In recent years, several of us from the University have attended “The Gathering,” a creative conference and workshop at Keystone College held annually each summer. This is a conference for academics and non-academics alike, and high school and college students are also welcome. It's an opportunity to listen and converse with some big name creative and non-fiction writers. It's a special, intimate meeting that we feel many in the University community would enjoy.

The Gathering is held July 15-18, and it’s titled “Chaos and Creativity: Where the Strange Crossroads Lie.” The event includes workshops, lectures, readings, panel discussions and conversations. Among the speakers expected to present are Dava Sobel (science writer), Chris Abani (novelist/poet), Billy Collins (poet), Jennifer Armstrong (fiction/non-fiction writer), Gail Carson Levine (children's author), Georgia June Goldberg (visual artist) and Philip Mosley (scholar/translator).

For more information, visit http://gathering.keystone.edu/.