Ya-hoo Fest all about books and authors for young readers

Olivia Cole
Olivia Cole

If you go

* What: YA-hoo Fest: Chattanooga’s Celebration of Young Adult and Middle Grades Literature.* When: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29.* Where: Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Highway.* Admission: Free, but online registration is requested.* Website: www.yahoofest.org.Schedule9:30-10:15 a.m. Session 110:30-11:15 a.m. Session 211:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Session 312:15-1:15 p.m. Lunch, book sales, author signings, entertainment1:15-2 p.m. Session 42:15-3 p.m. Session 53:15-4 p.m. Session 64-5 p.m. Book sales, author signings, entertainment

AUTHORS

Brooks BenjaminJessica BurkhartBrittany CavallaroOlivia ColeJay ColesDave ConnisGeanna CulbertsonTommy HaysEmily HenryS.F. HensonGreg HowardMatthew HubbardTiffany JacksonBrendan KielyMarie MarquardtLurlene McDanielRandi PinkRiley RedgateC.J. RedwineScott ReintgenRandy RibayMeredith RussoAisha SaeedLaura SilvermanEric SmithNic StoneLiara TamaniMaggie ThrashVince VawterLila Quintero WeaverMarjory WentworthAshley WoodfolkJeff Zentner

Thirty-three authors will be at Chattanooga State Community College on Saturday for the inaugural YA-hoo Fest!, Chattanooga's Celebration of Young Adult and Middle Grades Literature. The event will take place in nearly a dozen locations on the campus.

For the event, which is co-presented by Chattanooga State Humanities Department and the Southern Lit Alliance, the authors will be doing readings, book sales, signings and panel discussions. Everything is free, though those attending are asked to register at www.yahoofest.org.

"It is part of our Writers @ Work program," says Joel Henderson, Humanities Department chairman.

Writers @ Work was started in 2011 as a way to introduce students in the school's writing programs to Southern authors. It has grown into a community-outreach program with authors spending a week on campus interacting with students and also the community.

Henderson says the program was originally designed to show students that the cliches and stereotypes of the South and Southern writers are not accurate. The festival is an extension of the original idea and a way to reach a younger audience.

"Though let's face it, there are 20-somethings reading YA as well," Henderson says. "This is a way to put the community and our students together with living authors so they get a truer representation of the writers and the South."

Star Lowe, owner of Star Line Books, says most of her YA customers are adults interested in well-written literature.

"What is happening in that genre is amazing," she says. "The topics that were taboo [in YA] even five years ago are no longer off-limits, and this batch of writers and authors are brave and not shying away from any topic. And they are good."

Lowe says YA topics are often "ripped from current headlines and [the authors] take the bull by the horns and craft a beautiful story. These pieces that they are giving us are raw and gripping and mature."

YA-hoo Fest is open to everyone, though the main idea is to get young people interested in reading and perhaps becoming authors themselves, Henderson says.

There are six main sessions, with four panel discussions for each during the day, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continuing through 4 p.m. From 4 to 5 p.m., there will be live music from local husband-and-wife duo Drakeford, book sales and signings and other entertainment. Entertainment also will be provided during the lunch break starting at 12:15 p.m. Local food trucks and other vendors will be on hand.

Titles for the panels include topics such as "Tricks of the Trade: Tips for Getting Published" and "Writing Gender and Sexuality."

The "young-adult literature" market has seen fairly significant growth in recent years as both the numbers of people ages 12-18 has increased and the number of book titles geared toward them has grown by as much as 23 percent from 1999 to 2005, according to an article on the American Library Association website.

Topics for YA literature run the full gamut from dealing with being bullied to sex to growing up as an outsider because of race, sexual orientation, appearance or social standing.

Liara Tamani's latest book, "Calling My Name," is about a young girl who is trying to balance the wishes and expectations of her conservative and tightly knit family and her schoolmates, who are experiencing all kinds of new things, like kissing and boys.

