Using the theme “Writing That Celebrates,” the 28th annual Writer’s Symposium By The Sea at Point Loma Nazarene University will once again bring some of the world’s great writers to San Diego for an in-depth discussion on stories that matter, Feb. 21-24. In a first for the Symposium, all four writers are Pulitzer Prize winners.
“Not only are these writers giants in their own orbits, they have changed the way we think about the world,” said Dean Nelson, founder and host of the Symposium. “I promise that your spirits will be elevated when you hear what they have to say.”
Maria Hinojosa (above) is a media legend. Because she felt that women — especially Latinas — were not represented well in the media, she founded her own company, Futuro Media. She also hosts the NPR program “Latino USA” and the podcast Suave. Her books include “Once I Was You,” and “Raising Raul.” As a journalist, she focuses on issues important to San Diego — immigration, the border, and human rights.
Anthony Doerr is an electrifying writer. His books “All the Light We Cannot See,” and “Cloud Cuckoo Land” are some of the most celebrated books in recent years. “All the Light We Cannot See” was recently made into a four-part Netflix series starring Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie.
N. Scott Momaday’s writing from his Native American perspective takes the form of novels, poetry, and plays. His books “House Made of Dawn,” and “The Way To Rainy Mountain” are his most famous, but he has dozens of volumes of poetry, which he considers his first love. At age 88, he still publishes poetry and illustrates them with his own charcoal paintings.
William Finnegan, who writes for the New Yorker, has a surfing memoir called “Barbarian Days.” Some of his descriptions of the ocean have compared him to Melville.
Most of the writers will be interviewed by Nelson, in lively discussions about their work, the craft of writing, and the value of storytelling. Finnegan will be interviewed by PLNU professor Ben Cater, and that discussion will focus on surfing. For the Momaday interview, Nelson traveled to Momaday’s home and conducted the interview there, because Momaday’s health kept him from being able to travel. That interview will post on Feb. 24. The Hinojosa, Doerr, and Finnegan interviews will be in person on the PLNU campus.
Past Symposium speakers have included Ray Bradbury, Anne Lamott, Amy Tan, Alice Walker, Cornel West, Billy Collins, Joyce Carol Oates, Nikki Giovanni, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jeannette Walls, Mary Karr, and dozens of others.
“If you are drawn to good stories – reading them or telling them – then you’ll want to be here,” Nelson said. “You may even realize that you’re ready to do some writing yourself.”
Tickets and more information are at https://www.pointloma.edu/opportunities/writers-symposium-sea.
