Creative Loafing's Alyssa Abkowitz gives a blow-by-blow account of last weekend's AAN/Medill Writers Workshop. Speakers included Chicago Reader staff writer Steve Bogira (pictured), who counseled his audience to "take the usual and find the unusual in it." Also on hand were Esquire's Mike Sager, The Stranger's Dan Savage and all manner of alt-weekly editorial riffraff.
Yeah, the hotel elevators were slow and some of the speakers rambled. But according to the results of an online survey, AAN members overwhelmingly considered this year's convention in San Diego an overall success -- thanks largely to informative seminars and lively parties like the one pictured above. Here's a rundown of members' responses.
For the first time, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies' story-sharing site, AltWeeklies.com, has exceeded 100,000 unique visitors in a month. The rapid growth in traffic could have a positive impact on every paper that posts stories to AltWeeklies.
Judges' critiques of the 2005 AltWeekly Awards winners can now be downloaded for review. The same comments will appear in AAN Press's forthcoming book, Best AltWeekly Writing and Design 2005. Individual newspapers can also obtain summaries of remarks on all of their entries.
The Stranger's Dan Savage (pictured) will lead a workshop titled "On Not Sucking" at the AAN/Medill Writers Workshop, which will be held at Northwestern University on Aug. 12-13. Also presenting will be Chicago Reader's Steve Bogira, author of the critically acclaimed book "Courtroom 302"; Mike Sager, Esquire contributor and bestselling writer of "Scary Monsters and Super Freaks"; and award-winning reporter Julie Jargon.
Yes, AAN members inhale. At least these members do, bellied up to an oxygen bar in this photo from San Diego. The gallery also features Dan Savage's homicidal T-shirt, countless cheesy smiles and at least one painted donkey.
Creative Loafing Atlanta, which began posting stories to AltWeeklies.com when it launched a year ago, recently sold its 50th article using the sites' self-syndication function. In light of the paper's sales success, Editor Ken Edelstein and Operations Editor Lea Holland (pictured) offer a few selling tips to other AAN members.
