Americans are reading less and writing more. While the causes of this paradox are still under debate, there's no argument that Pittsburgh has played a major role in the rise of the writing of creative nonfiction.

	John Edgar Wideman Click photo for larger image. 412 Festival schedule

Its popularity can be traced to University of Pittsburgh writing professor Lee Gutkind's efforts a little more than 10 years ago to spread the gospel of the genre that combines the art of storytelling with the reporting of the facts.

That's when he launched the eponymous literary journal and foundation with its headquarters now in Shadyside. The gospel has spread to the curriculums of colleges across the country, spawned other journals and inspired thousands to take up the writing of memoirs, family sagas and journalism.

The craft will be celebrated this week with 412: The Pittsburgh Creative Nonfiction Literary Festival. It opens tomorrow and concludes next Sunday.

"There are two sources for the festival," Gutkind explained. "Obviously, one is to mark the anniversary of the journal. It's due a celebration. So many great things have happened to the genre since we started it. It's grown like crazy.

"The other thing is that Pittsburgh deserves a literary festival," he went on. "As I've traveled around the country, I've seen so many cities with festivals and felt it was time to do one here."

Gutkind called the region's population of writers "terrific people, successful. We have such a great literary tradition here, but not a lot of cooperation among the various groups."

He hopes to use the festival to "reach out to connect with a lot of people with the hope that we can make this a regular event."

The program will also herald the publishing of "In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction" (Norton, $15.95), edited by Gutkind. It's a collection of journal articles from such writers as Gutkind, Annie Dillard, Madison Smartt Bell, Francine Prose and John Edgar Wideman.

Wideman, the award-winning Pittsburgh native who's made his mark both in fiction and nonfiction, will be keynote speaker Saturday.

"Wideman's one of the first writers to break the boundaries of nonfiction writing with 'Brothers and Keepers,' " Gutkind said.

"The book crossed genres when it came out in 1987, before the explosion of creative nonfiction, and it helped get the movement going."

Wideman also will appear on a panel discussion with his son, Daniel, and with cousin, novelist and memoir writer Albert French ("Billy," "Patches of Fire.") Also set for Saturday, the program is called "One Family, Many Genres."

"John told me he and his son had never appeared together as writers, so this will be a first," added Gutkind. "It's a perfect time to bring them together here in Pittsburgh."

Seminars and ceremonies mark the festival weekend, but there's a variety of programs during the weekend, starting tomorrow with Terry Tempest Williams' appearance at the Drue Heinz Lectures.

A contributor to "In Fact," Williams is best known for her 1991 ecological memoir, "Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place."

Other books include "Red: Patience and Passion in the Desert" and "Leap."

The festival will also mark the publication of another anthology, "Dirt," the second book from The New Yinzer, the 2-year-old publisher based in Pittsburgh.

The New Yinzer began as an online journal but this year switched to print. "Dirt," a collection of 14 stories from such writers as novelist Michael Byers and Sherrie Flick, explores "what's hiding under the couch, shut tight in the upstairs cupboard and locked away in the dark places of a person, place or thing," said editor Jennifer Meccariello in her introduction.

The publication party will be Friday at 8 p.m. at the Brew House and Space 101 Gallery, 2100 Mary St., South Side. It's free with a festival pass or $6 at the door. The pass, $25 for all weekend events, is available through ProArts at 412-394-3353 or online at www.proartstickets.org.