncheon Speaker
JD Dunbar - Listen for the Lyrics

Friday Published Penns Luncheon Speaker
Siobhan Vivian - Your Next Big Idea: Developing and Heightening the Plot of Your WIP

Agents, Editors, Publisher
Kaitlyn Johnson, agent, Corvisiero Literacy Agency
Amy Bishop, Agent – Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
Bibi Lewis, Agent – Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency
Danielle Dieterich, Editor – G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Random House
Rhonda Penders – The Wild Rose Press

32nd Annual Pennwriters Conference
Friday, May 17, 2019 9:00 AM - Sunday, May 19, 2019 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
777 Aten Road
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108
United States
412-788-8800
EVENT DETAILS

Conference Coordinators: Pauline Drozeski & Hilary Hauck, ConferenceCoordinator@pennwriters.org

Registration Coordinator: Cathy Seckman, ConferenceRegistration@pennwriters.org

EVENT: Jason Jack Miller at PARSEC

I'll be giving a talk at PARSEC on St. Paddy's Day, so if you're in the Burgh from 1:30-4:30, stop by the Squirrel Hill Library and say hi.

You're Invited to a night of Whiskey and Words!

We hope you can attend our upcoming event Whiskey and Words on Wednesday, October 12th from 5pm- 9pm at Wigle Whiskey's Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden in Pittsburgh's Northside. In addition to our fabulous line-up of authors, we will also have delicious Whiskey cocktails, Burgh Bites Food Truck and the Mangini Trio. If  you can't attend, but want to help support our local authors please share the flyer that has been attached. 

This event is free to attend. 21+. 

Link:  http://mandeline28.wixsite.com/whiskeyandwords 
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1802307836654674/

Hope to see you all there! 

Next up--BOOKtober!

September 29--DogCon V

DogCon is a big shindig RDSP holds every year to celebrate books, authors and all our supporters. It’s a chance for the RDSP family to get together, meet each other, show off the latest works and begin new creative ventures.

Details can be found here: http://rawdogscreaming.com/dogcon-5-broadkill-writers-resort/

Oct. 12, 5-9 p.m.--Whiskey and Words

Book and author vendors signing autograph and selling their books, Whiskey and Words will have lectures taking place inside the barrelhouse throughout the evening. Wigle Whiskey will also be dishing out a bevy of delectable drinks, a traveling food truck (TBD) will be slinging eclectic eats and there will be live outdoor musical entertainment during the evening’s soiree.

Details can be found here: http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/whiskey-and-words/Event?oid=1950438

October 15--10th Annual Western Maryland Indepent Lit Festial

The Frostburg State University Center for Creative Writing, in partnership with the Allegany County Library System, is excited to announce that the ninth annual Western Maryland Indie Lit Festival is scheduled for Oct. 14 & 15 at Main Street, Frostburg. The event brings together editors and publishers with writers and educators of the local community. Panel discussions and roundtable sessions include topics on various creative genres, DIY publishing, self-publishing, promotion and marketing, writing local, and reading and writing online.

Details can be found here: http://www.frostburg.edu/cla/indie-lit-festival/

LIVE in the 412! Doors to the Universe Book Signing at Copyleft Gallery

As part of their awesome Popup Art Event: Doors to the Universe, Copyleft Gallery is teaming up with PARSEC, Pittsburgh's premier speculative fiction organization, to host a multi-author book signing and party on Friday, May 13, 2016 from 6-10 PM. 

Come see our world!

The event is free and open to the public. No registration or RSVP necessary.

Venue is wheelchair accessible at 127 Brownsville Rd, Pittsburgh PA 15210.

Featured authors include:

Timons Esaias 

Heidi Ruby Miller 

Jason Jack Miller 

Ellen Roth 

Henry T. Lund 

Stephanie Keyes 

J.D. Barker 

Editor Barb Carlson with Parsec Ink books

Thank you to Diane Turnshek for coordinating this event!

BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION!

Contact me or see the Mt. Pleasant Public Library's website for more info!

This is a little something I wrote for the program which was distributed at the inaugural Pennsylvania Literary Festival, held this spring in Uniontown.

My words were rooted in these hills, carried on the backs of the Irish farmers who followed the Potomac southwest instead of crossing the spruce-covered ridges of the Allegheny Front. My muscles formed from climbing white oaks and boulders, from hauling firewood. The mountain rivers that flashed through narrow canyon walls, over boulders and under high railroad bridges flowed through my veins. Laurel brakes that nestled beneath Pottsville sandstone ledges were my nursery. Sad fiddle tunes, played by old-timers beside a dying fire, were my genetic code.
 
