Kael Alford is a photographer, journalist, writer, author, and educator. Her photographs explore political violence, environmental justice, and the tenuous personal relationship to others. Alford photographed the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia from 1996-2002 and the impact of the U.S. led invasion on Iraqi civilians from 2004-2011. She spent seven years photographing Native American communities in coastal Louisiana, building an estranged family album of her maternal grandmother’s lineage. She develops photography-based projects that bring individual stories of community members to public spaces. Alford has published two photography books: Bottom of da Boot: Louisiana’s Disappearing Coast (2012) and Unembedded: Four Independent Journalists on the War in Iraq (2005). Her photographs have been widely exhibited and are held in the permanent collections at the High Museum (Atlanta) and the Ogden (New Orleans). She lives in Denton, Texas. Ms. Alford’s works will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Truthful Photographic Portraits in the Age of AI. We live in a culture immersed in images, and amid all this visual media, photographs tell stories that have a special immediacy. Photographs can impact how we feel almost instantly, shaping our views of the world around us. It is easier than ever to share images with each other, compounding our reactions like ripples in a pond. We assume that we know what we are seeing when we look at a photograph; however, artificial intelligence is changing how some photographs are produced. How do we know if what we see in a photograph is real in this age of information? We will look at a range of images produced by people and augmented by computers and then discuss our reactions and responsibilities as individuals and as global citizens.
Ben Baby provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows, and ESPN Radio programs. In 2020, he also started covering boxing for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered Texas A&M and college athletics for The Dallas Morning News. He has also worked at the San Antonio Express-News and started his career as a full-time journalist in 2011 at the Denton Record-Chronicle. He is from Grapevine and graduated from the University of North Texas.
Workshop: Stories in Sports: Going Beyond the Box Score to Cover the Game. Whether we know it or not, stories and narratives are the main reason we care about sports. This workshop will go over how sports writers craft and create those stories, from high school games on Friday nights to even a Super Bowl. This workshop will go over how to report and execute those stories and why it matters to the games and those who play them.
Greg Brownderville is the author of three books of poetry, the editor-in-chief of Southwest Review, the creator of an online narrative series called Fire Bones, and the lead singer and songwriter for indie rock duo Beekeeper Spaceman. He lives in Dallas and serves as Professor of English at SMU. The Beekeeper Spaceman’s self-titled vinyl record Beekeeper Spaceman will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: The Magic of Imagery. In this workshop, through a combination of discussion and writing exercises, we will explore the power of imagery to bring poems and songs to life.
Sisters Sarah Galaro and Lizzie Combs are Dallas-based writers and marketers. Together, they have formed Tabletop Marketing. Sarah has over a decade of experience as a brand marketer and quarterback of national campaigns. Complementing her is Lizzie, combining experience as a strategist at a New York-based agency with a background in the arts. Tabletop offers full-stack marketing, crafting comprehensive solutions with a special emphasis on strategic planning and brand development. 
In addition to their work as marketers, Sarah and Lizzie are involved in the Dallas arts community. Sarah regularly contributes to Arthouse Dallas’ creative writing and poetry workshops. Lizzie has had several original plays and monologues featured in local and national festivals.
Workshop: Music Marketing for Storytellers: Promoting a Pop-Rock Band. Get ready to dive into the world of music marketing! In this workshop, you’ll use your storytelling skills to become the marketing brains behind a real Dallas pop rock band. Learn the basics of promotion, create TikTok campaigns, plan live events, design merch, and more.
K.E. Davenport graduated from HPHS in 2000 and went on to study film, storytelling, and animation at NYU and later at The University of Texas, where she graduated in 2004. She worked as a distance learning coordinator, a controller for JP Morgan, a home remodeler, and a teacher before becoming a full-time author. She has also volunteered as an animal rescuer, transporting and fostering animals on behalf of local shelters, as well as running social media for one of her favorite rescue groups. During the last five years, K.E. has immersed herself in learning the world of independent publishing while releasing her science fantasy trilogy: The Moon Travelers. Currently, she’s in the process of developing two new series that will be released later this year and in 2025. K.E. spends most of her leisure time with her husband, kids, and pets. When she’s not daydreaming, writing, or editing, she can be found hiking or having fun outdoors with her family. Ms. Davenport‘s works will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Creating a Story: Plotting vs. Pantsing & Choosing the Right Voice. Students will learn about two very different writing processes, “plotting” and “pantsing,” and how to use various brainstorming techniques when developing a work of fiction. We’ll also discuss the importance of choosing the right narrator for your story and follow this up with an exercise that playfully explores several narrative styles. At the end, students will be invited to share their work.
