Tahoe Literary Festival

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10:00am PDT

Plot and Subplot: The Hidden Architecture of Story

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Many manuscripts suffer from a surprising problem: they have a plot, but no effective subplots. Yet the most memorable novels use secondary storylines not as decoration, but as engines that deepen character, heighten conflict, and generate crucial turning points.

In this craft talk, novelist Jessica Levine explores how plot and subplot interact to create narrative momentum. Drawing on examples from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, she shows how seemingly secondary stories—such as Lydia Bennet's elopement or Myrtle Wilson's affair—ultimately reshape the destinies of the protagonists and drive the main narrative toward its crisis and resolution.

Writers and readers alike will gain a deeper understanding of narrative structure and leave with practical tools for recognizing, developing, and strengthening the subplot dynamics that give fiction both emotional resonance and structural power.

Speakers

Jessica Levine

Jessica Levine is the award-winning author of The Cousins Series, including Three Cousins (2025), The Geometry of Love, and Nothing Forgotten. The series was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and both The Geometry of Love and Nothing Forgotten were named Booklist... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Library 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk

10:00am PDT

Beyond the Book: Building an Audience in the Modern Literary Landscape

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema

This panel explores how independently published, hybrid, and small press authors can build visibility and grow readership in a rapidly changing literary landscape. Traditional media and bookstore events still build credibility—but they no longer drive book discovery the way they once did. Today's readers are finding books through Substack, podcasts, BookTok, Instagram, Reddit, online communities, and creator recommendations.

Join us for a candid conversation about balancing traditional publicity with modern audience-building tools, including newsletters, social media, podcasts, paid advertising, and direct reader engagement. Learn what works, what doesn't, and how to build a solid ecosystem around your book in order to reach readers, generate book sales, and sustain a writing career.

Speakers

Julia Drake

Julia Drake is a co-founder of Wildbound PR, a boutique literary PR and marketing firm for authors, and owner of IndieReader, a trusted platform for indie book reviews and publishing resources. She has led successful campaigns for high-profile and indie authors alike, partnering with... Read More →

Jared Drake

Jared Drake is president of Realization Films, a co-founder of Wildbound PR, a boutique literary PR and marketing firm for authors, and owner of IndieReader, a trusted platform for indie book reviews and publishing resources. He has led successful campaigns for high-profile and indie... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd

Fiction, All Genres

10:00am PDT

Beyond the Book: Turn Your Big Idea Into a TEDx Talk That Opens Doors

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator)

This presentation will help writers discover the powerful idea at the heart of their work and transform it into a compelling TEDx-worthy talk. Whether they write memoir, fiction, or nonfiction, they'll learn how to identify the universal message behind their writing and understand the difference between telling a story and sharing an "idea worth spreading."

The purpose of this session is to help authors expand their impact beyond the page while building a stronger author platform through speaking. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for developing a TEDx-worthy idea, a clearer understanding of how speaking can create opportunities for visibility and connection, and a roadmap for using talks to attract new audiences, podcasts, literary festivals, conferences, and future speaking engagements.

Speakers

Bridey Thelen-Heidel

Bridey Thelen-Heidel is an award-winning memoirist, TEDx speaker, and teacher whose work explores resilience, identity, and the stories that shape our lives. She is the author of Bright Eyes, recipient of the Zibby Award for “Best Story of Overcoming,” a NYC Big Book Award, and... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator) 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Generative Workshop, All Genres

10:00am PDT

Rock Climbing, Body Language, and the Poetics of Scale

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Gatekeeper's Basket Room

Poet, essayist and rock climber Brian Laidlaw will read briefly from his new book Erratica: On Climbing, Language, and Touching Stone, and then lead a craft talk on what he calls ‘the poetics of scale.’ Inspired by fractals in nature – the idea of self-similarity across scale, the way a cliff’s geometry is the same as that of a boulder, a pebble, and a grain of sand – Brian will lead a generative workshop (all genres welcome – prose, poetry, song, other) that encourages participants to write through both the micro-lens and macro-lens of attention, leading to images and insights that echo one another across scale, from the infinitesimal to the infinite.

