“Thomas Wolfe and the Writers Who Followed”
42nd Annual Conference
Asheville, North Carolina, May 29-30, 2020
The number of writers inspired by Thomas Wolfe is all but endless. Many have credited Wolfe with motivating them to write in the first place and then helping them find their authentic voices.
John Ehle and Wilma Dykeman, both with ties to Asheville, were deeply appreciative of Thomas Wolfe’s influence. Lawrence Ferlinghetti cited Wolfe as his reason for attending the University of North Carolina. Pat Conroy and James Dickey were passionate about the impact Wolfe had on their creative lives. Ray Bradbury, William Gay, Martin Gardner, Jack Kerouac, Phillip Roth, and Kurt Vonnegut all cited Wolfe as an important influence. Of our contemporaries, Wiley Cash, Charles Frazier, Elizabeth Kostova, Robert Morgan, and Stephanie Powell Watts are champions of Wolfe.
Our own Thomas Wolfe Society is saturated with writers who obviously owe allegiance to Wolfe and his influence, including Bill Beltz, Joe Bentz, Wayne Caldwell, Mark de Castrique, Tommy Hayes, Fred Hobson, George Hovis, Phillip Lewis, David Madden, Michael McFee, Ruth Moose, David Radavich, Shelby Stephenson, Terry Roberts, Kermit Turner, and Edwin Yoder.
Please join us May 29-30, 2020 in Asheville, the literal home of so many of these authors, at the Renaissance Hotel as we celebrate the literary genius of Thomas Wolfe and his influence on successive generations of American writers. Invite a friend or colleague and, if you have not already renewed your 2019 Society membership, please do so as soon as possible.
Proposals for “Thomas Wolfe and the Writers Who Followed” (or any other theme related to Thomas Wolfe) will be considered. Please send 250-word proposals by January 15, 2020 to Ray Walker.
