Key West Literary Seminar: words and warm weather
Ever since Ernest Hemingway established his home in Key West, this small tropical island has been home to many notable literary figures. Tennessee Williams, James Merrill, Robert Frost and John Hersey all found Key West to be an inspiring atmosphere. It was in Key West that Williams finished A Streetcar Named Desire, in his suite at the La Concha hotel.
As a popular destination for writers, readers and tourists, Key West has proven to be a great place for a January literary seminar. According to the seminar's website, Key West has more writers per capita than any other American city.
This year's seminar is set for January 7-10, 2010 and the cost is $495. The 2010 speakers include Poets Laureate Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Mark Strand, Robert Pinsky, Charles Simic and Kay Ryan. Pulitzer Prize winning speakers include James Tate, Natasha Tretheway and Yusef Komunyakaa. These engaging discussions and readings will wow any literature lover.
The seminar will be held at the San Carlos Institute, a historic building founded by Cuban exiles in 1871. There the exiles worked for independence from Spain, and now the beautiful structure exists not only as a landmark, but also as a library, museum, art gallery, theatre, school and auditorium.
Writers' Workshops will take place directly after the seminar weekend, January 11-14, 2010. Writers may have the pleasure of working with Billy Collins, E.J. Miller Laino, Valerie Martin or Dara Wier. Depending on the workshop, the prices range from $400-$450, which includes an orientation dinner on the first night. Poetry and prose will be the main workshop focuses.
To register for the 2010 Literary Seminar online, click here. Some scholarships are available for teachers, writers and librarians. Several hotels in Key West offer discounted rates to seminar attendants — be sure to mention the seminar when asking for rates.
For more information on the Key West Literary Seminar, visit LITTORAL, the seminar's year-round online journal.
- by Jessica Bates, Key West Reporter for HelloMetro
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