East Meets West - National Magazine Symposium for Editors and Writers

UC Berkeley

Sep 16, 2006

East Meets West
A National Magazine Symposium for Editors and Writers

When: September 16, 2006, 9:00 am -- 5:00 pm

Where: North Gate Hall, Hearst at Euclid Avenue, Berkeley

Tickets: See ticket info below.

East Meets West brings together editors from top general-interest magazines and veteran journalists for an intimate, all-day conference at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. The editors will share tips, insights, and insider information on their publications. Writers will learn the editors' views on what makes great long-form narrative journalism, hear about the types of pitches they seek, and have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an editor.

The symposium will feature
Dana Goodyear, from The New Yorker
Clara Jeffery, from Mother Jones
Gerald Marzorati, from The New York Times Magazine
Scott Stossel, from The Atlantic Monthly
Bill Wasik, from Harper's

In addition to all-day forums and panels, a 15-minute session with one editor will be available to the first 30 registrants. These will be arranged on a first-come, first-served basis. They are not pitch sessions, but rather an opportunity for writers to discuss their work with a top national magazine editor.

DATE: Saturday, September 16, 2006

TIME: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PLACE: North Gate Hall, UC-Berkeley campus

LUNCH: Provided to all participants

PRICE: $115 for ASJA members and J-School alumni
$150 for other mid-career journalists (after June 30)

TO REGISTER: Instructions & registration form will be posted on this site June 1.

PARTICIPANTS: Journalists who have published feature stories in major magazines (Two clips as well as a short bio will be required to register.)

SPONSORED BY: Northern California Chapter of the American Society of Journalists and Authors; The Graduate School of Journalism and its Alumni Committee

East Meets West FAQ:

WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE EVENT?
Editors from five major national magazines, as well as seasoned journalists who have written feature-length pieces for major magazines. From June 1 to June 30, registration will be limited to ASJA members and alumni of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley. After June 30, registration will be open to any mid-career journalist with the above qualifications until the conference is full. This is event is not designed for novice journalists, nor is it intended for fiction writers or poets.

WHEN AND HOW DO I REGISTER?
Registration forms will be posted here by June 1, 2006. Once you have filled out the registration form, you will mail it in, along with a check, two copies of a sample of your best work, and a bio not to exceed 100 words in length.

Through June 30, registration will be open only to ASJA members and alumni of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley.

HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REGISTERED?
To keep the event intimate and to maximize the opportunity to meet and talk with editors, registration will be limited to 50 journalists. One-on-one sessions will only be available for the first 30 registrants. Once the first 30 slots are filled, 20 more people may be admitted for the public events and they will be waitlisted for one-on-one sessions. If no sessions become available $15 will be returned to them on September 16.

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE OF THE DAY?
The day will open with a keynote panel of five editors. Following that, and interrupted only by lunch, will be five 45-minute sessions in which each editor will talk specifically about his or her magazine and entertain questions. Concurrently, the one-on-one sessions will be taking place in separate rooms. At the end of the day there will be a panel of writers who will share their experiences writing for these magazines, followed by a wine-and-cheese reception.

HOW WILL THE ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS WORK?
These will be 15-minute sessions that will run concurrently with presentations by editors throughout the day. They will be available to the first 30 registrants only, on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration packets will be carefully ordered by postmark to ensure fairness in arranging the one-on-one sessions.

HOW DO I ENSURE THAT I GET A SESSION WITH THE EDITOR OF MY CHOICE?
The earlier you register, the better your odds of getting the one-on-one session you really want. We will guarantee a meeting with an editor to the first 30 people who sign up. Still, there is no guarantee that you will get a one-on-one session with the editor of your choice. But we will assign these meetings on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are assigned to your second, or fifth, choice—and a spot becomes available with your first choice—you will be moved to that spot if no one else is on "the waiting list" ahead of you.

ARE THERE ANY GUIDELINES FOR THE ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS?
These are not pitch sessions. These are envisioned as a chance to briefly meet with an editor face to face, to talk about your work. The editors will have had a chance in advance to review your writing sample and bio.

WHAT IF MY PLANS CHANGE AND I CANNOT ATTEND AFTER REGISTERING?
Let us know as soon as you can by e-mailing eastmeetswest06@yahoo.com. If you cancel by August 1, we will refund your conference fee minus $25. If you cancel by August 15, we will refund half of your conference fee. After August 15, we can make this partial refund only if we are able give your slot to someone on the waiting list.

WHAT IF I HAVE PARTICULAR DIETARY NEEDS FOR LUNCH?
We will provide a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, as well as various beverages, but we will not be able to make special arrangements for food. All participants will pay the same fee regardless of whether they eat lunch.

WHERE IS THE J-SCHOOL AND IS THERE A WAY TO GET THERE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? WHAT IF I DRIVE?
Here's a link to everything you'll want to know about North Gate Hall and how to get there. A warning if you drive: there is a Cal football game on the 16th and parking will be very tight. Please check here for more information about parking on football days.

I'M FLYING IN FROM OUT OF STATE. WHAT ARE SOME ACCOMODATIONS IN THE AREA?
Some popular hotels and inns that are not far from the J-school include The Rose Garden Inn, The Claremont Resort and Spa and The Holiday Inn Express. A warning: there is a Cal football game on the 16th and many local hotels will book early.

WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED HERE?
Email Lyssa Rome lyssarome@berkeley.edu , at the J-School, or Marina Krakovsky eastmeetswest06@yahoo.com , the head of registration for this event. Please keep in mind that this is an all-volunteer effort and are trying to focus our energies on making this a great program for all involved!

Tickets:
$115 for ASJA members and J-School alumni; $150 for other mid-career journalists (after June 30th).
Registration forms will be posted here by June 1, 2006. Once you have filled out the registration form, you will mail it in, along with a check, two copies of a sample of your best work, and a bio not to exceed 100 words in length. Through June 30, registration will be open only to ASJA members and alumni of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley.

http://journalism.berkeley.edu/events/details.php?ID=324