Monday, August 17, 2015

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast, Bread Loaf Inn8:00 a.m.

Writers’ Cramp Race (Racers report to Annex at 7:45 a.m.)

10:00 A.m.

• Special Talk on Publishing Fiction Amy Holman Little Theatre

• Blue Parlor Reading Blue Parlor

11:00 A.m.

Lecture: “Historical Fiction and How to Get Away With It” by Peter Ho Davies

Little Theatre12:30 p.m.*

Picnic Lunch The Frost Farm

1:30 p.m.

Talk on Robert Frost by John Elder The Frost Farm

4:15 p.m.

Special Talk on Publishing Poetry & Nonfiction by Amy Holman

Little Theatre5:30 p.m.

Blue Parlor Reading Series Blue Parlor

6:30 p.m.

Dinner, Bread Loaf Inn8:15 p.m.

Reading: Paul Otremba, Brando Skyhorse, and Jennifer Grotz

Little Theatre9:30 p.m.

Waiter Reading Little Theatre

a little bit of news from the bread loaf writers’ conference

Vol. 90 No. 6

“Journalism at a pleasurably ambitious height”

T H E C R U M B

TODAY’S EVENTS

Frost Farm Frolic! We invite you to take a leisurely walk down to Frost Farm. To reach the Frost Farm, turn right from the Inn porch and walk .7 miles down Route 125. Turn right at the sign for Frost Road; the farm is roughly .8 miles up the road. Plan to leave the Inn at noon. For those unable to walk the 1.5 miles, a van will be available; meet on the front porch of the Bread Loaf Inn at 12:15 p.m.

A talk on Robert Frost by John Elder, co-editor of the Norton Anthology of Nature Writing, will take place following lunch at 1:30 p.m.

For those who would like to tour Frost’s summer cabin, the cabin will be open during the picnic.

There isn’t much room for parking cars, so please either walk, if you can, or meet on the Bread Loaf Inn front porch to get a ride. Rides will be offered between 12:15 and 12:30 p.m. If you do drive, you will need to park at the bottom of Frost Road (there is an area for parking there).

If you are unable to join us at the Frost Farm, please sign up by 10 a.m., by the Back Office, for an on-campus meal . The dining room will serve lunch for a limited number of people.

Waiter Reading TonightFollowing a rapturous performance on Saturday, the second and final installment of two waiter readings will take place tonight at 9:30 p.m. Conference participants will have a chance to hear fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by this year’s work scholars. The following writers will read from their manuscripts in the Little Theatre: Matthew Kelsey, Katie Moulton, Shubha Sunder, Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach, LaToya Watkins, Monica Sok, Jordan Jacks, Diana Delgado, Kawai Washburn, Gerardo Pacheco Matus, Mark Labowskie, Christopher Knapp, Torrey Crim, and Keith Leonard.

Collier Reorganizes Alphabet, Sparks OutrageConference Director Michael Collier kicked off Saturday’s tribute to Galway Kinnell, Maxine Kumin, Philip Levine, and Mark Strand by promising each poet would be honored in the fairest and most logical of orders: alphabetical. However, there appeared to be a temporary fluctuation in the constitution of the English alphabet as the letters U and I suddenly swapped places, putting Kumin’s tribute ahead of Kinnell’s. Some in attendance posited that the spirit of Kumin herself, summoned under the light of the Little Theater, likely caused the switch, but one participant, Ellen Bryant Voigt, wasn’t shy about laying fault squarely on the Director’s shoulders. “It was a great enlightenment,” she wryly remarked afterward, “a release from the oppressive rules that say K-U must always follow K-I.” — Reported by Conor Burke

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“Being a doctor and being a writer actually feed into each other. You learn to listen to people’s stories and be more incisive with questions.”

