Introduction, Welcome, and Overview of the Lit Fest
11:30 am – 12:00 pm | Online via Zoom. RC Davis-Undiano, Kathy Neustadt, and Daniel Simon greet attendees and provide an overview of the three-day festival lineup, with welcome remarks by University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr.
Celebrating Diversity in YA Literature – A Roundtable Conversation
12:00 – 1:15 pm | Online via Zoom. Anastasia Wickham (University of Central Oklahoma), Laura Bolf-Beliveau (moderator, UCO), Annawake Grubbs (Osage, Cimarron Middle School), and Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) discuss the work of writers and publishers who are diversifying the literary landscape, followed by audience Q&A.
Panel on the Work of Cynthia Leitich Smith
1:30 – 2:45 pm | Online via Zoom. Monica Brown (Northern Arizona University), Kim Gail (Méona’hané’e) Wieser (University of Oklahoma), and Meredith Bigheart-Seagraves (Osage, UCO, moderator) discuss the work of 2021 NSK laureate Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), followed by audience Q&A.
Readings by the 2022 Neustadt Prize Jury
4:00 – 5:30 pm | Online via Zoom. Jennifer Croft, Tarfia Faizullah, Hamid Ismailov, Fowzia Karimi, Eleni Kefala, R. O. Kwon, Carlos Labbé, Carlos Pintado, Matthew Shenoda, and Olga Zilberbourg will read from their work.
Neustadt Prize Announcement and Conversation with Cynthia Leitich Smith
7:00 – 8:30 pm | Online via Zoom. Kathy Neustadt will announce the winner of the 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Immediately afterward, 2021 NSK laureate Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) and Dr. Heather Shotton (Wichita/Kiowa/Cheyenne) will discuss the writing life and the inspirations behind Smith’s work, followed by audience Q&A.
Student Photography/Essay Winners Present Their Work
10:30 – 11:00 am | Online via Zoom. Four students from the Norman Public Schools middle schools (Alcott, Irving, Longfellow, and Whittier) will present their winning photo-essays about a significant elder or mentor in their lives. The competition is being judged by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), Nancy Barcelo, Lauren Camp, and Todd Stewart.
