Register for Desert Nights, Rising Stars and Get Cool Gifts!

Sign up for the 2014 Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference by December 17th and receive a free holiday gift from our friends over at the Piper Center! By registering yourself, a friend, or a loved one, and choosing from one of the titles below, the Piper Center will send you the free, gift-wrapped, and signed book as a holiday gift. Please remember that we have limited quantities, and books are available while supplies last.

You may choose from:
T.A. Barron, Merlin
Ron Carlson, Return to Oakpine
Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Diana Gabaldon, Outlander
Jack Gantos, Dead End in Norvelt
Cynthia Hogue, Flux
Tom Leveen, Sick
Barry Lyga, Fanboy
Barry Lyga, Goth Girl
Alexander McCall Smith, The Sunday Philosophy Club
Lisa McMann, Wake
Michael Ondaatje, Anil’s Ghost
Michael Ondaatje, The Cat’s Table
Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion
Michael Ondaatje, Billy the Kid
Michael Ondaatje, Coming Through Slaughter
Michael Ondaatje, Divisadero
Michael Ondaatje, The Conversations
David Quammen, Spillover
David Quammen, Natural Acts
David Quammen, Monster of God
David Quammen, The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game
Michael A. Stackpole, The New World
Rebecca Stead, When You Reach Me
Amy Tan, The Valley of Amazement
Amy Tan, The Opposite of Fate
Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan, The Bonesetter’s Daughter

But hurry, availability is limited and books will be sent on a first come, first served basis! Register now to secure your first choice.

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference Winner!

Drum roll, please! The winner of the 2013 Desert Nights, Rising Stars conference giveaway is...

          Vicky Jeter!

Congratulations, Vicky! Please contact us as hfr@asu.edu for details on attending the conference.

We want to thank each of you who entered to win a place in at this year's conference. Your interest in the conference has been amazing, and while there was only one winner for this contest, we still hope to see you at DNRS!

Thanks again to all who entered!

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference Contest!

It's almost that time again, when we gather fellow writers for some quality time in the warmth of the Tempe sun. That's right—the Desert Nights, Rising Stars conference is coming up! Last year we held our first-ever event contest, where the winner received entry to the entire conference. We had so much fun hanging out with last year's winner, Shawnte Orion, that we're doing it again! So here's the deal.
Now through January 25th, we’re opening a contest to win entry to our annual Desert Nights, Rising Stars (DNRS) conference. The winner will receive entry to the conference—valued at $375—which includes readings, receptions, book signings and sales, lectures, and plenty of opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow writers and attendees. This year's conference welcomes Barbara Peters, Tom Leveen, and Jewell Parker Rhodes (and so many more), so you don't want to miss it!

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To enter, retweet our DNRS tweets, share our DNRS posts on Facebook, and comment on this post. Each of those options counts as an entry, so you can enter a maximum of 3 times. Good luck!

What:  Win entry to Desert Nights, Rising Stars conference, held Feb. 22–24, 2013 

When:  Enter now through midnight, Jan. 25 

How:  Retweet, share, and comment on this post to win. On Facebook, be sure to share our original post so we can track your entry! And, when commenting, please leave a name (it doesn't have to be your real name, but it's unlikely we'll be able to tell one anonymous from the other).

The winner will be chosen at random and results will be posted here, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Please note that this giveaway does not include airfare or lodging. But if you haven't been to Arizona in February, you can absolutely count this as a vacation.

A Very Happy New Year: Enter to Win!

I hope you know: we thought a lot about you over the break. Yes, you. As one of our subscribers, contributors, submitters, blog readers, friends, you give us many of things. So we want to give you something, too. Fun. Excitement. Opportunity.

So. Now through Saturday, Jan. 7, we’re opening a contest to win entry to our annual Desert Nights, Rising Stars (DNRS) conference. The winner will receive entry to the conference—a $375 value—which includes readings, receptions, book signings and sales, lectures, and plenty of opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow writers and attendees. This year's conference features the likes of Robert Boswell, Carolyn Forché, Pam Houston, Adam Johnson, Denise Duhamel (and so many more),  so you don't want to miss it!

To enter, retweet our DNRS tweets, share our DNRS posts on Facebook, and comment on this post. Each of those options counts as an entry, so you can enter a maximum of 3 times. Read on, and good luck!

What:  Win entry to Desert Nights, Rising Stars conference, held Feb. 23–26, 2012 

When:  Enter now through Saturday, Jan. 7 

How:  Retweet, share, and comment on this post to win. On Facebook, be sure to share our original post so we can track your entry! And, when commenting, please leave a name (it doesn't have to be your real name, but it's unlikely we'll be able to tell one anonymous from the other).

Winners will be chosen at random and results will be posted Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 here, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Please note that this giveaway does not include airfare or lodging. But if you haven't been to Arizona in February, you can absolutely count this as a vacation.

The Return of Desert Nights Rising Stars

And the 2011 Desert Nights Rising Stars Writers Conference commences!