- Ricardo Nuila

Humans of Bread Loaf Holman Helps Writers PublishLiterary consultant Amy Holman gives two special talks today, one for fiction writers, and the other for poets and nonfiction writers. Holman assists writers in publishing poems, stories, novels, essays, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction books. If you have a scheduled meeting with her, please be sure to attend the appropriate overview talk before your meeting. Those without an appointment with her can also attend to learn about how writers can connect with the right publishers. The fiction talk will take place at 10:00 a.m., and the poetry and non-fiction talk will be at 4:15 p.m., both in the Little Theatre.

“Jason, will you turn on the lamp so it’s more intimate?”“So that’s why you’re known as the Bread Loaf escort?”“Poets are like machines.”“What’s going to come out after the baby—a koala bear? A potato sack? A

clock?”“Sorry about that harsh introduction. Too much breadloafing.”

“But people who are filling a water bottle with vodka always think they know what they’re doing.”“It smells like a poisonous baby.”“That’s not how roads work.”“I’ve been a trash ball for days.”“I might could drop it, but I can’t pick it up, so I’m going to lean it.”“My DJ name is SPF 4000.”“Wait, where are we going to whack it?”“Oh, a robot fart!”

Overheard anything interesting? Email blcrumb@gmail.com!

Overheard

WHERE AT BREAD LOAF IS

Michelle Peñaloza?

Today’s Where at Bread Loaf Is Michelle Peñaloza is making the good times really roll. Guess where!

The previous edition featured Michelle posing next to a flower pot on the Inn porch. Please be mindful of the participants reading or meeting agents editors by very quietly admiring the flowers.

Run!

The Writers’ Cramp Race, a friendly competition along a 2.75 mile course, begins this morning at 8:00 a.m. Runners of all skill levels should meet by the front porch of the Annex by 7:45 a.m. for instructions. Volunteers are welcome to help with providing water, and cheering. Make sure to take candid shots and write compelling accounts for The Crumb.

Wait!

Faculty and fellows are encouraged to sign up to serve lunch on Wednesday, August 20. Few conference traditions elicit the enthusiasm and dread of the special day when the wait staff takes a breather.

A sign-up sheet is located in the Back Office. Please sign up by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Server training will begin at 12:15 p.m. on August 20. You’ll need to wear shoes that cover your toes.

Smile!

Check your mail box or speak with Front Desk staff about ordering workshop photos. Prices increase on Wednesday.

Announcements

Ted Conover reduxKicking yourself for missing Ted Conover’s reading on Saturday? He’ll be reading at the Ilsley Public Li-brary (75 Main Street, Middlebury) at 7 p.m. tonight.

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Blue Parlor Is For Lovers (Of Literary Artists!)

Y’all, if you haven’t been to a Blue Parlor Reading yet, what are you waiting for? (No, seriously. We’ve been inviting you all week.) The Blue Parlor readers have been delivering amazing poetry and prose. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve eaten lots of Pirate’s Booty. Come check out all this talent whilst enjoying some wholesome snacks!

Today, we’ve got not one, but two Blue Parlor readings! Our second themed-reading, “Family,” will take place at 10 a.m., featuring: Deborah Burch-Lavis, Amanda Roach, Ruth Berger, Leslie Kirk Campbell, Paul Austin, Kristen Devoe—and we still have 9 more spots). Then, at our usual 5:30 p.m. in the Blue Parlor, Jane Seitel, Christel Cothran, Noa Jones, Greg Bayer, Mitchell Untch, Amadeo D’Adamo,

Join us in welcoming the following guests to the mountain:Stuart Bernstein Kevin CraftLindsay GarbuttRachel MannheimerAbe StreepAllison Wright

Please bid safe journeys to the following guests departing today:Miriam Altshuler Patrick DonnellyKatherine FaussetPJ MarkGinger MurchisonFiona McCraeMitchell Waters

GUESTS

Robert Kerbeck, Sue Montgomery, Holly Pekowsky, Deborah Stoll, Kristin Zoega, Nancy Levine, Hannah Jansen, Beth Johnson, Mark Prins, and Judy Abel will dazzle us. Come on over and show your support!

