The first nationally famous author I ever heard speak in Santa Barbara was Eudora Welty in June of 1977 at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (SBWC). The first author I interviewed on stage was Julia Child in April 1988 at the CALM Celebrity Authors Luncheon.
Talk about being a lucky Santa Barbara kid.
Between the two organizations, more than 400 well-known authors have spoken to Santa Barbara audiences. I have heard many and would walk away richer in information, entertainment and inspiration.
SBWC looks for authors to inspire writers; the CALM Authors Luncheon looks for authors to entertain everyone. More amazing is that these authors are generous and receive honorariums rather than their usual fees.
Although an author may have a successful book, it does not guarantee he or she will be a successful speaker. If so, what makes a good author/speaker? I talked to leaders from each organization about how they find these special people.
The CALM Celebrity Authors Luncheon — March 4 this year — was started by Sharon Bifano after moving from Phoenix, home of the Erma Bombeck Authors Lunch. When Bifano joined the CALM Auxiliary, they were looking for a signature fundraiser.
She connected with Paul Lazarus, former vice president of Columbia Pictures and co-director with Barnaby Conrad for SBWC. Auxiliary member Stephanie Ortale stepped up as Bifano’s co-chair.
The luncheon became a major success, not unusual in our town full of avid readers willing to share ideas.
Still, it took time to reach fundraising expectations. They started small and now make around $100,000, which goes to protect children in both south and north Santa Barbara County.
Bifano talks about the process of lining up featured authors: “After Paul died, I wondered how we’d ever find authors anymore. They kept coming, though. He started it and gave us the path.”
Grit and perseverance paid off. For the past six years, co-chairs Becky Cohen and Carolyn Gillio have continued to bring in featured author/speakers and 10 non-interviewed authors. They talk almost simultaneously about what they look for:
“We want writers who are interesting and whose material will grab you.”
“Finding authors takes time,” Gillio said. “We try to stay away from politicians or religious writers and we don’t need preachers.”
“Whatever book gets our attention,” Cohen added. “We and our committee read it. We try to make contact through friends or publicists. Or Carolyn and I go to book signings to check authors out and talk to them.
“Someone recommended Henry Winkler and his I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River: Reflections on Family, Photography and Flyfishing. He was talking at a fishing store in Los Angeles, so we went down for it. He turned out to be friendly, easy to work with and a big hit that year,” she said.
Working through publicists can be slow and not very responsive. Better to work with the author.
“Sometimes, authors step forward on their own, like Meredith Baxter.” Cohen said. “At the end of her Chaucer’s Bookstore signing, we introduced ourselves and gave her a package explaining CALM and the event.
“Three weeks went by and no word. Then she called, ‘You don’t need my publicist. I can do this.’ She was among our most popular speakers.”
They are not all alike. Some authors ask to come back. Some want to negotiate for higher honorariums. Some can be demanding like one non-interviewed author insisting CALM send out 100 invitations to her list of friends.
CALM volunteers did it at extra work and costs. Not one invitee attended the lunch.
Some run up bills like the author who entertained and fed several friends at the DoubleTree and charged it to CALM. These authors seem to feel entitled. Fortunately, most are aware that CALM is a nonprofit and SBWC is not a high money-maker.
An author with a long list of bestsellers is not always successful speaker. Some first-time authors beat out the long-timers. Gillio tells of examples:
“We never know what we’re going to get. When Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff (Three Dog Bakery Cookbook) were featured, we didn’t expect them to be unusual. They ended up engaging the audience, making us laugh and were among the most popular.”
Maria Shriver drew the highest number of people, over 800. Another was among the most fun.
“When local author Cork Millner interviewed Janet Leigh, they joked around. At one point she jumped up into Cork’s lap and stayed there the rest of the interview.”
Cohen and Gillio share, often while laughing, stories about some outstanding authors like handsome Christopher Kennedy Lawford, Peter Lawford’s son and author of Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption.
After lunch, Kennedy Lawford needed to leave for a flight to Australia but first took time to connect with the audience.
Other popular speakers have included Robert Crais, Greg Hurwitz, Vincent Bugliosi, Susan Straight, Sue Grafton, Terri Garr and Tab Hunter.
