Speaker Bios and Workshop Titles

...start planning!

This Substack newsletter is being used for the purpose of communicating about the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat. If this is not of interest, please feel free to unsubscribe. Enrollment ends September 15. If you would like to enroll: OWR V Thanks!

Here goes — pretty impressive, don’t you think?

Below you’ll find information about our speakers, their bios, and workshop offerings for the Fifth Annual Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat.

If you are enrolled in the retreat and have not yet completed the survey indicating your workshop interests, please take a few minutes to do so. You won’t be locked into these choices — it’s simply to help me plan which rooms to reserve on campus based on the level of interest in each session.

I also added a question asking if you are an independent author, would you like to meet with others for the purpose of sharing best practices and mutual support?

Your input makes a big difference as we finalize the schedule. Thank you!

Evening activities (dinner, film, concert, auction) are optional with an additional fee. If you are enrolled in the retreat and want to participate, check this out.

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OKOBOJI WRITERS’ AND SONGWRITERS’ RETREAT SPEAKERS

Baart, Nicole
Nicole Baart is the author of twelve novels, including Everything We Didn’t Say (an October 2021 Book of the Month selection and Amazon Editor's pick) and the upcoming Where He Left Me (November 4, 2025 from Atria/S&S). The cofounder of a nonprofit and mother of five, she lives in Iowa with her family. Learn more at NicoleBaart.com.
Workshop 1: Interiority: Inner Lives & Icebergs — In this workshop, participants will learn how to mine the depths of their characters' inner psyche to unlock deeper connection and understanding in their readers. Anyone can craft a compelling plot and a cast of interesting characters, but interiority is the third rail that electrifies storytelling and makes a passable narrative superb. Want your book to be unforgettable? A rich, immersive experience that stays with your readers long after the final page is turned? Unlocking your character's inner world is the answer, and in this workshop Nicole will hand you the key.
Workshop 2: Crafting an Unforgettable First Page — When querying an agent or trying to reel in a reader, we only have a few short lines to set the hook. If our first sentence, paragraph, and page don't contain the essential elements of a great start, we may lose our chance to wow. We’ll cover the crucial components of a gripping opener—and how to ratchet up interest so no one can resist turning the page.

Auction item -

Basu, Rekha
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 coached for the Register Storytellers Project, moderated the Iowa Smart Talk Women’s Lecture Series, and appeared in conversations with Ta-Nehisi Coates, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Heather Cox Richardson. She has been featured on C-SPAN Book TV and appeared with Tom Brokaw, Rachel Maddow, Gwen Ifill, and more. Rekha has an MS in journalism from Columbia, an MA from Goddard-Cambridge, a BA from Brandeis, and an honorary doctorate from Grinnell College.
Workshop 1: Writing for Change — Writing persuasive, from-the-heart commentaries that move and educate people and change minds. Includes writing exercises and critiques.
Workshop 2: Writing Compelling First-Person Columns — Strategies to bring larger universal truths into focus through personal narrative.

Auction item: Indian dinner for six in Rekha’s home.

Belin, Laura
Laura has 30 years of professional writing experience, including 17 years covering Iowa politics at the Bleeding Heartland website. She also co-hosts a 30-minute weekly radio show about Iowa politics, publishes on Substack, and is active on several social platforms.
Workshop 1: Finding Public Information and Using Iowa’s Open Records Law — Practical techniques to locate, request, and use public records effectively.
Workshop 2: Using Social Media to Promote Your Writing Without Feeding the Trolls — Grow reach and engagement while minimizing bad-faith interactions.

Bigelow, Kelsey
Kelsey Bigelow is a poet and speaker based in Des Moines. She works as a mental health poet, shares this therapeutic tool with audiences worldwide, and is the author of four poetry projects, including Far From Broken. She’s a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, 2023 Button Poetry Video Contest finalist, and 2023 Central Avenue Poetry Prize finalist. Her performances/partnerships include The Mayo Clinic, NAMI, Planned Parenthood, and more; videos appear on Button Poetry, Write About Now, and elsewhere. She founded the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, chairs the Iowa Poetry Association Poetry Slam, is a teaching artist, a director for the BlackBerry Peach Director of the National Poetry Slam, and a founding member of the 2025 io-what poetry slam team.
Workshop 1: Uncovering Your Poem — Discover what you have to say and pull the poem out of it through prompts and guided exploration.
Workshop 2: Poetry as a Coping Tool — Methods for writing poetry to process and manage emotions, from free writing and prompts to observation and form.

