Calendar

Kelly Corrigan

Kelly Corrigan, who writes about family life and vulnerability, has been called "the voice of her generation" by O, The Oprah Magazine and "the poet laureate of the ordinary" by HuffPost. She is the author of New York Times bestsellers Tell Me More, The Middle Place, Lift and Glitter and Glue. Marianne the Maker, a collaboration with daughter Claire, is her second book for children. Her podcast, Kelly Corrigan Wonders, features intimate conversations about well-being, purpose and impact. Over seven seasons of the PBS series Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan, she interviewed notable guests including Judd Apatow, Jennifer Garner, Samantha Power and Steve Kerr. Her TED talk "To Love is to Be Brave" has touched more than 1 million viewers.

In support of community literacy initiatives: The workshop purchased 1,000 copies of Marianne the Maker by Kelly Corrigan and Claire Corrigan Lichty and donated the children’s books to Head Start to support early childhood learning. Special thanks to lead corporate sponsor PNC Bank through its Grow Up Great program, with additional funding from The Dayton Foundation, Dayton Children’s, CBD Advisors, and community advocates Bob and Bernita Daley.

Ann Garvin

Ann Garvin is a USA Today bestselling author who has written for The New York Times and was a finalist for the Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize. She is the author of six novels with a seventh, Tell Two Friends, launching June 2026. She writes about women who do too much in a world that asks too much from them. She teaches creative writing at Drexel University in its low-residency master's program and has held positions at Miami University and Southern New Hampshire University in their creative writing programs. Garvin is the founder of the Tall Poppy Writers, a group of traditionally published authors with a vision to "unite female authors with female readers." She is a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health and has taught extensively in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and at festivals across the country and in Europe.

Sona Movsesian

Sona Movsesian is an author and media personality. The personal assistant of late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien since 2009, she has been featured in show segments, including as a guest in 2019. She and O'Brien traveled to Armenia for an hourlong Conan Without Borders special. Movsesian has co-hosted the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend since 2018. In 2022, she released a humorous how-to book, The World's Worst Assistant, which became a New York Times bestseller. She is currently working on her second book, The World's Worst Mom, expected to be published in 2026.

Steven Rowley

Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post notable book of 2016; The Editor, named by NPR as one of the best books of 2019; The Guncle, a Goodreads choice awards finalist for 2021 novel of the year and winner of the 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor; The Celebrants, a Today show Read With Jenna Book Club pick; The Guncle Abroad, an instant USA Today bestseller and a semi-finalist for the 2026 Thurber Prize for American Humor; and The Dogs of Venice. His newest novel, Take Me With You, arrives in May 2026. His fiction has been published in 20 languages. Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College and resides in Palm Springs, California, with his husband, the writer Byron Lane, and two rescue dogs.

John Searles

Bestselling novelist John Searles appears regularly on NBC's Today to discuss his favorite reading selections. He is the author of the forthcoming novel Single Girls, set in the world of women's magazines in the 1960s. His previous novels include Her Last Affair, Help for the Haunted, Strange but True and Boy Still Missing. In 2019, Strange but True was adapted for film and released in theaters nationwide. It is now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. He contributes to The New York Times and The Washington Post and for more than two decades was a top editor at Cosmopolitan. He has a master's in creative writing from New York University and lives in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York.

Leighann Lord

Leighann Lord is a stand-up comedian, author and podcaster. She's been seen on Comedy Central, HBO, The View, Netflix, Dry Bar Comedy and Showtime's Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. She has been an EBWW faculty member since 2014 and its emcee since 2022. She has written several humor books, including two volumes of Dict Jokes: Alternate Definitions for Words You've Probably Never Heard of But Will Definitely Never Forget and Real Women Do It Standing Up: Stories from the Career of a Very Funny Lady, which has been called "witty and unexpectedly vulnerable." Lord created the weekly humor column "The Urban Erma," the longest-running column in Stage Time Magazine. She has contributed to The Huffington Post and wrote for the pilot of The Chris Rock Show. She is the creator and host of the People with Parents podcast, where she shared personal stories about the role reversal between her and her aging parents. The Wall Street Journal called it one of the "10 Podcasts for Older Adults That Promise to Entertain — and Enlighten." Lord earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and creative writing from Baruch College, City University of New York, and an honorary doctorate from Southampton University. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America East. She received the Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association and a President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Lord is a firm supporter of the Oxford comma and is a cat mom.

Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff

Kathy Kinney, who may be known best for her role as Mimi on the hit ABC series The Drew Carey Show, has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies. She is the co-author, along with friend Cindy Ratzlaff, of three books: Queen of Your Own Life: The Grown-Up Woman’s Guide to Claiming Happiness and Getting the Life You Deserve; Queenisms: 101 Jolts of Inspiration; and Queen of Your Own Life: If Not Now, When? Ratzlaff is a 30-year veteran of the book publishing industry, having held executive positions at Rodale Inc. and Simon & Schuster and created and implemented the launch campaigns for more than 150 bestsellers. On their Queen of Your Own Life Facebook page, Ratzlaff and Kinney host “Thursday Check-In,” an outreach event they started during the pandemic.

Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry

Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-creators, with Kwame Alexander, of America’s Next Great Author, the first reality TV show created by and for writers. They are also co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company that is the go-to resource for writing, selling and marketing a book successfully. Their book The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published is in its third edition and has sold over 100,000 copies. The two are the authors of over 25 books combined and have been featured in People magazine and The Times (London). They have taught workshops at Stanford University, the Miami Book Festival, the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and hundreds of conferences and festivals.

Carole Montgomery 

Carole Montgomery is a comedian, writer, producer and director. A stand-up comedian with over 40 years of experience, she also helps comedians develop their solo shows. She has performed in 11 overseas comedy tours for the U.S military produced by Armed Forces Entertainment and headlined clubs and colleges across the country. Her most recent project, Funny Women of a Certain Age, was Showtime’s highest-rated comedy special of 2019. It also made television history by being the first special to feature six female comics over 50. More Funny Women of a Certain Age and Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age rapidly followed.

Nancy Berk

Nancy Berk is a comedy writer for internationally awarded entertainers, focusing on tours and prime-time appearances. A magazine humor columnist, lyricist, stand-up psychologist and longtime contributor to Parade, Forbes.com, Huffington Post and MORE magazine, she has featured over 500 conversations with entertainment icons like Dolly Parton and Norman Lear on her podcast Entertaining Insights with Dr. Nancy Berk.

Bob Eckstein

Bob Eckstein is a bestselling author, an award-winning illustrator, a New Yorker cartoonist and the world’s leading snowman expert. His two new books are Inspired by Cat: Writers & Their Mews(es) and Footnotes From the Most Fascinating Museums.

Wendi Aarons

Wendi Aarons is an award-winning humor writer and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Texas Monthly, various other outlets and many anthologies. She is the author of the middle-grade book Ginger Mancino, Kid Comedian and the humorous memoir I’m Wearing Tunics Now. Her humor pieces have been performed by actresses including Uzo Aduba, Sharon Horgan and Alison Brie. Aarons’ eponymous blog was named “Funniest Parenting Blog” by Parents magazine, and she was named most entertaining writer at a Mom 2.0 Summit. She speaks on and teaches humor writing to children and adults and lives in Austin, Texas.

Melissa Balmain

Melissa Balmain is a humorist, editor and recovering mime. She has taught humor writing at the University of Rochester since 2010. Her work — ranging from short fiction to essays to poetry — has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The American Bystander and The Washington Post. She’s written four books, most recently Satan Talks to His Therapist, and serves as editor-in-chief of Light, a journal of comic poetry. Her proudest achievement is raising two children who sometimes text her without asking for money.

Dena Blizzard

As a comedian, mother of three and creator of the multimedia company One Funny Mother, Dena Blizzard is best known for her videos and stand-up clips, which have garnered more than 200 million views worldwide. Her off-Broadway show One Funny Mother toured for three years, and her tour “My Name is Not Mom” included 75 cities. With more than half a million followers across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok — and a daily live show with a watch count of 20,000 per day — she’s built a community of dedicated fans eager to laugh and cry along with her message of “finding the funny” in all things motherhood and starting over after 50.

Patricia Wynn Brown (Erma Home Schooling Faculty)

Patricia Wynn Brown is an awarding-winning writer and the author of three books. Her most recent is Royal Roots: Reimagining a Life Through Humor, a Castle, and the US Navy. She was a humor columnist for eight years and is a three-time winner of the James Thurber Writing Contest. Brown is a sought-after speaker and emcee. Her presentations and performances combine poignancy, humor, reflection and nostalgia. She sees her mission in life as raising spirits, spreading laughter and touching hearts, minds and souls.

