Demand for a Diversified Sewanee Writers Conference

9 years ago Featured

I love this conference, attended nearly a decade ago and this summer as well. It's been one of the richest experiences in my writing life, connecting me to other writers in deep and meaningful ways. I'd love to see the conference make strides to ensure all feel safe and welcome. It was distressing to see that for many writers, that wasn't consistently the case this year.

Diverse faculty encourages a diverse applicant pool.

Michael

I'm grateful for your willingness to listen to participants' feedback and excited to see how Sewanee will continue to grow.

I cherished my time in this conference and want it to be a welcoming place for all writers and voices.

Sewanee, as a conference, offers a gorgeous location, delicious food, more than acceptable housing, and a chance to spend quality time with fellow writers. The well-planned organization of the conference and its potential for creating a truly vibrant and diverse experience that meets the needs of all writers is what makes these missteps that much more disappointing; the bones are in place, but the conference must step into the 21st century. The conference risks becoming irrelevant if it doesn't do the work outlined in this petition, and that would be a shame. I think of all the teachable moments that were missed this year: the cemetery walk, cultural appropriation, inclusion and diversity, etc. By opening up a dialogue, the organizers would not only make an effort to right wrongs, but they would make the conference more inclusive in the best way possible. There is a way forward, and I hope the conference will take this opportunity for self-reflection and change.

10 years ago Featured

It is incredibly unfortunate that the request that these issues be openly addressed at the Sewanee Writers' Conference was met with such resistance. Of course, the fact that this conversation has begun is a step, but the defensive stance that was taken by some faculty and staff will only prevent Sewanee from becoming a more inclusive, and therefore a more productively creative environment for the writing community. It isn't that people are simply offended, but rather are genuinely concerned. I hope this petition will be understood through that lens.

Hire more diverse staff, accept a range of diverse attendees

Here is the email address for Dr. John McCardell, Jr. An email to him may help have our concerns addressed. [email protected]

10 years ago Featured

The conference's non-response to the concerns of its participants about diversity, inclusion and the safety of all participants is appalling. These concerns cannot be swept under the rug, and meeting them with hostility and derision is not going to make them go away. I have written a letter to the vice chancellor and will continue to pursue remedy to my experience at Sewanee until there is some action. No conference should allow what happened this summer, and then, when faced with the behavior of faculty and staff, refuse to address it at all.

A non-response to the concerns about diversity, inclusion and safety of all participants is not an option for the conference. This problem is not going to go away, and refusing to address it will only lead to further incidents and escalations.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Sewanee conference this year, and do think that for future conference, more attention to racial, gender, and sexual identify diversity would make the experience for all writers there a much more valuable one. Thank you for your consideration.

I am so thankful to the faculty and staff of the SWC for making it possible for me to attend, and for treating my fledgling stories with such attention and sensitivity. Let's make sure that a greater diversity of writers gets the chance to experience what I did.

Diversity is not a buzzword. It's an act of compassion and inclusion.

Sewanee is not a safe place for all of its attendees and that must change.

Sewanee is a very white place, always trying to live down it's slaver past. Sewanee will always be very white, too bad for the kids that have to grow up there.

All these aims are a good start, and please note that it begins with diversity in hiring.

I stand by this as a committed ally. Sewanee has so many opportunities to improve what it offers the writing, and greater, world. Do better.