Barrelhouse Conference
On Saturday, April 18th, 2026, American University hosted the annual Barrelhouse Conference put on in partnership with the Barrelhouse Magazine, a literary small press magazine based in Maryland. During this conference, attendees were able to participate in a wide range of enriching experiences such as sessions with various literary experts, speed dating with editors, and author panels.
The conference hosted three session times with various options to attend during each hour slot. AU MFA student Anna Martignetti attended a craft workshop titled “Take Me Back: A Dolly Parton Poetry Workshop.” She claimed that “Dustin Brookshire’s Dolly Parton poetry workshop was an absolute delight!” Other sessions included insight about publishing in literary journals, revising novel length works, writing outside of your identity and more. Having the freedom to choose which sessions most align with your creative endeavors was a great way to maximize what writers took away from the conference.
Another highlight of the day was an event called “Speed Dating with Editors.” Each attendee was granted a ticket to participate in a 10 minute one-on-one chat with an editor from a literary magazine or small press. During this discussion, editors provided direct feedback on the writer's work. This event was also structured with intent as you were paired with editors based on the genre of your work. Laura Dame, an American MFA student, commented, “I really appreciated the editor speed dating. It gave me a chance to network, get unfiltered feedback on my writing, and build confidence in who I am as a writer.”
The event also hosted an author panel with authors Michele Evans, Erica Stern, Dave Housley, and Diana Rojas. During this panel, each author had a chance to read a brief excerpt from their recently published books. These authors varied in genres from fiction, poetry, memoir, and short stories, again giving attendees a taste of varying styles. After reading their work the authors answered questions from the audience. They confessed to their greatest author sins, commented on their revision process, and shared their best writing advice. Each author was intentional and helpful in their responses to the audience which matched the overall community centric atmosphere present throughout the entirety of the conference.
When thinking back on his experience with each aspect of the day, American MFA student Piérre Ramon Thomas commented:
“Gathering with and learning from local authors and writers at the 2026 Barrelhouse Conference was an enriching experience. Whether I learned to take away judgment from myself when portraying place from Aurora Bonner’s “Not Just a Backdrop” workshop, or that university publishers and small presses usually publish novellas from Dianna Rojas of the “Carving Out a Literary Life” panel, or that the form or shape of the poem will reveal itself to me, the poet, from Michelle Evans, author of Februaries, or to note the emotional aspects of research and explore those from Lynne Schmidt’s “Generating Poems Through Research”, altogether, it was a great opportunity to soak up all that literary knowledge. With this being my first conference, it taught me that workshops and panels are the quickest, easiest way to learn about the craft of writing while simultaneously streamlining the networking process. I can definitely see myself returning next spring.”
Overall, this conference helped build a writer community, inspire creatives, and spark enriching conversations. If possible, I would recommend making it a priority to attend next spring.
