HISTORY OF THE ASILOMAR CONFERENCE

Fifty-seven of the first sixty-nine annual Asilomar Language Arts conferences are on display below. Select the image to view the full program. The first document produced by the Curriculum Study Commission was authored in 1949. "Summary of Group Reports" documents "the satisfaction which 130 teachers of English found in meeting for a three-day period...to consider intensively the problems of their work."

This first formal record of an Asilomar conference reveals the seeds of an annual conference, now in its 70th year, that has attracted serious educators to meet and discuss a topic over five sessions throughout three days. In a real sense, the programs below represent the highest commitment to teaching in the State of California for seven decades.

In September, 2000, Ernie Karsten published The Life and Times of the Curriculum Study Commission, 1949-2000. Karsten was a CSC Chair, Co-chair, and English teacher at Skyline High School in Oakland. This valuable work details the original intentions of the commission and follows its development over its first fifty years.

ASILOMAR 71 [Oct 3-5, 2025]
BRINGING JOY BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM

KEYNOTE: John Schu

ASILOMAR 70 [Oct 4-6, 2024]
TEACHING IN THE WORLD OF AI: Promisesd and Challenges

KEYNOTES: Robert Jeffers and Alexandria Marino

ASILOMAR 69 [Sept 29-Oct 1, 2023]
DECOLONIZING CURRICULUMS: Awareness and Inclusion Through Content, Design, and Instruction

KEYNOTE: Dr. Jamilla Lyiscott

ASILOMAR 68 [Oct 4-6, 2019]
WRITE NOW! Techniques for Improving Classroom Instructional Methods and for Inspiring Teachers to Become Writers

KEYNOTE: Dr. Paul Rogers

ASILOMAR 67 [Oct 12-14, 2018]
TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE: The Key to Powerful Learning

KEYNOTES: Erika Jones & Kimberly Gilles

ASILOMAR 66 [Oct 6-8, 2017]
EXCELLENCE THROUGH EQUITY: From Powerful Vision to Everyday Reality

KEYNOTES: Peter Noguera and Carol Jago

ASILOMAR 65 [Oct 7-9, 2016]
TEACHER AS INSPIRATIONAL MENTOR

Conference dedicated to Miles Myers

KEYNOTES: Jim Burke and Dan Reynolds

ASILOMAR 64 [Oct 9-11, 2015]
TRANSFORMATIONAL TEACHING: Journeying into the Common Core and Beyond

KEYNOTES: Chris Crutcher and Patrick Camangian

ASILOMAR 62 [Oct 18-20, 2013]
FOCUS ON THE COMMON CORE: Valuing What We Know and Clarifying What We Can Do

KEYNOTES: Jim Burke and Barbara Kapinus

ASILOMAR 62 [Oct 18-20, 2013]
FOCUS ON THE COMMON CORE: Valuing What We Know and Clarifying What We Can Do

KEYNOTES: Jim Burke and Barbara Kapinus

ASILOMAR 61 [Sept 28-30, 2012]
WHY LITERATURE?
WHAT LITERATURE?
HOW?

KEYNOTES: Nick Flynn and Leila Christenbury

ASILOMAR 60 [Sept 23-25, 2011]
STORIES OUT OF SCHOOL

KEYNOTES: Mary Roach and Arturo Munoz Vasquez

ASILOMAR 59 [Sept 24-26, 2010]
TWO OR THREE THINGS WE KNOW FOR SURE

KEYNOTES: Dorothy Alison and Robert Hass

ASILOMAR 58 [Sept 26-28, 2008]
TEACHERS AT THE CENTER

FEATURES SPEAKERS: Linda Darling-Hammond, Jim Burke, Russell Hill, and Alan Sitomer

ASILOMAR 57 [Sept 28-30, 2007]
RESTORING HOPE IN A TIME OF FEAR

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Taylor Mali, Derrick Jensen, Youth Speaks

ASILOMAR 56 [Sept 29-Oct 1, 2006]
INHABITING AND EXPANDING THE COMMON GROUND

Conference dedicated to Jim Gray

Featured Speakers: George Lakoff, Janet Emig, Laila Lalami, Nathalie Handal, James Galvin

ASILOMAR 55 [Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2005]
TEACHING WITH FIRE

KEYNOTE AND FEATURED SPEAKERS: Tobias Wolff, Ishmael Reed, April Sinclair, and Gail Tsukiyama

ASILOMAR 54 [Oct 1-3, 2004]
SUSTAINING AMBIGUITY IN THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Dave Eggers, Jane Juska, Francuso Jimenez, and Kim Stafford

ASILOMAR 53 [Sept 19-21, 2003]
WORDS UNDER THE WORDS: COMPREHENSION AND CONNECTION THROUGH LITERATURE

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Naomi Shihab Nye and Phiilip Lopate

ASILOMAR 52 [Sept 27-29, 2002
RISKING INTENSITY: SETTING THE TONE FOR THE NEW YEAR

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Billy Collins and David Whyte