Brooks, Kevin
An avid sailor, singer/songwriter, and storyteller, Kevin has performed with top artists over three decades, sharing stages with the Limeliters, Chet Atkins, Charlie Byrd, and more, and performing at venues such as the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian Folklife Festival. A founding member of the Eastport Oyster Boys, he tours widely and writes songs celebrating life on the Chesapeake Bay.
Workshop 1: Songwriting 101… A Novel in 3 Minutes and 40 Seconds? — Secrets of a good song and good story when you don’t have 700 pages.

Auction item: Cruise Annapolis aboard Kevin’s Cape Dory, the Pearl of Eastport

Brown, Dartanyan
A journalist and 3-time inductee into Iowa's Rock ’n’ Roll, Jazz and Blues Halls of Fame, Dartanyan brings a cross-disciplinary perspective to everything he does. Artist, educator, and “digital packrat,” he brings 50+ years of archival knowledge to workshops and performances. His Substack (dartanyan.substack.com) covers a wide range of topics.
Workshop 1: My Integrated Life — Exploring the intersection of journalism, the arts, and education in service to democracy.
Workshop 2: My Integrated Life (Extended) — Continuing the exploration with added focus on songwriting’s role in democratic discourse.

Burns, Douglas
Douglas Burns is a fourth-generation Iowa journalist and former co-owner of the Carroll and Jefferson newspapers. A regular contributor to La Prensa Iowa and Des Moines Cityview, he has also written for outlets in D.C., Florida and Iowa. He’s business development director for Latino IQ, a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, an OWR instructor, and 2019 Carroll Citizen of the Year. He’s a Northwestern University alum.
Workshop 1: Speechwriting — How to craft speeches, from wedding toasts to political announcements.
Workshop 2: Reporting: A Master Class — Practical strategies for impactful reporting.

Calhoun, Will

Will Calhoun is a two-time Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, and producer from the Bronx, best known as the rhythmic force behind the rock band Living Colour. A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Music Production and Engineering, he has built a career that bridges genres—rock, jazz, world, funk, hip-hop, and electronic. In addition to his groundbreaking work with Living Colour, Calhoun has collaborated with legends such as B.B. King and Mick Jagger, and he continues to push the boundaries of percussion through innovative projects that blend traditional rhythms with new technologies.

Workshop 1: How does rhythm matter to a writer.

Workshop 2: TBD

Casey, Maura
Maura worked for three New England newspapers and The New York Times editorial board. With 30+ years in opinion writing, she now lives on a small Connecticut farm. Her memoir, Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery, was published by Skyhorse in April.
Workshop 1: Opinion Writing — It’s Always the Angle — Think like a jaded op-ed editor to find the fresh angle editors crave.
Workshop 2: Ten Lessons in Memoir — Universally applicable lessons learned writing and researching Saving Ellen.

Cowan-Schroeder, Michelle
Michelle is a lifelong Iowan and registered nurse (recently a certified case manager). After losing her husband to a drunk driver in 2009, she self-published Better Not Bitter: A Journey of Heartache to Healing in 2023 after attending the first OWR; it reached #1 in its Amazon categories. She co-hosts the From Loss to Light podcast and tours Iowa’s public libraries sharing her story and path to self-publishing.
Workshop 1: (Talk/storytelling session on turning loss into a book and library tour; marketing, speaking, and presentation building.)

Auction item: barbecue tools and a grocery store gift card/

Cullen, Art
Editor of the Storm Lake Times Pilot, Art won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for editorials on agricultural surface-water pollution. Author of Storm Lake and Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest, his essays have appeared in national outlets; he writes a weekly Substack column.
Workshop 1: Opinion Writing — Get the News Up Front! — How to compress a book into 18 column inches.
Workshop 2: Dear Marty — Iowa’s Environmental Catastrophe — A discussion of his new book and the stakes you can smell from the Lakeside Lab.

