2007 Yosemite Writers Conference: Brenda Knight Sidesteps the TVA man - By N.L. Belardes

The Yosemite Writers Conference got underway as several of us sat on the panel, "Writing for Social Change."

I quickly realized that Brenda Knight of Red Wheel/Weiser could hold her own in a dialogue. Knight of course was quite polite, spoke about activism, West Virginia, books, how she got Oprah to use the term "Sheroes" and how social change can be captured in good writing.

Knight also talked about how she started off in the corporate world and discovered that horrific child labor overseas was related to her employer, an American company. She quit her job and became an activist.

"I found out they were exploiting children all over the world," she said.

Rik Bollman moderated with question after question, cornering myself, Knight and Ginny the way any great radioman would.

OK, he wasn't that bad. He's a great moderator and can make up questions on the fly. I dig that. We were able to speak to writers about how authors need to write honestly, not preachy, and do their research when tackling social change in fiction/non-fiction.

Afterward, I sat in on Knight's panel, "Selling to Weiser Books."

After showing off some of Weiser's books on women, yoga, mysticism and post-modern mythology, Knight said, "I'm looking for something new that's right under the surface. I also want the fresh voice, the new voice..."

I sensed a few ideas in myself brewing. Maybe a poetic, philosophic, spiritual topic of my own...

While I sat and pondered ideas fit for any renaissance man, Knight fielded questions. One elderly gent sat in the front, and since he could tell that Knight was a bit of a conspiracy theorist lover like myself, he blurted out in his aging southern accent, "You ever hear of the TVA?"

He immediately went on a slow rambling diatribe of energy companies and imminent domain.

Put a robe on this guy and he's stepping straight from a Weiser book on Spellcasters from the Oppressed South.

A vein protruded from his head and seemed on the verge of bursting from TVA bitterness. The TVA definitely were not do-gooders from the age of FDR to this guy.

Knight at first didn't realize that TVA meant Tennessee Valley Authority. But she quickly regained a solid foothold, and since the friendly old writer couldn't quite formulate a question, she fought back with a great tale of her own about a southern family with a 100-year-old flame, displaced by the TVA.

The sage from the embittered south didn't care. He rambled on until Knight politely put an end to his demonization of southern energy companies.

Of course the kicker was later when Steve Yarbrough, the keynote speaker at the YWC luncheon began talking about the South. He's from Mississippi but lives in Fresno. I sat in the back with Matildakay, Knight and someone from Germany.

Suddenly a faint voice spoke up from across the pavilion as Yarbrough paused for questions. "You ever hear of the TVA?"

Knight and I just looked at each other and laughed.

Check out Knight as she discusses books:


Brenda Knight of Red Wheel/ Weiser: Part One

More on the 2007 Yosemite Writers Conference:

Is Book Publishing Dead? Yosemite Writers Conference Provides Food For Hungry Writers
Yosemite Writers Conference: A Conversation about Blogging
Rambo Creator Reinvents Captain America
Yosemite Writers Conference: Demystifying Chick lit and Women’s fiction
Yosemite Writers Conference: Poetry talk
Mystery talk after David Morrell's big speech
2007 Yosemite Writers Conference: Brenda Knight Sidesteps the TVA man
Yosemite Writers and the Chukchansi bathroom break
Headed to Yosemite Writers Conference to talk writing for social change

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Read Noveltown’s experiences at last year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference:

By N.L. Belardes
A Writer in Yosemite: Part One
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Two
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Three
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Four
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Five
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Six
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Seven
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Eight

By Matildakay
A great literary weekend
What's your type?
How to Approach a Literary Agent...
The Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship
Malcolm Margolin is Posh
Hanging out with the Pirates of Yosemite and setting the record straight
Kill Your Darlings

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Saturday, August 25, 2007. You can leave your response.