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July 31, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

6 Arts Notes

BTO Writers Conference Features Novelist Brent Lewis

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Brent Lewis

Maryland’s popular Bay to Ocean Writers Conference is pleased to announce that registration is now live for its 2020 event and the keynote speaker will be Eastern Shore writer Brent Lewis.

Lewis is the author of Bloody Point 1976, a novel published in 2015 and set in Maryland, as well as two regional history books about Kent Island. He is a native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Lewis tops a diverse lineup of speakers that includes more than 25 accomplished poets, novelists, editors, and marketers. The all-day event will take place at Chesapeake College in Wyle Mills, Md. on March 7, 2020.

The conference has been helping people become better writers for more than two decades. Voted best writing conference in Maryland by readers of Writer Magazine, BTO is designed to address many aspects of the writing craft and business, tailored to those working at all levels.

“We are planning special tracks this year aimed at beginners and advanced writers,” said Kenton Kilgore, president of the Eastern Shore Writers Association. “Whether you are crafting your first poem, working on a family memoir or toiling away on your third novel, there will be something for everyone.”

The conference is sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA,) a nonprofit group dedicated to supporting writers and the literary arts across the Delmarva region. Registration and program details are available at ESWA’s website, www.easternshorewriters.org, with early bird pricing through the end of this year. The 2019 event sold out in advance, so it’s wise to register early.

Through more than two dozen workshops, the 2020 event will cover such topics as crafting dialogue and plots; ways to approach a family memoir; writing sonnets, short, “skinny” poems and Pi-ku poetry; options for publishing books; and the use of historical locations in fiction and nonfiction.

Among the instructors will be veteran novelists Gail Priest, Robert Bidinotto, and Austin Camacho; Truth Thomas, editor of The Skinny Poetry Journal; self-publishing and marketing expert Ariele Sieling; and Laura Oliver, author of a best-selling book on creative writing.

To register, visit www.easternshorewriters.org. For more information, contact ESWA at [email protected].

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Register Now to the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference

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A New Year, a new novel? A new poem? A new routine? Whatever you have promised yourself to do this year, the first thing you need to do is come to the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Md.  

This year’s conference committee has worked hard to invite speakers that can help you improve everything about your writing and then discuss how to get it published, start a blog, and position your work for the intended audience you are seeking to reach.The top-notch speakers include award-winning poets Nancy Mitchell and Chris Salerno along with acclaimed novelists John Dedakis, Robert Bidinotto and Austin Camacho.

Do not wait to register. January is the month to make that move–go online to www.easternshorewriters.org, click on the conference and register. BTO takes pride in providing a helpful and inspiring atmosphere in the literary conference world while attending to individual needs of writers at all levels. If you are a student, there are special student prices for anyone with a student ID.

On the website, click on each session track to check out who is speaking and what the sessions are all about.  Track topics include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, publishing, children’s books and more—with a variety of unique workshops and tutorials in each track.

The conference is brought to you by the Eastern Shore Writers Association, whose mission is to serve writers on the Eastern Shore and areas nearby.

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Bay to Ocean Writers Conference Set for March 9

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December is here and what do we give as gifts? That is always the great question for those hard folks to shop for. Well, if they are writers, or would be writers, why not give them a gift they will use forever? The gift of knowledge, skills, and meeting great writers, poets, techies, bloggers, podcasters, and everything you are or are dreaming of becoming. The Bay to Ocean Writers Conference on SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2019 at Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, and it is just the perfect place to be.

Join others who love the written word and want to improve their skills in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and all categories of writing.Learn how to write layered fiction or novels-in-verse. Learn about audio books, chapbooks, self-publishing and humor writing.

We have assembled the very best to teach you. Meet interesting people at our networking luncheon and spend time speaking with the faculty.

From Keynote speaker Greg Wilhelm to panel discussions, fiction writing seminars, flash writing how tos,poetry in all its forms and so much more. BTO is an outstanding and recognized conference that covers everything you need to know, and yet is small enough to engage personally with many of the participants.So, don’t delay, our tickets are selling fast and this conference always sells out. Buy today at www.easternshorewriters.org. Do it now and don’t forget the conference is a great gift!

ESWA is a 501c6 nonprofit, serving writers on Delmarva and beyond. Thanks and see you in 2019!

