According to The Key West Literary Seminar web site, this small island, (Key West is only 4 miles long and 2 miles wide), boasts more writers per capita than any other city in the United States.
Ernest Hemingway owned a home there which is now one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island, as did Tennessee Williams. Wallace Stevens and Robert Frost wintered there in the 1930s. Jimmy Buffet, singer, song writer, novelist and children’s book author, immortalized it as Margaritaville. And the list of literary luminaries who have called Key West home, goes on; Elizabeth Bishop, James Merrill, Shel Silverstein, Richard Wilbur and John Hersey, to name just a few.
With its literary history and present day appeal to writers of all genres, it is fitting that the Key West Literary Seminar is held there yearly.
History of the Key West Literary Seminar
- The KWLS was founded in 1983 by writer David A. Kaufelt and his wife Lynn who now oversees the event.
- For the first two years, 1983 and 1984, the event was called simply, The Key West Literary Tour and Seminar and featured such acclaimed authors as Phillp Caputo and Carl Hiassen and a host of others.
- In 1985, the KWLS began to focus on a single theme, the first of which was Hemingway: A Moveable Feast. In the ensuing years, other themes have included: Whodunit? The Art and Tradition of Mystery Literature, American Writers and the Natural World, Once Upon a Time in Children’s Literature in the Late 20th Century and New Voices. The theme for 2010, to be held January 7-10 is, Clearing the Sill of the World – A Celebration of 60 Years of American Poetry In Honor of Richard Wilbur.
The 2010 Key West Literary Seminar
According to its website, the Key West Literary Seminar, 2010, will feature, “Some of the most accomplished and prominent poets of our time. Among this distinguished cast are seven United States Poets Laureate, and seven winners of the Pulitzer Prize.” Included are the current Poet Laureate, Kay Ryan and honoree, Richard Wilbur, Poet Laureate 1987-1988.
The 2010 seminar is sold out but there is a waiting list. Refer to the website for details
The 2011 Key West Seminar
Plans are already in the works for the 2011 author gathering to be held January 6-16. The theme is The Hungry Muse. An Exploration of Food in Literature. Speakers will include Roy Blount Jr. and Calvin Trillin. Registration information can be found on the KWS web site and advance registration is strongly advised.
Another annual writers’ happening held in Key West is the Robert Frost Poetry Festival. The 16th event honoring Frost will be held on April 11, 2010. The poetry festival coincides with National Poetry Month.
Key West is a popular tourist destination but for wordsmiths, seasoned or untried, it is a writer’s haven.
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