Writing Out Of The Closet & Handling the Rejection of It All Columnist, Author, and Reality TV Star Laura Leigh Abby discusses writing out of the closet with authenticity.…
Kelly Notaras is a 15-year publishing veteran and owner of KN Literary Services book agency. She’s worked as an editor for HarperCollins, Penguin USA and Hyperion Books. Also she served as the VP and Editorial Director at Sounds True.
Just a few things that contribute to making my life, a Vivid life. I want to leave behind a legacy of love and magic, knowing that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and persist to make it happen. I’ve been through homelessness and abuse but it’s never been an excuse to hold back in life, I fought hard to get to where I am today and I know others can too. You are not your story, but you are capable of writing a new ending if you’re willing to take a chance and truly live life to it’s fullest. Take the chance, book the trip, take the photos and never, ever, look back.
Chris Cole is a life coach for folks in recovery from any number of mood, addiction, or behavioral issues. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Contemplative Psychology from Naropa University and is a certified Strategic Intervention Coach. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness.
Christa Parravani is a writer and photographer. Her photographs have been exhibited internationally, and are represented by the Michael Foley Gallery in New York City and the Kopeikin gallery in Los Angeles. She has taught photography at Dartmouth College, Columbia University and UMass, Amherst.
Malaysian author Yangsze Choo’s 2013 debut novel, The Ghost Bride, was Oprah.com’s Book of the Week and a New York Times bestseller. Set in 1890s colonial Malaya and the elaborate Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities and burned paper offerings, it’s about a young Chinese woman who receives a marriage proposal from a dead man.
Chuck Sambuchino discusses how to get a literary agent with tips on how and when to pitch your novel. Pitching live at conferences and what not to do.
Aspen Matis is the best-selling author of the memoir – Girl In The Woods. After being raped on her second night at college, Aspen Matis dropped out. Trekking into the desert, Aspen left her sheltered suburban life behind, searching for a way to heal. Inspired by the beauty and turmoil enveloping her on the trail, the author wrote poems, personal accounts, and dispatches from her tent. After moving to New York City, she published a popular account of her experiences in The New York Times’ Modern Love column to outstanding praise, which led to this memoir. She now lives in Greenwich Village, where she’s finishing her degree at The New School and working on her next novel.
Susan Shapiro is an award-winning writing professor at NYU and the New School, freelancer for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, L.A. Times, and Newsweek. She’s also the New York Times bestselling author of 10 books and her recently published novel What’s Never Said.