Letter: Literary festival organizers relishing success of event
To the community,
Hundreds of writers, creators and community members attended the inaugural WordWave literary festival at Valhalla Oct. 9-11. This event exceeded our expectations and confirmed that South Lake Tahoe is a great place for cultural events. From the Steampunk Ball with Garth Stein to the Pam Houston keynote and the one-act play competition performance, people were inspired. The Pam Shaw-Miller Maker’s Station was a hit, as were the offerings for students. Workshops attendees packed the Grand Hall and the Grand Lawn to hone their craft. It was an amazing weekend.
The support we received for this event was phenomenal. We’d like to thank our sponsors for their generosity: Valhalla Tahoe, Tahoe South, Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra, Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe, Folio Books, Charter Advertising, Michael and Ronda Schaer, Len and Cyndy Carlson and the South Lake Tahoe Friends of the Library. And a special thanks goes to David Brock for his wonderful WordWave soirée.
We’d like to thank the following businesses for their donations: Blue Angel Cafe & Catering Company, Penguin Random House, Madrona Vineyards, Revolution Wines, Lakeside Beverages, Monk’s Cellar, Lakeside Casino, Farm Table, Tallac Cookie Company, Tacos Por Favor, Face in a Book, Lake Tahoe News, Rude Brothers Bagels, Beach Retreat & Lodge, Camp Richardson and last, but certainly not least, Lauren Lindley Photography, which made the Steampunk Ball much more than a party.
This event would not have happened without our volunteers, who donated their time and energy into pulling together a great festival, including Ginger Nicolay-Davis, Diana Evans and the cast, crew and directors of the winning one-act plays; Bruce Rettig, Suzanne Roberts, Lee and Margaret Vestal, Ronda Schaer, the staff and volunteers at Valhalla and a special thanks to Cyndy Brown-Carlson and Denise Haerr, without whom it would not have been possible.
Keep writing and making art – it matters that you do!
Kim Wyatt, Bona Fide Books
Jennifer Basye Sander, Write by the Lake
