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Schedule

8:30amRegistration

Coffee/tea and light breakfast provided

9:00 am - 11:15 amFilm Screening and Q&A

Showing of This Boy’s Life, the 1993 film adaptation of Tobias Wolff’s memoir, starring Robert de Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Tobey Maguire (running time 1:55), followed by a Q&A with Tobias Wolff

9:00 am - 10:00 amWriting Workshop Block A

“Writing for Readers: A Generative Prose Workshop for Writers Looking to Publish Their Work” Nate Brown

“From Page To Judgment: Writing Compelling Book Reviews” Ron Charles

“The Art of the Interview” Margaret Talbot

9:00 am - 10:00 amWriting Workshop for Fitzgerald Scholars

“Every Sentence Is a Song: Musicality in Writing” Zach Powers

10:00 am - 11:00 amWriting Workshop for Fitzgerald Scholars

Tobias Wolff & Richard Bausch

10:10 am - 11:10 amWriting Workshop Block B

“How to Write for Younger Readers” Fred Bowen

“Expressive Writing for Caregivers” Hannah Greico

“Upclose and Still Living: How I Wrote 2 Memoirs and Have 7 Lives Left” E. Ethelbert Miller

11:20 am - 11:30 amWelcome and Introduction

Gary Berg-Cross, President of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival

Monique Ashton, Mayor of the City of Rockville

11:30 am - 12:30 pmA Conversation on the Art of Fiction and the Theme of This Year’s Festival, “Growing Up Is Hard to Do”

Tobias Wolff & Richard Bausch

12:30 pm - 1:30 pmLunch

Boxed lunch provided with your choice of sandwich, water or beverage, assorted whole fruits, chips, and a cookie

1:30 pm - 2:30 pmKeynote Talk

“Can We Talk: How Ways of Talking Can Make or Break a Relationship” Deborah Tannen

2:30 pm - 3:30 pmAward Ceremony for the 2026 Recipient of the Fitzgerald Award: Tobias Wolff

Recognition of Fitzgerald Scholars Taryn Trazkovich

Introduction of Tobias Wolff Richard Bausch

Readings from works by Tobias Wolff Tobias Wolff

3:30 pm - 4:30 pmBook Signing

Tobias Wolff & Richard Bausch

4:00 pmBus Tour

Bus tour of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s haunts in Rockville

Featured Guests

Tobias Wolff 2026 F. Scott Fitzgerald Award Winner

Tobias Wolff is the author of the memoirs This Boy's Life (1989) and In Pharaoh's Army (1994), and he has also written novels and short story collections, including Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories (2008). His novel The Barracks Thief (1984) won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in September 2015. Wolff is the Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor of English, Emeritus, at Stanford, where he lives with his wife Catherine. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Richard Bausch Special Guest

Richard Bausch is the author of thirteen novels, among which are Hello to the Cannibals (2002), Thanksgiving Night (2006), Peace (2008), Before, During, After (2014), and Playhouse (2023). His ten collections of short fiction include The Fireman’s Wife (1990), The Selected Stories of Richard Bausch, in The Modern Library (1996), The Stories of Richard Bausch (2003),Wives & Lovers: 3 Short Novels (2004), Something is Out There (2010),Living in The Weather of the World (2017) and, most recently, The Fate of Others (2025). His multiple honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Award in Literature Academy of Arts and Letters, the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award, the 2004 PEN/Malamud Prize; the 2009 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for his novel, Peace; and the Rea Award for Achievement in the Art of Short Fiction. In addition, his work has been adapted for three full length feature films. He has been with the Writing Program of Chapman University in Orange, CA since 2012.

