Keynote Speaker

Reed Coleman

Reed Farrel Coleman

Visit Reed Coleman's website. 

Called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the noir poet laureate in the Huffington Post, Reed Farrel Coleman is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-plus novels including six in the Jesse Stone series for the estate of Robert B. Parker. He is a four-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year and a four-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories: Best Paperback Original, Best Novel, and Best Short Story. Reed has also won the Authors on the Air Book of the Year, the Audie, Scribe, Macavity, Barry and Anthony Awards. He is a former Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America, a founding member of MWA University, and a former adjunct instructor at Hofstra University. He lives with his wife on Long Island.

Saturday

Writing Life:

An inspirational and bracing talk about the highs and lows of choosing to write as a career. It will feature a brief biographical discussion of how I became a writer and why I chose the profession over a different path. I will cover the conflict between dreams, expectations, and realities, the differences between the art of writing and the business of publishing, and how the landscape of publishing has changed since my first novel was published in 1991. I will conclude with an uplifting message about the power of words and the magic of reading. 

Sunday

Reed's Rules:

A discussion on the many lessons I have learned during the approximately 35 years I have spent as a published novelist, college instructor, and essayist. The talk will be accompanied by a handout sheet with which the attendess may follow along and keep as a reference. As an example: Rule 1 - There is no such thing as wasted writing. I will then discuss why it is true that writing everyday is crucial and why you become a better writer every time you put words on a page or computer screen. The last rule being, pay no attention to anyone who tells you there is only one way to write. Again, I will finish on a high note that will send attendees away ready to get back to work, armed with some new tools for moving forward.