The Central Valley Chicana and Chicano Writers' Collective
Juan Flores, Charlie Trujillo, & Albert Valencia are members of the Central Valley Chicana and Chicano Writers’ Collective. The goal of this bilingual writer's collective is to support the creation and publication of stories of Chicanos and Chicanas, especially those living in the Central Valley. The collective views writing as an art form that belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level, that the teaching of craft can be done without damage to a writer’s original voice or artistic self-esteem, and that a writer is someone who writes. We’re committed to providing a structure to guide Chicanas and Chicanos in getting their work published and sharing our stories with the broader community.
Writing our Stories to Preserve our Heritage, Educate our Youth, and Engender Change
(Break-out Session #1--August 5th & 12th)
We believe everyone has a strong unique voice and is born with creative genius. The Central Valley Chicana and Chicano Writers' Collective is a community of Chicana and Chicano professionals who believe in the power of stories to save lives. So many Chicanas and Chicanos played an important role in the history of the Central Valley. Many of us have friends or relatives who were pivotal players in the Chicano movement of the 1960's who may have passed away without having an opportunity to tell their stories. But many stories are yet to be written. Join us in this workshop and tell your story. During this session, you will participate in sustained silent writing. All will have the opportunity to share their writing.
Zheyla M. Henriksen
Zheyla M. Henriksen, PhD, is an Ecuadorian poet, researcher, artist, community activist, retired professor (University of California, Davis) residing in northern California. Recognized by Marquis in Who’s Who of Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in education, Zheyla is now retired. As an author, she has published multiple works of poetry, including her most recent collections, Caleidoscopio de Recuerdos: Kaleidoscope of Memories and Confesiones de un cuerpo: Estaciones de pasión / Confessions of a Body: Seasons of Passion. She has been named as a finalist in several poetry contests. Zheyla has continued to serve her local and trans-local communities as a champion of the arts, including Ballet Folklórico Del Ecuador Inti-Tulpa, Vuela de Mujer, and the San Francisco Opera. She cites her mother as her greatest mentor and a source of inspiration, the reason she continues to mentor students in Spanish, English, poetry, and writing, using her skills as a professor to help them hone their craft.
Are You a Cat Poet or an Ox Poet? A Generative Workshop
(Break-out Session #1--August 5th & August 12th)
The Polish Post-war Poet, Zbigniew Herbert described writers of poetry as either being Ox poets (steady, scheduled, faithful to the process of writing) or Cat poets (pouncing on ideas and writing in a sudden flurry of activity). Which one are you? Maybe a bit of both? When you come to the creative table, are you playful or serious? Relaxed or purposeful? Come and discover your natural propensity in this generative workshop, where you'll compose poetry as a cat and an ox. We will discover and celebrate our own unique style and learn to respect others. This generative workshop will compare and contrast the habits of Ox and Cat poets, while cultivating a culture of respect (especially in a workshop setting). Come and discover how your natural propensity can be embraced, respected, and communicated in fullness!
Janet Rodriguez
Janet Rodriguez is the author of Making an American Family: A Recipe in Five Generations (Prickly Pear Press, 2022), a family memoir. A teacher and facilitator, she has led generative workshops online and in person, and taught poetry appreciation to children and adults on three continents. In the United States, her work has appeared in Hobart, Pangyrus, Eclectica, The Rumpus, Cloud Women’s Quarterly, American River Review, and Calaveras Station. She is the winner of the Bazanella Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Literary Insight for Work in Translation Award, both from CSUS Sacramento in 2017. Her short stories, essays, and poetry usually deal with themes involving morality in faith communities and the mixed-race experience in a culturally binary world. She holds an MFA from Antioch University, Los Angeles. She is currently the Interview's Editor at The Rumpus.
Are You a Cat Poet or an Ox Poet? A Generative Workshop
(Break-out Session #1--August 5th & August 12th)
The Polish Post-war Poet, Zbigniew Herbert described writers of poetry as either being Ox poets (steady, scheduled, faithful to the process of writing) or Cat poets (pouncing on ideas and writing in a sudden flurry of activity). Which one are you? Maybe a bit of both? When you come to the creative table, are you playful or serious? Relaxed or purposeful? Come and discover your natural propensity in this generative workshop, where you'll compose poetry as a cat and an ox. We will discover and celebrate our own unique style and learn to respect others. This generative workshop will compare and contrast the habits of Ox and Cat poets, while cultivating a culture of respect (especially in a workshop setting). Come and discover how your natural propensity can be embraced, respected, and communicated in fullness!
Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl
Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl, or Diosa X for short, is a multilingual and multidimensional Xicana, Indigenous, MeXicana poetiza and educator with a Bachelor's in English and Master’s of Education in Cross-Cultural Teaching. She has featured, presented, and performed nationally and internationally and has been published in literary journals and magazines as well as several anthologies in both English and Spanish. Diosa X is the author of two poetry collections, with a third collection on the way: A Church of My Own (2021), Hechizera: Sus Sultry Spells (Editorial Raíces, 2022), and West of the Santa Ana and Other Sacred Places (Riot of Roses Publishing, 2023).
