Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman, © 1983 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; An American Childhood by Annie Dillard,

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman, © 1983 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; An American Childhood by Annie Dillard, © 1987 by the author. Used with permission of Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., and Blanche C. Gregory, Inc. Photo: Paul Miller

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday by J

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981, 1981, and 1983, respectively, by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; An American Childhood by Annie Dillard © 1987 by the author. Used with permission of Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., and Blanche C. Gregory, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.; Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the autho

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.; Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday by J

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981, 1981, and 1983, respectively, by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; An American Childhood by Annie Dillard © 1987 by the author. Used with permission of Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., and Blanche C. Gregory, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday by J

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981, 1981, and 1983, respectively, by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.; An American Childhood by Annie Dillard © 1987 by the author. Used with permission of Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., and Blanche C. Gregory, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.; Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the autho

Site: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA July 20, 2005– Text: Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell, © 1941 by the author. Used with permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.; Hiding Place by John Edgar Wideman, © 1981 by the author. Used with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc. Photo: Joshua Franzos Photography