Sinclair Lewis Writers’ Conference
October 4, 2025
Celebrating 35 Years
This year marks the 35th Annual Sinclair Lewis Writers Conference. Jim Umhoefer, past president of the Sinclair Lewis Foundation, has organized and facilitated each of the conferences on behalf of the Foundation since 1990. Now that Jim and his wife have moved to Iowa to be closer to family, Jim is stepping down from this role following this year’s event. Regarding the conference’s long run, Jim said,
“It has been a distinct pleasure to be part of this fun conference. I feel that I have gained as much out of the event over the years as anyone. My good wishes go the Foundation in all of their future literary events.”
Cocktails and Conversation
Join us for an informative and spirited discussion on Friday evening, October 3 for our seventh annual “Cocktails and Conversation” event! This year, we will be focusing on Sinclair Lewis’s novel, Arrowsmith, published in 1925. This groundbreaking novel follows the life of Martin Arrowsmith, who aspires to be a medical researcher. The story explores the conflict between the ideals of scientific discovery and the realities of medical practice, as Arrowsmith navigates his career, personal relationships and the pressures of the healthcare market. We will gather at Babbitt’s Wine Bar in Sauk Centre at 7pm for a social time with cash bar, followed by a brief book summation and open discussions around some key issues in the novel. Whether you have read the book or not, we hope you will find this gathering and discussion to be both meaningful and fun, while taking away a deeper appreciation of Sinclair Lewis and his writing.
There is no charge to attend this event, though free-will donations are appreciated.
General Overview
The conference is open to all interested writers. Each participant will be able to choose three workshops and a panel discussion to attend (one hour each), plus the keynote talk. Lunch will be served to those registering up to three days before the conference and will give participants an opportunity to chat with other writers and with the presenters.
NOTE: The conference will be held in-person and also as a virtual event for those who choose to attend the conference from the comfort of home!
Sinclair Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, was a mentor to many aspiring writers during his career. This conference, held in Lewis’ hometown of Sauk Centre, Minnesota, is a tribute to a writer who took the time to help other writers hone their craft. This is our 35th annual writers' conference and, based on the enthusiastic response following the previous 34, we will continue our purpose of encouraging and inspiring writers of all ages and abilities. This year’s conference features Danny Klecko, award-winning poet and Master Bread Baker. He is joined by three presenters, including a novelist, creative writing author and screenwriter/non-fiction writer.
In-person cost of the day-long conference (including lunch, breaks and reception) is $85. College students and senior citizens can register for $80. High school students may attend for free, paying $25 for the cost of their lunch. Virtual event registration is $40, which includes the panel discussion, keynote talk and three presentations.
The Sinclair Lewis 2025 Writers Conference is made possible by the financial sponsorship of the following organizations: Minnesota National Bank of Sauk Centre, Pine Country Bank of Sauk Centre, Magnifi Financial Credit Union, Sauk Centre Area Community Foundation and the Sinclair Lewis Foundation. Private donors include Pat Hanauer, the Dave Simpkins Family and Dick and Pat Lewis. Sauk Centre Community Education is a co-sponsor of the event.
2025 Speakers
Keynote Danny Klecko
Danny Klecko is Master Bread Baker who has baked countless loaves of sourdough over the past 45 years.
During that span he has baked for many celebrities and dignitaries. His favorite event was creating a loaf of bread to symbolize peace for Governor Perpich and President Gorbachev of Russia during his visit to Minnesota in 1990.
Danny Klecko is also an award winning poet who won the 2020 Midwest Book Award with his collection entitled Hitman-Baker-Casketmaker: Aftermath of an American’s Clash With ICE.
Over the last two years he has become a frequent contributor to the New York Times, becoming the poet who has had the most of his work published in the Sunday NYT. His newest book Let's Talk About New York features the evening he spent with Isabella Rossellini, who upon meeting him said, “Good evening, Mr. Klecko. What shall we discuss? Your poems or your sourdough?”
After 40 years, Klecko has left St Paul to move to Minneapolis. Now living in the city he playfully calls Babylon, he will be marrying Erica Christ, an award winning playwright and essayist that works with her family at the Black Forest Inn, a German restaurant that recently celebrated it's 60th birthday.
Few people love Sauk Centre like Klecko. He is looking forward to returning to his Main Street friends to deliver a keynote lecture entitled "Arrowsmith vs. Gatsby."
