Look Who's Coming to the Okoboji Writers' and Songwriters' Retreat
....and see why it's a life highlight for attendees
Click on the topics listed to go directly to the speakers by category:
Memoir…Comedy…Opinion….Creative Writing…Fiction…Non-Fiction and Journalism…Songwriting…Poetry…Storytelling…Documentary…Filmmaking…Editing…Playwriting…Photography…Children…Poetry…Publishing
Dear Future Okoboji Alums,
Here’s a look at the lineup of speakers scheduled to appear at the fifth annual Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat, September 28-October 1.
At first glance, it may look like a never-ending list—but keep in mind, many speakers appear in more than one category.
Yes, we have a lot of talent coming to town. And yes, we planned it that way. The ratio of participants to workshop leaders could be as low as six to one. That means you’ll have personal access to instructors and plenty of opportunities to get the most out of your time in Okoboji.
Please, please, please, do not be intimidated by this list. Sure, some of our speakers have won or almost won (and should have) an Academy Award (Peter Hedges), Emmy (Nik Heftman) Pulitzer (Art Cullen), or Grammy (Justin Roberts, Kathryn Severing Fox and Chad Elliott, the Weary Ramblers). You will be in the room with writers who have earned their way onto the red carpets, walking into award-winning, extravaganzas most of us only watch on television.
Seriously. The depth of talent and accomplishment here is ridiculous.
I promise you, they are just folks who have a passion for sharing what they have learned the hard way. For some odd reason, they are all coming to this small, lakeside spot in northwest Iowa, to help you. And it’s not easy to get there if you live in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and beyond.
We’ll officially kick things off Monday morning, September 29, under the big white tent overlooking the Lakeside Labs dining hall and beautiful Lake Okoboji. Each speaker will introduce themselves with a one-minute teaser, followed by engaging panel discussions designed to help you identify the voices and perspectives that resonate with you most.
From there, you’ll choose from three or four small-group sessions offered each day.
Yes, there will be choices—lots of them. You can decide exactly how involved you want to be in a workshop. Want expert feedback on your work? Bring a manuscript to submit to the Slush Pile panel. Prefer generative sessions? Look for workshop leaders offering writing prompts and craft-based exercises.
More of a quiet observer? That’s welcome too.
We’ve cultivated a culture that respects and supports participants at every stage of the creative journey.
That’s why, since the first one held in 2021, so many return year after year.
If this is your first retreat, know that our focus is on you, the participant. You’ll feel it from the moment you arrive.
The Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat is unlike any event of its kind. We have far more speakers than any for-profit conference ever would.
The origin of the event was intended to be a party for friends, where learning happens. And that’s what it remains, just a little bigger (enrollment is capped at 300).
In future posts, I’ll share the full agenda and optional evening activities. Get ready—more exciting announcements are just ahead.
We are going to have a blast,
Julie Gammack
Are you enrolled yet? Make sure you are a part of this experience. Take advantage of the Early Bird discount before it ends in July.
Need Assistance?
Working journalists, students over 18, and writers in need of assistance are encouraged to apply for a full or partial scholarship.
Storytelling Basics
Rekha Basu
Category: One-on-one coaching using DSM Storytelling Project Methods
Bio: Rekha Basu has worked as a full-time reporter, editorial writer and columnist in New York, Florida and Iowa. Her work has appeared in newspapers in all but two U.S. states. For 30 years, her syndicated columns were staples in The Des Moines Register (USA Today Network), to which she still contributes. She writes weekly at basurekha.substack.com.
She has been a coach and moderator for The Des Moines Register Storytellers Project, a moderator of the Iowa Smart Talk Women’s Lecture Series, and recently appeared in conversations with Ta-Nehisi Coates, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and Heather Cox Richardson. Rekha previously appeared weekly on the “Rekha’s Voice” segment of KCWI TV’s CWI Live. She has been a guest on programs hosted by Tom Brokaw, Rachel Maddow, Gwen Ifill, and CNN International’s Richard Quest, and was featured on C-SPAN Book TV as author of Finding Her Voice, a collection of her columns on women.
Workshop: Writing for Change — Writing persuasive, from-the-heart commentaries that move and educate people and change minds. Includes writing exercises and critiques.
Lee Rood
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Storytelling Fundamentals, Investigative Journalism
Bio: Lee Rood has been the Reader’s Watchdog columnist for The Des Moines Register since 2010. She is known for holding institutions accountable, championing everyday Iowans, and providing a direct line between the public and the newsroom. Her work has prompted policy changes and launched investigations across Iowa.
Workshops:
Launching an Investigation: Tools to do your own watchdog work
Lessons Learned from Live Storytelling: How your journalism voice evolves on stage
Memoir
Debra Engle
Category: Memoir, Making Money as a Writer, Publishing, Substack Basics
Bio: Debra Engle is the bestselling author of five nonfiction books, including The Only Little Prayer You Need, which features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Her debut novel Twenty was released in 2020. Debra serves as the executive director of Story Summit, an international online writing school where she teaches memoir, revision, Substack, and spirituality in writing. She mentors writers in small groups and has guided many to publication. A former freelance writer and editor for Country Home and Country Gardens, Debra is currently working on two memoirs and two nonfiction books centered on writing and healing.
Writing Your Life Through Memoir – Memoir is one of the most powerful ways to capture your message, your life, your voice. But memoir, unlike autobiography, is one slice of your life—a series of events that build into a compelling story. In this hands-on session, we'll do writing exercises and discussion to help you decide where to start (and end) your memoir, how to develop characters and scenes, and how to help your readers find transcendence in your story.
Maura Casey
Category: Memoir
Bio: Maura Casey worked for three New England newspapers and was on the editorial board of The New York Times. Her memoir, Saving Ellen, is drawn from journals she kept while growing up with an alcoholic father and a seriously ill sister.
Workshop: Opinion writing: it’s always the angle — Learn to sharpen the focus of your memoir writing and draw editorial power from personal experience. Here’s an interview by Julie Gammack featuring Maura Casey.
Beth Howard
Category: Memoir, Food Writing, Grief, Publishing
Bio: Beth Howard is the author of several memoirs, including Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Pie, Ms. American Pie, and Hausfrau Honeymoon: Love, Language, and Other Misadventures in Germany. A former PR executive turned pie baker, Beth famously lived in the American Gothic House and traveled the country with her "Pie Across the Nation" tour. She’s been featured on CNN, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and more. Her work explores how baking and storytelling help us process grief and connect with others.
Workshops: The Power of Pie: Writing Through Grief and Healing, Memoir and Meaning: Shaping Personal Experience for the Page, How to Pitch and Publish Your Memoir
Michelle Cowan-Schroeder
Category: Memoir
Bio: Michelle Cowan-Schroeder is a lifelong Iowan and former ER nurse. After losing her husband, she wrote and self-published her memoir. She’s spoken in schools, on podcasts, and at libraries across the Midwest.
Workshop: Grief memoir and self-publishing; may need title clarification.
Marketing: Once you have a book published, you’re just getting started.
Ana McCracken
Category: Memoir
Bio: Ana McCracken received her B.S. and MFA in Creative Writing from Iowa State University. She is the founder of the Ames Writers Collective and an advocate for accessible writing spaces. Her work has appeared in The Manifest-Station, The Write Launch, and the Santa Fe Literary Review.
Workshop: Inspire Your Writing—A Writing Practice Workshop — A generative workshop to spark creativity, deepen your writing practice, and silence your inner critic using poetry and prompts.
Annie Leonard
Category: Memoir
Bio: Annie Leonard has been chasing down family stories for over two decades. A genealogist, writer, and editor with a background in anthropology and professional writing, she specializes in turning dry records into gripping family sagas.