Bubba Flint graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BFA and has been an award-winning syndicated editorial cartoonist for over 40 years. His work has appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, White Rock Lake Weekly, Katy Trail Weekly, Amusement Today, Dallas Cowboys Weekly, and several other publications. He has illustrated 15 books for both children and adults and is an avid painter with works in galleries all over the United States. He has designed music albums, rock concert posters, street banners, and many other projects.
Workshop: Editorial Cartoons. This class will help students understand the world of Editorial Cartoons. Students will learn the history, meanings, and process of creating an Editorial Cartoon. The students will be able to create their own Editorial Cartoon within this session!
Dr. Mag Gabbert has a Ph.D. in English, with a focus in creative writing, from Texas Tech University, an MFA in creative writing from The University of California at Riverside, and a BA in English from Trinity University. Her debut full-length poetry collection, which was published in 2023, won the Charles B. Wheeler Prize in Poetry from The Ohio State University and its affiliated literary magazine, The Journal. Dr. Gabbert is also the author of two chapbooks, and her poems and nonfiction essays can be found in many nationally and internationally recognized magazines and journals, including The American Poetry Review, The Paris Review Daily, The Missouri Review, Poetry Daily, The Hopkins Review, and The Massachusetts Review. Her awards include a 92NY Discovery Award from the 92NY Unterberg Poetry Center, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from The Kenyon Review Writers’ Workshop, Idyllwild Arts, and Poetry at Round Top. She teaches at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Gabbert’s books, Minml Poems and The Breakup, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Building with Concrete: Replacing Abstract Language with Sensory Details in Poetry. In this generative, 45-minute workshop, we’ll work to transform concepts—such as anger, liberty, beauty, and greatness—into poems that feature tangible and sensory details. We will determine the texture, the smell, and the shape of these concepts in order to bring them to life on the page. After discussing one or more examples from poems written by contemporary poets, each participant will be invited to choose their own concept and to share ideas about the physical qualities they might assign to it. We will end the workshop by allowing a few minutes for everyone to begin working on their own “concrete concept” poems. A handout will be provided; participants are additionally asked to bring a pen or pencil and scratch paper.
George Getschow, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, worked for The Wall Street Journal as a reporter, bureau chief, and Mexico correspondent for 16 years. He was a Pulitzer Prize jurist in 2017 for General Nonfiction and for Feature Writing in 2013 and 2014. He was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2012 for “distinctive literary achievement.” He’s won numerous awards for his essays, long-form narratives, and investigative stories for magazines and newspapers in Texas and across the country. He’s the editor of Pastures of the Empty Page, a collection of essays by prominent writers, mostly from Texas, about Larry McMurtry’s life, legacy, and titanic influence on the literature of the West. Mr. Getschow’s book, Pastures of the Empty Page: Fellow Writers on the Life and Legacy of Larry McMurty, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Telling Your Story: How to Craft Distinctive Personal Essays for College Applications and Beyond. Writing a personal essay that will attract the attention of college admission officers isn’t as easy as it sounds. It involves telling your personal story in a way that’s engaging, surprising, and memorable. That involves using a variety of literary techniques – metaphor, pacing, interior monologue, reconstructed dialogue, and other aesthetic strategies of fiction to enable your personal essay to resonate with your readers. Getschow will use a few selections from his published personal essays and from other writers to illustrate some literary devices and strategies that can be employed to transform otherwise ordinary prose into literature.
Paula Goldberg is a screenwriter who introduces the basics of visual storytelling for film and television. Constantly reinventing herself, Paula has worked in corporate America, academia, and artistically as a content writer, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. Credits include the feature screenplay for The Perfect Family starring Kathleen Turner and Emily Deschanel, writer and director of Daily short pick of the week Perfidy with Julie Benz and Sasha Roiz, the short screenplay of Kleen starring Melora Walters (premiered at the LA International Short Film Festival, July 2019), writing and directing 2 micro shorts with XV Anthology, directing the 3rd season of the Roland Joffe produced MTV series Undressed, creating the original web series Inappropriate Workplace, and most impressively, raising a 16 year-old son. She currently teaches screenwriting at UT Dallas and coaches writers and actors through her own creative studio, www.welltoldgoldstudio.com.