Olivia Cole's latest, "A Conspiracy of Stars," is a fantasy about a young girl who dreams of being allowed to study the wonders of an exotic jungle plant.

Aisha Saeed's "Amal Unbound" is about a young girl in a Pakistani village whose dream of becoming a schoolteacher is interrupted when she must go to work to pay off a family debt.

They are among the authors participating in YA-hoo Fest.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

SCHEDULE

9:30-10:15 a.m.Session 11.A. Writers Talk Craft 1 (Brooks Benjamin, Brittany Cavallaro, Lurlene McDaniel, Ashley Woodfolk)At each session slot, this panel convenes four authors for an informative conversation about their personal approaches to writing, their writing rituals, and their thoughts on process.1.B. Tricks of the Trade: Tips for Getting Published (Eric Smith, Marjory Wentworth, Jeff Zentner)Find out more about the nuts and bolts of the publishing industry from the perspectives of both authors and agents.1.C. Where You From?: The Importance of Place (Tommy Hays, Liara Tamani, Vince Vawter)Location, location, location! Specific settings can make or break a storyline. This panel discusses the importance of place in young-adult fiction.1.D. Love Is in the Air: Shaping Believable Romances (Emily Henry, Greg Howard, Laura Silverman) What goes into crafting a believable romance? Three authors reveal their considerations when writing a love story.1.E. Writing about Race and Privilege (Jay Coles, Tiffany Jackson, Brendan Kiely, Nic Stone) This panel focuses on race in YA literature that is reflective of real stories and real issues on and off the page.10:30-11:15 a.m.Session 22.A. Writers Talk Craft 2 (Greg Howard, Scott Reintgen, Nic Stone, Marjory Wentworth) At each session slot, this panel convenes four authors for an informative conversation about their personal approaches to writing, their writing rituals and their thoughts on process.2.B. On Assembling an Anthology (Jessica Burkhart, Laura Silverman, Eric Smith) Whether it’s essays or short stories, anthologies give readers an opportunity to read a variety of styles and perspectives in one place. This panel of experienced anthologists discusses what it takes to make these collections reality.2.C. Telling All Our Stories: The Importance of Diverse Voices (Matthew Hubbard, Randi Pink, Randy Ribay, Lila Quintero Weaver)This panel discusses the increasingly diverse world of YA literature and the importance of giving all readers the opportunity to see their experiences represented in the written word.2.D. Meet the Parents (Expectations): Writing Family Relationships (Brooks Benjamin, Tommy Hays, Aisha Saeed, Liara Tamani)Everybody deals with parental expectations, some that seem perfectly reasonable and others not so much. These panelists explore what happens when their protagonists have different ideas about their lives than their parents do.2.E. Rock On!: The Interplay Between YA Lit and Popular Music (Dave Connis, Riley Redgate, Ashley Woodfolk, Jeff Zentner)A discussion of how the authors’ twin loves of YA fiction and music influence the creation of their art.11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.Session 33.A. Writers Talk Craft 3 (S.F. Henson, Randi Pink, Laura Silverman, Vince Vawter) At each session slot, this panel convenes four authors for an informative conversation about their personal approaches to writing, their writing rituals and their thoughts on process.3.B. Immigrants and Immigration in YA Lit (Marie Marquardt, Aisha Saeed, Lila Quintero Weaver)These panelists discuss their passion for championing the immigrant’s story and what it has meant for their lives and literature.3.C. World-Building: Writing Sci-Fi (Olivia Cole, Emily Henry, Scott Reintgen) Every work of fiction requires a detailed and believable system in which the action takes place. The authors in this series of panels discuss the how-to of world-building in their specific genres.3.D. Writing Gender and Sexuality (Matthew Hubbard, Meredith Russo, Nic Stone) This panel undertakes a frank discussion of gender and sexuality in young-adult fiction and how to create honest portrayals that represent all perspectives.3.E. Breaking the Silence: Tackling Tough Topics (Dave Connis, Tiffany Jackson, Brendan Kiely, Lurlene McDaniel)Some topics are hard to talk