ASILOMAR 51 [Sept 28-30, 2001]
CREATIVITY: THE ESSENTIAL STANDARD

FEATURED SPEAKERS" Luis Valdez, Carol Jago, and Ruben C. Gonzalez

ASILOMAR 50 [Sept 22-24, 2000]
TEACHING THE MANY DIMENSIONS OF THE MIND: THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEW CENTURY

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Mike Rose and Chris Gutierrez, Fran Claggett, and Leonard Shlain

ASILOMAR 49 [Sept 24-26, 1999]
MILLENNIUM THRESHOLD: LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Anne Lamott, Word for Word, and Frank Sopper

ASILOMAR 48 [Sept 25-27, 1998]
BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Melba Beals, Dr. Eugene Garcia, and Dr. Francisco X. Alarcon

ASILOMAR 47 [Sept 26-28, 1997]
BEYOND GUTENBERG: STUDENTS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Conference dedicated to James Moffett

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Sven Birkerts, Bebe Moore Campbell, and Luis Rodriguez

ASILOMAR 46 [Sept 27-29, 1996]
THREADS IN THE TAPESTRY OF LEARNING

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Deborah Meier, Lawrence Yep, and Peter Donat

ASILOMAR 45 [Sept 22-25, 1995]
BIG DREAMS, MANY CALIFORNIAS

KEYNOTES: Greg Sarris, Bill Barich, Gerald Haslam

ASILOMAR 44 [Sept 23-25, 1994]
UNEXPECTED GIFTS--WELCOME LEGACIES

KEYNOTE: Al Young
FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Janet Emig, John Mayer, Michael Toylado and Peggy O'Brien

ASILOMAR 43 [Sept 24-26, 1993]
THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES

KEYNOTE: Tony Hillerman
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Gillian Roberts, Lia Matera, Shelly Singer, Diane Ferlatte

ASILOMAR 42 [Sept 25-27, 1992]
VOICES OF CALIFORNIA: SOME REGIONS OF THE MIND

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Jeane Wakatsuki Houston, James D. Houston, Gerald Haslam, Dorothy Bryant, Gary Soto, John Cotter, Alpha Quincy, Ken Grantham, Barbara Oliver

ASILOMAR 41 [Sept 27-29, 1991]
TO COMPREHEND THE WHOLE--

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Jesse Perry, Jeff Cory, Russell Hill, Eve Merriam, James Moffett, John Cotter, and Frank Thomas

ASILOMAR 40 [Sept 28-30, 1990]
THE EMERGENCE OF NEW IMPERATIVES

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Miles Myers, Sanford M. Dornbusch, Joy Carlin, and Arturo Islas

ASILOMAR 39 [Sept 22-24, 1989]
TEACHERS REBUILDING EDUCATION: BEYOND THE REFORM MOVEMENT

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Elizabeth George, Robert Scholes, and Albert Shanker

ASILOMAR 38 [Sept 23-25, 1988]
REFORM, REVOLUTION, AND THE ENGLISH TEACHER
Conference dedicated to the memory of Dick Worthen (1912-1987)
FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Adam Urbanski, J. California Cooper, and Claire Pelton

ASILOMAR 37 [Sept 25-27, 1987]
JOURNEY INTO KNOWING

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Tales Out of School, Rexford Brown, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Dorothy Bryant, Gary Soto, James Squires, Robert Probst, More Tales Out of School

ASILOMAR 36 [Sept 26-28, 1986]
GLIMPSES OF TRUTH

KEYNOTES: William S. Anderson, Marie Ponsot & Rosemary Deen, David Weir

ASILOMAR 35 [Sept 27-29, 1985]
O WONDER! HOW MANY GODLY CREATURES ARE THERE HERE!"

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Richard Rodriguez, Dr. Mary Metz, The One Act Theater Company

ASILOMAR 34 [Sept 21-23, 1984]
DISCOVERERS AND "THE MYSTERY OF THINGS"

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Alan Dundes, William Arrowsmith, Joe Gores, "HAMMETT," a film presentation

ASILOMAR 33 [Sept 23-25, 1983]
"AND THE WORK IS PLAY FOR MORTAL STAKES..."

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Cyra McFadden, Walter Loban, James Squire, "Picnic at Hanging Rock"

ASILOMAR 32 [Sept 24-26, 1982]
HOLDING THE MIRROR UP TO NATURE

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Janice Hutchins, Mary Hedin, The Festival Consort, and Dale Harris

ASILOMAR 31 [Sept 25-27, 1981]
LITERATURE: NEWS THAT STAYS NEWS

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Eve Merriam, William Dickey, Dr. Karl Menninger

ASILOMAR 30 [Sept 26-28, 1980]
"THE SHORE OF EXPERIENCE"

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Joseph Campbell, Robert Duncan, Dorothy Bryant, Dunbar Ogden and Actors

ASILOMAR 29 [Sept 28-30]
"ONLY CONNECT..."