Speakers

Brian Laidlaw

Brian Laidlaw is an author and songwriter based in Moab, Utah. He writes for magazines like Outside, Alpinist, Climbing, and Orion, and his debut nonfiction book Erratica: On Climbing, Language, and Touching Stone was released this fall by Milkweed Editions. He continues to tour as a folksinger, and also moonlights (often by literal moonlight) as a climber, establishing new boulders and routes in the desert and Sierra... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Gatekeeper's Basket Room 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145

Generative Workshop, All Genres

10:00am PDT

Turning Your Trips into Tales: The Art of Travel Writing

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Do you want to tell life stories inspired by your travels? If so, this generative workshop will help you write compelling stories about your journeys and adventures, past and future. Please bring a pen and paper, as this is a hands-on writing workshop

Speakers

Suzanne Roberts

Suzanne Roberts is the author of Animal Bodies: On Death, Desire, and Other Difficulties (Longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay), Bad Tourist: Misadventures in Love and Travel (North American Travel Journalists Association Bronze Award f... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Generative Workshop, Non-fiction

10:00am PDT

The Art of Fiction

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

SNOW Sports Museum

Join novelists Kim Culbertson (Other People's Kids), Karen Nelson (The Last Summer at Feather River), and Laura Newman (The Darling of the Black Rock Desert) for a conversation about the craft of fiction. From developing compelling characters and immersive settings to exploring the emotional truths that drive a story, these authors discuss their creative process, the inspiration behind their novels, and the challenges and rewards of bringing fictional worlds to life. Whether you're an avid reader, aspiring writer, or simply love a great story, this panel offers an engaging look inside the novelist's craft. This panel is great for people that love to read.

Speakers

Kim Culbertson

Presenter

Kim is the award-winning author of five YA novels with Sourcebooks and Scholastic. Her first novel for adults Other People’s Kids (Sibylline 2025) was named a finalist for the California Independent Booksellers Alliance (CALIBA) 2025 Golden Poppy Award in Fiction. Kim is a founder of the Flash Fiction Institute, sits on the Writers Council for National Writing Project, and works as a fiction mentor with Dominican... Read More →

Karen Nelson

Karen Nelson is the author of the novels The Last Summer at Feather River and The Sunken Town. She is also the co-founder of the nonprofit Writing By Writers where she hosts writing workshops taught by nationally-known, award-winning authors. Her travel writing has appeared in Co... Read More →

Laura Newman

Laura Newman is the author of The Franklin Avenue Rookery for Wayward Babies and The Darling of the Black Rock Desert, Delphinium Press. Laura's writing has been printed in The Saturday Evening Post, Literary Hub, Failbetter, Apricity Magazine, New Plains Review, as well as ear... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
SNOW Sports Museum

In-Conversation, Great for Booklovers

10:00am PDT

Transitions: A Multi-Disciplinary Poetry Workshop

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Tahoe City Library

Jesse James Ziegler presents a poetry workshop to help build personal artistry and identity. It will incorporate ekphrastic exercises, blackout poetry opportunities and individual written prompt responses. Materials will be provided for the participants including paper, writing utensils and clipboards.

Speakers

Jesse James Ziegler

Jesse James Ziegler is Poet Laureate Emeritus for the City of Reno (5th-Jan/24-Dec/25). He is the Vice President of Spoken Views Collective and the Creative Director for Monday Night Poetry (Voted 2024 and 2025 Best Open Mic - Reno News & Review), True Colors Poetry and Collective... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Tahoe City Library 740 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Poetry

11:15am PDT

Humor Writing

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator)

What makes readers laugh and why is humor often one of the most challenging forms of writing? Join Tim Hauserman and Tim Disney for a conversation on the craft of writing humor, from finding comedy in everyday life to using satire to expose larger truths. They'll explore how vulnerability, timing, voice, and perspective shape memorable comedic writing, sharing examples from their own work along the way. Whether you're writing fiction, memoir, essays, or satire, attendees will gain practical techniques for developing humor that feels authentic, engaging, and meaningful. Expect lively discussion, insightful readings, and plenty of laughs.

Speakers

Tim Disney

Tim Disney is an artist and entrepreneur from Los Angeles. He has produced, written, or directed multiple award-winning feature ﬁlms and documentaries, which have appeared at Sundance, Telluride, SXSW, and other festivals. He served as Chairman and CEO of Virtual World Entertainment... Read More →

Tim Hauserman

Tim Hauserman is the author of The Official Guide to the Tahoe Rim Trail as well as Going it Alone: Ramblings and Reflections from the Trail. He is a freelance writer who has penned over 100 articles for a number of different publications. He is a nearly lifelong resident of Tahoe... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator) 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk

11:15am PDT

Reluctant Sales: 3 Marketing Moves for Writers Who'd Rather Be Writing

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Tahoe City Library

Most writers would rather do anything besides sell their books. No thanks to being pushy or constant rejections. This session reframes the marketing work: selling from a place of curiosity and helpfulness is just connecting a reader to a book they'll love. The presenter will lay out three marketing moves a writer can do directly, with or without a publisher: getting into reader book clubs, onto regional bookstore shelves, as well as in retailers besides bookstores, such as enthusiasts' stores and museum gift shops. We'll go through the marketing playbook: which directories book clubs use to find their next reads, the anatomy of a winning sell sheet, displays that sell for you and the calculation on how print-on-demand copies can out-earn royalties. Attendees leave with a system, first steps, and proof from local writers already using these moves.

