Dayna Bateman and her co-presenter Kevin Behr are leading a session called Kanban for Writers — which is all about how to “manage your book project with the simple tool technologists use to deliver complex projects on deadline.” Last year’s closing keynote Amma Marfo inspired people to take their creativity to new levels and, during the audience Q&A, some attendees asked about how to better manage projects. Dayna and Kevin stepped up to the mic to help answer those questions. Sensing a need for their expertise from the writing community, they submitted a proposal for this year’s event — and now it’s happening in less than a week!
HM: Tell us a little about your involvement this year at HippoCamp.
DB: Folks will get their hands dirty in our Kanban session — if we do this right, they’ll leave with a Kanban of their own. And there will be cupcakes, because it’s my birthday.
HM: Our motto is “memorable creative nonfiction.” Tell us about one of the more recent memoirs, essay collections, or individual essays you’ve read and why it was memorable. If it’s online, share a link!
DB: The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (isn’t everyone talking about The Crane Wife?) in the most recent Paris Review:
HM: What made you decide to participate in HippoCamp this year as a speaker? If you’re returning, how did your past experiences encourage you to want to come back?
DB: Our session is a direct response to the Q&A following Amma Marfo’s closing keynote at Hippocamp 2018, when several writers asked: “But how are we to manage long works in progress?” In response to this audience question, Kevin and I each stepped to the mic to share our experience with kanban. We witnessed a clear eagerness for more information from our peers that day, and we look forward to feeding that hunger with Kanban for Writers.
HM: What’s going to keep you busy between now and HippoCamp?
DB: I just returned from the Dominican Republic where I worked with small producers and entrepreneurs who are bringing cacao and chocolate products to market (yum!) and next week I travel to Woodstock for a memoir workshop with Abigail Thomas and Beverly Donofrio. This has been an amazing summer. HippoCamp is the icing on the cupcake (see: my birthday, above, and come get one for your ownself).
HM: Since you’ll also be attending the conference, when you’re not wearing your “speaker hat,” what are you most looking forward to learning or doing?
DB: Soaking up all the craft. This is my second year as an attendee, and I look forward to taking in as much as I can from all the writers who will share from their experience. This is such an amazing event for nonfiction nerds.
HM: We love introducing Lancaster to attendees. If you live here or have been here before, what would you recommend to other attendees?
DB: The goat yogurt at the Lancaster Central Market. Linden Dale Farm. I plan to consume at least a pint. Maybe more.
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Dayna, OMG. It’s gonna be your birthday? We can’t wait to celebrate with you and 200+ writer friends!
What we love about your session is that it evolved organically from an audience Q&A at HippoCamp 2018! We look very much forward to your and Kevin’s session: Tools from the tech and project management world can definitely translate well into the writing world.
Reader, we have less than a week to go before HippoCamp: A Conference for Creative Nonfiction (from the date of posting), and we still have space! You can learn more or register here.
— Post by Donna Talarico
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