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Confluence

A Celebration of Reading and Writing in Moab Focuses on "Eating the West"

By Jen Jackson

Found in: | Inside | Books |

For a second year in a row, the redrock rimmed valley of Moab will cradle a gathering of literary greats in observance of the ever-expanding community of readers and writers. Confluence: A Celebration of Reading and Writing is building upon last year's popularity and success, expanding its reach beyond the written word and into the realms of food and community.

This year's festival, held October 22-25, focuses on the theme "Eating the West." It will explore and celebrate our relationship to food, the politics of food production in the West, and the spectrum of sustainable, local and traditional foods. Events will include writing workshops, food tastings, screenings of the best of independent film regarding food from Telluride's MountainFilm Festival, guest authors and speakers, panels, book signings, hikes, readings and eating. Lots of eating.

"Whenever I visit a new community I look for three things: the farmer's market, the natural foods store and an independent bookstore. What else does one really need?" says Andy Nettle, Owner of Back of Beyond Books in Moab. "Confluence blends all of these assets into a fun, educational community event that defines the type of community Moab is. The lineup of authors and events provides access to some amazing programming. To meet Gary Paul Nabhan and Deborah Madison makes the event special enough, not to mention the movies, the tasting events, the panels and slate of events at the local Farmer's Market."

This year, Confluence has attracted a plethora of authors from the Slow Food Movement and beyond, including Gary Paul Nabhan, Deborah Madison, Susan J. Tweit, Ann Vileisis, David Mas Masumoto, and Jack Loeffler. Between them, these authors have produced dozens of books, penned hundreds of articles, and most importantly, they are well-versed in the varied ways we find sustenance in home ground.

"Eating and ruminating over our relationship to the earth are two sides of the same coin, two ingredients in the same stew," says Nabhan, author of Where Our Food Comes From, Coming Home to Eat, Why Some Like It Hot and others. "We have eaten the West's productive capacity and biodiversity to death with consumptive shopping malls and subdivisions. We need to restore its diversity to ensure future regional food security. ?Eat it to save it," says our friend Poppy Tooker of New Orleans. And drink it, too!"

Confluence kicks off Thursday, October 22, with a two-day writing workshop led by Vileisis, Tweit and Madison. Friday offers up another workshop, this one with Masumoto. MountainFilm Festival documentaries are on display both nights.

Food is, of course, the highlight, and opportunities to savor local flavors are offered all weekend long. Friday night's Local Flavors Tasting Event primes the palate for the weekend, presenting local homemade cheeses, honey, bread, wines, meats and more. On Saturday, Nabhan will host a Tequila and Tastes of the Southwest event, focusing on the beverage that binds landscape and lore in its golden embrace. And events culminate with Sunday morning's "Jam Session" ? an event honoring preserves.

This being a literary festival, all these forays into food are framed by the traditional literary offerings of book signings, panel discussions, readings and more.

For a schedule of events, registration for the writing workshops and more details on the weekend, go to moabconfluence.org or call Laurie Collins at 435-220-0068. You can also follow the event on Twitter at Twitter.com/MoabConfluence.