Workshop: Dead Folks Tell the Best Tales: A Workshop on Writing the Stories Behind Your Genealogy — Learn how to create vivid characters and memorable narratives from your ancestry.
Beth Hoffman
Category: Memoir
Bio: I am a long-time food and agriculture journalist who now farms in South Central Iowa. The experience has opened my eyes to the economic and cultural realities farmers are faced with every day. I wrote the book Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America and am part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.
Workshop: Why anyone else cares about your memoir — Learn how to connect your personal story to larger themes and why it matters to readers beyond your circle.
Courtney Crowder
Category: Memoir
Bio: Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist and a senior reporter at The Des Moines Register. A Headliner Award winner and Livingston Award finalist, she co-directed SHIFT: The RAGBRAI Documentary, and authored the pandemic obituary series “Iowa Mourns.”
Workshop: How to write stories people actually want to read — From idea to interview to structure, Courtney shows you how to make your stories engaging and emotionally resonant.
Dartanyan Brown
Category: Memoir
Bio: Journalist and jazz musician Dartanyan Brown has deep roots in Iowa. His multifaceted career spans decades of cultural and musical storytelling.
Workshop: Jazz and Journalism — Explore the rhythm of storytelling through the lens of music and memoir.
Elizabeth Kracht
Category: Memoir
Bio: Elizabeth Kracht is a literary agent with Kimberley Cameron & Associates and the author of The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript.
Workshop: How to Find a Literary Agent — Get insider knowledge on navigating the publishing industry, pitching your memoir, and finding representation.
Grant Faulkner
Category: Memoir
Bio: Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, executive producer of America’s Next Great Author, and author of The Art of Brevity. His work appears in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, and Tin House.
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — Learn to tell rich, impactful stories using minimal words. Ideal for flash memoir and short-form nonfiction.
Kali VanBaale
Category: Memoir
Bio: Kali White VanBaale is the author of three novels and the short story collection Release of Information. She’s won the American Book Award and teaches fiction, memoir, and screenwriting at Lindenwood University’s MFA program.
Workshop: Where Is the Language Coming From? — A craft session focused on voice, POV, and character interiority—especially helpful for memoir writers blending narrative and reflection.
Children
Justin Roberts
Category: Songwriting, Publishing, Children
Bio: Five-time GRAMMY Nominee Justin Roberts has helped shape the genre of family-friendly music with wit, warmth, and contagious charm. A seasoned performer and author, Justin brings his decades of experience in music and storytelling to help participants tap into creativity for all ages.
Workshops:
Songwriting is for Everybody – Whether you're 6 or 60, there's a song inside you waiting to get out.
Writing for Kids – Are you interested in reaching young audiences with meaningful lyrics? Learn the craft behind songs that resonate across generations.
Processing Emotions Through Songwriting – Tap into your inner life and turn it into art.
Abena Sankofa Imhotep
Category: Children
Bio: Abena Sankofa Imhotep is an award-winning author, scholar, and activist whose work celebrates Africana, challenges historical narratives, and advocates for a just world. As the CEO of Sankofa Literary & Empowerment Group, Abena’s mission is two-fold: to create spaces for lifelong learning and to work toward a world where all children love to read.
Abena provides literacy support to emerging readers and works to expand children’s access to diverse books through her youth initiative, Sankofa Literary Academy. Her debut children’s book, Omari’s Big Tree and the Mighty Djembe, has received international recognition with distribution in 29 countries. Abena has presented human rights papers on social impact & responsibility and strategies for achieving racial justice at the Nelson Institute Global Citizen Forum, the Iowa Human Rights Research Conference, and the University of Notre Dame Kroc Institute. She was also selected to be the final commencement speaker at the historic Iowa Wesleyan University, led interdisciplinary think-tanks, and graced the TEDx stage.
Abena is the host of Black & Privileged in America Podcast: power, love, and money conversations relevant to Black thriving. She has received numerous honors including the NAACP Accomplished Entrepreneur Award, the prestigious Iowa Author Award, and Iowa Podcast Awards Host of the Year.
Workshop: Podcasting 101 — Do you want to host a podcast, but struggle figuring out how to get started? Join Black & Privileged in America host Abena Sankofa for a deep dive into independent podcasting for beginners.
Chad Elliott
Category: Children
Bio: Multi-award-winning Iowa singer-songwriter Chad Elliott has spent over two decades on the road performing more than 200 shows each year. Elliott is lauded as “Iowa’s Renaissance man” by Culture Buzz Magazine. He has penned more than 2,000 songs in his career while also cultivating his skills as a painter, sculptor, storyteller, illustrator, and published author.
In 2025, Elliott will be inducted into the Iowa Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame. He currently tours the country as a solo act and as a member of the folk duo Weary Ramblers alongside Kathryn Severing Fox. He also works from his art studio in Jefferson, Iowa.
Perhaps the words of Atesh Sonneborn of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings say it best: “That man’s music is as honest as Woody Guthrie’s.”
Workshop: Co-writing with Kathryn Severing Fox — Together we will show you how our duo writing process works.
Comedy
Lea Donovan
Category: Comedy Writing
Bio: Lea Donovan is an Iowegian-British multimedia producer with 18 years of experience in documentary production and in rights, licensing, and clearances for scripted narratives. Her professional credits appear on platforms such as the BBC, PBS, Channel 4, NatGeo, Discovery, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.
Lea’s expertise ensured the reuse of feature film clips that solved the series-long mystery in the Apple TV+ drama Bad Sisters—winner of the 2023 BAFTA Best TV Drama Award. An Equity UK actor member and poet, she also serves as Communications Chair of the newly formed Archival Producers Alliance, a professional body created in response to the rapid evolution of AI in factual media production.
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary — Guidelines, tips, and a toolkit for navigating AI in documentary filmmaking.
Lisa Rossi
Category: Comedy Writing
Bio: Lisa Rossi is a comedian who explores the mysteries of marriage, Midwestern life, and why she loves Chardonnay and French fries so much. She has performed in comedy festivals across the country, including the Omaha Comedy Festival, the Laugh Riot Festival in Los Angeles, and the Lysistrata Comedy Festival in New Orleans.
Lisa completed a comedy writing program with the Groundlings Theatre in 2022. A graduate of the John S. Knight Journalism program at Stanford, she used improv comedy to teach journalists how to connect with readers. You can catch Lisa at theaters around the Midwest, especially the Backline in Omaha and Teehee’s Comedy Club in Des Moines.
Workshop: Writing on Your Feet — An active session that uses improvisational theater to unlock new comedic ideas among attendees.
Caleb Rainey performs during the Monday night dinner of OWR IV, just before the documentary about him, The Negro Artist, by Nik Heftman, was premiered in the Lake Art Center Theater.
Creative Writing
Ana McCracken
Category: Creative Writing: Short Form
Bio: Ana McCracken received her B.S. and MFA in Creative Writing from Iowa State University and is the founder of the Ames Writers Collective and the Fifth Street Writers in Ames, Iowa. The Collective, inspired by Ana’s time in California’s vibrant literary communities, offers generative workshops and connection for writers of all backgrounds. She’s also a certified Amherst Writers & Artists facilitator and a longtime writing instructor at ISU’s OLLI program.
Ana’s work has been published in various literary journals and anthologies. She currently serves on the San Francisco Litquake advisory board and the Willa Cather Foundation board of governors.
Workshop: Inspire Your Writing—A Writing Practice Workshop I — Whether you're a curious beginner or a published author, this generative workshop invites you to write quickly, freely, and in community using poetry as inspiration. Leave with a jumpstart to your writing habit and tips to build your own group.