Speakers

Lisa Kirkman

Lisa Kirkman writes literary fiction from the Lake Tahoe area, where she landed after a thirty-year career in marketing and journalism. A sixth-generation Californian, she writes short stories and a novel rooted in her family's long history in the state, and is at work seeking agent... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Tahoe City Library 740 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk, All Genres

11:15am PDT

Scene: The Essential Building Block of Story: Fiction, Memoir, Playwriting

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Library

Whether we’re playwrights or writers of fiction or memoir, we’re up to the same thing, which is building a story. And stories, no matter the form or genre, unfold scene by scene. In this workshop, we’ll talk about what we mean by “scene,” and cover its essential elements. Then, with the help of published examples, we’ll examine how a variety of writers put these ideas to work: we’ll look at character, and character needs, the importance of setting and activity, as well as the power inherent in inanimate objects. We’ll also address point of view and sense of place, and a few pointers about effective dialogue. Targeted prompts allow you to put theory into practice, so you can confidently incorporate these ideas into your writing.

Speakers

Sands Hall

Sands Hall—author, professor, theatre artist, singer-songwriter—is the author of the award-winning memoir, Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology (Counterpoint Press); Blackstone Audio produced the audio book, read by the author. Other publications include prize-winning essays... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Library 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk, All Genres

11:15am PDT

Building Your Writing Career from Scratch

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Feel lost in the vast bevy of opportunities available to you? In this hands on workshop, we will build a plan for you to fulfill your writing goals.

Speakers

Lisa Diane Kastner

Lisa Diane Kastner is the Founder and Executive Editor of Running Wild, LLC, a content creation, distribution and licensing company. Currently publishing four imprints: Running Wild, RIZE, Trompe L'Oeil, and Junkyard Rooster, Running Wild's imprints focus on those stories that... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Generative Workshop, All Genres

11:15am PDT

How to Write Compelling Personal Essays

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

SNOW Sports Museum

Personal essays are a great way for writers to get their stories, ideas, and words out into the world. In this one-hour class, participants will learn the structures behind successful personal essays, as well as the different types, such as memoir, OpEd, and reported service pieces. You'll leave understanding which personal essay format best suits your idea and how to craft it. Attending the workshop with an essay idea is recommended but not required.

Speakers

Blair Glaser

Blair Glaser is the author of This Incredible Longing: Finding My Self in a Near-Cult Experience. She has published essays in The Los Angeles Times, Lit Hub, Fortune, People, HuffPost, Oldster, and others, and writers The HI (Human Intelligence) Stack on Substack. She is an executive... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
SNOW Sports Museum

Generative Workshop, All Genres

11:15am PDT

The Living Landscape: California Then, Now, and Next

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema

Join acclaimed California authors Obi Kaufmann, author of California Inside Out and Laura Cunningham, A State of Change for a thought-provoking conversation about the past, present, and future of the Golden State. Drawing on themes from California Inside Out and A State of Change, the discussion will explore how California's landscapes have been shaped by geology, ecology, climate, and human influence across millennia. Kaufmann's sweeping vision of the state's interconnected watersheds, biodiversity, and public lands complements Cunningham's richly illustrated account of California's ecological history and the species and habitats transformed over time. Together, they will examine what has been lost, what endures, and what can still be restored in an era of rapid environmental change. Through storytelling, science, art, and conservation, this engaging dialogue offers fresh perspectives on California's remarkable natural heritage and the choices that will define its future. Audience Q&A will follow, inviting participants to join the conversation about stewardship, resilience, and hope.

Moderated by Mike Rogge

*This author conversation is great for people that love to read non-fiction books and care deeply about the environment.