Dinges, John
Award-winning investigative reporter and author, former foreign correspondent in Latin America for The Washington Postand Time, and longtime NPR editor/director. Emeritus professor at Columbia Journalism School. His latest book: Chile in Their Hearts: The Untold Story of Two Americans Who Went Missing After the Coup (UC Press). Author of Chile in Their Hearts.
Workshop 1: Finding Secrets — Sources and methods of investigative reporting: developing human/document sources, planning investigations, getting it on paper—and avoiding lawsuits.
Workshop 2: Those Pesky Facts — The challenges of nonfiction writing.

Donovan, Lea
Iowegian-British multimedia producer with 18 years in documentary production and rights/licensing for scripted narratives. Credits include BBC, PBS, Channel 4, NatGeo, Discovery, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters (BAFTA 2023 Best TV Drama). Equity UK actor and poet; Communications Chair of the Archival Producers Alliance. leadonovan.co.uk
Workshop 1: Using Generative AI Responsibly in Documentary — Guidelines, tips, and a practical toolkit.
Workshop 2: What Does an Archival Producer Do—and Why You Need One — Demystifying a crucial, often overlooked role.

Dorman, Todd
Editorial page editor and columnist at The Gazette (Cedar Rapids); 18 years in opinion trenches; previously covered the Iowa Legislature for Lee newspapers.
Workshop 1: Opinion Writing — Be fair, be knowledgeable, and take a strong stand.
Workshop 2: The Perils and Rewards of Writing Blue in a Red State — Lessons on voice, audience, and courage.

Elliott, Chad
Multi-award-winning Iowa singer-songwriter with 200+ shows a year for two decades; “Iowa’s Renaissance man” (Culture Buzz). He’s penned 2,000+ songs and is a painter, sculptor, storyteller, illustrator, and published author. Touring solo and with the duo Weary Ramblers alongside Kathryn Severing Fox; inducted into the Iowa Rock n Roll Hall of Fame (2025).
Workshop 1: Co-Writing with Kathryn Severing Fox — A glimpse into the Weary Ramblers’ writing process and how to apply it to your collaborations.
Workshop 2: Writing the Ship — How songwriting can be used for healing and redemption through life’s more difficult times.

Engel, Margaret
Bio: Margaret Engel directs the Alicia Patterson Journalism Foundation and was the managing editor of the Newseum. She was a reporter for the Washington Post, Des Moines Register, and Lorain Journal, and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, where she studied worker health and safety. She and her twin sister, Allison Engel, wrote two widely produced plays about women journalists — Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins and Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End — which together have been staged more than 137 times nationwide. They are currently expanding their 10-minute play Down There, a tragicomedy about women’s reproductive choices, into a full-length production.

In 2017, Margaret and Allison co-authored ThriftStyle: The Ultimate Bargain Shopper’s Guide to Smart Fashion with Reise Moore, a book on clothing re-use. Earlier, she and her husband, Bruce Adams, wrote three editions of a Fodor’s travel guide to America’s baseball parks.

Margaret has served on the boards of Theatre Washington/Helen Hayes Awards, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, and currently chairs the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards board. She is also a member of the Nieman Foundation board and of Spotlight/DC, a nonprofit supporting investigative journalism in Washington. She mentors writers through the national Op-Ed Project.

Workshop 1: Getting Your Opinion Published
Workshop 2: How to Get a Play Produced

Engel, Allison
Reporter for the Des Moines Tribune, San Jose Mercury, Pacific News Service; Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford; speechwriter for Gov. Tom Vilsack and Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson; past president of the Des Moines Playhouse; co-author (with Margaret) of Red Hot Patriot and Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, and Food Finds (adapted for Food Network). USC communications leader; Fellow of the LA Institute for the Humanities.
Workshop 1: Playwriting — Why playwrights control the words; collaborative processes; where to break in (schools, community theaters, radio plays), plus resources and feedback.
Workshop 2: The Business of Playwriting — Marketing yourself without an agent, trade organizations, leasing companies, Dramatists Guild, competitions, contracts, and getting on artistic directors’ radar.