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Bay to Ocean Writers Conference – Registration Open Now!

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Registration for the March 9, 2019 Bay to Ocean Writers Conference opens October 1, 2018. This gem of a conference held at Chesapeake College is always a favorite among writers, speakers, and all appreciators of books. This year’s lineup of speakers continues the tradition of excellence.
Register early, so you can take advantage of early bird pricing.
Registration begins October 1, 2018 and runs through November 30th
Member price is: $95.
Non-Member price is: $130. This includes fees and one year membership in ESWA.
Student price is: $55. 10 tickets available.

After November 30th Prices will be as listed below:
Member: $105.
Non Member: $140. This includes fees and membership in ESWA for a year.
Student: Remains $55. 10 tickets available

A membership in the Eastern Shore Writers Association is included in all non-member pricing. It’s a great value! Order now at www.easternshorewriters.com and click onto BTO Writers Conference. Hurry now. This conference sells out every year!

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Eastern Shore Writers Offers Course in “Flash Fiction”

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The Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA) will present a workshop on Flash Fiction on January 16 at the Third Haven Meeting House in Easton on Washington St. from 9:30 until noon. Lynn Stearns, who currently leads the Flash Fiction and Memoir workshops at the Bethesda Center, will share her expertise with the Delmarva’s writing community. The workshop is open to the public.

Flash fiction, according to Wikipedia, “is a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity.” Although there is no accepted definition of the length of the genre, flash fiction, micro fiction or short-short fiction is part poetry, part narrative and deceptively complex. It forces the writer to pay close attention to every word and detail that is put to paper. Whether you are a novelist, poet, or short story writer, all writers can benefit from the lessons learned in flash fiction writing and how it impacts the reader.

Lynn Stearns has taught a variety of classes at BlackRock Center for the Arts and Strathmore Hall as well as Bethesda. She has helped edit several publications including the Potomac Review. Attendees are invited to bring their own short work to the workshop for critique.

The workshop fee is $30 for ESWA members and $40 for non-members. To register, write Kathy Winfield at [email protected] or call 240-375-1305.

The Eastern Shore Writers’ Association (ESWA), including the ESWA Education Fund, holds writing programs, sponsors the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference, publishes The Delmarva Review and sponsors the Delmarva Book Prize, along with other educational programs. As nonprofit organizations, they support writers and the literary arts across the Delmarva Peninsula. For more information, see the ESWA website www.easternshorewriters.org.

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2015 Delmarva Book Prize to be Announced December 17

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The 2015 Delmarva Book Prize, sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association, will be announced on December 17th at the Talbot County Library in Easton. The $1000 prize will be split between the winner of the Creative Writing category and winner of the Non-Fiction category. Two Honorable Mentions for outstanding creative output will also be announced for each field. The program begins at 6pm with a reception to follow the event. David Harper of Chesapeake College has agreed to judge the work of the finalists and will announce the winners.

Contestants were required to be residents of Delmarva and all books were published in 2015. Fifty-three books entered the contest. There was an almost even split between fiction and non-fiction entries. Nine collections of poetry were also submitted. About a third of the entries came from ESWA members, and the other two-thirds from around the peninsula. Thirty five reader/scanners participated in the event, almost all current or former ESWA members, including college literature teachers, high school English teachers, renowned writers, museum personnel, clergy members, newspaper editors and other literary lions.

The Book Prize was supported by a generous grant from the Talbot County Arts Council and Ms. Ruth Saff.

The 2016 Delmarva Book Prize opens on January 1.

For more about the Eastern Shore Writers Association, go here.

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Delmarva Writers Can Qualify For $1000 Prize

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Delmarva authors who publish a book in 2015 will be eligible for the Eastern Shore Writers Education Fund Prize for $1000. Book writers of any genre are welcome to submit their work to the contest including authors of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Participants are required to be full-time or seasonal residents of the peninsula.

Two Honorable Mentions will also be awarded as well as the grand prize of $1000. The deadline for submission is November 15 and awards will be made in December. Judging the finalists will be David Harper of Chesapeake College. Details at www.easternshorewriter.org or e-mail [email protected].

