At my first Santa Barbara Writers Conference, the question was, “What do you do?” Writing has always been my love, but no way could I say, “I am a writer.”
By the end of that week in 1978, I was saying, “I’m going to be a writer.” Upon my return in 1979, I spoke with confidence, “I am a writer.” SBWC has put me on a curvy, sometimes-upside-down and remarkable path ever since.
The conference begins this Sunday (June 17-22 at the Santa Barbara Hyatt Centric hotel), a place for writers but also for readers to hear featured speakers and panelists at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. A special tribute to the late Sue Grafton will be included June 20 with Fannie Flagg participating, another well-known author whose 1977 attendance began her highly successful writing life.
I’ve always wondered how the conference affects others. My rough math tells me that about 14,000 or more have attended since Barnaby and Mary Conrad began the conference at Cate School in 1972. Several are flourishing writers in our community, and many teach SBWC workshops. Some have commented on their experiences.
Former Poet Laureate Perie Longo first attended in 1982. That year, she received the Poetry Award from Marilee Zdenek, another local writer who taught Right Brain/Poetry.
“She recommended me along with longtime conference teacher Bill Downey (Santa Barbara News-Press journalist) to teach a poetry workshop in 1984. I was riddled with fear at the prospect as I had no published book at the time and offered other poets’ names. Barnaby Conrad and Paul Lazarus (co-directors) assured me I’d be just ‘right’ and didn’t need a Pulitzer to teach it.
“The entire staff welcomed me enthusiastically, though at the time Cork Millner said I didn’t look like a poet and suggested I wear a scarf to improve the situation. I still wear a scarf, just to make sure!”
She adds, “In addition to these incredible, gifted mentors, I also had tremendous support from students, which helped me believe in myself more than any publication or prize. I am forever grateful to and for my SBWC family.”
Longo teaches poetry writing workshops and has published four books of poetry, the latest Baggage Claim (WordTech Editions 2014).
As a fiction novelist, Catherine Ryan Hyde was an active student and staff member starting in 1993. Her local writers group in the 1980s had little interest in literary fiction, so she attended the conference.
“I remember reading in the middle of the night in a Pirate Workshop and realizing that nobody was jumping all over me,” she said. “Feedback before the conference was all about flaws, but at SBWC I learned that I needed to branch out and hear a broader range of opinions.”
She had nothing published then. “I had sent out a slew of short stories, but none were placed,” she said. “A workshop leader suggested literary and small circulation magazines for my type of stories. I returned the following year with five published short stories and an honorable mention in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest.”
Ryan Hyde also connected with her first agent there. Her latest of 34 books, Heaven Adjacent, is due this month with three more coming.
Humor author and journalist Ernie Witham attended SBWC in 1990 carrying his first book.
“My novel turned out to be a ‘work-in-progress.’ Still is!” he said. “On the third day of exploring workshops, I stumbled into the humor workshop and ‘found my people.’ Workshop leader and friend Ian Bernard was a huge influence, but overall it was the group that encouraged me and supported me over the years.
“Since that first year, I have written and published hundreds of humor columns.”
His take expresses humor with truth: “SBWC is a wonderful family, including the lovable aunts and an occasional weird uncle or two.”
Witham teaches SBWC’s humor workshop, has published three humor books, and for 18 years has written “Ernie’s World” for the Montecito Journal.
Melinda Palacio, a poetry and fiction writer, began attending in 1992. Since then, she participates and volunteers each year.
Her first workshop was Barnaby Conrad’s class.
“He talked about the most important ingredients of being a writer —writing and transformation. He also reminded us that writers write. It’s as simple as that,” she said. “When I arrived, I had been writing short lifestyle pieces for newspapers and magazines, not books. I laugh now at how long it took to figure out how to navigate a conference offering so much in one week.
“Barny guaranteed that after a week at the conference everyone would leave changed. True! That week changed me and gave me the confidence I needed to declare myself a writer. I have become an award-winning, published author, poet, speaker and teacher.”
Her latest poetry book, Bird Forgiveness, Unknown Binding (3: A Taos Press, 2018), just came out.
Grace Rachow first attended in 1992. She is a writer, editor and now runs the amazing SBWC as director. She took time from her overwhelming work days to look back.
“I love seeing first-time attendees at each conference because they are floating an inch off the ground all week. I also love seeing those who attend almost every year because, once you come to this conference, you join the community of writers, a family where everyone is interested in improving their writing craft and is welcome. Each year is a wonderful blend of the old and new.”
She points out that SBWC offers “a rich career in writing, inspiring aspiring writers to persist with their dreams. Barnaby Conrad, Ray Bradbury and some of the regulars who started the conference may no longer be with us, but their generous spirits continue to grace the conference.”
Click here for more information about programs, registering (nearly 40 workshops), agents and more. For information about the speakers and their schedules, click here.
— 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.
