The writers shared how their personal experiences affected what they wrote, the expectations placed upon them, and their pathways to publishing. They tend to invite back presenters who are generous with their time and interact with attendees. He said they wanted to keep the conference intimate, with a high ratio of presenters to attendees so that presenters would be accessible. But the Muse and Marketplace conference will likely remain small, according to Artistic Director Christopher Castellani.
Since it was founded 19 years ago, GrubStreet now offers over 500 classes a year (in-person and on-line), serving 2,500 adults and 450 teens annually. Given some of the public debates about the national writing conferences and accessibility, I was happy to see that the facilities and arrangement of tables was set-up for wheelchair access. At one point, when there were about 50 people waiting for the elevator in between sessions, I noticed three attendees in wheelchairs the conference was very ADA-accessible. Throughout, there seemed to be an emphasis on connection, and access-access to space, to writers, and to resources. Participants were able to choose from sessions on craft, the “muse,” and sessions on the business of writing, the “marketplace.”ĭuring breakfast on Friday, April 29th, the first day of the conference, people were grouped into cohorts so that they could stay connected with other writers during and after the conference. Celebrating its 15th year, the three-day conference hosted 594 attendees, 133 presenters, 100 volunteers, staff, and supporters. At the end of April, I attended the 2016 Muse and Marketplace Conference, hosted by the Boston-based independent writing center, GrubStreet.