Workshop: Visual Storytelling for Film and Television. Screenwriter Paula Goldberg introduces the basics of visual storytelling for film and television including idea generation, character, dialogue, structure, theme, and screenplay format. This will be an interactive workshop exploring all the elements needed for creating visually compelling and goal driven stories.
Michael Gomez is a Dallas-based songwriter, composer, performing artist (Late Native), and producer. After graduating from Southern Methodist University, Michael focused on guitar and performance at the London Music School (LMS) in London, England. As an artist, he has collaborated on multiple recording projects with notable producers and musicians such as Chris Bell (Erykah Badu, U2, Eagles), Warren Huart (Aerosmith, The Fray, Mutemath), Gary Parks (Wall of Orange), and drummers Blair Sinta (Alanis Morrissette, Annie Lennox, Stevie Nicks) and David Palmer (ABC, Rod Stewart). He has also collaborated with remix artists such as Nebbra and Epic Empire. In 2009, Michael founded RoomFour Guitar Studio which provides students of all ages and abilities the chance to explore guitar, songwriting, and production in a positive learning environment.
Workshop: Telling Stories With One Line. In this workshop, we will look at a few examples of powerful song titles and attempt to get to the root of their impact. We’ll also talk about what it takes to search for the words that so perfectly express not only what we want to say but that connect a seemingly wide world into a single audience. Students are encouraged to bring pencil and paper for a writing exercise.
Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Paris Daughter, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world. Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, Travel + Leisure, Ladies’ Home Journal, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz. Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. Ms. Harmel‘s books, The Paris Daughter, The Book of Lost Names, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and The Sweetness of Forgetting, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: TBD
Benji Harris, HP Alumni, is one of Nashville’s most talented and versatile mainstay musicians. His original trio Scarletta has had a Top 30 hit on Country Radio, and a popular music video in high-rotation on CMT. He has played for country music stars on arena tours across the country, and has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Benji has performed with SongDivision for numerous Fortune 500 clients and has a vast knowledge when it comes to communicating clients’ core values and purpose using music. With years in the music business and the meetings and events industry, Benji brings a high degree of passion, professionalism, and creativity to each and every client with whom he works.
Workshop: Introduction to Songwriting. In this interactive workshop, Nashville singer/songwriter (and HP Alum) Benji Harris teaches the fundamentals of songwriting, performs live, and discusses different ways to make money writing songs.
Michael Merschel’s three decades in newspaper journalism included 12 years as books editor for The Dallas Morning News. He’s also the author of the novel Revenge of the Star Survivors, which won the Texas Institute of Letters’ award for best middle-grade book in 2018. Before that, he contributed to public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion and composed an out-of-office reply that was mentioned in The New York Times and featured on NPR. He now writes about cardiovascular health for American Heart Association News. Learn more at merschel.net. Mr. Mershel’s book, Revenge of the Star Survivors, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Everything I Need To Know About Writing, I Learned From the Beatles. What can the world’s most popular rock band teach us about writing? Plenty, it turns out. This workshop will use the Beatles’ music and lyrics as a guide to understanding the creative process.
Ben Montgomery is author of the New York Times-bestselling Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, winner of a 2014 Outdoor Book Award, The Leper Spy, The Man Who Walked Backward, and A Shot in the Moonlight. He spent most of his 20 year newspaper career as an enterprise reporter for the Tampa Bay Times. He helped launch the Auburn Chautauqua, a Southern writers collective. In 2010, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting and won the Dart Award and Casey Medal for a series called “For Their Own Good,” about abuse at Florida’s oldest reform school. Montgomery grew up in Oklahoma and studied journalism at Arkansas Tech University, where he played defensive back for the football team, the Wonder Boys. He worked for the Courier in Russellville, Ark., the Standard-Times in San Angelo, Texas, the Times Herald-Record in New York’s Hudson River Valley and the Tampa Tribune before joining the Times in 2006. He lives in Tampa. Mr. Montgomery’s books, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk and A Shot in the Moonlight, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: How Far I’ll Go: What Disney Princesses Can Teach Us About Storytelling. Every Disney princess has one important thing in common: a dream. A wish. Some deep desire she can’t shake. And the desire is the catalyst that propels her out of her comfort zone and sets the entire plot in motion. We can use this technique in nonfiction, too. We just have to know where to look for it.