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS: Bay Area Collective, Gerald Rosen, Kevin Starr

ASILOMAR 28 [Sept 22-24, 1978]
HOW INFINITE IN FACULTIES

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Albert Johnson, Rosalie Moore, and Phillip Lopate

ASILOMAR 27 [Sept 23-25, 1977]MEASURE FOR MEASURE--HUMANIZING THE BASICS

FEATURED PRESENTERS: James Gray (Introduction to The Bay Area Writing Project), Hugh and Velma Richmond, Dorothy Heathcoat, and Jay Manley

ASILOMAR 26 [Sept. 24-26, 1976]
NEW DIRECTIONS: Things Are More the Way They Are Now Than They Have Ever Been Before

KEYNOTES: Jack Aranson and Kay Boyle

ASILOMAR 25
A CELEBRATION OF ENGLISH

KEYNOTES: Robert Samples, Lorene and Robert Shields

ASILOMAR 24 [Sept 27-29, 1974]ROOTS AND BRANCHES

KEYNOTES: The Illegitimate Theater, B. Jo Kinnick, and John Gardner

ASILOMAR 23 [Sept 28-30, 1973]
VALUES THE HEART OF ENGLISH

KEYNOTES: James Britton, Barre Toelken, Ed Farrell, and Tillie Olsen

ASILOMAR 22 [Sept 29-Oct 1, 1972]
How Can the Humanizing Goals of English Contribute to an Expanded Literacy for the Individual?

FEATURED PRESENTERS: Walter Ong, Douglas Heath, and Anais Nin

ASILOMAR 21 [Sept 24-26, 1971]

KEYNOTES: Alan Dundes, Ken Macrorie, Wilson Riles, and Geoffery Summerfield

ASILOMAR 20 [Sept 23-27, 1970]CHALLENGES AND REALITIES

FEATURED PRESENTERS: Alex Haley; Robert Hogan; Miles Myers; and film showings, including Long Days Journey Into Night

ASILOMAR 19 [Sept 26-28, 1969]
KEYNOTES: Tom Wolfe and Christopher Brooks

ASILOMAR 18 [Sept 27-29, 1968]

KEYNOTE: Dr. Wayne C. Booth

ASILOMAR 17 [Sept 29-Oct 1, 1967]
COMPONENTS AND CURRENTS IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH

KEYNOTE: Dr. William Stafford

ASILOMAR 16 [Sept. 23-25, 1966]
ENGLISH FOR GROWTH, CHANGE, AND RENEWAL

KEYNOTES: Noam Chomsky, Eldonna Evertts, and Nevitt Sanford

ASILOMAR 15 [Sept 24-26, 1965]
ENGLISH IN FOUR PERSPECTIVES

KEYNOTES: Dr. James Squires, Dr. George Rusteika, and Richard Corbin

ASILOMAR 14 [Sept 25-27, 1964]

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Albert Kitzhaber and John Hope Franklin

ASILOMAR 13 [Sept 27-29, 1963]

KEYNOTES: Francis Christensen, Henry C. Meckel, Barry and Helen Olivier

ASILOMAR 12 [Sept 28-30, 1962]

KEYNOTES: Mark Harris, Donald MacKinnon, and Edmund Farrell

ASILOMAR 11 [Sept 29-Oct 1, 1961]FEATURED SPEAKERS: David Russell; Edmund Carpenter; Jim Squire; and The Commission on English (College Entrance Examination Board), including Louise Rosenblatt, Lawrence Ryan, Harold Martin, Davis DeCamp, Hallet Smith, and Scott Elledge

ASILOMAR 10 [Sept 30-Oct 2, 1960]FEATURED PRESENTERS: C.P. Snow, Travis Bogard, Herbert Thelan

ASILOMAR 9 [Sept 25-27, 1959]FEATURED PRESENTERS: Walter Loban and Ian Watt

ASILOMAR 8 [ Sept 26-28, 1958]FEATURED SPEAKER: Wallace Stegner

ASILOMAR 7 [Sept 27-29, 1957]FEATURED PRESENTER: Dora V. Smith

ASILOMAR 6 [Sept 28-30, 1956]
IDEAS THAT WORK

FEATURED PRESENTER: Luella B. Cook, NCTE President

ASILOMAR 5 [Sept 24-26, 1954]IMPROVING THE TEACHING OF LANGUAGE ARTS AT ALL INSTRUCTIONAL LEVELS

ASILOMAR 4 [Oct 17-19, 1952]THINKING AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

ASILOMAR 3 [Oct 19-21, 1951]

The second of two conferences that investigated conferencing techniques and structures with the assistance of Hilda Taba (U. of Chicago) as a consultant on group process.

ASILOMAR 2 [Oct 20-22, 1950]

The first of two conferences that investigated conferencing techniques and structures with the assistance of Hilda Taba (U. of Chicago) as a consultant on group process.

ASILOMAR 1 [Oct 14-16, 1949]

An exploratory conference based on a problem census developed at Asilomar on Friday night by the participants. The problems were then discussed in small groups and reported at the end of the weekend to the full assembly.