Deborah Tannen Keynote Speaker

Photo © Jonathan Timmes

Deborah Tannen is a Distinguished University Professor in the Linguistics Department at Georgetown University. Among her many books, You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation (1990) was on The New York Times best seller list for nearly four years, including eight months as #1, and has been translated into 31 languages. Her books You’re Wearing THAT? (2006), about mothers and daughters, and You Were Always Mom’s Favorite! (2009), about sisters, were also New York Times best sellers. Her most recent book is a memoir entitled Finding My Father: His Century-Long Journey from WWI Warsaw and My Quest to Follow (2020). She has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Harvard Business Review, among others, and has appeared on The Colbert Report, Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America, PBS NewsHour, Nightline, NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Fresh Air.

Registration Information

  • Individual registration for October 24, 2026 F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival. Registration is required to participate in the day's activities.

  • Available for our guests 65+. Registration is required to participate in the day's activities.

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Workshops Block A: The choice to attend a workshop is up to you. Please note that each workshop costs $25, and you may only select one workshop in a block.

  • Nate Brown: “Writing for Readers: A Generative Prose Workshop for Writers Looking to Publish Their Work”

    Led by longtime literary editor and fiction writer Nate Brown, this generative prose workshop explores the elements of craft in contemporary fiction and creative nonfiction while engaging closely with current trends in literary publishing. Through short readings and carefully designed writing prompts, participants will generate new work and receive thoughtful feedback from both the instructor and fellow workshop participants. Together, we’ll explore the current publishing landscape, discussing corporate publishing, indie presses, and the universe of literary magazines. The workshop will emphasize best practices for writing, editing, and revising with an eye toward preparing work for submission. Further discussion will focus on identifying appropriate prose markets, working productively with editors, and developing a meaningful, sustainable revision practice.

    Price $25.00

  • Ron Charles: “From Page to Judgment: Writing Compelling Book Reviews”

    In this workshop we will explore the art of book reviewing, from selecting the right book and reading with a critical eye to crafting compelling reviews that resonate with readers.

    Price $25.00

  • Margaret Talbot: “The Art of the Interview”

    Whether you are writing a profile, talking to relatives to create a family history, researching historical fiction or even writing a memoir, interviewing skills that elicit rich insights and stories can be key to the process. We’ll discuss the elements that make for a successful interview, and try out some techniques and approaches.

    Price $25.00

Workshops Block B: The choice to attend a workshop is up to you. Please note that each workshop costs $25, and you can only attend one workshop in each block.

  • Fred Bowen: “How to Write for Younger Readers”

    In this workshop we will explore how to write for and keep the attention of younger readers. Topics will include Bowen’s Ten Commandments of writing for a younger audience and working with an illustrator.

    Price $25.00

  • Hannah Grieco: “Expressive Writing for Caregivers”

    How storytelling helps us navigate complicated experiences PTSD and/or mental and physical symptoms related to the act of caring for others. One of the most effective ways to work through complicated caregiving experiences is the act of expressive writing. In this short workshop, we’ll discuss why we write about these experiences and the many ways it helps us, the people we love, and the larger world. We’ll briefly explore the research behind expressive writing and PTSD, and then move into short readings and generative exercises. Participants will leave with a strong beginning of a personal essay or poem, as well as a clear understanding of the next steps toward publication.

    Price $25.00

  • E. Ethelbert Miller: “Upclose and Still Living: How I Wrote 2 Memoirs and Have 7 Lives Left”

    E. Ethelbert Miller will be reading excerpts from his two memoirs. He will be explaining his writing process in order to help workshop participants discover their own.

    Price $25.00

4:00 pm Bus Tour of Fitzgerald's Haunts in Rockville

  • Bus Tour

    Join local historian Eileen McGuckian for a drive by some of the locations significant to F. Scott Fitzgerald's time in Rockville. The tour includes a visit to his grave. The tour begins at approximately 4 pm and lasts around an hour and a half. Drop off is at Montgomery College.

    Price $10.00
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The F. Scott Fitzgerald Festival is a 503(2) non-profit organization.  We are funded by our generous donors and grants.  Please help us continue to recognize literary excellence.

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