Michael J. Mooney is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle. He is a regular contributor to The Atlantic, GQ, ESPN the Magazine, Texas Monthly, and Politico. His stories have appeared in multiple editions of The Best American Crime Reporting and The Best American Sports Writing. His GQ story about a 21-year-old man who convinced an entire Texas town that he was a 15-year-old orphan, and then became the star of the high school basketball team, is currently in pre-production. Mooney’s Atlantic feature about a married mother who ran a prison dog program, fell in love with a convicted murderer, and then helped him escape, was recently optioned by Warner Bros. Television Studios. He’s been interviewed as a subject-matter expert on Dateline NBC, and on a variety of shows on CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, and Investigative Discovery. He also writes the Axios Dallas daily newsletter. Mooney lives in Dallas with his wife, Tara.
Workshop: Why We Love Murder Stories. While actual crime rates have been declining for decades, true crime has never been more popular. Documentaries, podcasts, books, magazine stories — few topics attract more eyes and ears than murder. We know some of these stories better than we know our own family histories. In this session, we’ll talk about a real-life local crime — involving a seemingly boring married couple, $32 million in missing money, and a series of comically inept hitmen — all while examining why crime stories are so compelling.
Taylor Moore is the author of Cold Trail, Ricochet, Firestorm, and Down Range, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best First Novel, named a Strand Magazine Best Mystery of 2021, and selected for the Texas Library Association’s Lariat Reading List. He is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a farm and ranch northwest of Houston and is a former CIA Intelligence Officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense on military intelligence issues. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two children, where he is a full-time author and screenwriter. Mr. Moore’s books, Down Range, Firestorm, and Ricochet, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: How to Make Your Setting a Character. A setting is more than just a scene or location; it’s a launchpad for your characters to leap from the pages and come to life. And the right setting is a catalyst for conflict, which is an absolute must in any great work of fiction. This class will provide students with the tools to infuse physical, spiritual, and emotional challenges through a step-by-step approach to world-building. Writers will also learn how to utilize descriptive imagery, historical background, and personification, which will ultimately result in readers who are as captivated with the setting as they are with the characters.
Cary Pierce, an HP Dad, is a Grammy-Nominated Songwriter, Performer and Producer. His songs and co-writes have been streamed over 40 Million times, and he’s had record and publishing deals with Universal, Capitol, and Warner Brothers. He’s toured the world and shared stages with John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and many others. He has appeared on Conan O’Brien and countless other national and local TV shows and has written songs with artists as diverse as Katy Perry and Chris Tomlin. Cary and Jack O’Neill founded the band Jackopierce as SMU theater majors. After spending 5 years relentlessly recording and releasing music and touring the country, they were signed to major label A&M Records. For 36 years now, Jackopierce has toured the world in 48 states, in 10 countries, and on 3 continents, and they’ve sold about 500,000 albums. They play about 50 shows per year and will be at the Granada in Dallas on Friday, May 10. He lives in Dallas with his HP grad wife Cara and three HP boys: Jordan ‘19, Jaron ‘26 and Elijah ‘28.
Workshop: 40 Million Streams Later: How I Wrote Songs, Got Signed, & Toured the World. Ever wonder how a song gets written? Recorded? Released? And Streamed millions of times? Want to be entertained by a guy who’s played 2,000+ shows to millions of people all over the world? Then my fun, energetic, inspired, and inspiring workshop is for you. I’ll bring my guitar, sing some songs, and talk about my 35+ year career in the music biz. We’ll go back to my humble beginnings as a student at SMU, to my band getting courted by all the major labels in LA and New York, and to writing songs that got millions of streams and two Grammy nominations. I’ll talk about what’s working and what’s not – especially in this “New Music Business” where social media has become almost as important as the music itself. (+ maybe you’ll be in our next post 😉
Ashley Schumacher is the young adult author of Amelia Unabridged, Full Flight, and The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway and has a degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s either singing Disney songs, finding new and exciting ways to pester her family, or trying to find her inside voice, which has been sadly missing since birth. She lives in a small town north of Dallas with her husband, son, and a few too many books. Ms. Schumacher’s books, Full Flight, Amelia Unabridged, and Gwen Hathaway, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: From a Brain Trickle to a Brainstorm. One of the questions authors get asked most is, “Where do you get your ideas?” And while everywhere is the most common answer, it’s not exactly helpful. In this workshop, we’ll discuss how to ethically steal ideas from our favorite books and movies, the world around us, and our own lives. Students will walk away with a worksheet of their own personal “rabbit holes” they wish to explore further in their writing, as well as strategies to turn those interests into fully realized characters, scenes, and plots.
