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Party animal and cowboy join the fiesta. Below:
Salsas for the feast. Opposite top: Poet David Whyte
presented an afternoon keynote address and taught a
half-day workshop. Here he chats with fans and writing
students. Opposite below: Author Yann Martel (“Life of
Pi”) meets young readers after his keynote address.

Millie McCoo, a writing student at the rubbed elbows in Paris in 2003, and we tendees, with 64 faculty members and
SDSU Osher Institute for Lifelong stayed in touch. In 2009, she moved to 63 workshops, and more than 5,000
Learning, encountered “many cre- SMA, and joined the San Miguel Liter- people in attendance for the keynote
ative minds at the conference.” She ary Sala, the umbrella organization that speakers and panels. A veteran of many
was “inspired and encouraged to runs the festival. A retired professor of national and international literary festi-
continue writing, especially by the creative writing, she helped the confer- vals, workshops and conferences, Mary
women who were so generous in shar- ence grow from one keynote speaker and Katherine lends her expertise as one of
ing their knowledge and experiences. 67 registrants to its current dimensions more than five dozen local volunteers
of almost 300 registered conference at- who run the SMA festival and lend the
“We are keeping in touch," she reports. conference a personal touch. While
Nikki Symington, who accompanied clearly a group effort, everyone I spoke
me to Paris and San Miguel, also to praised one woman, the executive di-
took advantage of the full conference rector, Susan Page, for her “boundless
package. She is working on a book of energy and enthusiasm for driving this
short stories and wanted advice about conference forward.”
prompts for creativity, writing tech-
niques and publishing advice. "I was The February 2014 keynote speakers
hoping for help with character develop- included Yann Martel (Life of Pi), Calvin
ment and dialogue. I got more than I Trillin, New Yorker columnist and author
asked for, more than I realized I needed. of almost three dozen books, Laura Es-
The workshop leaders were fabulous and quivel (Like Water for Chocolate), PEN
I left armed with tons of information.” Faulkner Award winner Benjamin Alire
Mary Katherine Wainwright and I Saenz, and Ellen Bass, an exquisitely

90 Wine Dine & Travel Spring 2014