Engle, Debra
Bestselling author of five nonfiction books, including The Only Little Prayer You Need (foreword by the Dalai Lama). Debut novel Twenty (2020). Executive director of Story Summit, where she teaches memoir, revision, Substack, and spirituality & writing; longtime national magazine writer/editor. Currently working on two memoirs and two nonfiction books on writing and healing; member of the Iowa Collaborative. debraengle.com
Workshop 1: Writing Your Life Through Memoir — Hands-on exercises: where to start/end, developing characters and scenes, helping readers find transcendence in your story.
Workshop 2: Spiritual Nonfiction — Writing to Inspire — Clarify audience, blend insight and narrative, and craft wisdom stories that resonate in today’s market.

Faulkner, Grant
Co-founder of Memoir Nation and the Flash Fiction Institute, co-host of the Memoir Nation podcast, and executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. Author of The Art of Brevity, Pep Talks for Writers, Brave the Page, All the Comfort Sin Can Provide, and Fissures. Serves on boards for National Writing Project, Litquake, Aspen Words, and Left Margin Lit, and is widely anthologized.
Workshop 1: The Art of Brevity — How a different creativity emerges within hard compositional limits; forms of short shorts; building through gaps as much as words.
Workshop 2: Writing with Vulnerability — Why risk and honesty connect us and make for compelling work.

Fons, Marianne
Known to millions as former co-host of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting (Public TV), co-author of Quilter’s Complete Guide (500,000+ sold). She spearheaded the Iowa Quilt Museum (2016) and Iowa Theater renovation (2017); 2022 Madison County Citizen of the Year. Her Substack, “Reporting from Quiltropolis,” shares small-town quilty life. Now focused on fiction, with agent representation. Fons also speaks about fiction with agency representation, and a novel recently sold.
Workshop 1: “Read My Latest Quilt!” — A visual journey from the 1800s to today, exploring how quilters embed sorrows, sentiments, and messages—and how making a quilt parallels writing a novel.
Workshop 2: —

Fox, Kathryn Severing
“Fiddler extraordinaire” (Cityview). DownBeat award winner; played on the Grammy-nominated “All My Tomorrows.” A voting member of the Recording Academy, she toured with Barrage 8 internationally and has worked with George Benson, The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Pharrell, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Loggins, and more. She co-writes/plays with Chad Elliott (Weary Ramblers) and pens songs across piano, guitar, and mandolin.
Workshop 1: Co-Writing with Chad Elliott & Kathryn Severing Fox — A glimpse into the Weary Ramblers process and how to apply it to your collaborations.
Workshop 2: Are You Ready to Share? — Find your story and inspiration; explore honesty and vulnerability in songwriting/creative writing.

Garson, Scott
Scott Garson is Founder and Editor of the multi-Pushcart Prize-winning journal of flash fiction, Wigleaf. He’s the author of Is That You, John Wayne?—a collection of stories. His work has appeared via Story, Threepenny Review, American Short Fiction, Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Conjunctions, and others. He lives in Columbia, Missouri and coordinates undergraduate Creative Writing at Mizzou.
Workshop 1: Five Prompts — Intuitive Paths Toward the Making of Flash — Observations on how flash works, with a series of guided generative experiments.
Workshop 2: What Is—and Isn’t—a Story — Four perspectives on narrative art, with prompts/experiments.

Garson, Arnold
National award–winning reporter, editor, and news executive with a 47-year career, including The Des Moines Register. Founder and principal, Family Stories by Arnold Garson, a successful start-up writing business focused on family history. Founding director, South Dakota News Watch, a digital nonprofit news organization.
Workshop 1: How and Where to Find Your Ancestors — What to look for and where to look.
Workshop 2: The Elements of Writing a Family History — From records to readable narratives.