Nellie Sciutto is an actor and host who moved to Dallas by way of New York City and Los Angeles. She began studying at the Actors’ Studio after graduating from Yale University and promptly headed out to the west coast. She has worked with many directors, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and William H. Macy. She is known for her roles in The Aviator, The Departed, and Shutter Island. As an on-air host, she has worked at HGTV, E! Entertainment, The Style Network, ABC News, ABCNews.com, NY1, CCTV America, CCTV Beijing, LTV East Hampton, and currently CBS 11 Dallas and WFAA Dallas. While Nellie has written for HBO, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment, and Oxygen TV, 50 Moments, her first book, is a re-cap of her Hollywood adventures – good and bad. At the end of the day, this is a book about underdogs, which all of us are in some aspect of our lives. Ms. Sciutto’s book, 50 Moments, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Humor and Humility as a Super Power. I share my experiences as a working actor so that they can serve as a grid for difficult situations in any field. Being in the entertainment industry is not an easy choice. Much is expected of high school students these days in any field. My experiences in the entertainment industry serve as an example of how to deal with difficulties that we all encounter along the way, regardless of what field we choose.
Bill Thompson. If variety is the spice of life, author Bill Thompson’s life so far has been spicy for sure! Over the years, and in no particular order, he’s been: an international insurance broker; a mayor; head of a state prison board; a stockbroker; a newspaper reporter; a Bourbon Street piano player; a corporate entrepreneur; presented to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip; in jail (briefly…and wrongly!); a goat herder; a church organist and choir member; a real estate broker; a world traveler; president of an animal shelter; a husband, father and grandfather; an observer at a knighting in Westminster; a fluent Russian speaker; a passenger on the Concorde; a caregiver; a lifetime dog lover; and an award-winning novelist. Mr. Thompson’s works will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: The Art & Business of Indie Authorship. Mr. Thompson will discuss how an independent author who publishes on Amazon can make $100K or more selling books and how focusing on the marketing aspect, building a solid following, turning out high-quality, award-winning work, and staying in touch with readers can make you a successful author. This class will go in-depth on the positives and negatives of indie authorship vs. traditional publishing.
Kurt Voelker was born and raised in Dallas, graduated from Harvard, and went to graduate film school at USC. He has since written feature screenplays for Warner Bros, Paramount, Disney, Fox, Sony, MTV Films, Screen Gems, and more. His work includes the Warner Bros release Sweet November, starring Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves, and Lionsgate/Huayi Brothers’ animated feature Rock Dog. Kurt also wrote and directed the award-winning, independent features Park and The Bachelors, starring J.K. Simmons and Julie Delpy. He is currently revising the feature screenplay Live Like That for Affirm Films and Sony and is attached to direct the feature film Scratch.
Workshop: What Is Great Screenwriting? What makes great screenwriting great? A lot of things, big and small. In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the seminal, 1980s classic, The Breakfast Club, and the multitude of ways in which it exemplifies outstanding writing for the screen.
Glenna Whitley is an award-winning investigative reporter. Whitley’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, Dallas Observer, Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, More, The New York Times, Texas Monthly, Penthouse, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Town & Country, and many more. She is co-author of Stolen Valor, a non-fiction book published in 1998 about the Vietnam War. The book receive the 2000 William E. Colby Award for non-fiction writing on military affairs. It received acclaim from news outlets as diverse as ABC’s 20/20, NPR’s This American Life with Ira Glass, and Naval Proceedings, and popularized the phrase “stolen valor” to describe military pretenders. She has discussed her stories on numerous television programs such as Dateline, NBC News, The Hunt with Jon Walsh, ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series, Snapped, and Discovery Investigates. Whitley is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where she earned a degree in journalism.
Workshop: Writing True Crime. True Crime is one of the hottest genres in publishing. Learn to research a subject that involves crime and law enforcement, interview victims, and witnesses, and then use that information to craft compelling page-turning true stories.
