First in a series of lectures on the Convivencia , the 800 years when Muslims, Jews and Christians co-existed in relative harmony in Southern Spain. (Later lectures will focus on Toledo, Seville and Granada.)

With the arrival of hybrid- and self-publishing, not every writer needs a literary agent. However, for those writers who plan to traditionally publish, most large publishing houses require that a writer have an agent to submit their work. But how do you know if working with an agent is even right for you and your work? In this workshop, taught by a literary agent, you will learn everything you need to know about literary agents, including whether working with one is right for you.

In this time of disquieting xenophobia it is enlightening to reflect on the possibilities of tolerance as we learn about the cooperation among the scholars of Toledo's School of Translators: Jews, Muslims and Christians.

A book proposal is a document that nonfiction writers (including memoirists) must have if they plan to gain interest in their project from a literary agent and/or editor. In this workshop, literary agent Elizabeth Kracht will break down the many working parts of the book proposal.

Based on her book The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript, this workshop with Elizabeth Kracht will cover more than 50 points for consideration before submitting to an agent, editor, or indie publisher, such as how to sharpen dialogue and prose, improving characterization, complicating plot, and much more. This workshop will be interactive with plenty of time for questions and answers.

In this workshop with instructor Hallie Ephron, we'll talk about how POV relates to story (the sequence of events that actually took place in your fictional world) and plot (the order in which it's revealed to the reader). Careful management of viewpoint is key to making it all work.

Join acclaimed National Geographic Traveler and BBC Travel writer and editor Don George for a day of exploration and travel writing in San Francisco. The group meets at the store at 9:00am and takes the ferry to the historic Ferry Building, while discussing how to find, research, and write travel stories.

Join award-winning landscape, food, and wine photographer Robert Holmes for a day of exploration and travel photography in San Francisco. The group meets at the store at 9:00 am for a discussion of travel photography, and then take the ferry to San Francisco to photograph and document one of the city’s most colorful and historic neighborhoods in North Beach.