Grant Faulkner
Category: Creative Writing: Short Form
Bio: Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, co-host of the Write-minded podcast, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. He’s published three books on writing: The Art of Brevity, Pep Talks for Writers, and Brave the Page. His fiction includes All the Comfort Sin Can Provide and Fissures, and he’s been featured in Tin House, The Southwest Review, The Gettysburg Review, and numerous anthologies.
His essays have appeared in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, and Lit Hub. He serves on several national literary boards and curates a newsletter called Intimations: A Writer’s Discourse.
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — In flash fiction, the whole is a part and the part is a whole. Learn to embrace constraint and write through implication. We’ll explore the magic of what’s unsaid, and how flash fiction can carry emotional weight in tiny packages.
Kali VanBaale
Category: Creative Writing: Short Form
Bio: Kali White VanBaale is the author of three novels, including The Monsters We Make, and the forthcoming short story collection Release of Information. She’s received an American Book Award, an Eric Hoffer Book Award, two Iowa arts grants, and more. Her work has appeared in Poets & Writers, Midwestern Gothic, and the A&E Network True Crime series.
She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and teaches at Lindenwood University’s MFA in Writing program, where she was named adjunct professor of the year in 2022.
Workshop: Where Is the Language Coming From? — A deep dive into point of view, tense, and character thought in novels and short stories.
Scott Garson
Category: Creative Writing: Short Form
Bio: [Bio placeholder]
Workshop: What Is—and Isn’t—a Story — Four perspectives on narrative art, complete with prompts and experiments to help you push boundaries.
Shadley Grei
Category: Creative Writing: Short Form
Bio: Shadley Grei is an IP innovation strategist, author, ghostwriter, and founder of Grei Matter and Kingbird Press. With 20+ years of experience working with brands like Disney and Condé Nast, he helps thought leaders shape content into high-impact books and screen projects. As a ghostwriter and hybrid publisher, he partners with executives and innovators to elevate their authority through storytelling.
His original stage works have been performed in New York, L.A., and Iowa, and his Des Moines-set novel Before Closurehighlights his creative range.
Workshop: From Page to Screen — Learn how to adapt your book for film or TV, from identifying cinematic potential to reshaping narrative arcs for a visual medium.
Steve Semken
Category: Creative Writing: Short Form
Bio: Steve Semken has been an indie publisher since 1991 and is the founder of Ice Cube Press. He has published hundreds of books and worked with noted writers like Ruth Harkin, Robert Leonard, and Art Cullen. His own work includes Pick Up Stick City and The Great Blues, which won the Kansas Book Award.
He has served as Writer-in-Residence at the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska, and led Humanities Iowa events and Midwest writing conferences.
Workshop: Getting A Book Published: From Start to Finish — From developing your idea to booking your first public event, learn the nuts and bolts of indie publishing.
Creative Writing: Long Form
Ana McCracken
Category: Creative Writing: Long Form
Bio: Ana McCracken is the founder of the Ames Writers Collective, a nonprofit created to foster connection and support among writers of all backgrounds. With an MFA from Iowa State and a certification from Amherst Writers & Artists, Ana has taught countless workshops and built thriving literary communities.
Her Over 50+ writing students at ISU’s OLLI program praised her for helping them find both voice and belonging. Her workshops extend to cancer survivors, adolescents, and older adults in central Iowa.
Workshop: [Full workshop description will continue in the next batch – it was cut off mid-bio.]
Grant Faulkner
Category: Creative Writing: Long Form
Bio: Grant is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, host of the Write-minded podcast, and author of The Art of Brevity, Pep Talks for Writers, and Brave the Page. He’s published in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, and Lit Hub. His fiction has appeared in Tin House, The Gettysburg Review, and multiple “Best Small Fictions” anthologies.
He also serves on boards for Litquake, Aspen Words, and Left Margin Lit.
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — Explore flash fiction as an art of omission and implication. Discover how constraint fuels creativity.
Kali VanBaale
Category: Creative Writing: Long Form
Bio: Kali White VanBaale is an award-winning author of The Monsters We Make and upcoming collection Release of Information. She’s received numerous literary accolades and has published widely in journals and major platforms, including Poets & Writers and A&E True Crime. Kali holds an MFA and teaches in the Lindenwood MFA program.
Workshop: Where Is the Language Coming From? — A guided session on narrative perspective, tense, and internal monologue in long-form fiction.
Shadley Grei
Category: Creative Writing: Long Form
Bio: Shadley Grei is an IP innovation strategist, author, ghostwriter, and founder of Grei Matter and Kingbird Press, where he helps thought leaders transform their expertise into high-impact books and content. With 20+ years of experience in media and marketing, he's worked with Disney, Hasbro, Condé Nast, and more.
He has written and produced original stage works in NYC, L.A., and Iowa. He’s also a development consultant for Ardvella Entertainment in Los Angeles, scouting and developing projects for industry pitches.
Workshop: From Page to Screen: Understanding the Adaptation Process — Learn how to adapt your book into a visual medium without losing its soul. Tips on structure, cinematic scenes, and industry expectations.
Steven Semken
Category: Creative Writing: Long Form
Bio: Steven Semken has spent more than three decades in publishing and writing. He founded Ice Cube Press, has been Writer-in-Residence at the Island Institute in Alaska, and authored books including Pick Up Stick City and The Great Blues, which won a Kansas Book Award.
Workshop: Publishing From Idea to Your First Reading — A practical, supportive guide for writers on taking a manuscript all the way to launch.
Documentary Film Production
Courtney Crowder
Category: Documentary Film Production
Bio: Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist for The Des Moines Register, a Livingston Award finalist, and co-director of SHIFT: The RAGBRAI Documentary. She co-founded the Des Moines Storytellers Project and created the “Iowa Mourns” COVID memorial series. Her work blends journalism with heart, and she strives to tell stories that matter deeply to everyday Iowans.
Workshop: How to Write Stories People Actually Want to Read — Make your work compelling from idea to interview to final product.
Douglas Burns
Category: Documentary Film Production
Bio: Douglas Burns is a fourth-generation Iowa journalist and former co-owner of Carroll and Jefferson newspapers. He writes for La Prensa Iowa, CityView, and has bylines in The Palm Beach Post, Inside Washington Publishers, and more. He’s the Business Development Director of Latino IQ and a key member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
Workshop: Speechwriting — How to craft speeches, from wedding toasts to political announcements.
Lea Donovan
Category: Documentary Film Production
Bio: Lea Donovan is a UK-Iowa media producer with 18+ years in documentary work and rights licensing. She’s worked with the BBC, PBS, NatGeo, and Amazon Prime. Her behind-the-scenes expertise helped shape the Apple TV+ hit Bad Sisters. She’s also a poet and chair of the Archival Producers Alliance.
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary — Guidelines, tips, and a practical toolkit (forthcoming).
Nik Heftman
Category: Documentary Film Production
Bio: Emmy-winning journalist and filmmaker Nik Heftman is the creative force behind The Negro Artist and founder of The Seven Times production company. Formerly with CBS News, he now leads projects that blend video storytelling with advocacy and art.
Workshop: Documentary Filmmaking 101 — An unconventional approach to the basics of visual storytelling.
Beth Howard
Category: Memoir, Food Writing, Grief, Publishing
Bio: Beth Howard is the author of several memoirs, including Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Pie, Ms. American Pie, and Hausfrau Honeymoon: Love, Language, and Other Misadventures in Germany. A former PR executive turned pie baker, Beth famously lived in the American Gothic House and traveled the country with her "Pie Across the Nation" tour. She’s been featured on CNN, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and more. Her work explores how baking and storytelling help us process grief and connect with others.