Rusty Williams writes about history through the stories of the people who lived it. He is the author of six nonfiction books, five on Texas topics. Rusty’s latest book is Texas Loud, Proud, and Brash — How Ten Mavericks Created the Twentieth-Century Lone Star State (Rowman & Littlefield), showing how Texas earned its oversized reputation. His books on the 1931 Red River Bridge War between Texas and Oklahoma, the homes of refuge built for Confederate veterans after the Civil War, and the darkly humorous accounts of technology mishaps in Dallas at the turn of the twentieth century have won awards from such organizations as the Texas State Historical Association, Oklahoma Center for the Book, Military Order of the Stars and Bars, and the Oklahoma Historical Society. Rusty also writes for magazines and historical journals and speaks to organizations, clubs, historical societies, and heritage groups across the Southwest. He lives in Dallas. Mr. Williams’ books, Texas Loud, Proud, and Brash — How Ten Mavericks Created the Twentieth-Century Lone Star State, Deadly Dallas: A History of Unfortunate Incidents and Grisly Fatalities, The Red River Bridge War: A Texas-Oklahoma Border Battle, and Historic Photos of Dallas in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Seven “Musts” for Writing Gripping Nonfiction (and Three “Must-Nots”). Whether you write memoir, travel, self-help, history, or another nonfiction genre, proven nonfiction writing techniques can animate and enrich your writing, helping you to grip your reader from the first paragraph to the last. An award-winning non-fiction author, Rusty Williams will introduce and explain seven vital elements of a successful manuscript. Bring a notebook and a one-page (double-spaced) sample of your writing for group and individual discussion.
Karl Wimer is an award-winning cartoonist and illustrator, published in books, magazines, and newspapers across five continents. Karl’s been a syndicated cartoonist for WoodyPaige.com, Mile High Sports Magazine, Denver Business Journal, and Central European Business Weekly. A member of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, Karl’s cartoons have won multiple 1st Place Awards (Society of Professional Journalists, Colorado Press Association, and others). His work appears annually in the Best US Editorial Cartoons of the Year, and in USAToday, NPR, Fox News, and economics textbooks. His background (BA History/Yale, MBA/Kellogg, Grad Degree/London School Economics), business experience (28 years as a successful marketing executive), sports bonafides (2-sport college athlete: football, All-America in lacrosse, successful coach at many levels), and international interest (several years living and working in places as varied as Prague and Bangkok), all find their way into his art.
Workshop: Editorial Cartoons & Illustration: Visual Storytelling With a Twist. In a wide range of forms, editorial cartoons and illustrations have for centuries provided an engaging alternative for commenting on the issues of the day. This workshop will provide students with a broad understanding of the world of editorial cartoons and illustration, including historical context and recent implications, rounded out by some hands-on cartooning. Areas covered include: A short history of the craft, illustrated by examples leading to where the field stands today; the many challenges of being a cartoonist/illustrator in today’s ever-evolving media landscape; and how visual storytelling can drive businesses and other organizations. Attendees will be taught creative tools in an interactive cartooning session.
Joaquín Zihuatanejo is the proud descendant of immigrant field workers. In the last year, Joaquín has been awarded a $20,000 honorarium from the city of Dallas along with a $50,000 Laureate Fellowship Prize from the Academy of American Poets, all in honor of the outstanding work he has done in his city as their inaugural Dallas Poet Laureate. The second sentence is not greater than the first. The second sentence would not be possible without the first. Joaquín received his MFA in creative writing with a concentration in poetry from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His poetry has been featured on HBO, NBC, and on NPR in Historias and The National Teacher’s Initiative. Joaquín’s new collection, Occupy Whiteness, is due out from Deep Vellum Books early in 2024. Joaquín has two passions in his life, his wife Aída and poetry. Always in that order. Mr. Zihuatanejo’s book, Occupy Whiteness, will be available for purchase during the Keynote Speaker Event and in the HPHS Library during workshop presentations.
Workshop: Written All Over Your Face. In this interactive poetry workshop, World Poetry Slam Champion, Joaquín Zihuatanejo will guide students as they write, revise, and share. We will take a deep look at metaphor and delve into why it is stronger than simile. And through a powerful revision technique we will walk away from the workshop with not one but two versions of a new poem. Sound intimidating? Trust us, it won’t be as Dallas Poet Laureate, Joaquín Zihuatanejo, facilitates the entire process.