The CJM will be closed on October 12, 17, and 24. Plan your visit.

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Litquake 2021

Saturday, October 9–Sunday, October 10, 2021 | 11am–4pm

ADMISSION: Tickets available at litquake.org, or by clicking "Register" below. Admission is $12 per session with advanced registration; $15 at the door.

San Francisco's longest-running literary festival, Litquake offers hundreds of events for book lovers to enjoy every year. Explore several of Litquake's 2021 workshops held at The CJM this October!

schedule

Saturday, October 9

11:30am–12:45pm

World (Re)Building: The Art of the Novel

"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." – Jane Austen. How do novelists structure their writing and their writing day? How do they research their ideas? Must you only write about what you know? How do they find a community of fellow authors who can act as sounding boards during the process? Five novelists will join moderator Nayomi Munaweera to discuss their art and craft.

Register

1:15–2:30pm

Distilling Emotion: The Art of the Short Story

“In a rough way the short story writer is to the novelist as a cabinetmaker is to a house carpenter.” – Annie Proulx. How does writing a short story differ from writing a novel? Where do short story writers get their inspiration? How does writing short stories differ from writing longer works? What about short short stories? Four short story writers moderated by Olga Zilberbourg will talk about their art and craft.

Co-presented by California College of the Arts.

Register

3–4:15PM

Blood is Thicker Than Ink: Memoir Panel  

Many of the most beloved and resonant memoirs focus on complicated families. When the subject is close to home, writers must navigate minefields of intense personalities, secrets and lies, conflicting memories, old fights, and the occasional lawsuit. This panel of acclaimed memoirists will discuss the unique challenges and rewards of writing honestly about family.

Co-presented by California College of the Arts.

Register

Sunday, October 10

11:30am–12:45pm

Into the Shitstorm: Debut Authors Dish on the Weirdest Pub Season Ever

Litquake’s debut panel is back—only this time it’s burly! Launching a book is always tricky, but what if your debut takes place during a global pandemic and political maelstrom? Having survived cancelled book tours, explosive politics, and 9,000 Zoom events, this panel of 202021 authors will have plenty to say about resilience, ingenuity, and grit.

Register

1:15–2:30pm

The ABCs of Literary Journals

Want to break into the exclusive club of writers whose work is accepted by a high-brow lit journal? Bring your questions to this panel of editors representing The Believer, Zyzzyva, Poetry Flash, and 14 Hills.

Register

3–4:15pm

The Pros and Cons of MFAs

With the proliferation of graduate programs in creative writing, those in pursuit of careers in wordsmithery have to decide for themselves whether grad school is worth the rigor and expense. Here to discuss the pros and cons of MFA programs will be bestselling authors and faculty members from both sides of the debate.

Register

supporters

Family Programs are made possible by major support from Bank of America. Additional support is provided by Blick Art Materials.