Squaw Valley post no. 9

Afternoon of the final full day of the conference. I'm blogging while listening to talks by author and NPR commentator Alan Cheuse, and by thriller writer John Lescroart. I love listening to craftsmen talk about their work, and a successful thriller writer is usually a lot of fun to listen to. Lescroart was a little aw-shucks about his career and success, but like just about all the presenters here at Squaw, he was open, encouraging, and the opposite of arrogant. Made me want to develop my vague ideas for thrillers. Afterward a fellow attendee told me "The Screenwriter's Bible" was a great resource for people who want to learn to plot.

Overheard a couple of people of color today expressing objections to Dorothy Allison's reading last night, in which she evoked the experience of nuns who were raped and murdered in El Salvador; I heard them say something about ripping off someone else's experience. Hey, somebody's got to tell it; the question is not, are they entitled to do so, but can they do an honorable, truthful job of it.