Grei, Shadley
IP innovation strategist, author, ghostwriter, and founder of Grei Matter and Kingbird Press, helping thought leaders turn expertise into high-impact books. 20+ years in marketing/media with Disney, Hasbro, Condé Nast. Ghostwrites for executives and AI innovators; hybrid imprint with 90% royalty model. Author of Before Closure; development consultant for Ardvella Entertainment.
Workshop 1: From Page to Screen — Understanding the Adaptation Process — Identify cinematic potential, reshape for a new medium, and stay true to core story.
Workshop 2: Strategic Storytelling — An action plan to turn ideas into action across books, brands, and content.

Grundy, Pamela
Independent historian and author of Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball, Color and Character, Legacy: Three Centuries of Black History in Charlotte, and more; currently writing a biography of Ora Washington for Yale University Press.
Workshop 1: (Panel participation)
Workshop 2: (Panel participation)

Hedges, Peter
Novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Adapted his first novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grape for the screen; wrote/directed Pieces of April, Dan in Real Life, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Ben Is Back, and The Same Storm. Academy Award nominee for About a Boy adaptation.
Workshop 1: How to Find and Grow Your Original Idea — Nurture fragile first impulses, avoid common missteps, and build practices that help new work thrive.
Workshop 2: Adaptation — What I Learned — Lessons from adapting his and others’ novels (Gilbert Grape, About a Boy, A Map of the World, The Devil Wears Prada).

Heftman, Nik
Emmy Award-winning journalist and filmmaker, formerly of CBS News; CEO of The Seven Times. His debut documentary, The Negro Artist, premiered at OWR IV and is receiving acclaim in theaters and festivals across the U.S.
Workshop 1: Documentary Filmmaking 101 — An Unconventional Approach — Foundations, fieldcraft, and creative choices.
Workshop 2: Video Storytelling and Creativity — Techniques for compelling visual narratives.

Hoffman, Beth
Beth has aired/published with NPR’s Morning Edition, The Guardian, Civil Eats, the NewsHour, Latino USA, and The World. Former “Hungry Hack” at Forbes.com; taught Media Studies at University of San Francisco. Author of the memoir Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America. Runs Whippoorwill Creek Farm, blogs at In the Dirt, and produces the At the Iowa Farm Table podcast.
Workshop 1: How to Get Other People to Care About Your Memoir — Use your story to tell a bigger story; find themes that grab readers. Hands-on with concrete structural takeaways.
Workshop 2: How to Tackle the Big Stories — Analyze how great journalism is structured and adopt an easy-to-use format to engage readers; hands-on exercises.

Howard, Phoebe Wall
National award-winning investigative reporter and feature writer with careers at Arkansas Gazette, Des Moines Register, and Detroit Free Press; frequent commentator on BBC, CBC, NBC, Fox, ABC, and NPR. Built Substack column “Shifting Gears” to 360,000 readers in 11 months.

Workshop 1: Making Broccoli Delicious — Turn nutritious but “boring” stories into emotionally engaging work—on air and in print.
Workshop 2: Lazy Use of Language and Rethinking Words — Examine word choices (“black” sky, “illegal” vs. “undocumented,” etc.) and their deeper implications.

Howard, Beth
Author of Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Pie; Ms. American Pie; and World Piece. She gave a TEDx Talk on the healing power of pie, is an NPR commentator, and once ran the Pitchfork Pie Stand in the American Gothic House. Her documentary Pieowa: A Piece of America releases in 2025. theworldneedsmorepie.com
Workshop 1: Finish Your D*mn Book! — Tough-love motivation and strategies to get your project done.
Workshop 2: How to Make a Documentary Film When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing — DIY insights and tips to get your film started and finished.

Imhotep, Abena Sankofa
Award-winning author, scholar, and activist celebrating Africana, challenging historical narratives, and advocating for a just world. CEO of Sankofa Literary & Empowerment Group; founder of Sankofa Literary Academy; author of Omari's Big Tree and the Mighty Djembe (distributed in 29 countries). TEDx speaker; host of Black & Privileged in Americapodcast; Iowa Author Award recipient.
Workshop 1: Podcasting 101 — A beginner’s deep dive into launching an independent podcast.
Workshop 2: Crafting Your Big Idea into the Perfect TED Talk — Refine message, structure, and delivery to inspire action.