Check out the CALM Celebrity Authors Luncheon this year on Saturday, March 4, at the DoubleTree Hotel.
It will feature Fannie Flagg (The Whole Town’s Talking), Dianne Dixon (The Language of Secrets) and Craig Johnson (An Obvious Fact: a Walt Longmire Mystery).
The fourth speaker, Kate McDermott (Art of the Pie), grew up in Santa Barbara, a part of the Crocker-McDermott Mortuary founders dating back to 1906.
Ten non-interviewed writers also participate before and after the lunch making their books available. Gillio sums them up: “They’re a great group, not the level of celebrity writers, but most are excellent authors and worth meeting.”
For more information, visit http://calm4kids.org/events/celebrity-authors-luncheon/.
The Santa Barbara Writers Conference goes back to 1973 when founded by author/artist Conrad. Lazarus joined him shortly after as co-director. Both had personal contacts with top-notch authors such James Michener, William Styron, Amy Tan, Grafton, Joan Didion, Maya Angelou and Elmore Leonard.
Monte Schultz, son of Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schultz, owns it today. Executive director Grace Rachow, long-time Santa Barbara writer and columnist for Montecito Journal, operates the conference. She came as a student in 1992 soon becoming the volunteer supervisor.
What makes this conference different is the combination of nearly round-the-clock writing workshops with featured speakers every evening.
This year, SBWC will highlight Fannie Flagg, who will receive the Ross Macdonald Literary Award in honor of local, highly acclaimed mystery author for raising the standard of literary excellence.
Like the CALM Celebrity Authors Luncheon, operating and overseeing SBWC is incredibly hard work. Finding featured authors can be overwhelming. Rachow talks about the difficulty:
“Our goal is to have really great speakers who inspire our writers. We have found that a person who speaks about writing usually does a great job intriguing people. It’s hard to predict who will work out, no matter if the person is world famous author or first-book author. No guarantee.”
Both SBWC and the CALM Luncheon have long known that big names draw audiences. Rachow remembers one student who came from upstate New York State because T.C. Boyle was talking that year. After the conference he said, “Have him again and I’ll come back.”
“It’s hard enough,” said Rachow, “to get through to well-known authors who want very large speaking fees or don’t want to go to writers conferences any more. Others can be very big and famous yet want to come.
Barnaby knew everybody as personal friends and would call them on the phone, often inviting them to stay at his house. They couldn’t say no. We’re not so lucky today.”
Some authors who were students at the conference now come back. This year’s examples are Flagg and Catherine Ryan Hyde. As Rachow says, “Writers like them entered from the side entrance.”
Ryan Hyde came early on in her career. At the time she was writing short stories, then a novel and then her first big break with Pay It Forward, which was made into a movie. Although she does many speaking engagements and is a good speaker, she has never been featured at SBWC.
As Rachow said, “She’s an example of the perfect formula.”
Both organizations have an overflow of recommendations for speakers. Rachow said, “The best recommendation comes from someone willing to make contact for an ask.”
Several authors have spoken and often return. A current favorite is Chris Moore. He is funny and cares about SBWC, although he can‘t make it this year but may be available in 2018.
The most frequent speaker until his death was Ray Bradbury, who for 30 years was the opening night speaker. He would begin by asking a story’s premise: What If? His high energy and nonstop ideas would get audiences to rev up creative juices.
Alex Haley spoke nine times. Charles Schultz spoke almost every time he came to SBWC. Talk about big supporters.
Last year’s not-so-well-known speaker Aline Ohanesian (Orhan’s Inheritance) gave her talk toward the end. Her personal, articulate stories about writing and finding a path to publishing were told in a poetic but charming tone. Rachow sums up the reaction:
“Her first novel had recently been published and still unknown. Having her speak was taking a chance, but she turned out to be inspiring. If you can get your audience at the end of the conference to keep awake, listen and jump up for a standing ovation, you’ve found a successful speaker.
“She had that something special it takes to get through to them and was a wellspring of encouragement and support.”
Go to SBWC’s website for further information and how to sign up: http://www.sbwriters.com.
— Noozhawk columnist Susan Miles Gulbransen — a Santa Barbara native, writer and book reviewer — teaches writing at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and through the Santa Barbara City College Continuing Education Division. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.