Speakers

Obi Kaufmann

Obi Kaufmann is the author of The California Field Atlas (#1 San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller), The State of Water, The Forests of California, The Coasts of California (San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller), The Deserts of California (San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller), and The State... Read More →

Laura Cunningham

Laura Cunningham is an artist-naturalist who studied paleontology and biology at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of A State of Change: California's Forgotten Landscapes. She has worked field biology jobs for the California Department of Fish and Game, the United States Geological Survey, and various universities, gaining experience with such species as Owens Valley pupfish, salmon and steelhead trout, Yosemite toads, Panamint alligator lizards, a... Read More →

Mike Rogge

Mike Rogge is a writer and magazine editor. He resurrected the historic Mountain Gazette, an independent magazine focused on mountain culture, in 2020. Rogge, a passionate advocate for mountain communities, has been profiled in The New York Times, Fast Company, and NPR for his role... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd

In-Conversation, Great for Booklovers

11:15am PDT

Writing Trauma: Transforming Pain into Powerful Story

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Basket Room

How do writers transform life's most difficult experiences into stories that heal, connect, and endure? In this conversation, three authors explore the craft of writing trauma, From religious trauma to deeply personal experiences of loss, transformation, and resilience, the panel examines how vulnerability becomes meaningful narrative without relying on sensationalism. Attendees will gain insight into balancing emotional truth with strong storytelling, creating authentic character and memoir arcs, and writing difficult experiences in ways that serve both the writer and the reader. Whether writing memoir or fiction, participants will leave with practical strategies for approaching emotionally complex material with courage, compassion, and craft.

Speakers

Susan Huckle

Susan Huckle is an actor in Los Angeles, but that wasn’t self-indulgent enough, so she wrote a memoir. The Earth Is Flat?! And Other Things My Mother Taught Me debuted on Earth Day 2026 and quickly became a #1 New Release. She grew up in Santa Maria, CA, and earned her B.A. in Journalism... Read More →

Allison Landa

Allison Landa is the author of BEARDED LADY, a memoir. She has held artist residencies at MacDowell, Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, WordSpace, Playa Summer Lake, and Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. She earned her MFA in fiction writing from Saint Mary's College of California... Read More →

Katya Dunko

Katya Dunko is the author of I Drank From the Nile: An Unbreakable Memoir of Resilience, a memoir exploring addiction, survival, motherhood, identity, and breaking generational cycles. Born in Ukraine and shaped by life across four countries, her work blends emotional honesty with a deep psychological lens on trauma and self-reclamation. Through her writing and onlin... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Basket Room 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145

Panel Discussion, All Genres

12:30pm PDT

Confronting the System, Reclaiming the Self: Fiction as Liberation

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator)

This panel discussion examines how genre fiction can serve as a catalyst for personal and collective redemption.

Join authors Miles Whitney (Midlife Musical) and Dr. Nicholas Louis Baham III (The People’s Detective) with moderation by Afro-surrealist writer and revolutionary thinker, CJ Spears for an engaging session demonstrating how writers can use external conflicts to map out internal character reawakenings, Midlife Musical and expose under-reported societal injustices.

Attendees will hear about the Authors narrative techniques for creating the psychology of their characters. Writers will learn how to embed themes of resilience, and identity directly into readable plots.

Speakers

Nicholas Baham III

Dr. Nicholas Louis Baham III, Ph.D. is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at California State University, East Bay and an internationally recognized scholar of Black Studies. He has appeared in such wide-ranging publications and media outlets as Esquire magazine; BBC world service documentary... Read More →

CJ Spears

Chasejamison Akilah Manar-Spears is an imaginative writer who was born and raised in the Bay Area. Their words bloom at the intersection of poetry, afro-surrealism, and science fiction. As a Yoga teacher and revolutionary thinker, they are nourished by bodies of knowledge that express... Read More →

Miles Whitney

Miles Whitney is a queer, trans, Jewish attorney based in Sacramento, California. As a research attorney for the trial court, Miles channels his passion for justice into both his legal work and his creative writing. After the unexpected loss of his daughter, Isabel, in 2022, Miles... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator) 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk, Fiction

12:30pm PDT

Food Writing: Telling Stories Through Taste

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

Tahoe Wine Collective

Food is never just what's on the plate—it carries memory, identity, culture, and connection. In this interactive workshop, authors Gabrielle Meyers and Dianne Reeves Angel explore the art of transformin the culi arts into story. Through discussion, examples, and writing prompts, participants will discover how sensory detail, place, and personal experience can bring food to life on the page. Whether you're writing memoir, fiction, essays, travel or restaurant stories, or food journalism, you'll gain practical techniques and fresh inspiration to create vivid, engaging narratives that resonate long after the last bite.

