Dorothy Allison

Dorothy Allison gave such a rousing talk, What We Know That We Do Not Know, on the opening day of the craft talks that we immediately sold out of all but a few copies of her books. By the time she appeared on the Narrative Voice panel the next day, we were completely sold out.

Something about the pitch and  drawl of her booming voice combined with the raw emotion of her writing resonated deeply with participants. In fact, her talk packed such an emotional wallop about what it means to be a writer that more than a few people sought refuge in the bookstore afterward. Together we tried to regain our composure by quietly thumbing through the paper backs. Sometimes I feel like Squaw is the only place in the world where I'm going to hear people talking about what it really feels like, deep inside, to be a writer, and that's exactly what Dorothy was able to convey. Dorothy is a powerful woman, a powerful speaker and a powerful writer.
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