The prize is designed to honor and encourage all local authors. Entrants need not be ESWA members and the subject matter can be universal. That aligns with one of the goals of the Eastern Shore Writers Association to enhance the quality of writing from the bay to the ocean and offer opportunities to recognize and stimulate good writing.

To join the contest, follow instructions on the website. Send send a copy of the publication and $25 to G. F. Sweeney, 4227 Claylands Rd., Trappe, MD 21673. Each entry will be evaluated by at least two scanners prior to a final judgment.

The Eastern Shore Writers’ Association (ESWA), including the ESWA Education Fund, holds monthly writing programs, sponsors the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference, publishes The Delmarva Review and sponsors the Delmarva Book Prize along with other educational programs. As nonprofit organizations, they support writers and the literary arts across the Delmarva Peninsula.

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Ex-CIA’s Bruce Riedel to Speak at June ESWA Meeting

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Bruce Riedel, one of the most popular speakers to appear before the Eastern Shore Writers Association, will make an encore appearance at ESWA’s next meeting in Easton. The 30-year CIA career officer will speak at the Easton Club at 11 am on Saturday, June 13. The meeting is free and open to the public with an optional lunch to follow.

Riedel is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and is the Director there of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence. He has been a senior advisor to the last four presidents on South Asia and Middle Eastern policy, working as a senior member of the National Security Council. In the 1990’s Riedel served as Assistant Secretary of Defense. In addition, he was a member of President Clinton’s Camp David peace negotiations team and has been advising President Obama on American policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mr. Riedel’s books include Becoming Enemies, US-Iran Relations and the Iran-Iraq War 1979-1988; The Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America and the Future of the Global Jihad. His latest book is titled What We Won: America’s Secret War in Afghanistan 1979-1989.

June is also ESWA’s Annual General Meeting to elect a new Board and approve the budget. Lunch is $20 and attendees can RSVP at [email protected]. The Greens at the Easton Club is at 28449 Clubhouse Dr., off the Easton bypass along the Oxford Rd.

The Eastern Shore Writers’ Association (ESWA), including the ESWA Education Fund, holds monthly writing programs, sponsors the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference, publishes The Delmarva Review and sponsors the Delmarva Book Prize, along with other educational programs. As nonprofit organizations, they support writers and the literary arts across the Delmarva Peninsula. For more information, see the ESWA website www.easternshorewriters.org, or email Gerald F. Sweeney at [email protected].

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Get Your Story Out There: ESWA presents “Self Publishing 101”

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The Eastern Shore Writer’s Association presents a half-day workshop on self-publishing, from 9:30 a.m. until noon, Saturday, May 9 at Trinity Parish Hall in Easton.
The workshop will include marketing, learning the basics of book budgets and selling on Amazon – all of the answers on how to get your book ‘out there.’ Martha Lostrom, who has more than 50 years experience in the publishing world, will offer personalized feedback on book ideas. Also included is a take-home workbook for use as a reference.
Ms Lostrom is a start-up specialist for magazines and newspapers, and teaches all facets of publishing and publication management at colleges and professional venues.
The workshop is open to the public. Cost is $30 for ESWA members and $40 non-members.

Registration is available through [email protected] or call 240-375-1305.

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ESWA Presents “The Why is the How: Intentional Blogging 101”

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The Eastern Shore Writer’s Association presents a half-day workshop on the art of blogging, from 9:30 a.m. until noon, Saturday, April 18 at Evergreen A Center for Balanced Living in Easton.

Shalagh Hogan, veteran blogger and writer, will explore personal blogging motivations, what a blog really is and discussions on basic social media usage. The class also will explore technology phobias and the truth about branding and how these things apply to the blogger’s site.

Hogan is a personal essayist, blogger, photographer, artist and mother of two. She gathers her lessons, thoughts and small visions to share on her blog – Shalavee.com, where creative endeavors are an excuse to live happily every after.

The workshop is open to the public. Cost is $25.00 for ESWA and Evergreen members/ $35.00 non-member. Registration is available at www.evergreeneaston.org or call 410-819-3395. Seating is limited.

In an effort to enhance the writing abilities of local authors, ESWA has scheduled two additional workshops in partnership with Evergreen, which is located at 770 Port St. Subsequent workshops are set for May 30 (fiction based on historical fact)and June 20 (spirituality’s place in writing). Advance registration is recommended.

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