Faculty Index
Okoboji Writers’ & Songwriters’ Retreat
September 28 – October 1, 2025
Baart, Nicole
Panel: Fiction Fundamentals — Mon 9:15 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Crafting an Unforgettable First Page — Mon 10:45 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Interiority: Harness Your Protagonist’s Inner Life — Mon 3:00 PM (Waitt 2)
Panel: Fiction Futures — Tue 9:15 AM (Waitt 1)
Panel: Slush Pile (Fiction) (lead) — Tue 1:15 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Panel: Fiction: Slush Pile — Wed 8:45 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Interiority: Harness Your Protagonist’s Inner Life — Wed 10:15 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Basu, Rekha
Panel: Opinion & Commentary — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Panel: Investigative Journalism & Democracy — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Opinion Writing: Finding Your Voice — Tue 10:45 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Panel: Writing & the Defense of Democracy — Wed 8:45 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: My Experience With Substack — Wed 10:15 AM (Library)
Belin, Laura
Panel: Journalism & Investigative — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Finding & Using Public Records — Mon 10:45 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Using Social Media Without Feeding Trolls — Tue 10:45 AM (Library)
Panel: Investigative Journalism & Democracy — Wed 8:45 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Bigelow, Kelsey
Panel: Poetry & Spoken Word — Mon 9:15 AM (Primitive)
Workshop: Uncovering Your Poem — Mon 10:45 AM (Primitive)
Panel: Poetry in Community — Tue 9:15 AM (Primitive)
Workshop: Uncovering Your Poem (Generative) — Tue 10:45 AM (Primitive)
Workshop: Poetry as a Coping Tool — Wed 10:15 AM (Primitive)
Panel: Poetry & Spoken Word — Wed 8:45 AM (Primitive)
Brooks, Kevin
Panel: Songwriting & Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Morning Music — Tue 7:30 AM (Main Tent)
Panel: Songwriting Across Genres — Tue 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Brown, Dartanyan
Workshop: My Integrated Life — Mon 3:00 PM (Calvin)
Panel: Songwriting Across Genres — Tue 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: My Integrated Life: Journalism, Arts & Education — Tue 3:00 PM (Pammel)
Burns, Douglas
Panel: Opinion & Commentary — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Speechwriting: From Op-Ed to Oval Office — Mon 1:15 PM (Main Cottage)
Panel: Investigative Journalism & Democracy — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Panel: Opinion & Commentary — Wed 8:45 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: My Experience With Substack — Wed 10:15 AM (Library)
Burton, AJ Philby
Panel: How to Make a Movie — Tue 3:00 PM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: State Resources for Filmmakers — Wed 10:15 AM (Macbride [AV])
Calhoun, Will
Panel: Songwriting & Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: Rhythm, Rhyme, and Storytelling — Tue 3:00 PM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Casey, Maura
Panel: Memoir Basics — Mon 9:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Ten Lessons in Memoir — Mon 10:45 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Opinion Writing: It’s Always the Angle — Mon 1:15 PM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Opinion Writing: It’s Always the Angle — Tue 1:15 PM (Main Cottage)
Panel: Opinion Writing Today — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Panel: Memoir: Courage to Tell the Story — Wed 8:45 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Nonfiction Slush Pile — Wed 10:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Cowan-Schroeder, Michelle
Workshop: From Loss to Light: Turning Pain into Story — Tue 3:00 PM (Library)
Cullen, Art
Panel: Opinion & Commentary — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Opinion Writing: Get the News Up Front! — Mon 10:45 AM (Main Cottage)
Panel: How a Book Is Born — Mon 1:15 PM (Rec Hall [AV])
Workshop: Opinion Writing: Get the News Up Front! — Tue 10:45 AM (Main Cottage)
Panel: Opinion & Commentary — Wed 8:45 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Nonfiction Slush Pile — Wed 10:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Donovan, Lea
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary — Tue 3:00 PM (Macbride [AV])
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary (with Shadley Grei) — Mon 1:15 PM (Bodine [AV])
Dorman, Todd