Cindy Eastman

Cindy Eastman is an author and teacher who has taught writing to students between 5 and 85 and has presented nationally at the Story Circle Network’s Women’s Writing Conference. A contributor to several anthologies including the Fast Women series edited by Gina Barreca, she also writes a weekly essay for Silver Linings on Substack. She collaborated with daughter Annie Musso on a series of essays — “Can We Talk About Cancer?” — that detailed Musso’s battle with cancer before she died in April 2024; the series is now the basis for her next book. In the last two years, she published True Confessions of an Ambivalent Caregiver and edited the anthology Grief Like Yours.

Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry

Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-creators, with Kwame Alexander, of America’s Next Great Author, the first reality TV show created by and for writers. They are also co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company that is the go-to resource for writing, selling and marketing a book successfully. Their book The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published is in its third edition and has sold over 100,000 copies. The two are the authors of over 25 books combined and have been featured in People magazine and The Times (London). They have taught workshops at Stanford University, the Miami Book Festival, the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and hundreds of conferences and festivals.

Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank

Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank has had her own agency for more than 22 years and still thinks it's the best job in the world (it is). Clients range from first-time authors to international bestsellers, prize-winning journalists to professionals at the top of their fields, to some seriously silly and crazy smart creatives. They can be found with all the major publishers, as well as in The New York Times, Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Granta, The Best American Short Stories and more. One of the leading humor agents, Fairbank reps and takes delight in humor books, narrative and illustrated.

Grant Faulkner

Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, the co-host of the Write-Minded: Weekly Inspiration for Authors podcast (now Memoir Nation), and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. He has published three books on writing: The Art of Brevity: Crafting the Very Short Story; Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo; and Brave the Page, a teen writing guide. He’s also published All the Comfort Sin Can Provide, a collection of short stories; Fissures, a collection of 100-word stories; and Nothing Short of 100: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story. His “flash novel,” Something Out There in the Distance, a collaboration with the photographer Gail Butensky, came out in September with the University of New Mexico Press. He also publishes the weekly newsletter Intimations: A Writer’s Discourse.

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp’s columns are published in newspapers across the United States through Creators Syndicate. Her writing weaves personal experience with current events to help readers empathize, connect and care. She has over 20 years of experience in writing, publishing and mentoring fellow writers. Feldkamp is a co-editor of the upcoming anthology Fast Forbidden Women. She previously served as the community engagement and opinion editor for the Louisville Courier-Journal and as the media director for the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Her TEDx talk “Contempt Versus Connection in Online Communication” aims to encourage productive discourse and foster commentary with compassion.

Brandon Follick

Brandon Follick is a New York-based actor, writer and stand-up comedian. He has written headlines and articles for The Onion, The New Yorker, Reductress and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. His first print comedy writing credits appear in How To Stay Productive When the World Is Ending, named to the Vulture list “Best Comedy Books of 2023.” His comedy has been featured in New York magazine, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Overheard New York, Buzzfeed, Betches, Distractify, CanvasRebel and more. He is a founding staff writer and performs for the news comedy show Going Down With Ella Yurman. He has performed stand-up and sketch in national and international comedy festivals, including the New York Comedy Fest, Edinburgh Fringe and Philly SketchFest. He produces the DaF & The Onion writing workshop series in Chicago and teaches humor and satire writing at Brooklyn Comedy Collective.

Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has spent her entire career in the publishing industry with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter, The Bottom Line, provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named publishing commentator of the year by Digital Book World. She is the author of The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press, 2025).

Annabelle Gurwitch

Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress, an activist, the author of six books and a two-time Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist. Her essays and satire have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, among other publications. Her books include I See You Made an Effort — a New York Times bestseller — and You're Leaving When? The latter was named a New York Times Favorite Book for Healthy Living. Her memoir, the poignant and humorous The End of My Life Is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker, will be published in March 2026. Gurwitch co-hosted the fan favorite Dinner and a Movie on TBS and was a regular commentator on NPR. She is a Jewish mother, a lung cancer survivor and patient advocate, a terrible ukulele player and an unrepentant cat lady who lives in Los Angeles.