These words from the epilogue of my second novel, Hellbender, came from the point of view of my main character, Henry Collins. But as the author, I had specific experiences from my

own corner of Appalachia in mind as I wrote them. Growing up among the ridges and mines of Fayette County—a place long written off by people who don’t get it, or don’t try to—has inspired almost a million words of my published fiction and nonfiction, and has left me with enough gas in the tank for at least a million more. From the Youghiogheny River’s Dimple Rock rapid to an abandoned coal mine called Crow’s Works, just outside of Fairchance, the locales of my home live on in the minds of readers, many of whom have never set foot in these hills, but now want to because of my books. The Currence farm from The Devil and Preston Black is based on my Great-grandmother Muchnok’s, near Dunbar. And Mick’s guitar shop? It’s where I bought my first guitar. And it’s still there, on Morgantown Street in Uniontown.
        

I ended Hellbender with the line Blood is not thicker than water. Family isn’t who you are born to, but with whom you choose to spend your life. And maybe I’m one of the lucky ones, because my wife Heidi and I chose to move back here after a stint in Florida. We chose to be close to our families and friends, to live in a place we’d call home no matter how far we wandered.

And this is why I’m so happy that the Pennsylvania Literary Festival’s journey starts here in Uniontown. Right where my very own literary journey did. It’s a place that fosters strong, deep roots. 

Pearl Jam/Lightning Bolt Playlist!

I missed Pearl Jam's opener in Pittsburgh last week to attend Capclave in DC. I'm just trying to piece together a little of the music that I would've missed. Figure it'd make a nice soundtrack for the Raw Dog Screaming Press event in Pittsburgh this weekend.

#BOOKSBURGH!

 

http://rawdogscreaming.com/raw-dog-screaming-press-takes-pittsburgh/

 

U2, Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 26, 2011

Yinz Coin Any New Words Today?

I can't believe this is still largely undefined.

yinzerati

Member of Pittsburgh's yinzer elite. Membership requirements include, but aren't limited to forever rejecting Rolling Rock for leaving Latrobe, being able to recite the play-by-play of the Francisco Cabrers's two-run single in the Pirates' 1992 NLCS playoff loss to Atlanta, knowing the #1 Best Seller at Primanti's isn't a sandwich, thinking Kennywood is better than Walt Disney World, thinking Joe Grushecky is better than Springsteen, having worked at National Record Mart at some point in their life, shedding a tear during a reminiscence of Mr. Rogers, going to Monroeville Mall to reenact scenes from DAWN OF THE DEAD on a date.

Honorary members include Roberto Clemente, Mario Lemieux and Bill Cowher, who's membership was revoked in 2009 when he sounded the pre-game warning siren at a Penguin-Canes NHL playoff game.

Examples:

You ain't no yinzerati if you go to Primanti's and ask for fries on the side.

Aw, man. I made too many pierogies. Call up the yinzerati to help me eat 'em.

Me and the yinzerati are going to the Slovak Club if you want to come.
by JJMiller on Nov 29, 2010

McCartney @ Consol Centert

And the article... http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=536204

And from the Detroit Free Press, with a few hilarious comments from Red Wings fans... http://www.freep.com/article/20100820/BLOG09/100820059/Paul-McCartney-draws-ire-of-Pens-prez-Pittsburgh-mayor-with-Wings-sticker

SETLIST:
1. Venus And Mars/Rock Show
2. Jet
3. All My Loving
4. Letting Go
5. Drive My Car
6. Highway (The Fireman cover)
7. Let Me Roll It / Foxy Lady (Hendrix cover)
8. The Long and Winding Road
9. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
10. Let 'Em In
11. My Love
12. I've Just Seen a Face
13. And I Love Her
14. Blackbird
15. Here Today
16. Dance Tonight
17. Mrs Vanderbilt
18. Eleanor Rigby
19. Ram On
20. Something
21. Sing the Changes (The Fireman cover)
22. Band on the Run
23. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
24. Back in the USSR
25. I've Got a Feeling
26. Paperback Writer
27. A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
28. Let It Be
29. Live and Let Die
30. Hey Jude Play
31. Encore:
31. Day Tripper
32. Lady Madonna
33. Get Back
34. Encore 2:
34. Yesterday
35. Helter Skelter
36. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
37. The End

From setlist.fm

Here are a few videos from the show: SOMETHING DAY IN THE LIFE/GIVE PEACE A CHANCE I'VE JUST SEEN A FACE SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (REPRISE) LIVE AND LET DIE

I'm not going to review the show. It was awesome. I got goosebumps too many times to remember and had tears in my eyes once. Any attempt by me to put it into words would only minimize the overall experience. I will say that it was a surreal event, like STAR WARS without Han and Chewie. Or like an Alfredo sauce without butter. I got the same feeling I get any time I read something about John or listen to the B side of ABBEY ROAD. I wonder what could've been and wish I had been there in '64.

Many, many thanks to the Regas for letting me tag along.