The Dallas Literary Festival is back! Please join us on April 2-3, 2025 on the campus of Southern Methodist University.

WEDNESDAY

April 2

8:30 AM - 9 AM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Welcome to My Country

Opening Remarks by Chair of English Department, Christopher González

How do we define our country—as a physical place, a personal history, or a cultural identity? Professor Christopher González opens the festival with reflections on literature’s role in shaping our understanding of country, belonging, and the power of storytelling. 

April 2

9 AM - 10 AM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Writers in our Backyard: SMU Authors  

Exploring Literary Roots on Campus and Beyond 
How does a university shape a writer’s understanding of place? This panel features SMU authors discussing how the surrounding community informs their creative work, whether through personal history, regional storytelling, or cultural connections. 

Moderator: Susan Norman

Participants: Sebastian Paramo, Lori Ann Stephens, Samantha Mabry

April 2

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Form in Life-Writing 

Personal and National Narratives in Life-Writing 
Memoirists craft personal histories within larger cultural landscapes. This panel examines how structure and form shape the stories we tell about ourselves and our countries—both real and imagined. Writers will discuss the challenge of balancing truth, history, and identity in their work. 

Moderator: DaMaris Hill

Participants: D. Watkins, MK Asante, Marita Golden, Christopher González

April 2

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Nourished by Story  

How Cuisine and Storytelling Shape Our Sense of Country

Food carries the history of a nation, a people, and a personal journey. In this conversation, writers discuss how culinary traditions influence their storytelling, how food connects us to our country of origin, and how recipes serve as narratives of survival, resistance, and heritage. 

Moderator: Karen Thomas

Participants: Crystal Wilkinson, Alexander Smalls

April 2

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Dallas Hall - McCord Auditorium

Writing Retreats: Finding Home Away from Home  

Reimagining Home Through Writing Retreats

Writers often leave home to find inspiration. This panel explores the significance of writing retreats in shaping creative work, offering solitude, and providing a temporary sense of belonging. Writers will discuss how different landscapes influence their storytelling. 

Moderator: Cole Lavalais

Participants: Marita Golden, Tyehimba Jess, Renee Simms

April 2

3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Dallas Hall - McCord Auditorium

My Black Country

Maria Dixon Hall in conversation with Alice Randall 

For Black writers, country is a layered concept—rooted in ancestry, displacement, and cultural inheritance. Alice Randall and Maria Dixon Hall explore how Black narratives challenge, expand, and redefine the meaning of home and nation. Through literature, music, and historical context, they discuss the role of storytelling in shaping personal and collective identity. 

Introduction: Triauna Carey

Moderator: Maria Dixon Hall

Participants: Alice Randall

THURSDAY

April 3

8:30 AM - 9 AM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Welcome  

Welcome from the E.A. Lilly Professor in English Darryl Dickson-Carr & Dallas Poet Laureate, Mag Gabbert 

How do writers define country—both as a physical space and an emotional landscape? This opening session sets the tone for the festival, exploring how literature and poetry help us navigate personal and collective identities.

April 3

9 AM - 10 PM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Outside Myself: Travel Writing  

Exploring Self and Nation Through Travel Writing

Travel writing is about more than movement—it’s about discovery. In this panel, writers discuss how travel influences their understanding of country, culture, and belonging. From exploring unfamiliar lands to rediscovering their own roots, these authors reflect on how crossing borders shapes both personal and national narratives. 

Moderator: Lauren Smart

Participants: Alex Temblador, Latria Graham, A. Kendra Greene, Johnathan Thompson

Selling My Story: The Business of Publishing 

Navigating the Literary Marketplace

Who gets to tell their country’s story? And how do writers ensure their voices are heard in the publishing world? This panel explores the business of books—from securing agents to marketing personal and national narratives. Writers and industry professionals discuss how to position their work in a competitive market while staying true to the stories they need to tell.  

Moderator: Jacob Rubin

Participants: Yahdon Israel, Lauren Cerand, Will Evans, Ali Kominsky

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

April 3

April 3

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

My Style: Fashion and Sports Writing

How Fashion and Sports Define Cultural Identity

Fashion and sports are more than entertainment—they’re reflections of national and cultural identity. Writers in this panel discuss how style and athletics shape the stories we tell about ourselves and our countries, exploring the intersection of history, race, and self-expression. 

Introduction: Megan Ashford

Moderator: Sara Idacavage

Participants: Ethan Lascity, Mitchell S. Jackson, Tara Donaldson

April 3

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Contemporary Poetry 

Crafting Identity Through Verse

Poetry is a nation of its own—one that transcends borders while remaining deeply personal. These contemporary poets discuss how their work reflects personal, cultural, and national identities, using language to explore heritage, displacement, and belonging. 

Moderator: Katie Condon

Participants: A. Van Jordan, Tyehimba Jess, John Murillo

April 3

3 PM - 4:30 PM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Writing About Place—Can You Ever Go Home Again? 

Exploring the Meaning of Home in Literature

Can you ever truly return to where you came from? Writers explore themes of nostalgia, migration, and changing landscapes, discussing how personal and national histories shape the way we view home. This panel examines how place influences storytelling and how writers wrestle with their evolving sense of country.

Moderator: M. Shelly Conner

Participants: Deesha Philyaw, Latoya Watkins, Renee Simms

April 3

4:45 PM - 6:30 PM
Oren Auditorium/Hughes Trigg

Reimagining Country Through Storytelling

Crystal Donkor with Tomi Adeyemi/Conference Closing  

Tomi Adeyemi, celebrated for her powerful fantasy novels rooted in African heritage, joins Crystal Donkor for a discussion on reimagining country through storytelling. From myth-making to historical retellings, they explore how literature can redefine national and cultural identity, shaping the future of how we see ourselves and our histories.