Rosemary King

WIW Pubspeak—Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Program 7:00-9:00 p.m., food and beverage orders from 6:30 p.m.

Venue to be announced

"Storytelling in Three Modes: Writing About Travel, History and Science"
Writing is often divided into categories, but writers have a better chance of standing out to editors – and surprising readers – by mining topics where conventional categories overlap, for example combining travel and history, travel and science, or history and science. Each area builds on storytelling, and each has its own narrative opportunities. By looking for unique combinations, a writer can find new ways into familiar material. Taylor will discuss how to approach editors and provide examples.
David Taylor received the 2007 Washington Writing Prize for Reported Nonfiction. His work has appeared in Smithsonian, The Village Voice, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Outside, and other publications. His book Ginseng, the Divine Root (Algonquin, 2006) is an adventurous social history and received awards from the North American Travel Journalists Association and Peace Corps Writers. He has written documentaries for PBS, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel, and is an instructor at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda.