2013 South Coast Writers Conference Presenters
Keynote
William Sullivan ~ Confessions of a Professional Writer
Merritt "Biff" Barnes is a managing editor of Stories To Tell, a team of editors and book designers who help authors to develop their fiction, non-fiction and creative non-fiction. An award-winning writing teacher, Barnes holds a BA and MA in American History from the University of San Francisco and was a William Robertson Coe Fellow in American History at Stanford. A former journalist, Barnes taught at the College of San Mateo and has been a frequent presenter of writing classes and at conferences nationwide. He has worked with authors as both an editor and writing coach to produce over thirty-five published books. You can learn more about him at www.storiestotellbooks.com
Linda Barnes has degrees in English and psychology, and professional certifications in poetry and journal writing facilitation. She is the founder of the Rogue Valley Chapter of the Oregon Poetry Association and coordinates the annual Southern Oregon Poetry Prize. A loyal participant in the South Coast Writers Conference, Linda looks forward to her annual pilgrimage to Gold Beach. She is on the faculty of the Therapeutic Writing Institute, and serves on the Board of the National Association for Biblio-Poetry Therapy.
Judy Cox grew up near San Francisco. A retired reading specialist, she is the author of twenty-six books for children, and more than thirty short stories. Her books have been honored with awards such as the Nevada Young Readers Award, Children’s Choices, TIME magazine Best Children’s Books of 2005 and 2009, and the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award. Judy plays the ukulele for fun and lives in Ontario, Oregon with her husband and imperious cat. www.judycox.net
Bruce Holbert is the author of the novel Lonesome Animals (Counterpoint Press 2012) and the forthcoming History of a Happy Family (Counterpoint Press 2014). His work has appeared in Other Voices, The Antioch Review, Hotel Amerika, The Iowa Review, The New Orleans Review and is a graduate of the University of Iowa’s Writers Workshop. www.bruceholbertbooks.com
Elizabeth Lyon is the author of Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, A Writer’s Guide to Nonfiction, A Writer’s Guide to Fiction, and Manuscript Makeover. This book was featured in The Writer magazine as one of the “8 Great Writing Books of 2008,” and described as “perhaps the most comprehensive book on revising fiction.”
Elizabeth began her career in 1988, teaching writing at Lane Community College and leading critique groups in her home for 13 years. As a freelance book editor, she has participated in the publishing success of dozens of nonfiction books, novels, traditionally published as well as self-published print-on-demand and e-books. She is the author of six books for writers, including the acclaimed Manuscript Makeover. www.elizabethlyon.com
Carolyn J. Rose is the author of a number of novels including rural noir and cozy mysteries. She grew up in New York's Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona, logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America, and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. She founded the Vancouver Writers' Mixers and is an active supporter of her local bookstore, Cover to Cover. Her interests are reading, gardening, and not cooking. www.deadlyduomysteries.com
Johnny Shaw is the author of the novels Dove Season: A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco, and Big Maria. He is also the editor and a regular contributor for the fiction quarterly, Blood & Tacos. Shaw received his MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA and over the course of his screenwriting career, he has seen his screenplays optioned, sold, and produced. For the past 12 years, Johnny has taught writing, lecturing at both Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara. You can follow Johnny’s exploits at www.johnnyshawauthor.com or on Twitter at @BloodAndTacos.
Lauren Sheehan, Songster, grew up in New England and has made Oregon her home for the past 35 years. She specializes in roots music and tends to use traditional music as catalysts for her own songs. Her recent CD was #8 on the folk charts for 2011, she is part of a documentary project on of women roots musicians which the Library of Congress accepted in 2010, she won the Portland Music Award for folk in 2012 and is about to release her 4th CD, a companion CD to a history book on Gibson WWII guitars and the women who made them. www.laurensheehanmusic.com
Bob Welch, a Register-Guard columnist, has twice been honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists as best in the nation, and he's won the "best writing" category in the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association's contest the last two years. He is the author of 15 books, including three new ones out this fall: 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life, Cascade Summer: My Adventure on Oregon's Pacific Crest Trail and Resolve: From the Jungles of WWII Bataan, the Epic Story of a Soldier, a Flag, and a Promise Kept. He is a former adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, has spoken at the National Writers Workshop and is founder of the Beachside Writers Workshop in Yachats. www.bobwelch.net