I never miss the Writers Conference (and when I say never, I really mean it). As a high school student I had my mother call me out sick so I could attend the full four days. As a university student I cut classes to attend panels and volunteer – “No, don’t worry about scheduling conflicts. I’m not going to class.” And last year, as a study abroad student in Japan, I was secretly just a tad bit delighted that the Writers Conference wasn’t being held…because I didn’t miss out on anything. As a high school freshman DNRS was overwhelming and enchanting, as a high school senior it was what prompted me to pursue a Creative Writing degree at ASU, and now as a university student and a Piper House intern, it is a doorway to a career. It is always a joy to be here, always a thrill. (Addicted? Obsessed? In love? Why, yes, I am.)

This is my seventh DNRS Writers Conference. I'm ridiculously happy to be back.

It is so refreshing to return to the Writers Conference. It is relaxing. It is uplifting. It is hectic and busy and non-stop, but I can finally breathe again. I can finally stop being a student and I can return to being a writer. That's what the Writers Conference is to me, it is a renewal, it is inspiration. Desert Nights Rising Stars – the classes, the community, the atmosphere – fuels me, it feeds me, it fills me until I am confident again that I am a writer and until I can no longer hold prose in my head and must release it onto pages and sticky notes and corners of napkins.

Today...T.M. McNally emphasized the importance and existence of truth in fiction in his class entitled “A Matter of Soul (Not Character).” The life you write will save your own, and in saving your own life, you will save the lives of others. “I am not creating characters,” McNally said. “A character is false, inhuman. I am God. I create souls.” In her class “Maps for Storytellers,” Tara Ison broke down the basic structure of a story and analyzed the process of collisions and obstacles and need that drive conflict and move your character across the page.

In his keynote address “Invisible Borders,” Alberto Ríos spoke of the falseness of invisible lines and the fascinating depth of words... There are no borders between countries; the lines between cultures are only illusions. What difference is there between a green parrot and a green salad? A pen functions on so many different levels when it is una pluma. Literature is a power that transcends the invisible borders. A pencil holds enough graphite to write approximately 50,000 words, and you/I/we have the power to release those words.

I am refreshed. I am inspired. I am ready to write.

If you're here, at this revival of the Desert Nights Rising Stars Writers Conference, I hope you're enjoying everything as much as I am. If you're not here, I hope to see you next year. I'll be back.

Desert Nights Rising Stars writing conference

As a student of Creative Writing here at Arizona State University, I have had the opportunity to experience much of what is offered by the university to our literary crowd. Distinguished authors and poets are slated to come to campus every semester and give readings as wells as take part in the ever popular Q&A sessions held for the public. I have had the pleasure of attending a number of these events yet there is one event on the horizon which is going to be new to me. The Desert Nights Rising Stars writing conference is held annually right here on campus, and as an intern for Haydens Ferry Review I get the opportunity of going to it this year. For those of you who have never heard of it, and for those of you who have, and are interested in coming, I have put together a list of five questions that I thought particularly pertinent to have answered for my edification and curiosity, as well as for those who might happen along this post.

1.) Why there? Why then? (What atmosphere can participants expect to experience? "Readings? Panels? Night Life? Extra-Curricular?")

The conference is held in Tempe, on ASU's campus. We enjoy 300 days a year of sunshine and get to see a wide range of people and personalities. The area surrounding the 642 acre campus is bustling with a large number of eateries, and places for entertainment. Mill Avenue is a hot spot for students, tourists and locals alike. It has a varied selection of night clubs and bars, a couple movie theaters, and plenty of restaurants and shops. It's a blast just to take a nightly stroll down this strip and see all the characters of Arizona out at play.

The conference runs from March 3-6 and is aiming for a “renewed emphasis of developing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in a true community of writers.” There will be an opening banquet along with introductions of faculty, and the first of many readings along with plenty of time to mingle amongst fellow writers and poets. Over the following days, participants get to partake in small group writing sessions, discussion classes, multi-faculty Q&A's, faculty readings, and there are also intimate Master Classes which are a bit extra in cost, but very beneficial to those wanting feedback on their manuscripts from some of the best writers out there.

2.) Walking away smiling? (What will participants gain from this conference i.e. what aspects of craft will be focused on?)

There is really going to be something for everybody here. Poets, fiction and nonfiction writers all stand to gain something from the classes taught by the distinguished faculty. Participants get the chance to hone their craft in the classroom with these accomplished writers, sharing dialogue during classes, readings, and other events. By keeping the number of participants small, participants are offered an experience that is both intimate and affordable, all while maintaining a commitment to be the premier writers conference in the west.

3.) "Amateur at best" or "The best, no amateurs?" (What level of writers will benefit the most from this conference?)

The conference brings writers of all levels together for four exhilarating days. There have been high school and college students, as well as members of the general public from near and far who have attended the conference in the past and have added to their varying degrees of writing and critical skills. For the more developed writer, the conference has much to offer but the master classes are highly recommended as well.

4.) Where can one hang one's hat? (What kind of accommodations are there for conference goers? "Participating Hotels, package deals? Transportation?")

Please see the lodging link.

