Poet, essayist, and fiction writer Grace Paley will deliver the keynote address at a one-day writers conference, "From the Written Word to the Published Page," cosponsored by the Radcliffe Seminars and the Radcliffe Publishing Course to be held Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Cronkhite Graduate Studies Center, 6 Ash St., Cambridge. The conference, which features Radcliffe Seminars writing instructors and publishing industry professionals, is designed for writers who seek inspiration, guidance, and practical advice on how to move their manuscripts toward completion and publication.

Following Paley's address, Radcliffe Seminars faculty will lead concurrent workshops on topics such as poetry writing, performing, and publishing; manuscript preparation and submission; and truth-telling in memoir writing. After a lunch break, participants will enjoy a panel discussion on the intricacies of publishing moderated by Radcliffe Publishing Course Director Lindy Hess and featuring Ann Close, senior editor, Alfred A. Knopf; Lucie Prinz, editor, The Atlantic Monthly; and Lane Zachary, agent, Zachary Schuster Literary Agency. They will discuss the role of agents and editors and the realities of marketing and sales within a publishing house, as well as answer participants' questions.

Grace Paley's publications include The Little Disturbances of Man (Viking, 1959), Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1974), and Later the Same Day (1985), both published by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. She has written two books of poetry, and, with Vera Williams, a book of art, poems, and essays. She is currently writing a nonfiction book, Just As I Thought. Paley is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has received numerous awards and prizes. She has taught at Columbia University, Syracuse University, Sarah Lawrence College, and the graduate school of City College in New York.

The Radcliffe Seminars and the Radcliffe Publishing Course are part of the Radcliffe Graduate Studies Center, which comprises all of the College's postbaccalaureate instructional offerings. The Radcliffe Seminars offers graduate-level courses and professional certificate programs, in addition to individual courses, conferences, and workshops. The Radcliffe Publishing Course is a six-week, postbaccalaureate summer program which prepares women and men for careers in book and magazine publishing. The fee for the writers' workshop is $110 and includes lunch. Call 495-8600 to register or for more information.