Keynote Speakers

Taylor Mali	Taylor Mali is a teacher and poet. Generally considered to be the most successful poetry slam strategist of all time, having led six of his seven national poetry slam teams to the finals stage and winning the championship itself a record four times before anyone had even tied him at three, Mali was one of the original poets to appear on the HBO original series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. He was also the "golden-tongued, Armani clad villain" of Paul Devlin's 1997 documentary film SlamNation which chronicled the National Poetry Slam Championship of 1996, the year of Mali's first national team championship. A native of New York City and vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, Mali himself spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English and history to math S.A.T. test preparation. He has performed and lectured for teachers all over the world. Mali received a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant in 2001 to develop Teacher! Teacher!, a one-man show about poetry, teaching, and math which won the jury prize for best solo performance at the 2001 U. S. Comedy Arts Festival. Formerly president of Poetry Slam Incorporated, the non-profit organization that oversees all poetry slams in North America, Taylor Mali makes his living entirely as a spoken-word and voiceover artist these days, traveling around the country performing and teaching workshops as well as doing commercial voiceover work. He has narrated several books on tape, including The Great Fire (for which he won the Golden Earphones Award for children's narration) and is also the author of several books and CDs of original poetry and spoken word. www.taylormali.com Keynote: "A rousing performance of his poetry" - World renowned poet Taylor Mali doesn't so much recite poetry as speak it. Unless you have seen, heard, or read him before, you have no idea what to expect. Workshop 26: "The Metaphor Factory: Metaphors aren't just for poets anymore" - Come learn tricks for the generation, manipulation, and careful execution of these powerful literary tools. e
Corey Blake	Corey Blake, a dynamite inspirationalist with more than a dozen national commercial campaigns, put an end to his lucrative commercial and television acting career to pursue his passion for writing. For the past eight years, Corey Blake has played a key role in the development of more than 300 screenplays and manuscripts. He has won nine festival awards for his work in entertainment and contributed articles to nearly three dozen industry publications including Script Magazine, Writer Magazine (cover article), and the Los Angeles Journal. Corey Blake's work as a writer and development producer has been featured on Fox News and in articles in Backstage West, MovieMaker Magazine, Hollywood Scriptwriter Magazine, and Dance Magazine. Corey's name is attached as the author or co-author to twelve projects for release in 2008 and 2009 including fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays. He co-authored Edge! A Leadership Story with Bea Fields and Eva Silva (Writers of the Round Table Press, May 2008), told Robert Renteria's From the Barrio to the Board Room (Writers of the Round Table Press, February 2008), and is co-author of Excalibur Reclaims Her King (2009), a medieval epic with Angelia Harris. www.writersoftheroundtable.com Keynote: "Your Book. Your Legacy" - Our lives are each full of rich lessons and beautiful wisdom. Will all you have gained leave this planet with you, or have you found a way to extend your legacy through your writing? In a world so in need of hope, Corey Blake, Chairman of the Dream for Writers of the Round Table Inc. and Writers of the Round Table Press, will light the fire under your pants and get you thinking about the book you were meant to write today to inspire the world of tomorrow. Workshop 3: "Pitching the Heart of Your Writing" - Can you sum up your writing with five honest, descriptive adjectives that let an agent or editor into your writing in a way that they will never forget? To impress someone who can give you work or buy your work, you have to sell the vision of your writing. Prepare on the spot for the weekend's pitches. Willing participants will learn how to get to the heart of their work and how to make that pitch. Limited to 20 participants. Workshop 18: "Character Development Secrets" - Our writing is best when we are merely a conduit for the story. Let's discuss how to build three dimensional characters that live and breathe and make their own choices. This workshop will leave you with the step by step process we use with our clients at Writers of the Round Table over a two-year period towards creating exceptional fiction and non-fiction narrative work. Workshop 27: "Shot from The Block Doc" - At Writers of the Round Table, we work with two dozen writers at a time and when they utilize our process, they NEVER suffer from Writer's Block. Let me share my secrets with you and lead you down the path towards a process that keeps your words flowing to the page.
Deborah LeBlanc	Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning author from Lafayette, Louisiana. She is also a business owner, a licensed death scene investigator, and an active member of two national paranormal investigation teams. Deborah's unique experiences, enthusiasm, and high-energy level make her a much sought after speaker at writers' conferences across the nation. She also takes her passion for literacy and a powerful ability to motivate to high schools around the country. She is the president of the Horror Writers Association, president of the Writers' Guild of Acadiana, president of Mystery Writers of America's Southwest Chapter, and an active member of Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Women Writers, and International Thriller Writers Inc. In 2004, she created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national campaign designed to encourage more people to read. Her most recent novels are: Family Inheritance, Grave Intent, A House Divided, and Morbid Curiosity. Deborah's next release, Water Witch, is scheduled to be on bookstore shelves in December '08. www.deborahleblanc.com Keynote: "When Everyone Else Says You Can't" - How to get past the roadblocks in the publishing business Workshop 4: "Revving It UP!" - How to turn your thriller, horror, or suspense into a roller coaster ride that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, holding their breath, and begging for more! Workshop 20: "Twenty-Five Words or Less" - How to create a short oral summation of a story plot that will make people WANT to read your book.

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