Speakers

Dianne Reeves Angel

Presenter

Dianne Reeves Angel is the author of Every Restaurant Tells a Story: Tales of Film, Food and Fabulous Misadventures, published by Lost Telegram Press, losttelegrampress.com, in December 2025. The book is available in softcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Angel’s career has be... Read More →

Gabrielle Myers

Gabrielle is a former chef and the author of Hive-Mind, a memoir, the poetry books Too Many Seeds (2021), Break Self: Feed (2024), Points in the Network (2025), Go Forth: Lose Yourself into Life (2026) and the forthcoming La Ruta es Clara (Fall 2026). Her publications... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Tahoe Wine Collective 760 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk, All Genres

12:30pm PDT

From Manuscript to Momentum: Social Media Strategies for Authors

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Library

Publishing a book is only the beginning. Discover how to use social media as a powerful storytelling tool to build your author brand, connect with readers, and create lasting engagement without feeling overwhelmed. This interactive workshop explores practical strategies for choosing the right platforms, creating content that reflects your voice, growing an authentic community, and turning online connections into loyal readers. Attendees will also learn how to increase visibility through media opportunities and collaborations that extend beyond social media. Participants will leave with actionable ideas, a simple content framework, and the confidence to promote their work consistently while spending less time wondering what to post and more time writing.

Speakers

Patrick Storm

Patrick Storm is the founder of Lemon Tree Agency LLC, where he helps authors, artists, nonprofits, and small businesses tell compelling stories that connect with audiences. With more than 20 years of experience in public relations and social media marketing, he has secured media... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Library 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk, All Genres

12:30pm PDT

The Art of Brevity

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Basket Room

In flash fiction, the whole is a part and the part is a whole. The form forces the writer to
question each word, to reckon with Flaubert’s mot juste, and move a story by hints and
implications. Flash stories are built through gaps as much as the connective tissue of words,
so what’s left out of a story is often more important than what’s included.

In this workshop, Grant Faulkner, co-founder of 100 Word Story and the author of The Art of
Brevity—will discuss how a different type of creativity emerges within a hard compositional
limit, exploring the many different forms that short shorts can take.

Speakers

Grant Faulkner

Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of Memoir Nation (and also the co-host of the Memoir Nation podcast), the co-founder of the Flash Fiction Institute, the co-founder of 100 Word Story, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. He was also Executive Director of National... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Basket Room 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145

Craft Talk, Fiction

12:30pm PDT

What I Learned from Being My Own Book Publicist

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

The Understory by Wonderwood Books

When Sarah Flocken got a book deal for her debut novel Be Well, it wasn't just a lifelong publishing dream come true. It was the moment her two worlds crashed together. Sarah, a public relations business owner by day, had just signed her most significant, demanding, critical, and honestly neurotic client yet: herself.

The imposter syndrome was real. But she ended up creating a PR plan that led to her breaking her publisher’s previous pre-order sales record.

In this workshop, participants will learn some of Sarah’s hard-earned lessons from experience, including whether or not to try to be a BookTok influencer, and what to prioritize based on your genre, audience, and personality

By the end, every participant with a book to promote will leave with a better sense of how to create a publicity plan for themselves, whether they’re working with a pro or (gulp) doing it on their own.

Speakers

Sarah Flocken

Sarah Flocken is an author who writes unhinged fiction for the silently enraged. Publishers Weekly has said her debut novel Be Well, which is set in 2009 during the aftermath of the Great Recession, "provides laugh-out-loud moments in an era known for its bleakness." By day, she is the founder of SLH Communications, a public relations consultancy. She is also a comedian, improviser, and pun contest host (yes, competi... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Craft Talk, All Genres

12:30pm PDT

Author Conversation: Parvati Shallow & Priya Hutner

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema

Join Parvati Shallow and Priya Hutner for a unique author conversation as they discuss their memoirs and the experiences that shaped them. Both women were raised in the same spiritual cult, each forged different paths after leaving. Both navigated abusive relationships, motherhood, and the difficult decision to walk away from a life that no longer served them. This intimate conversation explores identity, belief, grief, vulnerability, and how writing became a tool for making sense of their past.

*This author conversation is ideal for readers.

Speakers

Priya Hutner

Priya Hutner, author, teacher, and co-founder of the Tahoe Literary Festival and Truckee Literary Crawl. A journalist and writer, her work has been featured in the Tahoe Guide, Moonshine Ink, Muse Magazine, Monday Night Poetry Anthology and several other publications. Priya is... Read More →

Parvati Shallow

Parvati Shallow is a mother, a National Bestselling author, the winner and five-time competitor of the hit TV series Survivor, and the breakout star of Peacock's The Traitors. In her acclaimed 2025 memoir, Nice Girls Don't Win: How I Burned It All Down to Claim My Power, she explores themes of radical self-acceptance, resilience, and healing from trauma. Parvati holds advanced certifications in yoga, meditation, and breathwork, and is a passionate student of various healing and therapeutic modalities, including structural integration, Somatic Experiencing... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd

In-Conversation, Great for Booklovers

1:45pm PDT

Grantwriting for Literary Artists

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator)

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up your funding strategy, this hands-on session will walk you through a clear, practical system for researching, writing, and managing grants. Learn how to identify the right opportunities, align your project with funder priorities, and craft compelling proposals that stand out.