Workshops: The Power of Pie: Writing Through Grief and Healing, Memoir and Meaning: Shaping Personal Experience for the Page, How to Pitch and Publish Your Memoir
Ty Rushing
Category: Journalism, Political Reporting, Diversity & Inclusion, Documentary Filmmaking
Bio: Ty Rushing is a trailblazing journalist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker who has made significant contributions to Iowa's media landscape. As the first Black reporter or editor at eight Iowa print publications, he has chronicled the state's political and cultural shifts with insight and integrity. Formerly the Chief Political Correspondent for Iowa Starting Line, Ty now serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He is also the co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists. His documentary, Telling Our Own Story: Ending Racism, produced with Iowa PBS, was nominated for a 2023 Upper Midwest Emmy.
Workshops: Covering Politics in the Heartland, Telling Our Own Story: Ending Racism, Respecting Cultural Differences and Why It Matters
Peter Strand
Category: Documentary Film Production
Bio: Peter Strand is a powerhouse in entertainment law and has shaped deals for film, music, and digital content for decades. He’s a partner at Mandell Menkes in Chicago and an adjunct professor at Marquette, Chicago Kent, and DePaul. A Grammy insider, he’s held leadership roles at the Recording Academy and earned top-tier legal rankings in entertainment law from Billboard, Best Lawyers, and Chambers USA.
Before becoming an attorney, Peter was a full-time touring musician with the band Yipes! and recorded multiple albums with RCA/Millennium Records. He continues to advocate for artists through the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, receiving their top honor in 2008.
Workshop: Copyright for Creatives — A discussion on how creatives can protect their work from copying and unauthorized use.
Editing
Ana McCracken
Category: Editing
Bio: Ana McCracken, founder of the Ames Writers Collective and Fifth Street Writers, holds a B.S. and MFA in Creative Writing from Iowa State University. Inspired by iconic California literary communities, Ana returned to Ames and built an inclusive space for writers seeking connection and growth.
She’s a certified Amherst Writers & Artists facilitator and has led workshops for cancer survivors, adolescents, older adults, and ISU’s OLLI students. Her nonprofit fosters powerful, judgment-free writing spaces and her students praise her ability to create instant community.
Workshop: Inspire Your Writing — A Writing Practice Workshop II — A follow-up session with fresh prompts and group-sharing for revision and support.
Annie Leonard
Category: Editing
Bio: Annie Leonard has been writing stories and researching her family’s history since she was a child. With a BA in Anthropology and Professional Writing, she’s worked across industries from defense research to real estate—always with a hand in writing and editing. Annie recently began taking clients interested in uncovering and sharing their own family histories.
Workshop: Writing Family History People Will Actually Read! — Learn how to turn your genealogical research into engaging narratives that your family will actually want to read.
Courtney Crowder
Category: Editing
Bio: Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist at The Des Moines Register, a Headliner Award winner, and a two-time Livingston Award finalist. She co-directed SHIFT: The RAGBRAI Documentary and hosts on Apple’s “Proof” podcast. Known for her narrative touch, she created the “Iowa Mourns” COVID memorial and co-founded the Des Moines Storytellers Project.
Workshop: How to Write Stories People Actually Want to Read — From idea to interview to final edits, learn how to make your writing irresistible.
Elizabeth K. Kracht
Category: Editing
Bio: Elizabeth Kracht is a literary agent with Kimberley Cameron & Associates and author of The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript. With an MFA in fiction, she also coaches writers as a developmental editor. She’s spoken at top-tier conferences around the world, including San Miguel de Allende and ThrillerFest. Elizabeth represents a wide array of fiction and nonfiction, including thrillers, investigative journalism, adventure memoirs, and more.
Workshop: How to Find a Literary Agent — In a changing publishing world, this session guides writers through the practical steps of querying, pitching, and standing out in the slush pile.
Grant Faulkner
Category: Editing
Bio: Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, co-host of the Write-minded podcast, and executive producer of America’s Next Great Author. He’s the author of The Art of Brevity, Pep Talks for Writers, and Brave the Page. His work has appeared in Tin House, The New York Times, and numerous flash fiction anthologies.
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — Learn to write powerful short stories through implication, economy, and gaps. Explore what’s left unsaid.
John Dinges
Category: Editing
Bio: John Dinges is a renowned investigative journalist and foreign correspondent who’s worked for The Washington Post, NPR, and Columbia Journalism School. He has covered conflicts in Latin America and authored multiple books, including Chile in Their Hearts (2024). He holds awards from Columbia, NPR, and the Chilean government.
Workshop: Finding Secrets: Sources and Methods of Investigative Reporting — A master class on uncovering hidden truths, working with sources, and crafting deeply reported stories.
Julie Cantrell
Category: Editing
Bio: Julie Cantrell is a multiple award-winning, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, editor, instructor, TEDx speaker, and ghostwriter. Her novels have earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and have been featured in top lists by LitHub, Redbook, REAL SIMPLE, Southern Living, and more.
She’s a two-time Christy Award winner, two-time Carol Award winner, and has been shortlisted for the Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters Award and the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize. Julie serves as the Managing Director of Story Summit and teaches creative writing for the Drexel University MFA Program and workshops around the world.
Workshop: Connect Through Setting: How to Build a World Readers Want to Enter — Whether fiction or memoir, learn to use setting as a character. You’ll write, share, and learn how place shapes narrative and mood.
Kali VanBaale
Category: Editing
Bio: Kali White VanBaale is the author of three novels, including The Monsters We Make, and the short story collection Release of Information. Her work has earned her an American Book Award, Eric Hoffer Book Award, and multiple state artist grants. She writes true crime for A&E Network and essays for Poets & Writers and Midwestern Gothic. She teaches in Lindenwood University’s MFA program.
Workshop: Where is the Language Coming From? — This workshop focuses on POV, character voice, and tense—foundational tools to build clear, engaging prose.
Lea Donovan
Category: Editing
Bio: Lea Donovan, with 18 years of experience in documentary and media production, is a licensing and rights expert with credits on the BBC, PBS, Channel 4, NatGeo, and Apple TV+. Her work helped solve the season-long mystery on Bad Sisters (2023 BAFTA winner). She’s also an actor and poet, and a founding leader of the Archival Producers Alliance.
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary — Learn best practices for rights-clear storytelling and how AI is transforming editing.
Environmental Writing
David Thoreson
Category: Adventure Writing, Environmental Journalism, Photography, Storytelling
Bio: David Thoreson is an Iowa-based explorer, sailor, author, and photographer who has sailed more than 65,000 nautical miles, including the Northwest Passage. His compelling storytelling draws from decades of documenting climate change from the deck of a sailboat to international stages. His work has appeared in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, and on PBS. He’s the author of Over the Horizon, a memoir-photojournal of his sailing and environmental journeys.
Workshops:
From the Arctic to Iowa: Storytelling the Climate Journey
Adventure, Photography, and the Written Word: How to Build a Multi-Platform Narrative
Beyond the Horizon: Using Exploration to Inform and Inspire Your Writing
Steve Semken
Category: Environmental Writing
Bio: Steve Semken is an independent publisher with Ice Cube Press and has been publishing books across the Midwest since 1991. He’s worked with writers like Robert Leonard, Ruth Harkin, and Art Cullen. He served as Writer-in-Residence at the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska, and organized the annual Harvest Lecture/Voices From The Prairie for over a decade.
His novel Pick Up Stick City and his nonfiction book The Great Blues (on great blue herons) have both been well-received, with The Great Blues winning a Kansas Book Award.