about, but they need to be addressed. Find out how the authors tackle such topics in their fiction.1:15-2 p.m.Session 44.A. Writers Talk Craft 4 (Jay Coles, Emily Henry, Brendan Kiely, Marie Marquardt) At each session slot, this panel convenes four authors for an informative conversation about their personal approaches to writing, their writing rituals and their thoughts on process.4.B. Making a Go of It: A Conversation Between Debut Authors and Veterans (Jessica Burkhart, Matthew Hubbard, Lurlene McDaniel, Ashley Woodfolk)The writing life can be a rewarding one, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Join this conversation between debut authors and those in the midst of prolific careers for a discussion of what it takes to make a go of it.4.C. What the Heck’s a Bildungsroman?: Coming-of-Age Stories (Brooks Benjamin, Olivia Cole, Randi Pink, Vince Vawter)Bildungsroman is the fancy German word for a story of spiritual or emotional formation. Join these panelists for a discussion of the classic coming-of-age story in a variety of settings.4.D. When Art Imitates Life: Creating a Graphic Memoir (Maggie Thrash, Lila Quintero Weaver)This panel pairs the authors of two graphic memoirs for a conversation about what it’s like to tell your life story in both words and pictures.4.E. World-Building: Writing Fantasy (Geanna Culbertson, C.J. Redwine, Eric Smith) Every work of fiction requires a detailed and believable system in which the action takes place. The authors in this series of panels discuss the how-to of world-building in their specific genres.2:15-3 p.m.Session 55.A. Writers Talk Craft 5 (Dave Connis, Randy Ribay, Maggie Thrash, Jeff Zentner) At each session slot, this panel convenes four authors for an informative conversation about their personal approaches to writing, their writing rituals and their thoughts on process.5.B. Do it Again, Only Better: The Art of the Retelling (Brittany Cavallaro, Geanna Culbertson, C.J. Redwine)Like an amazing cover tune, a great literary retelling takes recognizable source material and reimagines it to create a uniquely new work. This panel features authors who have found great success in doing that.5.C. Audience and Approach: YA vs. MG (Jessica Burkhart, Tommy Hays, Scott Reintgen, Lila Quintero Weaver)What’s the difference between young-adult fiction and works for middle-grades readers? This panel of authors with experience in writing for multiple audiences discusses the impact that a target readership has on authorial approach.5.D. To Tweet or Not To Tweet: Social Media In (and Out of) YA Fiction (Olivia Cole, Randi Pink, Riley Redgate, Eric Smith)Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, YouTube, Weibo, Qzone … the list goes on. Social media both connects us and drives us apart. Join this panel for a discussion of how technology affects them as writers and the characters they create.5.E. Believe in Something: Social Justice in YA Lit (Jay Coles, Tiffany Jackson, Brendan Kiely, Marie Marquardt, Meredith Russo)This panel gathers five authors who address real issues of social justice and discuss their drive to give a voice to the voiceless.3:15-4 p.m.Session 66.A. Writers Talk Craft 6 (Olivia Cole, C.J. Redwine, Meredith Russo, Liara Tamani) At each session slot, this panel convenes four authors for an informative conversation about their personal approaches to writing, their writing rituals and their thoughts on process.6.B. World-Building: Writing Realism (Randy Ribay, Maggie Thrash, Jeff Zentner) Every work of fiction requires a detailed and believable system in which the action takes place. The authors in this series of panels discuss the how-to of world-building in their specific genres.6.C. Girl Power: Nuanced and Realistic Female Protagonists (Brittany Cavallaro, Geanna Culbertson, Aisha Saeed)This panel features authors skilled in the creation of powerful, complicated and believable female protagonists.6.D. Pulling Back the Curtain: Writing about Mental Health (Jessica Burkhart, S.F. Henson, Riley Redgate)Mental-health issues and concerns are at the forefront of the national consciousness. Listen in on this panel of authors who have joined the national conversation through their published work.— Source: https://www.yahoofest.org

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