This session also explores how to use AI tools to evaluate and rate your grant responses—helping you revise drafts, strengthen clarity and persuasiveness, and align your answers with funder criteria.

Attendees will learn practical and actionable recommendations for finding and assessing funding opportunities, key strategies for persuasive proposal writing, best practices for budgeting, documentation, and reporting and tips for editing, storytelling and making your case for support.

Speakers

Jenny Darlington-Person

Jenny Darlington-Person is the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Placer County and a development consultant for InConcert Sierra. A former attorney and law professor of 17 years, Jenny traded the courtroom for the arts in 2018, subsequently leading teams to raise over $6.5... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator) 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk

1:45pm PDT

How to Build Your Platform by Writing Essays

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Publishing essays is a terrific way to share your writing with new audiences and grow your platform as a writer. It is not easy but
understanding how the process works will increase your chances of getting published. In this workshop, you’ll learn:

Three types of essays to pitch: personal; reported/hybrid; OpEd.
Three format structures for these essays.
The basics of pitching.
You’ll leave with an essay idea/pitch title, a good idea of how to
write the essay or rewrite an essay, and a few ideas of where to send
your pitches.

Speakers

Blair Glaser

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Generative Workshop, All Genres

1:45pm PDT

Writing Wildness: A Generative Nature Writing Workshop

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Basket Room

In a world where nature is disappearing, it's more important now than ever before that we celebrate what's left, whether we are approaching the natural world with joy and wonder or sadness and nostalgia or maybe a bit of both. Join us for a generative writing workshop on writing the greater than human world. All genres welcome.

Speakers

Eve Quesnel

Eve Quesnel has written articles centered on her observations of the natural world through a storytelling and educational approach for more than two decades. Her newly released book, Snow Fleas and Chickadees: Everyday Observations in the Sierra is a compilation of those articles... Read More →

Suzanne Roberts

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Basket Room 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145

Generative Workshop, All Genres

1:45pm PDT

The American West: Uncovering Hidden Histories and the Enduring Relationship Between People and Place

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

SNOW Sports Museum

Join acclaimed authors Greg Sarris and Josh Weil for a conversation about history, identity, and the enduring relationship between people and place. Sarris discusses The Last Human Bear, an epic novel inspired by Native Pomo traditions that explores family, resilience, love, and the power of ancestral stories. Weil shares What Came West, set in the Sierra Nevada on the eve of the Gold Rush, where ambition, survival, and the collision of cultures reshape both the land and those who inhabit it. Together, they explore how fiction uncovers hidden histories, gives voice to overlooked perspectives, and deepens our understanding of the American West.

Speakers

Greg Sarris

Greg Sarris is an enrolled member of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and is currently serving his seventeenth consecutive elected term as chairman of the tribe. He is the author of several books, including the novel Grand Avenue, which he adapted for an HBO miniseries and co-executive... Read More →

Josh Weil

Josh Weil is the author of the novel The Great Glass Sea, the novella collection The New Valley, and the story collection The Age of Perpetual Light. He is a Fulbright fellow and has been awarded the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a “5 Under 35” award from the National Book Foundation, the California Book Award, and a Pushcart Prize. For th... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
SNOW Sports Museum

In-Conversation, Great for Booklovers

1:45pm PDT

The Power of Poetry: Poet Laureates in Conversation

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema

Join California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick and Nevada Poet Laureate Shaun Griffin for an inspiring conversation on the transformative power of poetry. Together, they explore how poems help us make sense of the world, deepen our connection to place, and give voice to our shared humanity. Drawing from their own creative journeys, Herrick and Griffin discuss craft, community, and the role of poetry in cultivating empathy, resilience, and belonging. Whether you're a lifelong poetry lover or simply curious about the art form, this engaging conversation offers fresh insight into why poetry matters now more than ever.

Speakers

Lee Herrick

Lee Herrick Lee Herrick is the California Poet Laureate. He is the author of four books of poems: In Praise of Late Wonder: New and Selected Poems (Gunpowder Press, September 2024); Scar and Flower, finalist for the 2020 Northern California Book Award; Gardening Secrets of the Dead... Read More →

Shaun Griffin

Shaun T. Griffin co-founded and directed Community Chest, a rural social justice agency for twenty-seven years. His new book of poems, No Charity in the Wilderness, is out from the University of Nevada Press. Southern Utah University Press just released River Ask Me Why—Into... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd

In-Conversation, Great for Booklovers

1:45pm PDT

Cli-Fi: The Art of Blending Science and Creativity in Climate Change Fiction

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator)

This panel explores the topic of climate change fiction. Cli-fi authors will explore how authors use what is known and forecasted in climate change science to frame their story, the art of blending climate change science, imagination, and creative writing craft to create powerful Cli-fi and the potential of this genre to amplify society's understanding of our climate change future, and potentially stimulate societal action/response.

