Milford Readers and Writers Festival

ANYA TIKKA
Posted 10/3/18

MILFORD, PA — Milford celebrated its long history of all things literary by hosting the second annual Readers and Writers Festival, featuring both world-wide known authors like Alan Alda of …

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Milford Readers and Writers Festival

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MILFORD, PA — Milford celebrated its long history of all things literary by hosting the second annual Readers and Writers Festival, featuring both world-wide known authors like Alan Alda of “M*A*S*H” fame, who’s also published books, and a host of local writers and poets with presentations, panels, readings and workshops. Main events took place in Milford Theatre’s Main Stage, and readings and panels on different topics were hosted at the Pike County Public Library, the Episcopal Church and in a specially erected tent behind Hotel Fauchere.

Milford is the birthplace of modern science fiction and fantasy genre, started by the Virginia Kidd Literary Agency that brought to the world such celebrities as Anne McCaffrey, Gene Wolfe, John Varley, James Tiptree Jr., and Alan Dean Foster. To honor its world-wide influence from its birthplace in Pike County, The River Reporter attended special sci-fi fiction readings and a party upstairs at Dimmick’s Inn, which sponsored the event.

Today, the Arrowhead SF Foundation is a continuation of the original Virginia Kidd Literary Agency, still housed in the same building in old Milford, and represented by agents Christine Cohen, William Reeve, and volunteer and author Brian Andersen.

Cohen explained the agency is still very much alive, and aware of its role as the originator of the now very popular genre that has spread all over the world.

“Science fiction is all around us, because we’re surrounded by technology we think is primitive, but a hundred years ago, this was the future. That’s how I see it,” Andersen said. “Milford is a vortex of science fiction writers.” He came to the first festival last year, and in a sense, never left.

“We’re always looking for volunteers at Arrowhead SF Foundation,” Cohen added. “We are an organization that aims to keep the history of science fiction in Milford alive. We are in the building where all these writers came for workshops in 1950s.”

Cohen explained that as an agent, she’s the link between the author and a publishing house. “We basically verify that this is quality fiction, and editors should spend their time on it, and purchase it.”

Reeve said he’s the newest agent at the Foundation.

“We had a great time last year here, so we had to do it again,” he added.

Dr. Lilian Longendorfer, who was the coordinator and one of the authors at Milford Readers and Writers Festival, joined the event. She’s also a member of the committee and a board member. She said, “My primary interest is science fiction, so I basically pushed to have it at Dimmick’s.”

A separate panel on science fiction also took place earlier in the day.

Longendorfer said the festival looked to be a success. “Many events have been sold out.” Many events were free.

Cohen said Arrowhead SF Foundation will host a fundraising Halloween party open to the public on October 27 on East Harford Street; for more information “like” Arrowhead SF Foundation on Facebook. The agency is open to reading author submissions.

The River Reporter also visited “Beyond the Fairytale: Something Old! Something Borrowed! Something New!,” an event and workshop presented by local children’s book author Gayle C. Krause.

Participants were guided on how to base new stories on old fairy tales, but with a completely new angle, often by focusing on a character in the original story who didn’t seem important in the original version, or set in a time before the events in the original version occurred.

Krause recommended brainstorming by freeform dialogue, or interviewing the characters, among other ideas.

“I do school visits, and different writers’ conferences, and offer a free critique service at www.gayleckrause.com,” she said.

milford, literature, reading, writing

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