As Sun Valley Writers' Conference co-founder Reva Tooley now recalls, stylish, best-selling author E.L. Doctorow's parting words after appearing at an earlier conference was, it's "the best summer camp" he'd ever attended.
Which is one of the genuine reasons why more than 200 authors willingly—nay, eagerly—have accepted non-paying invitations over the past 13 years to speak at the annual gathering of a broad spectrum of figures with exceptional literary credentials. (Full conference information at svwc.com or 726-5454.)
After skipping 2007, the conference is back again this year with an eclectic group of 37 authors that reflects and satisfies the tastes of the 900 attendees who'll pay handsomely for the full four-day program, Aug. 22-25. One speaker dropped out because of family illness.
However, another audience is expected to take advantage of a new wrinkle. The conference will offer $25 tickets an hour before program time to hear speakers using the stage of the new, spectacular Sun Valley Pavilion.
Using the outdoor pavilion for some programs, rather than the traditional tent, is a "voyage of discovery," said Tooley, whose own wordsmithing career began as a researcher years ago for Time magazine. "We're trying to create a sense of intimacy (with the Pavilion), more so than the tent did. The amphitheater can almost embrace the audience."
There's nothing exclusively highbrow in the conferences. Diplomats, historians, civil rights activists, former TV network executives, liberal and conservative political commentators, a Catholic nun, academicians, satirists and humorists, mystery writers—the roster of speakers is an awesome collection of diverse styles and topics.
Emblematic of speaker contrasts in this year's program are the appearances of Carl Hiassen, the wildly popular satirist and Miami Herald columnist who captures what he calls the wacky weirdness of Florida, and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the dour former United Nations ambassador of the United States. The in-between group is just as fascinating and varied in backgrounds, careers and works.
To lure this star-studded lineup—Tooley says they're regarded as "rock stars" to conference attendees—the conference provides transportation and four to five days of lodging and meals at the Sun Valley Resort in exchange for their talks and for mingling with conferees.
The heady experience of listening to world-class authors and celebrities for four days costs $750. Tickets cover about a third of the conference costs, Tooley said. The other two-thirds is picked up by individual, corporate and foundation donors, local and afar, who kick in $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 to maintain the conference's quality and in exchange for certain benefits. However, she said donors who account for most of the underwriting use only one-third of the tickets.
The conference is doing its part to encourage reading and writing. Idaho teachers and students are admitted free to the programs. The organization also provides scholarships and fellowships.
Of the audiences, Tooley says about half are local residents. The gender breakdown is about half-and-half, and ages (not including student attendees) range from 40 to 65 years old. As for their interests, attendees are mostly readers and fans; a few are aspiring writers eager to learn from the masters.
Putting together this cultural event is a feat made considerably easier with information-age technology. Tooley points out that the staff who gather in Sun Valley once a year are scattered the remainder of the year in Los Angeles and Monterrey, Calif., Hailey, New York City and Iowa—but work together via telephone and computer connections.
Something of a fraternal sisterhood and brotherhood seems to have developed, Tooley believes, among writers who've appeared at the conference since 1995. Newfound friends among writers exchange addresses, and, she says perhaps half seriously, exchange knowing high-five signs when they meet at social functions thereafter.
Reva Tooley is the co-founder of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference.
Photo by Barbi Reed