Speakers

Tim Disney

Sarah Ruiz-Grossman

Sarah is a writer and former reporter at HuffPost, where they covered the climate crisis and other social justice issues. Born and raised in New York, they live in Oakland, California.

Nicole Levin

Nicole Levin is an artist and environmental organizer living in Los Feliz. Raised in Fairfield, California, Levin studied environmental science at Harvard, and her work reflects contemporary social anxieties in a conscious, poignant voice—with a hearty portion of Jewish humor.Her... Read More →

Susan Norman

Susan Norman is the author of the memoir, RISK, A Life Saved by the River. A retired hydrologist and former whitewater rafting and kayaking champion, she is currently the Board Chair of the Sierra Nevada Alliance and a Grasstops Advocate for the Outdoor Alliance. Her current writing... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Upstairs (no elevator) 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Panel Discussion, Fiction

3:00pm PDT

In a Field of Voices: Writing as Relationship & Participation

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 3:00pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Museum Library

In a time when attention is fragmented and language is increasingly shaped by reaction and persuasion; writing offers more than a creative practice—it offers a way of deepening our relationship with the world and one another.
Beginning with the question, What kinds of relationships does writing invite us into? Participants will explore how voice emerges through attention, curiosity, and engagement with language, place, and community. Through reflection, generative writing, and shared response, participants will discover that voice is not something to be found, but something revealed through relationship.

The workshop introduces the idea of the erotics of attention—the vitality, attraction, and creative energy that draw us into genuine relationship with what calls us to write. Participants will leave with new writing, practical practices, and a renewed understanding of why their writing matters—not only on the page, but as a lifelong practice of relationship and participation.

Speakers

Samantha Wallen

Samantha Wallen is a poet, writer, and writing guide devoted to a literature of restoration. She is the author of the poetry collection, Weight of Water, and has spent more than a decade guiding writers to deepen their craft, complete books, and cultivate sustainable writing lives through retreats, workshops, and private mentoring. Her work explores writing as a practice of attention, relationship, and participation in the world. Samantha ho... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Museum Library 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Generative Workshop, All Genres

3:00pm PDT

Beyond the Book Deal: Navigating the Obstacles of a Literary Life

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Gatekeeper's Basket Room

You've finished the manuscript. Now the publishing journey begins. From querying agents and surviving rejection to finding alternative paths to publication and building a sustainable writing career, this panel offers an honest look at what it really takes to become a published author. Three accomplished writers share the setbacks, surprises, and hard-won lessons behind their careers, revealing that perseverance, adaptability, and community are just as important as talent. Whether you're pursuing traditional publishing or exploring other avenues, you'll leave with practical strategies, realistic expectations, and renewed confidence to navigate the road ahead.

Speakers

Jennifer Dickinson

Jennifer Dickinson grew up in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She attended Hollins University, a women’s college in Virginia, where she developed her passion for storytelling and fell in love with the power of theater. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dogs, and she spends... Read More →

Nicole Maggi

Nicole Maggi is the author of the award-winning National Park Mystery Series, beginning with A MURDER IN ZION, winner of the 2025 FOREWORD Reviews Gold Medal and the 2025 IBPA Silver Medal for Best Mystery, and following with LOST IN YELLOWSTONE. Both books garnered effusive praise... Read More →

Cecilia Rabess

Cecilia Rabess is a writer and data scientist whose work has appeared in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, McSweeney’s, and FiveThirtyEight, to name a few. She lives in Olympic Valley, CA with her family. Everything’s Fine is her debut novel... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Gatekeeper's Basket Room 130 W Lake Blvd, Tahoe City, CA 96145

Craft Talk, All Genres

3:00pm PDT

Songwriting Workshop

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Tahoe Wine Collective

A generative songwriting workshop centered on the edge of feeling, where emotion is still forming and songs begin before they have words or shape. Together we will identify a “seed,” a memory, emotion, image, or fragment of truth, and develop it into a songwriting starting point. Through guided prompts and group exercises, we will explore how to translate experience into lyrics using both direct and indirect language. You will leave with a starting point to continue writing from, along with practical tools for shaping raw feeling into the beginning of a song.

