Announcing the 2012 AWW Keynote Speaker and Master Class Instructor!

John Grogan

The Antioch Writers' Workshop is pleased to announce that bestselling author John Grogan will be the 2012 AWW Keynote Speaker, delivering his address on the evening of Saturday, July 7, 2012, 7:00 p.m. at Antioch University Midwest. This event is open to the public.

Then, on Sunday, July 8, 2012, for Antioch Writers' Workshop participants only, John will deliver a master class for all participants, sure to inspire, motivate and jumpstart attendees, whether they write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. This special creative writing master class for AWW 2012 participants will be from 9:00-11:30, also at Antioch University Midwest.

Author of Marley & Me, John Grogan was a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer when he wrote a column saying goodbye to his incorrigible 13-year-old Labrador retriever, Marley. When hundreds of messages flooded his inbox and voicemail the next day, John recalls, "That's when I knew I had a bigger story to tell."

The story became Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, a book about what a misbehaving dog meant to his family. A touchstone for people worldwide, the book grew into a runaway #1 New York Times bestseller with more than 3 million copies in print in 30 languages. Made into a movie starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, the book is now part of Grogan's engaging and inspirational conversation about family, loyalty, optimism, and what really matters in life. Grogan now also writes a children's book series called The Marley Series. A new dvd for children titled Marly & Me: The Puppy Years was released in 2011.

Grogan has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS' The Early Show, National Geographic Channel's The Dog Whisperer, and in The New York Times, USA Today, and People magazine. Following the release of the film, Grogan was also featured in a P.S.A. for the American Kennel Club in which he discussed responsible dog ownership.

In his popular appearances he shares what his mischievous dog taught him about patience, constancy and acceptance, "that commitment matters and that 'in good times and bad, in sickness and health' really means something."

Grogan's latest New York Times bestseller is The Longest Trip Home. Publishers Weekly called it "a hilarious and touching memoir of his childhood."