About his talk, Klecko said, “2025 marks the centennial birthday of two very important books that were written by authors with Minnesota roots. Arrowsmith ended up winning the 1926 Pulitzer Prize while The Great Gatsby floundered by posting book sales that discouraged Fitzgerald.”
Join Klecko as he traces the trajectory of these classics while offering you pointers on how you can bring attention to your manuscripts that will hopefully stand the test of time?
Gardner
Enger
Hudson
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Leif Enger was born in Sauk Centre and raised in nearby Osakis, Minnesota. He attended Minnesota State University Moorhead and his first career was in journalism, producing features and documentaries for Minnesota Public Radio. In the early 1990s he co-wrote a series of mystery novels with his brother Lin under the name L.L. Enger, one of which was nominated for an Edgar Award.
Peace Like a River, Enger’s best-selling debut solo novel, won the Booksense Award for Fiction and was named one of the Year's Best Books by Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times. His second novel, So Brave, Young, and Handsome, was also a national bestseller. It was a Midwest Booksellers Honor Book, and won the High Plains Book Award for Fiction.
His third novel, Virgil Wander, was long listed for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and was named a best book of the year by Amazon, Library Journal, Bookpage, and Chicago Public Library. Enger’s recent novel, I Cheerfully Refuse, was noted by the Washington Post as “the sweetest apocalyptic novel yet.” Violet Kupersmith, author of Build Your House Around My Body, said that Enger’s novel is “A book that reads like music, both battle hymn and love song for our world.”
About his presentation, The Wily Rewrite, Leif said “We all wish our first drafts were brilliant--that our stories fell onto the paper with ease and impeccable style. But that isn't what happens. In fact, a certain amount of bad writing is necessary to reach the most joyful part of any project: revision. We'll talk about how to keep what works, jettison what doesn't, and transform pages that stumble into stories that soar.”
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Lillie Gardner is a writer of prose and screenplays from St. Paul, Minnesota. As a screenwriter, she’s been a Winner at Austin Film Festival, Catalyst Festival and Roadmap Writers’ Pitching Madness Tournament. She was recently featured in MovieMaker Magazine's "25 Screenwriters to Watch" list and is currently a fellow in the Hollywood Radio & Television Society Foundation’s 2025 Fellowship Program.
Most recently, she created the comedy web series Vegan Please. She co-wrote and co-directed, with Megen Musegades, You’ve Been Selected, a psychological horror short film about phone addiction. Lillie has also written episodes for the Wondery podcast Whose Amazing Life?
A devoted writer of literary fiction and creative nonfiction, her prose has been published in Quail Bell Magazine, Delmarva Review, Long River Review and more. Lillie minored in Creative Writing at New York University, where she studied music before earning her doctorate in piano performance from the University of Connecticut.
Gardner has taught writing classes and workshops at The Loft Literary Center, HippoCamp Conference for Creative Nonfiction, Minnesota Women in Film & Television and others. Learn more at lilliegardner.com.
About her presentation, Writing Dialogue that Speaks, Lillie said, “More than just characters talking, compelling dialogue communicates information to the audience, helps build a vivid world, and moves the story forward – whether we’re writing prose or scripts. But how do we pack all those structural agendas into our characters’ voices without the words coming out clunky and unnatural? In this session, we’ll explore the different roles dialogue can play in our writing (and the roles dialogue might not need to play in our writing!). Through exploratory exercises focused on substance, style and voice, participants will learn practical tips for how to write dialogue that sounds authentic to our characters and ensures our stories have something clear to say.”
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Brenda Hudson is an award-winning teacher whose passion is helping others express themselves through writing. In her workshops and book, Story by Story: 15 Projects to Write Your Family Legacy, she helps even reluctant writers quickly and easily capture their stories.
She regularly teaches at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and online through her business, Voiced Life.
Brenda holds an MS in Journalism from Boston University and a PhD from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Writing Studies. Learn more about Brenda and her workshops at www.voicedlife.com.
About her presentation, Story by Story: Voicing Your Life, Brenda asks conference participants, “Have you always wanted to write your life stories but never got around to it or known where to begin? Perhaps you started, but are stuck or overwhelmed?”
In this presentation, Brenda Hudson will guide you in her story-project method to easily and quickly capture your life, one story at a time. “By the end of the session,” Brenda notes, “You will have the encouragement and direction needed to start or continue writing your life stories. Come prepared for short writing exercises!”