Kracht, Elizabeth
Literary agent with Kimberley Cameron & Associates and author of The Author’s Checklist. MFA in fiction from San José State; also a developmental editor and sought-after conference instructor. Represents literary/commercial fiction and a wide range of nonfiction categories.
Workshop 1: How to Find a Literary Agent — What agents do, whether you need one, resources to find the right fit, and submission do’s and don’ts.
Workshop 2: Self-Editing for Fiction and Memoir Writers — 50+ agent-informed checkpoints (dialogue, prose, characterization, plot, and more) based on The Author’s Checklist.

Leonard, Annie
A lifelong genealogist and storyteller with a BA in Anthropology and Professional Writing (University of New Mexico). She’s applied those skills across industries while always writing, editing, and helping others find their words. Today she manages a real-estate office, mentors agents, and helps clients turn family research into narratives.
Workshop 1: Dead Folks Tell the Best Tales — Transform dates and places into rich, engaging stories by adding historical context, finding the human arc, and writing for family readers.
Workshop 2: Writing Family History People Will Actually Read! — Techniques to shape research into compelling, readable narratives.

Leonard, Robert
Occasional contributor to The New York Times, Kansas City Star, Iowa Capital Dispatch, Des Moines Register, TIME, FERN, USA Today, and more—often on rural issues. Interviewed 8,000+ Iowans for KNIA/KRLS Radio. Anthropologist with dozens of scholarly publications; author of Deep Midwest. Writes Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture and Cedar Creek Nature Notes newsletters.
Workshop 1: Opinion Writing — How to structure stories, respond to the moment, and pitch.
Workshop 2: Finding Fulfillment in the Writing Process — Why writer’s block is a myth and how to love the process.

Letofsky, Polly
After being ripped off in publishing with her book 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World, Polly founded My Word Publishing (2012) to help authors professionally self-publish while keeping 100% of rights. With 1,000+ books published, two traditionally published books, and one movie, MWP was entered into the U.S. Congressional Record (2022).
Workshop 1: Publishing 101 — Options (traditional, small indie, subsidy, true independent), expectations, pitfalls, and how to spot a scam.
Workshop 2: Self-Publishing Step-by-Step — The whole process: costs, timelines, royalties, worldwide distribution, and practical handouts.

Montag, Carol
Performing singer/songwriter described by Tom Paxton as a “genuine discovery.” Influences include Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Eva Cassidy, and more. She’s recorded multiple albums, performed with Ballet Iowa and Ballet La Crosse, and was invited to perform at the World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony. Recent IndieFEST Award for her “Strange Ballet” music video.
Workshop 1: Writing From Impressions — Reflect on life’s indelible moments and transform them into powerful stories, poems, or songs.
Workshop 2: More Than Entertainment — Dig beneath melody and rhythm to tell the truth through song; explore vulnerability, honesty, courage, and connection.

Rainey, Caleb (“The Negro Artist”)
Author, performer, and event producer; Amazon #1 new release (Look, Black Boy), North Street Book Prize winner; author of Heart Notes; 2024 Iowa Author Award for Poetry. Winner of multiple poetry slams; ranked 7th worldwide in UNESCO Slam-O-Vision (2023). Curates Iowa City’s spoken word scene via IC Speaks and produces Mic Check Poetry Fest.
Workshop 1: Make Your Performance Pop! — From vocal performance to choreography, techniques to elevate your next reading or performance.
Workshop 2: Protest with Poetry on the Page & Stage — Craft a new poem (page and performance), workshop it, learn performance techniques, then share in a celebratory reading.

Roberts, Justin
Five-time GRAMMY nominee who helped define modern family music with smart, soulful songs for kids (and former kids). He’s performed at Ravinia, Symphony Space, The Getty Center, and on Today and NPR; author of four picture books (Putnam). Album Brain Freeze releases April 2025.
Workshop 1: Songwriting Is for Everybody — A welcoming framework for beginners and pros; we’ll compose a group song together.
Workshop 2: Writing for Kids — Create quality work for children that also resonates with adults; insights from 25+ years writing songs and picture books.