Workshop: Getting A Book Published: From Start To Finish — From a good idea to your first public reading, this session walks you through the indie publishing journey.
Fiction
Grant Faulkner
Category: Fiction
Bio: Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, co-host of the Write-minded podcast, and author of The Art of Brevity, Pep Talks for Writers, and Brave the Page. He’s published flash fiction collections and essays in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Lit Hub, and anthologies like Best Small Fictions. A leading voice in microfiction, he sits on multiple boards including Litquake, Aspen Words, and the National Writing Project.
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — Discover the power of flash fiction and how gaps in narrative can make a story resonate more than exposition.
Julie Cantrell
Category: Fiction
Bio: Julie Cantrell is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and winner of the Christy and Carol Awards. Her books have received starred reviews and have been featured by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Southern Living, Redbook, and LitHub. She’s the managing director of Story Summit and teaches for Drexel’s MFA program.
Julie has worked with dozens of authors as a ghostwriter, developmental editor, and story coach.
Workshop: Connect Through Setting — Learn how to use setting to deepen character development, create emotional resonance, and immerse readers in your world.
Kali White VanBaale
Category: Fiction
Workshop: Fiction Fundamentals for Novels and Short Stories — Learn the core building blocks of story structure, characterization, and point of view. Exercises and handouts included.
Marianne Fons
Category: Fiction
Bio: Marianne Fons, co-founder of Fons & Porter and co-host of Love of Quilting on public TV, is beloved in the quilting world. She coauthored Quilter’s Complete Guide (500,000+ copies sold) and helped found the Iowa Quilt Museum and restore the Iowa Theater in Winterset.
She’s now focused on fiction and has an agent in New York. Her Substack, Reporting from Quiltropolis, shares charming stories from small-town Iowa.
Workshop: "Read My Latest Quilt!" — A presentation on storytelling through quilting, connecting historical quilts with personal narrative and fiction writing.
Nicole Baart
Category: Fiction
Bio: Nicole Baart is the author of twelve novels, including Everything We Didn’t Say and Where He Left Me (Atria, Nov. 2025). A mother of five and cofounder of a nonprofit, she lives in Iowa and frequently writes about family, mystery, and resilience.
Workshop: Interiority: How to Harness Your Protagonist’s Inner Life — Learn how to write your character’s emotional transformation without over-explaining or being too subtle. Readers will fall in love with your protagonist from the first line to the last.
Peter Hedges
Category: Fiction
Bio: Peter Hedges wrote and directed Ben Is Back, Dan in Real Life, and Pieces of April, and adapted his debut novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grape for the big screen. An Academy Award nominee for About a Boy, Peter is also a playwright and proud Iowan living in Brooklyn with his poet wife and two dogs.
Workshop: How to Find and Grow Your Original Idea — Explore the fragile early stage of creation and how to nurture an idea into a fully formed project. Peter shares lessons from 40+ years of missteps, successes, and persistence. Read Peter’s Substack column here. Click: Julie Gammack interviews Peter.
Sarah Krammen
Category: Fiction
Bio: Sarah Krammen manages Dragonfly Books in Decorah, Iowa, and leads the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation. With over a decade in indie bookselling, she specializes in creating strategic partnerships between authors and bookstores.
Workshop: (No workshop submitted, but likely available for panels or Q&A.)
Scott Garson
Category: Fiction
Workshop: What Is—and Isn’t—a Story — A quirky and thought-provoking workshop with four unique takes on narrative art, plus creative prompts and experiments. (AV needed)
Shadley Grei
Category: Fiction
Bio: Shadley Grei is an innovation strategist, ghostwriter, and founder of Grei Matter and Kingbird Press. He’s worked with Disney, Condé Nast, and Fortune 500 execs, and authored the Des Moines-set novel Before Closure. He’s also a development consultant for an LA film company.
Workshop: From Page to Screen — Learn how to adapt your novel into a TV or film script, keeping the heart of your story while reshaping it for a new medium.
Steven Semken
Category: Fiction
Bio: Steven Semken has spent 35+ years in writing and publishing. His company, Ice Cube Press, has released hundreds of titles. He’s been Writer-in-Residence at the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska. His books include Pick Up Stick City and The Great Blues, the latter receiving a Kansas Book Award.
Workshop: Publishing From Idea to Your First Reading — Learn the full process of bringing your book to life and preparing for your first public reading.
Filmmaking
Peter Hedges
Category: Filmmaking – Script Development
Bio: Peter Hedges is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter (About a Boy) and filmmaker behind Ben Is Back, Dan in Real Life, and Pieces of April. A novelist and playwright, he lives in Brooklyn with his poet wife and two dogs.
Workshop: How to Find and Grow Your Original Idea — A deep dive into nurturing creative ideas and avoiding pitfalls based on Peter’s four-decade career.
“My years as a writer/director in Hollywood and as a professor at UCLA and Pepperdine have taught me how to support storytellers at all levels. I specialize in empowering writers and filmmakers to find their voice and bring their visions to life.” Becky Smith
Becky Smith
Category: Narrative Film
Bio: Becky Smith is a seasoned writer and director with credits in both Hollywood and independent film, as well as a full professorship at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television. She has extensive experience in screenwriting and directing, and brings a thoughtful, immersive approach to teaching the craft.
Workshop: Three-Day Screenplay Clinic — A hands-on, cumulative morning workshop for attendees with a screenplay draft or outline. Day 1 covers structure and character, Day 2 focuses on revision and feedback, Day 3 wraps with pitch prep and scene polishing.
Shadley Grei
Category: Filmmaking – Script Development
Bio: Shadley Grei is an IP strategist, ghostwriter, and founder of Grei Matter and Kingbird Press. He’s adapted books and concepts for LA-based Ardvella Entertainment. He’s also a novelist, playwright, and publishing consultant.
Workshop: From Page to Screen: Understanding the Adaptation Process — How to spot cinematic potential in your story and reshape it for a visual medium while staying true to its core.
Nik Heftman
Category: Cinematography
Bio: Nik Heftman is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and filmmaker formerly of CBS News. He is now the CEO of his own production company, The Seven Times. His debut documentary The Negro Artist premiered at OWR IV and is receiving acclaim in theaters and film festivals across the United States.
Workshop: Documentary Filmmaking 101 — An Unconventional Approach to the Basics
Flash Fiction
Grant Faulkner
Category: Flash Fiction
Bio: Grant is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, co-host of the Write-minded podcast, and executive producer of America’s Next Great Author. His fiction and essays have appeared in Tin House, Poets & Writers, Lit Hub, The New York Times, and anthologies such as Best Small Fictions.
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — A deep dive into how short-short stories create emotional impact with minimal words. Discover the power of suggestion, omission, and implication in storytelling.
Kali VanBaale
Category: Flash Fiction
Bio: Kali White VanBaale is the author of three novels and the upcoming short story collection Release of Information. She's won numerous national awards and teaches in Lindenwood University’s MFA program. Her work appears in Nowhere Magazine, The Coachella Review, and Poets & Writers.
Workshop: Where Is the Language Coming From? — Explore how tense, POV, and inner character thought shape the voice and emotional tenor of short fiction.
Scott Garson
Category: Flash Fiction
Bio: [Pending update—placeholder submitted]
Workshop: What Is—and Isn’t—a Story — Four offbeat perspectives on narrative structure with creative prompts and experiments.
How to Write Description
Annie Leonard
Category: How to Write Description
Bio: Annie Leonard is a professional writer and family historian with a degree in Anthropology and Professional Writing. She works across disciplines and now helps clients craft engaging, readable family histories.
Workshop: Writing Family History People Will Actually Read! — Turn your research and genealogical data into stories your family will want to pass down for generations.
