FEATURING:
Jami Attenberg
Deesha Philyaw
Tommy Pico

Sponsored by GrubStreet's Muse & the Marketplace conference

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, all writers face rejection—but how we cope with that rejection plays a huge role in shaping our literary future. Rebounding can be tough, but rather than allowing rejection to stop us in our tracks, we can reframe it into a motivational and instructional tool. Some rejections actually make us stronger—as writers, editors, applicants, and people—while others just need to be ignored. Poet and TV writer Tommy Pico (JUNK, Reservation Dogs), memoirist Jami Attenberg (I Came All This Way to Meet You), and award-winning short story writer Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) will share stories from their own paths to publication, and talk about how they cope with hearing “no.” Moderated by Denne Michele Norris, editor-in-chief of Electric Literature. Their discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.

Overcoming Rejection for Writers