Missy Hall

Missy Hall is a comedian and breast cancer survivor who stars in the Beating Cancer Daily podcast, teaching happiness as a coping mechanism in 101 countries. Her album Miss Representation was nominated for a Grammy for funniest comedy album; her album Fifty Shades of Fifty has over 250,000 streams; and her latest album, Scoot Up, is playing on Sirius XM.

Lori Jakiela

Lori Jakiela is the author of eight books, including the memoir Belief Is Its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe, which received the Saroyan Prize for International Literature from Stanford University. Her other recent books include All Skate: True Tales from Middle Life and They Write Your Name on a Grain of Rice: On Cancer, Love, and Living Even So. Her work has been published in The New York Times (Modern Love), The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Vol. 1 Brooklyn and elsewhere. For two years, her column, "Let Yourself Go" — influenced by Erma Bombeck — ran in Pittsburgh Magazine. A former international flight attendant, Jakiela directs the writing program at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, teaches in the doctoral program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and leads community workshops. For four years, she co-directed the Summer Writers Festival at the Chautauqua Institution.

Kathy Kinney

Kathy Kinney, who may be known best for her role as Mimi on the hit ABC series The Drew Carey Show, has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies. She is the co-author, along with friend Cindy Ratzlaff, of three books: Queen of Your Own Life: The Grown-Up Woman’s Guide to Claiming Happiness and Getting the Life You Deserve; Queenisms: 101 Jolts of Inspiration; and Queen of Your Own Life: If Not Now, When? On their Queen of Your Own Life Facebook page, Kinney and Ratzlaff host “Thursday Check-In,” an outreach event they started during the pandemic. Kinney, who has a background in improvisational comedy, is also the star and co-producer of the children’s website MrsP.com, which promotes creativity, literacy and the joy of reading.

Katrina Kittle

Katrina Kittle is the author of Morning in This Broken World, The Blessings of the Animals, The Kindness of Strangers, Reasons To Be Happy, Two Truths and a Lie and Traveling Light. She teaches creative writing in the Dayton, Ohio, area and online for Word’s Worth Writing Connections; is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Dayton; and is a frequent public speaker. She lives near Dayton with her fella, quirky cat, sweet beagle and out-of-control garden.

Jule Kucera

Jule Kucera is an author, writing coach and creator of the StoryJoules Experience — a group coaching program for those writing novels, memoirs or short stories. Drawing on years of teaching, business expertise and holistic story theory, Kucera blends practical guidance with encouragement to help storytellers move from stalled to thriving and transform works in progress from pieces to powerful. Her warm, empathetic approach empowers writers to discover clarity, build confidence and finish the stories they’re longing to tell.

Brandi Larsen

Brandi Larsen is a writer, speaker and strategist. Her work at Penguin Random House helped create bestsellers, and her journalism pieces have earned Emmy nominations. Her talks about publishing, leadership and purpose inspire audiences from Zoom to Harvard. She co-wrote Uncultured: A Memoir, which was recommended by The New York Times; earned starred reviews in Publishers Weekly; and was nominated for best memoir in the Goodreads Choice Awards. She is a president emeritus of Literary Cleveland and writes books, reviews and essays. In 2024, she was named a writer in residence at the William N. Skirball Writers’ Center.

Kimberly Lee

Kimberly Lee is the author of the thriller Have You Seen Him. A writer, editor, creativity coach and facilitator, she is passionate about nurturing the imaginative spirit and helping others reveal their own inner wisdom. Lee holds degrees from Stanford University and University of California, Davis School of Law, and has served on the staffs of Literary Mama, Carve and F(r)iction magazines. She is on the faculty of several writing centers and has led workshops at Omega Institute, Esalen Institute and Hollyhock Retreat Centre. Lee lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

Tiffany Yates Martin

Tiffany Yates Martin has spent her entire career as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and bestselling authors as well as indie and newer writers. She is the founder of FoxPrint Editorial (named one of Writer’s Digest’s Best Websites for Authors) and author of Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing and The Intuitive Author: How to Grow & Sustain a Happier Writing Career. She is a regular contributor to writers’ outlets like Writer’s Digest, Writer Unboxed and Jane Friedman’s media, and she is a frequent presenter and keynote speaker for writers’ organizations. Under her pen name, Phoebe Fox, she is the author of six novels.

