No Direction Home: “If the NBA were on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs, even if they were coming in fuzzy.”

January 12, 2020

Amy Bass

Louisa Thomas

Joyce Carol Oates

“If the NBA were on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs, even if they were coming in fuzzy.” – Bobby Knight

This year marks my 25^th year of being involved in some capacity in what is one of the premier literary events in the nation, The Key West Literary Seminar. For the first 14 years, I was simply an attendee, an audience member who bought a weekend pass and then reveled in the annual assemblage of some of the greatest writers alive as they celebrated the written word. This year marks eleven years since I was asked to join the board of directors and serve as volunteer coordinator, a job that I happily enjoy each year, mostly because of the amazing group of volunteers who sign up year after year.

David Maraniss

Michael Mewshaw

During my time on the board, I have previously served as a committee member on a few occasions, joining a group whose purpose it was to select the writers who would be invited to participate based on whatever topic had been selected for that particular year. This year however marks the first time that I had ever been asked to chair the annual committee and it was with great pride and humility that I accepted.

Buzz Bissinger

Annelise Chen

Emily Nemens

Reading Between the Lines: Sports and Literature was a natural for me as I love sports and admire the immense amount of literature featuring or about sports in our society. After more than a year of intense preparation the seminar finally arrived this week and it has been a constant blur of activity and excitement ever since. In addition to my normal, extensive duties of organizing the 50 or so volunteers who work for us each year, I was involved in even more stuff this year, from being interviewed on my friend Gwen’s local radio program to literally picking up some of the visiting writers and delivering them to their hotels.

Kevin Young

Our week began when Kathy and I picked up a few of the writers who were on hand for the seminar at the Key West airport. We were assigned “New Yorker” staff writer Ben McGrath, journalist Amy Bass and writer Leanne Shapton. It is always fun to pick the writers up, it gives you the chance to be the first to greet them and their guests and gives them someone to connect with when they arrive for the annual dinner for the writers and the board that is held at Salute Restaurant.

With Amy Bass and Buzz Bissinger

Annelise Chen and Leanne Shapton

Just being able to attend the opening dinner is pretty special in itself. It is a somewhat intimate gathering where all the writers who have arrived to participate in the seminar get a chance to meet and mingle with the board and staff of the seminar in advance of the actual event. Each year, I find myself looking around at the astounding collection of talented writers who are here and wonder what the hell am I doing here?

Ben McGrath

Rowan Ricardo Philips

This year’s writers included Megan Abbott, Amy Bass, Buzz Bissinger, Daniel James Brown, Anelise Chen, Billy Collins, Geoff Dyer, Paul Goldberger, Gish Jen, Jane Leavy, David Maraniss, Ben McGrath, Michael Mewshaw, Emily Nemens, Joyce Carol Oates, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Arnold Rampersad, Leanne Shapton, Lionel Shriver, Louisa Thomas, Kate Tuttle and Kevin Young.

McGrath, Bissinger and Abbott

Dyer and Phillips

The seminar kicks off on Thursday evening with the John Hersey Memorial Keynote address this year delivered by the acclaimed writer Geoff Dyer. The auditorium at the San Carlos Institute was packed completely for the insightful and incisive lecture that the brilliant writer delivered. It was a terrific kick-off to the seminar. Our traditional post lecture reception was held at the Audubon House and Gardens and it was another opportunity to spend time interacting with both the writers and all those who travel from all over the country to attend the seminar.

Megan Abbott

Lionel Shriver

Friday was the start of three intensive days of readings, discussions, panels and presentations all from the wonderfully decorated set on the San Carlos stage, once again created by artist and set designer Cayman Smith-Martin. I won’t go much into what was actually discussed, you can find recordings of the actual sessions on the Key West Literary Seminar website and I would highly suggest checking it out. There were some truly incredible insights into the world of sports and the impact it has on our society.