2023 in-Person Main Festival Day (Preliminary) Schedule
Our Festival venue is Montgomery College Theater Arts Building51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, MD 20850
October 21, 2023
Festival Theme: "Mental Illness in Fiction."
Copy of the Program can be downloaded from here
You may download a copy of our Festival Flyer here
9:00-10:30 a.m. Morning Workshops
Louis Bayard “Writing Historical Fiction”
GG Renee Hill “Turning Your Mental Health Story Into Fiction”
Margaret Talbot “The Art of the Interview”
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Workshop for Fitzgerald Scholars (Topic TBD)
Free coffee and breakfast snacks available along with an open community conversation about your favorite Fitzgerald topics.
10:55 - 11:00 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Gary Berg-Cross, President, F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, Inc.
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
“A Conversation About the Art of Fiction” and "Mental Illness in Fiction"
Jonathan Franzen and David Means
Noon-1:00 p.m.
Lunch Break (Book sale and signing available)
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Keynote Talk
Ron Charles “A Life in Books
2:00 - 3:15 p.m. (No registration needed)
Awards Ceremony
Recognition of F. Scott Fitzgerald Scholars
Taryn Trazkovich
Introduction of Jonathan Franzen
David Means
Presentation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature
Gary Berg-Cross
Acceptance and Reading
Jonathan Franzen
3:15 - 3:50 p.m. Book Signing (books will be available for purchase)
4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Afternoon Workshops
Tope Folarin “Rendering Your Life on the Page”
E. Ethelbert Miller “Lies, Secrets, and Memoir Writing”
Linda Ruth Stai “Promoting Healing through Converting Oral History into the Written Word”
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Workshop for Fitzgerald Scholars
Jonathan Franzen & David Means
4:00 -5:30 p.m.
Bus Tour of Fitzgerald's Haunts in Rockville Registration is Required -limit of 19
Bus pick-up location: front of Venue Bus leaves at 4:05, returns at 5:30 p.m.