Jacquelyn Mitchard

Jacquelyn Mitchard is the author of 25 books of fiction and nonfiction for adults, young adults and children, with more than 3 million copies in 34 languages. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the inaugural selection of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club and was adapted for a feature film starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Two more novels are being adapted for film or limited TV series. Her newest novel, The Birdwatcher, is tale of murder, mystery and undying friendship. She teaches fiction and nonfiction at the graduate level and is a longtime contributor to publications including Parents; O, The Oprah Magazine; and Harper’s. Her short fiction is widely anthologized and featured in school curricula. A native of Chicago, she lives on Cape Cod with her family.

Lisa Montanaro

Lisa Montanaro is part no-nonsense Italian American New Yorker and part sunny Californian. She has a background as a performer, teacher of deaf students, lawyer, coach, speaker and author. Her debut novel, Everything We Thought Was True, won first place for LGBTQ Fiction in the International Firebird Book Awards. She also wrote The Ultimate Life Organizer and “The Brand Called You” in Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Your Book. She is a webinar host for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and enjoys cycling, hiking, gardening, chasing after their rescue dog and sampling the wines of Northern California, where she lives with her veterinarian husband.

Carole Montgomery

Carole Montgomery is a comedian, writer, producer and director. A stand-up comedian with over 40 years of experience, she also helps comedians develop their solo shows. She has performed in 11 overseas comedy tours for the U.S military produced by Armed Forces Entertainment and headlined clubs and colleges across the country. Her most recent project, Funny Women of a Certain Age, was Showtime’s highest-rated comedy special of 2019. It also made television history by being the first special to feature six female comics over 50. More Funny Women of a Certain Age and Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age rapidly followed.

Eva Lesko Natiello

Eva Lesko Natiello is the bestselling author of psychological suspense novels The Memory Box and Following You. Her self-published titles have sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide in multiple languages. As a self-publishing and book marketing expert, Natiello has coached hundreds of writers — from beginners to career authors — to publish and market their books. Her workshops are designed to help writers feel empowered, motivated, savvy and inspired. Natiello’s next release, The Dog Sitter, a witty, feel-good romp about one woman’s midlife meltdown and the unexpected turns of self-discovery, will be released in spring 2026.

Allia Zobel Nolan

Allia Zobel Nolan has written a lot of books with a lot of different publishers — over 170 at last count. Some have sold more than 100,000 copies and won numerous awards. She is proudest of being named a 2025 William Faulkner Literary Contest winner for her short story “What’s for Dinner?” Her latest book titles are Harriet Hurry-Up and the Oh-So-Slow Day; Why Can’t My Brother Be More Like My Cat? with art by bestselling illustrator Lee Wildish; and Finding Harmony: The Kitten Who Taught Friends Kindness.

Cindy Ratzlaff

Cindy Ratzlaff is a 30-year veteran of the book publishing industry, having held executive positions at Rodale Inc. and Simon & Schuster and created and implemented the launch campaigns for more than 150 bestsellers. Her articles on business topics and happiness have been published on major platforms. She is the co-author, along with her friend Kathy Kinney, of Queen of Your Own Life: The Grown-Up Woman’s Guide to Claiming Happiness and Getting the Life You Deserve; Queenisms: 101 Jolts of Inspiration; and Queen of Your Own Life: If Not Now, When? On their Queen of Your Own Life Facebook page, Ratzlaff and Kinney host “Thursday Check-In,” an outreach event they started during the pandemic.

Paula Rizzo

Paula Rizzo is an Emmy Award-winning television producer; the bestselling author of Listful Thinking and Listful Living; a media-training coach, speaker and LinkedIn Learning instructor; host of the livestream show Inside Scoop; and creator of the online training program “Media-Ready Author.” She also writes a column for Writer’s Digest. HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group and Time Inc. have all hired her to prepare their authors for book launches. She’s also media-trained executives from The New York Times, Dow Jones, Fortune 500 companies and privately owned organizations.

Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is a novelist, essayist and contemplative thinker who received a 2020 Artist Fellowship from the Connecticut Office of the Arts. Her book The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton won the 2021 Thomas Merton “Louie” Award from the International Thomas Merton Society. Her latest book is Wild, Beautiful and Free, a historical novel set during the Civil War. Scott’s other books include Unforgivable Love, Love’s Long Line and This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World, co-written with son Tain. Scott is the founding director of Alma College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a low-residency graduate program. She lives in East Lansing, Michigan, and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard and a master’s in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Mark Shatz

Mark Shatz knows that writing humor isn’t just about being funny — it’s about understanding why things are funny. As a psychology professor and an author of Comedy Writing Secrets, now in its third edition, he studies the power of humor and teaches writers how to apply it. A sought-after speaker, he delivers engaging, insightful presentations at writing conferences. His mission is to help writers sharpen their wit, master the mechanics of humor and make the process fun — and their writing funnier.