Rood, Lee
Reader’s Watchdog columnist at The Des Moines Register since 2012; longtime investigative reporter/editor. Her work has prompted legal and policy changes, court actions, arrests, and community action. Coach for the Register’s Storytellers Project; coordinator of a new project with Hoyt Sherman Place.
Workshop 1: Launching an Investigation — Tools to do your own deep-dive reporting.
Workshop 2: Lessons from Live Storytelling — Tell a moving story in 10 minutes or less and apply those tools to your writing.

Rossi, Lisa
Comedian exploring marriage, Midwestern life, and her love of Chardonnay and French fries. Festival credits include Omaha, Laugh Riot (LA), and Lysistrata (New Orleans). Completed Groundlings Writing Lab (2022). JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford, where she used improv to teach journalists connection with readers.
Workshop 1: Writing on Your Feet — Use improv to unlock new comedic ideas.
Workshop 2: Joke Writing 101 — Mine everyday life to find the funny.

Rushing, Ty
KC-born journalist who became a first Black reporter and/or editor at eight Iowa print publications. Wrote/produced/directed an Emmy-nominated Iowa PBS documentary; recipient of a 2024 Greenlee/Kappa Tau Alpha Diversity & Inclusion Award. Journalism professor at the University of Iowa; co-founder/president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists; former chief political correspondent at Iowa Starting Line.
Workshop 1: Ways to Get Your Social Media Audience to Care About You — Build connection and engagement with purpose.
Workshop 2: Why Consistency Matters with Social Media — Systems and strategies for sustainable growth.

Sands, Katharine
Katharine Sands has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books. She is the agent provocateur of Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent’s Eye, a collection of pitching wisdom from leading literary agents.. Actively building her client list, she likes books that have a clear benefit for readers’ lives in categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or popular culture. When reading fiction she wants to be compelled and propelled by urgent storytelling, and hooked by characters. For memoir and femoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed.
Workshop 1: Master-Pitch Theatre — Your pitch is a performance. Hone on-page and in-person elements; craft a 200–250 word description; avoid “Querial Killers”; and create coming attractions that whet agents’ appetites.
Workshop 2: Getting Ready • Getting Read • Getting Readers — From concept incubation to Page One hooks, proposals, query letters, selling points, submission strategies, and author-agent-editor dynamics.

Schaeffer, Maxwell
40+ year broadcast veteran, podcaster, producer, and Iowa media influencer; Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee for radio work; award-winning director/actor/voice artist/songwriter.
Workshop 1: Podcast Roundtable — Tips & tricks that level-up your podcast.
Workshop 2: “Finish My Song” Collaborative Circle — Bring an instrument and unfinished tunes for lyric/music help from the group.

Semken, Steve
Indie publisher since 1991 (hundreds of books; Midwestern themes/issues), writer, and former Writer-in-Residence at the Island Institute (Sitka, AK). Faculty at Midwest Writing Center’s David Collins Writing Conference; organizer of Voices From The Prairie with Humanities Iowa. Author of Pick Up Stick City and The Great Blues (Kansas Book Award).
Workshop 1: Getting a Book Published — From Start to Finish — From good idea to your first public event; panels, pitches, and practical pathways.
Workshop 2: Writing With The Elements — Fire, water, earth, air, ether: crafting beautiful nature essays.

Shackelford, Susan
Lifetime basketball fan and first female sports editor of UNC’s Daily Tar Heel. She is a former sports writer for the Miami Herald and Charlotte Observer and co-author of Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball.
Workshop 1: Interviewing Techniques
Workshop 2: Sport as Story

Smith, Becky

Bio: Becky Smith is an Emmy-nominated writer and director, as well as an Emeritus professor at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television, where she taught screenwriting and production for 28 years. Becky has an extensive career in Hollywood and independent filmmaking, and directed pilots and series for NBC, CBS, PBS FRONTLINE, BRAVO, Disney Channel, The History Channel, and other networks. Her feature film “16 to Life” is distributed across all major platforms by Warner Brothers Digital. Smith is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and an alumni of the Directing Workshop for Women, Stanford’s MA in Film, and the AFI MOW workshop. She was a Fellow at the McDowell Writer’s Workshop.