Courtney Crowder
Category: How to Write Description
Bio: Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist for the Des Moines Register, a Headliner Award winner, and two-time Livingston Award finalist. She co-directed the acclaimed SHIFT: The RAGBRAI Documentary and created the “Iowa Mourns” COVID memorial series. Her seven-part ICU series, Inside COVID’s Siege, and her work in multimedia storytelling cement her reputation for blending investigative journalism with human depth.
Workshop: How to Write Stories People Actually Want to Read — From concept to final edit, learn to make your writing irresistible.
Julie Cantrell
Category: How to Write Description
Bio: Julie Cantrell is a NYT and USA TODAY bestselling author and TEDx speaker whose work has appeared on top reading lists in Southern Living, REAL SIMPLE, BookBub, and more. She’s won two Christy Awards and two Carol Awards and teaches creative writing through Story Summit and Drexel University’s MFA program.
Workshop: Connect Through Setting — Learn how to use place like a character. Through guided writing exercises, you’ll make your story world immersive and emotionally resonant.
Kali VanBaale
Category: How to Write Description
Bio: Kali White VanBaale is the author of multiple novels and short story collections, including The Monsters We Makeand the forthcoming Release of Information. She’s won an American Book Award and teaches in Lindenwood University’s MFA program.
Workshop: Where is the Language Coming From? — Master POV, character thought, and tense for more compelling and authentic prose.
Robert Leonard
Category: Opinion Writing
Bio: Robert Leonard is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and other national outlets. A trained anthropologist, he’s known for his nuanced takes on rural life, politics, and culture. He interviewed over 8,000 Iowans during his time at KNIA/KRLS Radio and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and Iowa PBS. He publishes two Substacks—Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture and Cedar Creek Nature Notes—and is the author of Deep Midwest(Ice Cube Press).
Workshop: Opinion Writing: How to Structure Stories, Respond to the Moment, and Pitch Your Work — Learn the art of persuasive storytelling grounded in real-world events and compelling structure.
Steven Semken
Category: How to Write Description
Bio: With over 35 years in writing and publishing, Steven Semken has released hundreds of books via Ice Cube Press. He’s been a Writer-in-Residence in Alaska and earned a Kansas Book Award for The Great Blues.
Workshop: Publishing From Idea to Your First Reading — A practical guide for emerging authors.
Non-Fiction and Journalism
Arnold Garson
Category: Journalism / Opinion Writing
Bio: Arnold Garson is a semi-retired journalist and executive who worked for 46 years in the newspaper industry, including almost 20 years at The Des Moines Register. He writes the Substack newsletter Second Thoughts, where this article first appeared.
Workshop: While specific workshop titles are not listed in the dataset, his expertise suggests sessions related to journalism and opinion writing
Ty Rushing
Category: Interviewing Techniques, Masterclass in Reporting
Bio: Ty Rushing is a Kansas City, Kansas, native who has covered Iowa politics for several years. He is the senior editor of the Iowa Starting Line and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists.
Workshop: Ways to get your social media audience to care about your stories — Learn how to connect journalistic storytelling with social media engagement strategies.
Phoebe Wall Howard
Category: Nonfiction, Substack, Journalism Bio: Phoebe Wall Howard is an accomplished journalist with a distinguished career in automotive reporting. She served as an autos reporter at the Detroit Free Press, where she focused on the automotive industry, including companies like Ford Motor Co., labor unions such as the UAW, consumer trends, and executive profiles.muckrack.com+1bianchipr.com+1bianchipr.com
In addition to her work at the Detroit Free Press, Howard has contributed to various publications and platforms, including her Substack newsletter, Shifting Gears, where she continues to provide in-depth analysis and reporting on the automotive sector.
Workshop: Finding the details
Debra Engle
Category: Memoir, Making Money as a Writer, Publishing, Substack Basics
Bio: Debra Engle is the bestselling author of five nonfiction books, including The Only Little Prayer You Need, which features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Her debut novel Twenty was released in 2020. Debra serves as the executive director of Story Summit, an international online writing school where she teaches memoir, revision, Substack, and spirituality in writing. She mentors writers in small groups and has guided many to publication. A former freelance writer and editor for Country Home and Country Gardens, Debra is currently working on two memoirs and two nonfiction books centered on writing and healing. She’s also a member of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative. Learn more at debraengle.com.
Spiritual Nonfiction: Writing to Inspire – Spiritual nonfiction is one of the hottest categories in publishing today, giving more writers a chance to share and teach through memoir, self-help, and inspiration. These stories encompass everything from Christianity to Buddhism to New Thought, and many defy classification, reflecting a uniquely personal spiritual path. Through discussion and writing prompts, this hands-on session will help you home in on the type of spiritual nonfiction you want to write, with insights on crafting wisdom stories that elevate your sense of purpose and make your story stand out from the crowd.
Opinion
Rekha Basu
Category: Opinion Writing, One-on-one coaching using DSM Storytelling Project Methods
Bio: Rekha Basu has worked as a full-time reporter, columnist, and author with decades of experience. Her passionate, principled voice has guided readers through complex issues with clarity and insight.
Workshops:
Writing for Change: Writing persuasive, from-the-heart opinion pieces
Writing Compelling First-Person Columns That Matter
Commentary Critiques: Bring your work in progress
Laura Belin
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Opinion Writing, Interviewing Techniques
Bio: Laura has 30 years of professional writing experience, from hard news to advocacy. She runs Bleeding Heartland and is one of Iowa’s most well-informed political writers.
Workshops:
Finding Public Information and Using Iowa's Open Records Laws
Using Social Media to Promote Your Writing Without Selling Your Soul
Douglas Burns
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Making Money as a Writer, Opinion Writing
Bio: Douglas Burns is a fourth-generation Iowa journalist who’s written for newspapers, political campaigns, and speechwriters across the country. His workshops combine deep insight with practical application.
Workshops:
Speechwriting: How to Craft Speeches, from Weddings to Campaigns
Reporting: A Master Class
How To Develop and Promote a Creative Project That Pays
Maura Casey
Category: Opinion Writing
Bio: Maura has worked for three newspapers in New England and Texas, serving on the editorial board of The New York Times. Her memoir work combines lived experience with sharp narrative skill.
Workshops:
Opinion Writing: It’s Always the Angle – I will tell all my secrets, starting with, “it’s the angle, stupid.”
Art Cullen
Category: Opinion Writing, Environmental Writing
Bio: Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times Pilot, where he won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. He is author of Storm Lake and Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest, and a weekly columnist on Substack.
Workshops:
Opinion Writing: Get the news up front! How to compress a book into 18 column inches.
Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest: A discussion on Iowa’s environmental catastrophe.
Todd Dorman
Category: Opinion Writing
Bio: Todd Dorman is editorial page editor and a columnist at The Gazette in Cedar Rapids. He's an 18-year veteran in the opinion trenches. He covered the Legislature for Lee newspapers from 1998 to 2007. He's a native of Belmond, Iowa.
Workshops: Opinion writing — Be fair, be knowledgeable and take a strong stand, The perils and rewards of writing blue in a red state, Letters to the editor and reader columns — Sometimes in this crazy country it feels like you have to do or say something. Write it, send it in and get it printed and posted.
Lea Donovan
Category: Opinion Writing, Documentary Film Production, Political Comedy
Bio: Lea Donovan is an Iowegian-British multimedia storyteller with a passion for biting wit and smart political satire.
Workshops:
Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary and Opinion Writing
What Does an Archival Producer Do and Why Should You Care?
