I got a tip from writer Wendy Lyons Sunshine about the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest when she discussed it on the Freelance Success Board:

I can't say enough about how terrific it was. Before I went I thought the $275 fee was excessive - in retrospect it seems low for the quality they offered. Lineup was unbelievable - Pulitzer prize winners everywhere, with Gay Talese as the headliner (he was outstanding, and incredibly gracious). This is only the second of these conferences - last year's was headlined by Susan Orleans. So for those of you interested in writing craft, outstanding reporting, and visiting Texas in July (!) - check it out for next year.

I asked her about what she learned from the conference and she shared thusly:

A few take-home lessons from this event:

Journalists don't have to be just broadcasters of facts, they can be storytellers with passion and conviction. I was personally reassured that the process of thoughtful writing is *not* linear for many authors, and can be riddled with self-doubt and frustration. While some authors have assistants to keep documents organized or do limited research, on the whole, there are few shortcuts in pursuit of topnotch narrative nonfiction. Many speakers had exceptional commitment to their projects, often pursuing stories at personal risk over many years. Kurt Eichenreich emphasized that it's too daunting to sit down to write a whole book, but it's not hard to sit down and write a sliver (ex: 3 pgs/day). Eventually those slivers add up.

This conference will be a jolt of caffeine for anyone who appreciates and aspires to the highest levels of nonfiction writing craft.