Panel: Opinion & Commentary — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Letters to the Editor & Reader Columns — Mon 3:00 PM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Panel: Opinion Writing Today — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Letters to the Editor & Reader Columns — Tue 10:45 AM (Pammel)
Workshop: Getting Your Opinion Published — Tue 3:00 PM (Main Cottage)
Panel: Writing & the Defense of Democracy — Wed 8:45 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: Nonfiction Slush Pile — Wed 10:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Elliott, Chad
Panel: Songwriting & Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: Co-writing Workshop (with Kathryn Severing Fox) — Mon 3:00 PM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Workshop: Hair Brained or Inventive? — Tue 1:15 PM (Macbride [AV])
Panel: Songwriting as Storytelling — Wed 8:45 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Engel, Allison
Workshop: Writing Your First Play: Finding Financial Support for Your Writing (with Margaret Engel) — Mon 3:00 PM (Rec Hall [AV])
Panel: How to Get a Play Produced (with Margaret Engel) — Tue 3:00 PM (Shimek)
Panel: Comedy & Performance — Wed 8:45 AM (Pammel)
Engel, Margaret
Panel: Opinion Writing Today — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: Writing Your First Play: Finding Financial Support for Your Writing (with Allison Engel) — Mon 3:00 PM (Rec Hall [AV])
Panel: How to Get a Play Produced (with Allison Engel) — Tue 3:00 PM (Shimek)
Engle, Debra
Panel: Memoir Basics — Mon 9:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Workshopping Your Memoir — Mon 3:00 PM (Mahan [AV])
Panel: Memoir: Lessons from Loss & Healing — Tue 9:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Finding Transcendence in Your Memoir — Tue 10:45 AM (Mahan [AV])
Panel: Memoir: Courage to Tell the Story — Wed 8:45 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Self-Editing for Fiction & Memoir (with Elizabeth Kracht) — Tue 10:45 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Faulkner, Grant
Panel: Fiction Fundamentals — Mon 9:15 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — Mon 10:45 AM (Waitt 2)
Panel: Fiction Futures — Tue 9:15 AM (Waitt 1)
Workshop: Writing a Novel (with Kali White VanBaale) — Tue 10:45 AM (Waitt 2)
Panel: Slush Pile (Fiction) — Tue 1:15 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: The Art of Brevity — Tue 3:00 PM (Waitt 2)
Fons, Marianne
Workshop: Read My Latest Quilt — Mon 10:45 AM (Rec Hall [AV])
Panel: Fiction Futures — Tue 9:15 AM (Waitt 1)
Workshop: My Experience With Substack — Wed 10:15 AM (Library)
Fox, Kathryn Severing
Panel: Songwriting & Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: Are You Ready to Share? — Mon 1:15 PM (Library)
Workshop: Co-writing Workshop (with Chad Elliott) — Mon 3:00 PM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Panel: Songwriting as Storytelling — Wed 8:45 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Garson, Arnold
Panel: Family History into Story — Mon 9:15 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: The Elements of Writing a Family History — Mon 10:45 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: How & Where to Find Your Ancestors — Mon 3:00 PM (Shimek)
Panel: Family History: Beyond Genealogy — Tue 9:15 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: The Elements of Writing a Family History — Tue 10:45 AM (Dining Hall Porch)
Garson, Scott
Workshop: Five Prompts: Generating Flash Fiction — Mon 1:15 PM (Waitt 2)
Panel: Fiction Futures (mod.) — Tue 9:15 AM (Waitt 1)
Workshop: Why Journalists Make Good Fiction Writers — Tue 1:15 PM (Waitt 2)
Workshop: Five Prompts: Intuitive Paths Toward Flash — Wed 10:15 AM (Waitt 2)
Grei, Shadley
Panel: Filmmaking & Screen Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Workshop: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary (with Lea Donovan) — Mon 1:15 PM (Bodine [AV])
Workshop: Strategic Storytelling: Turning Ideas into Action — Tue 3:00 PM (Lakeshore Canteen)
Panel: Publishing & Agents — Wed 8:45 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Making Money as a Writer — Wed 10:15 AM (Lakeshore Canteen)
Grundy, Pamela
Panel: Journalism & Investigative — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Writing Together Can Make It Better (with Susan Shackelford) — Mon 1:15 PM (Macbride [AV])
Workshop: Word to Page: Editing Oral History Interviews (with Susan Shackelford) — Tue 1:15 PM (Rec Hall [AV])
Heftman, Nik
Workshop: Documentary Filmmaking 101 — Mon 10:45 AM (Macbride [AV])
Workshop: Documentary Story Strategies: Planning Your Film (with Beth Howard) — Tue 10:45 AM (Rec Hall [AV])
