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Philadelphia Writers' Conference Focuses On Evolution Of The Craft

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --  It's not your grandfather's Philadelphia Writers' Conference.

The Conference opens on Friday and has a focus on the future of the craft.

The buck stopped at Harry Truman's desk in the Oval Office, when the Philadelphia Writers Conference began in 1949, but making a buck through the written word has changed lately.

That evolution in a time of the Internet and handheld e-readers is a theme of the event.

Larry Atkins is the publicity director.

He says, the tradition of bringing in some well-known guests remains the same.

"Our keynote speaker is George Anastasia, former Philadelphia Inquirer crime journalist, author of five books and our opening speaker is Ed Rendell.  Speaking joining the evolution, he has evolved more as a writer and a media person as opposed to a politician," Atkins said.

The conference takes place at the renamed Wyndham Hotel at 4th and Arch.

It has one, two and three day sessions of interest in a range of writing fields, including master's classes in poetry and screenwriting for an extra charge.

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