R e a d e r s , remember, spread the word by making announcements in your workshop. It’s been great to see so many faculty and fellows come through to support the folks in their workshops!

T o m o r r o w (Tuesday), there

will—sigh—not be a Blue Parlor reading in the afternoon due to the much-anticipated Book Signing. We will mend our broken hearts with the excitement of the remaining Blue Parlor readings to come. —Michelle Peñaloza

KEITHGUIDE

SOUND

WILSON’STO SLEEPING*Is all that we see or seemBut a dream within a dream? - Edgar Allan Poe

Listen to the man; he’s clearly hallucinating! Make the best of your day off. If you’re not able to sleep in, devote some time to a good old-fashioned nap. Nobody wants to be “that” writer who keeps bringing up talking birds (and seriously, who is this Lenore lady?) during workshop because they haven’t slept.*Keith, while an expert at sleeping, is not a medical professional.

His advice is entirely unscientific.

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTIONWho accidentally/on purpose touched the late actor Heath Ledger’s butt?

YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA ANSWERSurely you saw Charles Baxter do The Subway last night.

Bluegrass?

Does anybody play bluegrass? Email angel@dandelion.com.

Swingers’ Anonymous

Catch the short film written by Jonathan Woods, which was shown at Cannes this year, today at 4:30 p.m. in Barn Classroom 1.

community items

The UPPER CrustThe Crumb’s

Guide to Loafing

Bread Loaf Styles

How to flaunt it

How to Spend It Located far away from malls, Bread Loaf can be a devastating experience for shopaholics. Luckily, the Bread Loaf Bookstore provides a refreshing respite of consumerism in the middle of an otherwise inhospitable territory. Step into the shop’s industrial-chic basement space, and you’ll find an eclectically curated collection of must-have items, like stainless steel thermoses and Maped pens for left-handed writers. For bargain hunters, last year’s t-shirts are available at a significant discount. The store also offers books by members of the community if you’re into that.

After the rain came the sun and with it Bread Loaf was awash in fashionistas’ daz-zling colors. Dudes with fine duds weren’t afraid to show a little skin: Skyler Hicks fasci-nated with an intricately pat-terned shirt from L.L. Bean, and American expat Amedeo D’Adamo, based in Italy,

How to HideLet’s face it, we

socially awkward introverts are slowly

dying inside right now. Here are The Crumb’s

top five hiding spots on campus:

- The Dairy Barn- The Tree House

- The 4th Floor Attic of the Inn- The Creekside Cottage (haunted)

- The Ice Storage, where Frost kept his tumblers chilled

Please don’t pester the Back Office or Front Desk for directions. Under your

desk works just as well.

elevated summer casual with a breezy blazer— bellissimo!Allison Albino practical-ly floated in her effortless dress—an eBay purchase—and Angela Flournoy hypno-tized with her demure halter dress. Goldie Goldbloom’s diaphanous shirt was bril-liant in the morning light.

How to linger in bed

Issues of The Crumb are available on the conference web site in PDF format. Most issues are posted by 6:00 a.m. so you can use your mobile device to consult The Crumb if you simply don’t have the willpower to get to the Dining Hall.

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How to COPE WITH THE LACK OF CRAFT CLASSES

Many Bread Loafers will be suffering from craft withdrawals today. While intended to give you a relaxing day off, today’s relatively light schedule may be distressing to some. Fear not: At 11 a.m., Peter Ho Davies will discuss the nuts and bolts of writing historical fiction.

How to Plan an Urban getawayIf you crave urban flair and cosmopolitan sophistication,

just twenty minutes away from the mountain idyll of Bread Loaf awaits the thriving

metropolis of Middlebury (population 8,496). To explore this regional hub, catch the shuttle

to Middlebury at 2:30 p.m., returning at 5:10 p.m.—different from the usual times. Sign

up at the Front Desk in advance.

How to Look DapperAre your garments looking a tad

lifeless? Add some shine—and fragrance—with a

visit to the Bread Loaf laundry. The Front

Desk has $1 cups of detergent on sale.