Workshop: Storytelling through Video — Wed 10:15 AM (Main Cottage)
Hedges, Peter
Panel: Filmmaking & Screen Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Workshop: How to Find & Grow Your Original Idea — Mon 3:00 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Adaptation: What I Learned from Adapting… — Tue 10:45 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Panel: How to Make a Movie (mod.) — Tue 3:00 PM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: Revising Versus Editing — Tue 3:00 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Adaptation: What I Learned from Adapting… — Wed 10:15 AM (Bodine [AV])
Hoffman, Beth
Panel: Memoir Basics — Mon 9:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: How to Get Others to Care About Your Memoir — Mon 1:15 PM (Mahan [AV])
Panel: Memoir: Lessons from Loss & Healing — Tue 9:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: How to Tackle the Big Stories in Memoir — Tue 1:15 PM (Mahan [AV])
Panel: Memoir: Courage to Tell the Story — Wed 8:45 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: How to Get Others to Care About Your Memoir — Wed 10:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Howard, Beth
Evening Program: PIEOWA Screening + Q&A — Mon 7:45 PM (Pearson Lakes Art Center)
Panel: Memoir: Lessons from Loss & Healing — Tue 9:15 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: Documentary Story Strategies: Planning Your Film (with Nik Heftman) — Tue 10:45 AM (Rec Hall [AV])
Panel: How to Make a Movie — Tue 3:00 PM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: From Idea to Edit: Case Study of PIEOWA — Wed 10:15 AM (Lakeshore Lodge)
Imhotep, Abena Sankofa
Panel: Poetry & Spoken Word — Mon 9:15 AM (Primitive)
Panel: Poetry in Community — Tue 9:15 AM (Primitive)
Workshop: How to Give a TEDx Talk — Tue 10:45 AM (Macbride [AV])
Kaiser, Jan
Panel: For Authors: You’ve Written the @#$! Book. Now What? — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Small)
Kracht, Elizabeth
Workshop: Self-Editing for Fiction & Memoir (with Debra Engle) — Tue 10:45 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Leonard, Annie
Panel: Family History into Story — Mon 9:15 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: Dead Folks Tell the Best Tales — Mon 1:15 PM (Shimek)
Workshop: Dead Folks Tell the Best Tales — Tue 1:15 PM (Shimek)
Panel: Family History: Beyond Genealogy — Tue 9:15 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: Dead Folks Tell the Best Tales — Wed 10:15 AM (Shimek)
Leonard, Robert
Panel: Storytelling Basics — Mon 9:15 AM (Lodge)
Workshop: Finding Fulfillment in the Writing Process — Mon 1:15 PM (Pammel)
Workshop: Opinion Writing: Structure & Pitching — Mon 3:00 PM (Main Cottage)
Panel: Opinion Writing Today (mod.) — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Workshop: How to Get Your Substack Off the Ground — Tue 1:15 PM (Pammel)
Panel: Writing & the Defense of Democracy (mod.) — Wed 8:45 AM (Shimek)
Workshop: My Experience With Substack — Wed 10:15 AM (Library)
Letofsky, Polly
Workshop: Publishing 101 — Mon 1:15 PM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Panel: For Authors: You’ve Written the @#$! Book. Now What? (mod.) — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Small)
Workshop: Top 20 Ways to Market Your Book — Tue 10:45 AM (Calvin)
Panel: Publishing & Agents — Wed 8:45 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Nonfiction Slush Pile — Wed 10:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Montag, Carol
Music: Registration — Mon 7:00 AM (Main Tent)
Workshop: Writing from Impressions — Mon 1:15 PM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Panel: Songwriting Across Genres — Tue 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: More Than Entertainment — Tue 1:15 PM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Panel: Songwriting as Storytelling — Wed 8:45 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Rainey, Caleb
Panel: Poetry & Spoken Word — Mon 9:15 AM (Primitive)
Workshop: Make Your Performance Pop! — Mon 1:15 PM (Primitive)
Panel: Storytelling & Performance — Tue 9:15 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Poetry as Protest (Page & Stage) — Tue 1:15 PM (Primitive)
Workshop: Protest with Poetry on the Page & Stage — Tue 3:00 PM (Primitive)
Panel: Poetry & Spoken Word (mod.) — Wed 8:45 AM (Primitive)
Roberts, Justin
Workshop: Songwriting Is for Everybody — Mon 10:45 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Panel: Storytelling & Performance — Tue 9:15 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Writing for Kids (Stories & Songs) — Tue 1:15 PM (Library)