How Not to Adapt a British TV Comedy in America
Making Money as a Writer
Allison Engel
Category: Opinion Writing, Playwriting, The Business of Playwriting
Bio: Allison Engel has been a reporter for the Des Moines Tribune, San Jose Mercury, and Pacific News Service. She has written for NPR and produced acclaimed plays with her sister Margaret, including Red Hot Patriot and Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End.
Workshops:
Playwriting – Playwriting offers the writer far more freedom than writing for film or television.
The Business of Playwriting – There is no one clear path to production, but this workshop outlines how to take your play from page to stage.
Opinion Writing and Speechwriting – With experience in journalism and political communication, we’ll discuss how to write for clarity and impact.
Margaret Engel
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Opinion Writing, Playwriting, Investigative Storytelling, Business of Playwriting, Pitching to Agents
Bio: Margaret Engel is a journalist, playwright, and producer known for championing new voices and helping writers get published and staged.
Workshops:
Getting Your Opinion Published
How to Get a Play Produced
Writing Your First Play
Finding Financial Support for Your Writing
Peter Hedges
Category: Filmmaking – Script Development
Bio: Peter Hedges is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter (About a Boy) and filmmaker behind Ben Is Back, Dan in Real Life, and Pieces of April. A novelist and playwright, he lives in Brooklyn with his poet wife and two dogs.
Workshop: How to Find and Grow Your Original Idea — A deep dive into nurturing creative ideas and avoiding pitfalls based on Peter’s four-decade career.
Playwriting
Margaret Engel
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Opinion Writing, Playwriting, Investigative Storytelling, Business of Playwriting, Pitching to Agents
Bio: Margaret Engel is a journalist, playwright, and producer known for championing new voices and helping writers get published and staged.
Workshops:
How to Get a Play Produced
Writing Your First Play
Allison Engel
Category: Opinion Writing, Playwriting, The Business of Playwriting
Bio: Allison Engel has been a reporter for the Des Moines Tribune, San Jose Mercury, and Pacific News Service. She has written for NPR and produced acclaimed plays with her sister Margaret, including Red Hot Patriot and Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End.
Workshops:
Playwriting – Playwriting offers the writer far more freedom than writing for film or television.
The Business of Playwriting – There is no one clear path to production, but this workshop outlines how to take your play from page to stage.
Opinion Writing and Speechwriting – With experience in journalism and political communication, we’ll discuss how to write for clarity and impact.
Podcasting
Julie Gammack
Category: Podcasting through Substack
Bio: Julie is a former radio talk show host, Des Moines Register columnist, and business coach. She produces a column and podcast through Substack.
Workshop: Creating a Substack Column.
Abena Sankofa Imhotep
Category: Interviewing Techniques / Podcasting
Bio: Abena is an award-winning author, scholar, TEDx speaker, and founder of Sankofa Literary & Empowerment Group. She’s the host of Black & Privileged in America, a powerful podcast on race, equity, and empowerment.
Workshop: Podcasting 101 — A beginner’s guide to launching your podcast with voice, purpose, and strategy.
Annie Leonard
Category: Interviewing Techniques
Bio: Writer, family historian, and editor with a BA in Anthropology and Professional Writing, Annie specializes in helping others uncover and narrate personal and family histories.
Workshop: Writing Family History People Will Actually Read! — Make your ancestors’ stories irresistible and lasting.
Beth Hoffman
Category: Interviewing Techniques
Workshop: Why Anyone Else Cares About Your Memoir — A workshop on universal themes and emotional connection in personal writing.
Poetry
Caleb Rainey
Category: Poetry
Bio: Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and educator. He’s a two-time Iowa City Poetry Slam Champion and founder of IC Speaks, a program uplifting young voices. His books Look, Black Boy and Heart Notes fuse vulnerability with lyrical power.
Workshop: Make Your Performance Pop! — Whether it’s an open mic or a national competition, you’ll learn how to polish your performance skills, connect with your audience, and deliver your words with confidence.
Chad Elliott
Category: Poetry
Bio: Chad Elliott is an award-winning folk musician, visual artist, and storyteller. Based in Iowa, he’s released over two dozen albums, blending roots music with poetic lyricism. His work reflects the rhythms and soul of small-town America.
Workshop: Co-writing with Kathryn Severing Fox — A collaborative session that explores lyric writing and poetic structure in songwriting.
Kelsey Bigelow
Category: Poetry
Bio: Kelsey Bigelow is a Des Moines-based spoken word poet and public speaker. She’s competed at the national level and leads workshops on vulnerability, healing, and poetic voice.
Workshop: Uncovering Your Poem: Everyone Has a Story Worth Sharing — This workshop encourages participants to explore the raw moments of their lives and craft them into powerful poetry.
Lea Donovan
Category: Poetry
Bio: Lea Donovan is a poet, filmmaker, and hybrid artist who blends British and Iowan roots into multimedia storytelling. Her work navigates themes of grief, generational trauma, and joy through visual poetry and documentary.
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary and Creative Writing — Explore how new tools like AI can serve poetic creativity, without compromising soul and story.
Publishing
Justin Roberts
Category: Publishing
Bio: Five-time GRAMMY Nominee Justin Roberts has helped to create and define the modern family music scene with his smart and soulful songs for kids (and people who used to be kids). He has performed at Ravinia, Symphony Space (NYC), The Getty Center (LA), and the Today Show, and has been featured on NPR, in the New York Times, and Chicago Tribune. Called “hands down the best songwriter in the genre” by USA Today, Justin’s 17th album, Brain Freeze, releases in April 2025. He is also the author of four picture books, including The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade, a finalist for the EB White Read-aloud Award.
Workshops:
Songwriting is for everybody
Writing for kids
Processing emotions through songwriting and storytelling
Elizabeth Kracht
Category: Publishing
Bio: Elizabeth Kracht is a literary agent with Kimberley Cameron & Associates. She works with both fiction and nonfiction and is the author of The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript. Her background includes editorial, publishing, and journalism. She is known for her deep insight into the publishing process and what makes a manuscript truly marketable.
Workshops:
How to Find a Literary Agent
With the array of publishing options available today, it’s more important than ever to know how to navigate traditional publishing. Learn the secrets to query writing, agent research, and what agents look for in the slush pile.
Polly Letofsky
Category: Publishing
Bio: When Polly Letofsky wrote her book, 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World, she thought she’d simply put it on Amazon and become a bestseller. Instead, she discovered a confusing and predatory world of publishing. She founded My Word Publishing to help others navigate that maze. Over the past decade, she has helped more than 900 authors publish independently, guided by transparency and integrity.
Workshops:
Publishing 101: Your Options in Publishing
In this workshop, Polly will break down the different paths to publishing—from traditional and hybrid to full self-publishing—and help you make the best choice for your project and goals.
Marianne Fons
Category: Publishing
Bio: Marianne Fons is known to millions of quilters around the world as the co-host of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quiltingtelevision series and co-founder of Love of Quilting magazine. She has turned her passion for quilting into a remarkable publishing and media career and is also an active fiction writer.
Workshops:
“Read My Latest Quilt!”
From the nineteenth fabric forward, we’ll look at how to translate passion into story and how to use niche publishing communities to share your work.
Steven Semken
Category: Publishing
Bio: Steven Semken is the founder of Ice Cube Press, an independent publisher based in Iowa. For over thirty years, he has been an editor, writer, publisher, and public speaker, helping hundreds of authors bring books to market. His approach emphasizes sustainability, storytelling, and regional identity.
Workshops:
Publishing From Idea to Your First Reading
Writing Nature: Finding Stories in the World Around You
Reporting Masterclass
Art Cullen
Category: Opinion Writing, Environmental Writing
Bio: Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times Pilot, where he won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. He is author of Storm Lake and Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest, and a weekly columnist on Substack.
