Anita Gill recently mastered one of the hardest parts of drafting—writing the ending—while completing her MFA, and she wants to share her knowledge with others at HippoCamp 2018.
She will be leading the session, “Bring It On Home: Crafting Endings in Nonfiction Essays,” and we’re excited to hear her speak! In the meantime, we asked her a few questions about her upcoming participation in our writing conference.
Hippocampus: What are you most excited to share during?
Anita: I am running a breakout session focusing on craft. In this session, we will examine a few remarkable essays and gain a deeper understanding of the literary tools at work for such strong endings. Attendees should expect to receive a better grasp of how writers achieve strong endings, but also, they should expect to gain some understanding of the practice of reading like a writer.
Why do you love true stories?
I’m one of those people who doesn’t like small talk. When someone sits next to me and starts to open up, I give them my full attention. I think this is because I’m honored that someone is willing to be vulnerable around me. When I read true stories, I get that same sentiment from the writer.
Share a fun fact with us—something attendees may be surprised to know:
Okay, very weird and random fact: Oprah’s friend Iyanla Vanzant bought my childhood home. With Oprah’s help, Iyanla renovated it and broadcasted an hour-long special on national television. You may say, “So what? It’s just a house,” but my parents designed and built that house in the 90s. For the last couple of years, I’ve been working on an essay about it. Hopefully, one day I’ll get it right.
Aside from preparing for HippoCamp 2018 (of course!), what are you working on? Any recent or upcoming projects/publications you can share?
My book project is a memoir-in-essays spanning my life focusing on my identity and the places where I’ve experienced erasure. I have organized my essays into three categories: identity from culture, identity from relationships, and identity from the body.
Since you’ll also be attending the conference, what are you most looking forward to learning or doing when you’re not wearing your “speaker hat?”
I’m most looking forward to the readings. I love to attend readings of writers I don’t know much about because it usually leads to me writing down their names and hunting for their books. In addition, I’m interested in the debut author panel to learn how they got published. I really appreciate when writers are honest about the time and obstacles they faced when trying to publish their first book because it helps me know I’m on the right track.
We love introducing Lancaster to attendees. What are you looking forward to?
Though I grew up in Maryland, I don’t think I’ve ever been to Lancaster. Well, I did go to Hershey Park as a kid, but that’s it. Lancaster was a place my relatives went to for a weekend getaway at a bed and breakfast. I’d like to see what other things the city has to offer. I’m specifically interested in the Fulton Theater, since it’s a historic landmark.
Thanks for sharing more about your session! See you at the conference!
Register to reserve your place today.
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