Literary Speaking

Award-winning author Reema Zaman shares her experience writing, pitching and publishing her memoir, I Am Yours. I Am Yours is the first English-language memoir written by a Bangladeshi woman that explores the intersection of personal and political with such clarity and power. Reema's story of resilience and radical self-love is a call to action for all marginalized people in a social climate filled with racism, xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, misogyny, and rape culture. 

Reema Zaman is an award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, Narratively, The Rumpus, B*tch, Magazine, VIDA, SHAPE, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. Zaman was selected as the 2018 Oregon Literary Arts’ Writer of Color Fellow and serves as serve as Ambassador and Mentor for Girls Inc., Pacific Northwest. You can find her at www.reemazaman.com

Author Susan Henderson shares her experience in writing, publishing and promoting her recent novel, The Flicker of Old Dreams. She'll share how she navigates the social scene as an introvert and how to network authentically without stepping a foot outside of your door. We'll discuss which avenues worked best to promote her novels and attract new readers, and, how she researches and prepares to write months and sometimes years in advance. Susan Henderson is a five-time Pushcart Prize nominee, the recipient of an Academy of American Poets award and a Hawthornden International Fellowship. She is the author of the novels Up from the Blue (HarperCollins, 2010) and award-winning, The Flicker of Old Dreams (HarperCollins, 2018). She lives in New York and blogs at the writer support group, LitPark.com.

Hosting your own book tour with author Tabitha Blankenbiller discusses the unique ways in which you can connect with book stores, local businesses and publications to promote your book. Tabitha toured with her debut memoir, Eats of Eden to rave reviews. Here she'll share her successes and tips she learned along the way.

Best-selling Author Caroline Leavitt discusses her latest best-selling book, Cruel Beautiful World as well as her journey through writing and publishing over 9 novels. We'll discuss topics such as, how do you know your literary agent is a match? Should you hire a publicist to promote your book? We'll also review the benefits of what a wonderful publishing company can do for you. Caroline's wit and wisdom shines as she shares how to navigate your creative writing life through the good, the bad, and the beautiful.

Fathers, Food & Memoir with Dawn Lerman & Crystal-lee Quibell discusses how to write a memoir that includes recipes and family memories. Dawn also shares how she began writing for the New York Times as a food columnist & secured her literary agent.

Dawn Lerman is the author of My Fat Dad. A certified nutrition expert and contributor to the New York Times Well Blog, as well as the founder of the Magnificent Mommies, a company specializing in personal, corporate and school-based education.

Crystal-Lee Quibell is the host of Literary Speaking, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping writers learn from best-selling authors, literary agents, and publishers. Founder of The Magical Writers Group, a private teaching forum for writers specifically focused on memoir. She is a champion for the written word, student of publishing and an obsessive book collector with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-described mermaid and witchy woman for life, she believes that life is better with books, chocolate, and the occasional cheese board. Her upcoming essay is to be featured in the forthcoming book, The Magic Of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writer's Journey.

Publishing a Cookbook with Allison Day and Crystal-Lee Quibell discusses how to write, pitch and publish your cookbook. Using her popular food blog as a growing platform to submit recipes to popular publications, Allison shares how she grew her audience, found her agent and published two vegetarian cookbooks.

Allison Day is the cookbook author of WHOLE BOWLS (Skyhorse Publishing, April 2016) and PURELY PUMPKIN (Skyhorse Publishing, September 2016), creator of the award-winning food blog, Yummy Beet, a food photographer and nutritionist (RHN).

Crystal-Lee Quibell is the host of Literary Speaking, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping writers learn from best-selling authors, literary agents, and publishers. Founder of The Magical Writers Group, a private teaching forum for writers specifically focused on memoir. She is a champion for the written word, student of publishing and an obsessive book collector with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-described mermaid and witchy woman for life, she believes that life is better with books, chocolate, and the occasional cheese board. Her upcoming essay is to be featured in the forthcoming book, The Magic Of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writer's Journey.

French Food & Memoir with Elizabeth Bard and Crystal-Lee Quibell discuss the delicious details of a writer’s life in France, writing about world travel, food and falling in love. Learn how to write a food memoir by interweaving recipes with personal stories.

Elizabeth Bard is the author of, LUNCH IN PARIS: A Love Story with Recipes a New York Times and international bestseller as well as several other awards. Her new book, PICNIC IN PROVENCE: A Memoir with Recipes, is available now.

Finding Your Narrative voice with Zoe Zolbrod and Crystal-Lee Quibell discusses how to find your unique voice as a writer, the difference between writing fiction and memoir and what she’s learned as both a writer and editor for, The Rumpus.

Zoe Zolbrod is the author of the memoir The Telling and the novel Currency. Her essays have appeared in Salon, Stir Journal, The Weeklings, The Manifest Station, The Nervous Breakdown, and The Rumpus, where she is currently the Sunday co-editor.

Crystal-Lee Quibell is the host of Literary Speaking, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping writers learn from best-selling authors, literary agents, and publishers. Founder of The Magical Writers Group, a private teaching forum for writers specifically focused on memoir. She is a champion for the written word, student of publishing and an obsessive book collector with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-described mermaid and witchy woman for life, she believes that life is better with books, chocolate, and the occasional cheese board. Her upcoming essay is to be featured in the forthcoming book, The Magic Of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writer's Journey.

Green-light Your Book with Brooke Warner and Crystal-Lee Quibell discusses how to navigate the publishing world as an indie author. How should you approach booksellers, wholesalers and retailers and, promote your work? Learn how to succeed in the new era of book publishing without breaking the bank.

Brooke Warner is the publisher of She Writes Press, a writing coach at Warner coaching, and devoted ally to aspiring writers. Brooke is the author of several titles including How To Sell Your Memoir and, her latest Green-light Your Book.

Crystal-Lee Quibell is the host of Literary Speaking, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping writers learn from best-selling authors, literary agents, and publishers. Founder of The Magical Writers Group, a private teaching forum for writers specifically focused on memoir. She is a champion for the written word, student of publishing and an obsessive book collector with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-described mermaid and witchy woman for life, she believes that life is better with books, chocolate, and the occasional cheese board. Her upcoming essay is to be featured in the forthcoming book, The Magic Of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writer's Journey.

Navigating Book Auctions, Katy Simpson Smith and Crystal-Lee Quibell discuss Katy’s experience as a best-selling author going into a book auction, how to navigate the negotiation process and what to expect when more than one publisher is interested in your work.

Katy Simpson Smith is the author of We Have Raised All of You: Motherhood in the South, 1750-1835, and the novels The Story of Land and Sea and Free Men. She lives in New Orleans.

Crystal-Lee Quibell is the host of Literary Speaking, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping writers learn from best-selling authors, literary agents, and publishers. Founder of The Magical Writers Group, a private teaching forum for writers specifically focused on memoir. She is a champion for the written word, student of publishing and an obsessive book collector with a serious case of wanderlust. A self-described mermaid and witchy woman for life, she believes that life is better with books, chocolate, and the occasional cheese board. Her upcoming essay is to be featured in the forthcoming book, The Magic Of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writer's Journey.