Workshops:
Opinion Writing: Get the news up front! How to compress a book into 18 column inches.
Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest: A discussion on Iowa’s environmental catastrophe.
Laura Belin
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Opinion Writing, Interviewing Techniques
Bio: Laura has 30 years of professional writing experience, including deep investigative work and political commentary. She runs Bleeding Heartland, a Substack and independent news site known for watchdog reporting in Iowa.
Workshops:
Finding Public Information and Using Iowa’s Open Records Laws
Using Social Media to Promote Your Writing Without Selling Your Soul
Douglas Burns
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Making Money as a Writer, Opinion Writing
Bio: A fourth-generation journalist, Douglas Burns blends experience in newspaper reporting, political consulting, and speechwriting. His teaching is practical, sharp, and often humorous.
Workshops:
Speechwriting: How to Craft Speeches, from Weddings to Campaigns
Reporting: A Master Class
How to Develop and Promote a Creative Project That Pays
Courtney Crowder
Category: Memoir, Masterclass in Reporting, Documentary Film Production
Bio: Courtney Crowder is the Iowa Columnist and a senior reporter for The Des Moines Register. She focuses on social issues, identity, and underreported communities through longform journalism.
Workshops:
How to Write Stories People Actually Want to Read
Can You Put Together a Documentary Panel with Readers as Stars?
John Dinges
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Storytelling Fundamentals
Bio: John Dinges is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books on Latin American politics and U.S. foreign policy. He was NPR’s managing editor and a longtime professor at Columbia Journalism School.
Workshops:
Finding Secrets: Sources and Methods of Investigative Reporting
Those Pesky Facts: The Challenges of Nonfiction Narratives
Finding Secrets 2: FOIA, Public Records, and How to Use Them
Margaret Engel
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Opinion Writing, Playwriting
Bio: (Placeholder note) Re-sent again today from March 23. Likely intended as a collaborative session with sister Allison Engel.
Workshops:
Getting Your Opinion Published
How to Get a Play Produced
Writing Your First Play
Lee Rood
Category: Masterclass in Reporting, Storytelling Fundamentals, Investigative Journalism
Bio: Lee Rood has been the Reader’s Watchdog columnist for The Des Moines Register since 2010. She is known for holding institutions accountable, championing everyday Iowans, and providing a direct line between the public and the newsroom. Her work has prompted policy changes and launched investigations across Iowa.
Workshops:
Launching an Investigation: Tools to do your own watchdog work
Lessons Learned from Live Storytelling: How your journalism voice evolves on stage
Ty Rushing
Category: Journalism, Political Reporting, Diversity & Inclusion, Documentary Filmmaking
Bio: Ty Rushing is a trailblazing journalist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker who has made significant contributions to Iowa's media landscape. As the first Black reporter or editor at eight Iowa print publications, he has chronicled the state's political and cultural shifts with insight and integrity. Formerly the Chief Political Correspondent for Iowa Starting Line, Ty now serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He is also the co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists. His documentary, Telling Our Own Story: Ending Racism, produced with Iowa PBS, was nominated for a 2023 Upper Midwest Emmy.
Workshops: Covering Politics in the Heartland, Telling Our Own Story: Ending Racism, Respecting Cultural Differences and Why It Matters
Songwriting
Dartanyan Brown
Category: Memoir, Songwriting, Interviewing Techniques, Jazz
Bio: Journalist and jazz musician Dartanyan Brown brings a lifetime of storytelling and rhythm to his sessions. Known for his Iowa roots and creative versatility, he helps participants blend personal narrative with musicality.
Workshops:
Jazz and Journalism
Why Substack Works for Me
Chad Elliott
Category: Songwriting, Children, Poetry
Bio: A seasoned performer and recording artist, Chad Elliott uses humor, vulnerability, and decades of touring experience to empower songwriters of all levels.
Workshops:
Co-writing with Kathryn Severing Fox
Writing the Ship – Songs as emotional and therapeutic tools
Venerating the Dumbest Notions – Capturing quirky creative sparks
Kathryn Fox
Category: Songwriting, The Business Side of Songwriting
Bio: Kathryn Fox, dubbed a “fiddler extraordinaire,” is a dynamic multi-genre musician. She brings a performer's energy and a mentor's clarity to every session.
Workshops:
Are You Ready to Share?
Co-writing with Weary Ramblers
How to Write a Song – Lyrics and musical structure
Carol Montag
Category: Songwriting
Bio: Carol Montag is a gifted songwriter and performer who has shared the stage with Arlo Guthrie and Michael Johnson. Her lyrical introspection guides writers to express their truths in song.
Workshops:
Writing Songs from Impressions and Imprints
Songwriting Nuts and Bolts
Justin Roberts
Category: Songwriting, Publishing, Children
Bio: A five-time GRAMMY nominee, Justin Roberts crafts heartfelt, playful songs for families. His workshops help songwriters of all ages and genres express themselves authentically.
Workshops:
Songwriting is for Everybody
Writing for Kids
Processing Emotions Through Songwriting
Maxwell Schaeffer
Category: Songwriting, Spoken Word, Podcasting
Bio: A longtime radio personality, musician, and storyteller, Maxwell Schaeffer brings warmth, humor, and collaborative spirit to songwriting and podcasting.
Workshops:
Podcast Roundtable – Tips & Tricks That Level-Up Your Show
"Finish My Song" – A Songwriter Collaborative Challenge
Jason Walsmith
Category: Songwriting, Storytelling Fundamentals
Bio: Founding member of The Nadas, Jason Walsmith specializes in building narratives through song. He draws on years of touring and performing to help writers connect with listeners.
Workshops:
Storytelling Through Song
Collaborative Songwriting – Plays Well With Others
Creative Touring Strategies
Peter Strand
Category: Songwriting, The Business Side of Songwriting, Documentary Film Production, Writing a Television Series, Publishing
Bio: Peter Strand is a Chicago-based entertainment lawyer with deep roots in music and media. He blends creativity with real-world industry expertise.
Workshops:
Licensing 101 – Everything You Wanted to Know About Music Rights
Making Music for Film & TV – A Business and Creative Overview
Songwriting & the Law – Protecting Your Work
Photography
David Thoreson
Category: Adventure Writing, Environmental Journalism, Photography, Storytelling
Bio: David Thoreson is an Iowa-based explorer, sailor, author, and photographer who has sailed more than 65,000 nautical miles, including the Northwest Passage. His compelling storytelling draws from decades of documenting climate change from the deck of a sailboat to international stages. His work has appeared in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, and on PBS. He’s the author of Over the Horizon, a memoir-photojournal of his sailing and environmental journeys.
Workshops:
From the Arctic to Iowa: Storytelling the Climate Journey
Adventure, Photography, and the Written Word: How to Build a Multi-Platform Narrative
Beyond the Horizon: Using Exploration to Inform and Inspire Your Writing
A Song is Born!
Enjoy this excerpt from a songwriting workshop featuring Jara Johnson, Jason Walsmith, Chad Elliott, and Justin Roberts. Join us in September!
Would you like to support the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat scholarship fund?
What an overwhelming amount of work it must be to put this together, Julie. Looks like there is something for everyone. Have we said thank you for your work, lately?
Thank you. 😊
Perusing this kaleidoscope list of remarkably talented and accomplished artists, just ensures my belief that I couldn’t have possibly made any better decision about attending. But, I’m still imagining myself with a little red carpet apprehension. Thanks for the assurance everyone is kind and generous to newcomers. I’m a huge fan of many already and promise myself not to ask for autographs. Except for possibly a few books or something.