Nicole Cunningham

Nicole Cunningham joined Trellis Literary Management in 2025 after nine years with The Book Group. She represents authors across adult fiction, as well as select nonfiction. She is seeking literary, upmarket and book club fiction. She’s drawn to immersive, smart and voice-driven fiction — better yet if it combines a propulsive plot with deep-dive character work. She loves upmarket novels with a magical or speculative bent (including some very grounded fantasy); thrillers with a strong sense of place; book club books with a beating heart and a razor-sharp bite; and literary or upmarket fiction with a romance at its center. She’d love to find more fiction at the sweet spot of literary sensibility with a high-concept hook. In nonfiction, Cunningham wants fresh and finely tuned essay collections, cultural criticism and well-researched, entertaining narrative nonfiction that has the bingeable quality of her favorite podcasts. Born and raised in upstate New York, Cunningham moved to New York City to study English and American literature and gender and sexuality studies at NYU. After 10 years, she returned to the Finger Lakes to renovate an old house with her husband, dog and son. When she’s not reading, Cunningham is social dancing around the Northeast or messing about in her garden.

Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank

Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank has had her own agency for more than 22 years and still thinks it's the best job in the world (it is). Clients range from first-time authors to international bestsellers, prize-winning journalists to professionals at the top of their fields, to some seriously silly and crazy smart creatives. They can be found with all the major publishers, as well as in The New York Times, Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Granta, The Best American Short Stories and more. One of the leading humor agents, Fairbank reps and takes delight in humor books, narrative and illustrated.

Erin Hosier

Erin Hosier, a literary agent with Dunow Carlson & Lerner, primarily works with authors of nonfiction and select literary fiction for adults. She has a special interest in memoir, secret histories, music biography and pop culture, narrative science, humor, cultural criticism and untold stories of all kinds. She is the author of the memoir Don’t Let Me Down and the co-author of drummer Patty Schemel’s Hit So Hard. She co-hosts and produces the Tell Me About Your Father podcast. She lives in Cleveland.

The Marriott at the University of Dayton is the official hotel of the Bombeck Workshop. The group rate is $149/night. A link will be sent to attendees when their registration is confirmed. Most attendees stay three nights (March 26, 27, 28), though we will have rooms available at the group rate for those arriving March 25 for the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition ceremony or the optional, afternoon pre-workshop master class, “Self-Publish Like a Pro,” on March 26.

Please note that online reservations are preferred. You may join the waitlist, and we will contact you when a room is available.

Dayton International Airport has daily flights from around the country. Apart from Dayton, the closest major airports are in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, each about an hour's drive away.

Ground transportation information to/from the Dayton International Airport can be found on the airport’s website.

The Dayton International Airport has partnered with Dayton Express Cab Co. to provide an exclusive taxi service. The fleet includes minivans and sedans, all marked with the Dayton International Airport logo and titled Official Taxi Service provided by Dayton Express Cab Co. Please call 937-226-9999. Uber and Lyft services also are typically available.

Driving directions are available on the University of Dayton website.

The Marriott (1414 S. Patterson Blvd.) is located near Daniel J. Curran Place (1700 S. Patterson Blvd.) on the University of Dayton's campus.

The keynote dinners and some workshop events will take place at the Marriott at the University of Dayton.

Workshop sessions and keynote lunches will take place at Curran Place (1700 S. Patterson Blvd.), which is within a short walking distance from the Marriott.

Free shuttle buses between the two venues are available. Each venue offers free parking.

The workshop purchased 1,000 copies of Marianne the Maker by Kelly Corrigan and Claire Corrigan Lichty and donated the children’s books to Head Start to support early childhood learning. Special thanks to lead corporate sponsor PNC Bank through its Grow Up Great program, with additional funding from The Dayton Foundation, Dayton Children’s, CBD Advisors, and community advocates Bob and Bernita Daley.

Special thanks to the Bombeck family for their sponsorship of the Humorist-in-Residence Program and Annabelle Gurwitch's visit and to Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff (Queen of Your Own Life) for their support of Virtual Essay Cabaret.