Speakers

Brian Laidlaw

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Tahoe Wine Collective 760 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Craft Talk, Songwriting

3:00pm PDT

Teaching Poetry on the Inside: Writing as an Act of Service

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Trying to teach poetry inside: How can a poem touch a person's life who is serving time? This is an old question but it has been answered repeatedly: start by reading and then writing what might be small cables to the infinite wisdom of healing. Teach people to trust again, build a relationship based on mutual constructive feedback, and slowly one's humanity emerges from the darkness. Shaun Griffin has been teaching a poetry workshop for decades at Northern Nevada Correctional Center.

Speakers

Shaun Griffin

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
The Understory by Wonderwood Books

Craft Talk, Poetry

3:00pm PDT

Author Conversation with Cara Benson and Karen Terrey

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Tahoe City Library

An Armsfull of Birds: A Personal Field Guide to Love, Loss, and Commitment
Join poet, essayist, and storyteller Cara Benson for a discussion of her new memoir with Karen
Terrey, Nevada County Poet Laureate. Building on a long writing friendship that started in
graduate school, this intimate conversation will explore questions of why a vulnerable and
individual human voice matters in the evolving world of AI, how to discover the intersection of
the larger planetary story within our personal lives, and methods for keeping our hearts in the
game of manifesting change as we collectively take care of the more than human. Benson will
also touch on the project of writing about her personal tragic loss, finding an agent, and
ultimately a publisher for her memoir.

*This author conversation is ideal for readers.

Speakers

Cara Benson

Presenter

Cara Benson’s writing has been published in The New York Times, Boston Review, Orion, Sierra
Magazine, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, and selected for Best American
Poetry. Her first book, (made), is a collection of prose poems that was praised by The
Huffin... Read More →

Karen Terrey

Karen Terrey serves as Poet Laureate for Nevada County, CA, where her mission is to support a
welcoming arts community that encourages collaboration and growth. She's an editor and
writing coach, offering creative writing workshops online and in Truckee through her business,
Tangled
... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Tahoe City Library 740 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

In-Conversation, Great for Booklovers

3:00pm PDT

Our Fascination with Cults: Exploring the Myths and Realities of Belief

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema

This panel discussion brings together authors who have confronted the seductive pull of cults, or have been born into them the belief systems that reshaped their lives. Together, they explore what draws people into systems of control and what it takes to break free, how their lives were shaped by the powerful pull of belonging, belief, and conditioning.
They discuss what happens when people are swept into powerful narratives, why are people susceptible to charismatic leaders, and what dangers arise when belief replaces questioning. In an era of influencer culture, misinformation, and fractured divides, their insights reveal how limiting beliefs can entrap us and how writing becomes a tool for transformation.

*If you love a good cult book and are fascinated by cults this is a great panel to attend.

Speakers

Parvati Shallow

Priya Hutner

Melissa Duge Spiers

Melissa Duge Spiers is an award-winning essayist, screenwriter, and advocate for topics of religious and narcissistic abuse, utilizing her online platforms (TikTok and Instagram, known as “The Glory Whole”). Her memoir Holy Disobedience: Sex, Sin, and Secrets in the Biggest C... Read More →

Sands Hall

Saturday October 10, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema 475 N Lake Blvd

Panel Discussion, Great for Booklovers

4:00pm PDT

Book Fair - Author Meet & Greet Social: Free

Saturday October 10, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm PDT

Boatworks Mall

Tahoe Literary Festival hosts a FREE Books, Bubbles & Banters event open to everyone hosted by The Boatworks, Tahoe Wine Collective, Tahoe City Library and Friends of the Tahoe City Library.

Enjoy libations from Tahoe Wine Collective while shopping the book fair and socializing with fellow writers. Many of the authors featured during the 2026 Tahoe Literary Festival will be on hand to sell and sign their books.

This event is FREE to attend and open to all ages. No-cost registration highly recommended.

Saturday October 10, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm PDT
Boatworks Mall 760 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Free Community Event

6:00pm PDT

Singer & Songwriter Showcase: Free

Saturday October 10, 2026 6:00pm - 7:30pm PDT

Tahoe Wine Collective

Hosted by Will Richardson, executive director of the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, this wildly popular event brings together talented singer-songwriters who will perform and share insights into their songwriting process, background, inspiration, and the creative journey behind their music.

This is a free community event. No-cost registration highly recommended.

Speakers

Will Richardson

Will Richardson is Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) which is a member-supported nonprofit organization seeking to advance the natural history, conservation, and ecosystem knowledge of the Tahoe region through science, education, and... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 6:00pm - 7:30pm PDT
Tahoe Wine Collective 760 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City

Free Community Event

Tahoe Literary Festival

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