5.) Who are these people? (How and who gets selected for the privilege of leading/teaching these workshops?)

Our writers conference is staffed by accomplished writers and teachers from across the country and beyond. I am personally very excited about getting a chance to meet Andrea Barrett (National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist) who will be teaching a master fiction class. Other exciting names include, Gretel Ehrlich (Nonfiction Master Class Instructor), Tony Hoagland (Poetry), Naeem Murr (fiction), Antonya Nelson (Fiction), C. Dale Young (Poetry).

For more information and registration details please Click Here

Treat Yourself or a Friend This Holiday Season!

There's no better gift for a writer friend (or for yourself!) this holiday season than a registration to the 2011 Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference, hosted by The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing (the home of HFR). Spend four inspiring days with some of the nation's finest writers and teachers of poetry, fiction and nonfiction (Tony Hoagland, Andrea Barrett, David Shields, C. Dale Young and many more!).

Register between now and January 1 and receive a special gift from us: a free copy of Word of Mouth: Conversations with Visiting Writers on Their Craft, our brand new 220-page book of insight and advice.

The conference will take place March 3-6 on the Arizona State University Tempe campus. Discounts are available for Piper Friends, ASU faculty, staff and students, ASU MFA alumni and Arizona teachers.

Click HERE for details and to register.
Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference
March 3-6, 2011
ASU Tempe campus

Writers Conference Special Offer for Blog Readers!

ASU's 2009 Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference is now offering special discounts to select groups, including HFR blog readers! General Admission, which was $400, is being offered to blog readers for $200.

The conference takes place February 18-21, 2009 on Arizona State's campus, and includes classes, panels, readings, agent pitch meetings and Small Group Instruction from faculty members Steve Almond, Brock Clark, Martha Collins, Percival Everett, Carolyn Forche, Lee Gutkind, Kevin Prufer, Danzy Senna, Alice Sebold, Michael A. Stackpole, Natasha Trethewey and many, many more. See our complete conference faculty list here.

For more information or to register, check out the conference website. **When registering: select either Quick Registration or General Admission. Then, SCROLL DOWN & select 'Piper Partner Tier' (you'll see Hayden's Ferry Review community listed) for your discount!**

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Preview

The Godfather of creative non-fiction: Lee Gutkind

"We have become writers to help make a change in the world and by capturing the meaning of what it is we see and hear, what it is we observe, we can help change a very little bit of how a reader perceives an idea, a human being or a situation." This quote came from Lee Gutkind's website.

Lee Gutkind will be attending the Desert Nights, Rising Stars conference at Arizona State University. His books include Almost Human: Making Robots Think which he discusses on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Check out this link.

His books include Forever Fat: Essays by the Godfather, The Best Seat in Baseball, But You Have to Stand, and Stuck in Time: The tragedy of Childhood Mental Illness.

He has worked as an editor for Silence Kills: Speaking Out and Saving Lives, The Best Creative Non-Fiction Volume I, and Rage and Reconciliation: Inspiring a Health Care Revolution.

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference will be showcasing talented writers from all over the country and is coming up fast. The conference is scheduled for Feb. 18-21 2009 and will feature seminars, workshops, and readings from distinguished poets, fiction writers, and creative non-fiction writers.

A Certain Swirl

Today's featured poem on The Writer's Almanac is "A Certain Swirl" by Mary Ruefle. Mary will be a faculty member at our Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference in February. Check out our complete list of conference faculty here. Consider coming, why don't you?

A Word About The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing

The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing is the organization on Arizona State University's campus that HFR calls home. The building itself is in the old president's house, which means those of us lucky to work inside have our own kitchen and a reputed ghost, who has never shown her see-through face to me.

The Center does a lot of great things for ASU, for the Phoenix area, and for writers and readers in general, which is why I'm mentioning it to you blog readers. In addition to supporting the graduate students in the MFA Program at ASU, the Piper Center offers community events, classes and programs. Here are some things to check out.

Our Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference is held every year in winter, when Arizona still feels like spring. This year's conference faculty includes Steve Almond, Brock Clarke, Martha Collins, Bernard Cooper, Percival Everett, Carolyn Forche, Alice Sebold, Natasha Tretheway and many others. The three-day conference is filled with readings, panels and classes. And also a Dunk-An-Agent booth. Not really, but there will be agents.

Our Piper Writers Studio is a series of in-person and online writing workshops in everything from romance writing to screenwriting to poetry. Fall 2008 classes are enrolling now.

Our Distinguished Visiting Writers Series brings fantastic writers to the Phoenix area every year. Upcoming visitors include Chang-rae Lee, Jane Smiley, Charles Simic and Luis Valdez.

We also have an Online Book Club wherein readers from around the world get to talk to each other. About books!

And, finally, we have another fabulous publication (edited by yours truly) that features articles and interviews about writers and writing. See the current version of Marginalia here. It has a fantastic article by HFR contributor John W. Evans called "Something Like Faith," about writing poetry in a time of grief.

If you have questions about any Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing programs or events, please email us at pipercenter.info@asu.edu.