Gay Telese among Writer's Symposium Speakers

13th Annual Writers Symposium by the Sea to be held Feb. 4 to Feb. 8 at Point Loma Nazarene University

Gay Telese will speak at the 13th Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea.

By Susan Atkins, San Diego Pro

Professor, Pt. Loma Nazarene University

Bestselling author and journalist Gay Talese will be appearing at the 13th Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea to be held Feb. 4 through Feb. 8 at Point Loma Nazarene University. Co-sponsored by PLNU, SPJ and the City Club of San Diego, this year’s event features the theme “Writing for Their Lives” with a line-up that includes a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a political outcast from Communist China, an historical novelist, a writer who delves into the heart of faith, a memoirist and a powerful preacher.

“Gay Talese is a national treasure, and we feel lucky to have him at our symposium,” said Dean Nelson, director of the symposium and of the PLNU journalism program. “We have had others from his era -- George Plimpton, Peter Matthiessen -- who write with that rare elegance. He has a lot to teach us about reporting and writing.”

Talese was credited by Tom Wolfe with the creation of the inventive form of nonfiction called “the New Journalism.” He was a reporter for the New York Times from 1956 to 1965 and has since written for Esquire, The New Yorker, Harper’s and other national publications. His groundbreaking article “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” was named the “best story Esquire ever published.” Talese, author of 11 books including his most recent “A Writer’s Life,” will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7.

Novelist Susan Vreeland will be describing the journeys she has taken while researching her historical novels and the lives of artists who have inspired much of her writing. Her work includes “What Love Sees,” “Girl in Hyacinth Blue,” “The Passion of Artemisia,” “The Forest Lover” and her most recent work, “Luncheon of the Boating Party.” Her talk will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4.

The story of having grown up during China’s Cultural Revolution, Anchee Min’s bestselling memoir “Red Azalea” has been compared to “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Min has written four works of historical fiction: “Katherine,” “Becoming Madame Mao,” “Wild Ginger” and “Empress Orchid.” Min will be speaking on at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Legendary musician Richie Furay was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Co-founder with Neil Young and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, the groundbreaking but short-lived band of the late-1960s, Furay then formed Poco, forerunner of the more commercially successful Eagles. Furay pastors a church in Colorado and continues to record and perform. Coauthor of “For What It’s Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield,” Furay will speak at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6.

An author who has explored deep questions of faith, Philip Yancey has taken millions of readers with him with books such as “Disappointment with God” and “Where is God When it Hurts?” Yancey currently has more than 13 million books in print. Some of his award-winning titles are “The Jesus I Never Knew” and “What’s So Amazing about Grace?” His latest book is “Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?” Yancey will speak at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8.

The Writer’s Symposium also features workshops with San Diego authors the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 7. Susan Vreeland will address writing historical fiction at 1 p.m., and Ken Kuhlken will discuss the writing of memoirs at 3 p.m. His books include “The Angel Gang: A Hickey Family Mystery,” “The Do-Re-Mi,” “The Loud Adios,” and “No Cats, No Chocolate.”

A luncheon will be held with featured guest United Methodist bishop William Willimon, former dean of the chapel and professor of Christian ministry at Duke University. He is the author of nearly 60 books and has been named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world in an international survey conducted by Baylor University. The event will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4.

The price of admission is $10 for workshops, and $15 for most presentations. Register by January 29 at www.pointloma.edu/writers. For more information, call (619) 849-2297.