Workshop (3-part series): This workshop is for those who have just an idea for a feature screenplay, an outline or perhaps a treatment – and want to get feedback, inspiration and zero-in on the story they want to tell and how to tell it.

• Day 1 – Building the Foundation Introductions, the structure of screenplays, character development, and key ingredients of three-act structure. Writers will be given a short assignment to prepare for the session on Day 2.

• Day 2 – Digging Deeper Assignments presented and discussed, screenplay development tools, and personalized feedback. Writers will leave with a second short assignment.

• Day 3 – Refining and Feedback Writers present an outline or summary of their script. Becky will provide discussion notes during the session and follow up with written feedback by email within two weeks.

Focus Areas: Feature filmmaking • Script Development

Contribution: Donating her time on a detailed written critique of an outline or first draft of a feature, with a follow-up zoom discussion if the writer would like one. Value $1,000

Stahl, Jay

Jay Stahl is a reporter covering national issues and politics at USA TODAY. He was recently assigned to the USA TODAY politics team and joined the organization in January of last year.

An award-winning reporter, he won an Iowa Newspaper Award in 2024 for best series for his coverage of Iowa social media influencers. He was the 2024 recipient of the Iowa State University Greenlee School and Kappa Tau Alpha Community and Media Impact Award alongside Ty Rushing for his coverage at the Des Moines Register. He is an Iowa native and was raised in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Panel: Storytelling Basics

Strand, Peter
Partner at Mandell Menkes LLC (Chicago), representing authors, songwriters, recording artists, producers, composers, filmmakers, and more. Decades drafting/negotiating entertainment agreements; adjunct professor of music/entertainment law; former Recording Academy trustee and Chicago chapter president. Multiple “Best Lawyer” and Chambers USA honors. Former full-time touring musician (Yipes!).
Workshop 1: Copyright for Creatives — Protect your work from copying and unauthorized use.
Workshop 2: Avoiding Issues with Creative Collaboration — Use simple written agreements to clarify rights and obligations.

Thoreson, David
David Thoreson learned to sail on West Lake Okoboji in Iowa as a boy and has since sailed over 75,000 nautical miles worldwide. His Arctic expeditions, including twice through the Northwest Passage, made him a witness to climate change, inspiring him to advocate for a sustainable future through photography, writing, and speaking. Thoreson uses a multi-platform narrative to communicate complex topics, using storytelling and imagery to promote public land and water protection. David authored a photo memoir, "Over the Horizon," is a two-time TEDx presenter, National Fellow of the Explorers Club, and lectures globally about exploration, climate and conservation. His work has appeared on Iowa PBS, NBC, ABC, National Press Club, Smithsonian, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic and the World Science Festival.
Workshop 1: Improve Your Photography Skills — Smartphone techniques, simple editing, and using images to tell a story.
Workshop 2: Kayaking & Environmental Writing (Field Session) — Afternoon paddle in Little Millers Bay to take photos and discuss environmental writing (with guests).

VanBaale, Kali White
Author of three novels (The Monsters We Make) and the forthcoming story collection Release of Information. American Book Award and other honors; two State of Iowa major artist grants; editor-at-large of The Past Ten. MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts; core faculty at Lindenwood University MFA in Writing (Adjunct Professor of the Year, 2022).
Workshop 1: Fiction Fundamentals for Novels and Short Stories — Characterization, POV, plot/structure, setting, techniques, handouts, and energizing exercises.
Workshop 2: New Ways of Looking at the Memoir — Explore memoir-in-essays, vignettes, hybrid structures; examples, exercises, and collaborative idea sharing.

Walsmith, Jason
Singer-songwriter and founding member of Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Nadas; also records/tours as Jason Walsmith Storyteller. Photographer and columnist (The Racontourist). His 2022 solo album Overlander charted three top-10 songs on the European American Country Music Chart; he tours widely in his Storyteller Overland camper van.
Workshop 1: Tips & Tools of a Performing Songwriter — Workflows and best practices for writing, recording, touring, performing, and connecting with audiences.
Workshop 2: Creative Collaboration — How to co-write and thrive in partnerships based on 30+ years in a duo/band.

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