Workshop: Songwriting Workshop — Wed 10:15 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Rood, Lee
Panel: Investigative Journalism & Democracy — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Watchdog Journalism in Iowa — Tue 3:00 PM (Dining Hall Main)
Panel: Investigative Journalism & Democracy — Wed 8:45 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Rossi, Lisa
Workshop: Writing on Your Feet — Mon 10:45 AM (Pammel)
Workshop: Joke Writing 101 — Mon 3:00 PM (Pammel)
Panel: Storytelling & Performance (mod.) — Tue 9:15 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Joke Writing 101 — Tue 1:15 PM (Calvin)
Panel: Comedy & Performance (mod.) — Wed 8:45 AM (Pammel)
Workshop: Joke Writing 101 — Wed 10:15 AM (Calvin)
Rushing, Ty
Panel: Journalism & Investigative — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Why Consistency Matters on Social Media — Mon 3:00 PM (Primitive)
Sands, Katharine
Workshop: Master-Pitch Theatre — Mon 10:45 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Master-Pitch Theatre — Tue 10:45 AM (Shimek)
Panel: Publishing & Agents (mod.) — Wed 8:45 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Getting Ready, Getting Read, Getting Readers — Wed 10:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Schaeffer, Maxwell
Workshop: Podcast Tips & Tricks — Mon 1:15 PM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Workshop: Podcast Roundtable: Tips & Tricks — Tue 10:45 AM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Workshop: Photography for Storytellers — Tue 1:15 PM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Panel: Comedy & Performance — Wed 8:45 AM (Pammel)
Workshop: My Experience With Substack — Wed 10:15 AM (Library)
Semken, Steve
Workshop: From Notes on a Napkin to Your First Book — Mon 10:45 AM (Library)
Panel: How a Book Is Born — Mon 1:15 PM (Rec Hall [AV])
Panel: For Authors: You’ve Written the @#$! Book. Now What? — Tue 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Small)
Workshop: Finding the Right Words at the Right Time — Tue 3:00 PM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Panel: Publishing & Agents — Wed 8:45 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Nonfiction Slush Pile (lead) — Wed 10:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Shackelford, Susan
Panel: Journalism & Investigative — Mon 9:15 AM (Dining Hall Lakeview)
Workshop: Writing Together Can Make It Better (with Pamela Grundy) — Mon 1:15 PM (Macbride [AV])
Workshop: Word to Page: Editing Oral History Interviews (with Pamela Grundy) — Tue 1:15 PM (Rec Hall [AV])
Smith, Becky
Panel: Filmmaking & Screen Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Lakeshore Chapel [AV])
Workshop: Building the Foundation (Part I) — Mon 10:45 AM (Bodine [AV])
Workshop: Digging Deeper (Part II) — Tue 1:15 PM (Bodine [AV])
Panel: How to Make a Movie — Tue 3:00 PM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: Refining & Feedback (Part III) — Wed 10:15 AM (Lakeshore Rec Hall [AV])
Stahl, Jay
Panel: Storytelling & Performance — Tue 9:15 AM (Main Cottage)
Workshop: Masterclass in Journalism: Interviewing & Reporting — Wed 10:15 AM (Dining Hall Main)
Strand, Peter
Workshop: Copyright for Creatives — Tue 3:00 PM (Library)
Thoreson, David
Workshop: Improve Your Photography Skills — Mon 3:00 PM (Macbride [AV])
Workshop: Photography for Storytellers — Tue 1:15 PM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Workshop: Environmental Writing & Photography — Tue 3:00 PM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Workshop: Improve Your Photography Skills for Storytelling — Wed 10:15 AM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
VanBaale, Kali White
Panel: Fiction Fundamentals — Mon 9:15 AM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Where Is the Language Coming From? — Mon 1:15 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Panel: Fiction Futures — Tue 9:15 AM (Waitt 1)
Workshop: Writing a Novel (with Grant Faulkner) — Tue 10:45 AM (Waitt 2)
Panel: Slush Pile (Fiction) — Tue 1:15 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Workshop: Revising Versus Editing — Tue 3:00 PM (Waitt 1 [AV])
Panel: Memoir: Courage to Tell the Story — Wed 8:45 AM (Mahan [AV])
Workshop: My Experience With Substack — Wed 10:15 AM (Library)
Walsmith, Jason
Panel: Songwriting & Storytelling — Mon 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])
Workshop: Tips & Tools of a Performing Songwriter — Mon 10:45 AM (Lakeshore Conference Room [AV])
Panel: Songwriting Across Genres (mod.) — Tue 9:15 AM (Great Hall [AV])