MONICA PRINCE IS THE PPADC 2023 PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE

Join us for the 2023 Writer’s Retreat at Claggett! Hone your voice, get time away to focus on your craft, and learn from writing experts in intimate small-group workshops during this retreat. Each day balances time for instruction, supportive peer sharing, and of course, for writing. Register at claggettcenter.org/adult-programs!  

In the words of so many activists, pleasure is our birthright. But the world often tries to deny us this. Writers often feel too overwhelmed to believe their writing matters, that their languages and stories have power. In this keynote, Monica Prince demonstrates how writing begets pleasure and vice versa. Prince emphasizes the ways we can use writing as catharsis and revolution to build a world o

Cara Achterberg is the author of seven books, a creative writing teacher, and a shelter dog advocate. Her novel, Blind Turn, was a Reader’s Choice Silver Medal winner and recently won the Women’s Fiction category of the American Writing Awards. Her memoir, Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs was a People magazine ‘people’s pick’ and featured on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family S

Ariele Sieling is a science fiction and fantasy writer who enjoys books, cats, and trees. She has over thirty books published and has numerous short stories published in a variety of anthologies and magazines. She is also the author of the book series for authors titled Writer’s Reach, which includes: How To Build A Book Marketing Strategy, The Intersection of Setting and Story, and Building An Au

Novelist and writing coach John DeDakis is a former editor on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. DeDakis is the author of five mystery-suspense novels. His fourth novel, Bullet in the Chamber, is the winner of Reviewers Choice, Foreword INDIES, and Feathered Quill book awards. DeDakis, a former White House correspondent, is a manuscript editor, and regularly teaches novel writing online a