This poet has facilitated poetry workshops in English and Spanish for the following: Sims Library/Los Angeles Public Library’s Adult Literacy Program (online, English); Tumblewords Project (online, English); Contracorriente: Cruce de poesía y transgresión, a binational women writers retreat in Ixtapa, Mexico (in-person, Spanish); City of Ontario’s Ovitt Library (in-person, English and Spanish); and the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival (in-person, bilingual Spanish/English).
Celestial Communication: Multidimensional Writers
(Break-out Session #1--August 5th)
Through a semi-guided meditation, participants will learn how to open up and clear their chakras, or totonalcayos in the school of Nahualismo. We will pay special attention to the throat chakra, the energy center responsible for communication. Once the totonalcayos have been aligned, attendees will learn how to connect to the divine feminine, unlocking the fundamental energy of creation and creativity. By opening the heart and clearing the mind, participants will be able to travel through an array of worlds filled with visions and vibrant colors all with the underlying purpose of documenting these experiences, the starting point for creating unique and personalized, multidimensional writings.
From Memorias to Masterpieces
(Break-out Session #1--August 12th)
Through a few guided meditations, Diosa X will help participants travel back in time to reconnect with people and places, allowing attendees to relive and experience these moments through various lenses. With these newfound perspectives, participants will be able to capture significant moments, moments which may have been lost, forgotten, or simply overseen. By revitalizing these memories, writers of all levels will also be able to revitalize their writing; hence, creating significant masterpieces from simplest memorias.
Nikia Chaney
Nikia Chaney is a multi-genre artist. She has two full-length collections of poetry, and a short science fiction novella. She has taught creative writing workshops and classes for over ten years. She teaches at Cabrillo College and is the founder of Jamii Press.
Write Yourself in the Future: Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism and Science Fiction for Writers of Color
(Break-out Session #1--August 5th & August 12th)
Afrofuturism and Indigenous Futurism are genres shaped by generations of artists, musicians, scholars, and activists whose aim is to showcase how blackness, brownness, and indigeneity can exist in future worlds. Writing speculative stories and poems is empowering because it assumes a future in which culture and language can thrive. This workshop will explore important themes and ideas from Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, and science fiction. Come with a fantastic idea, a few words, or just curiosity, and learn how to write yourself into the future!
JoAnn Anglin
JoAnn Anglin has led workshops for five years at Shriners Children's Hospital and weekly workshops for eight years at New Folsom State Prison. She has been an active member of Escritores del Nuevo Sol for thirty years and has been with el Circulo since its inception.
Days of Obligation
(Break-out Session #2--August 5th & August 12th)
"Days of Obligation" is a Catholic Church designation for holy days. But we have many days of obligation in our social circles, professionally, through our familias, etc. What does obligation mean? How does a day become holy? Let’s review these terms, read poems, and write about the days of obligation we create, dread, or celebrate in our lives.
Estela Victoria-Cordero
Estela Victoria-Cordero is a writer, entrepreneur, and a dental hygienist. She recently finished writing her first collection of poetry, Huitzilopochtli, which will be released April 22, 2023, through World Stage Press. First published in Coiled Serpent: Poets Arising from the Cultural Quakes and Shifts of Los Angeles, (Tia Chucha’s Press 2016), an anthology edited by Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis Rodriguez and others. She was published in the anthology Los Angeles Poets for Justice (Los Angeles Poet Society Press, 2020), and in Drylandla’s Hombre Lobo Stories (Ponte Las Pilas Press). She has also translated children’s books into Spanish, including The Big Scary Virus (B. Me. Media, 2020). She is a member of the renowned group from Sacramento, Escritores Del Nuevo Sol whose founder was Francisco X. Alarcon and Art Mantecon as well as a member of the Los Angeles Poet Society. She's an alum of the Community Literature Initiative (through the Sims Library of Poetry), is a married mother of four, was born and raised in El Sereno/Lincoln Heights area of East Los Angeles, and is a graduate of USC. She will be leading workshops at the Los Angeles Public Library for beginning/intermediate writers in conjunction with the release of her book, to inspire others into writing about their own histories.
Finding your Huitzilopochtli
(Break-out Session #2--August 5th & August 12th)
In this workshop, you'll write poetry that touches on familia and immigration while finding your Huitzilopochtli. Who is the god of sun and war in your family history? Write about your ancestors, immediate family, the experience of immigration or travel, and discover your poetic voice. What does it mean to live within the cultural identity of several countries? All are welcome whether they have lived in another country or not!
Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour
Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour is a Poet, Artist and Emcee from the Midwest now living in Santa Cruz. A Filipino and French Creole fiasco, he has struggled as a young parent and worked countless jobs. Today, his Daughters are grown, he has true love in his life and he wants to share his art, his heart, with you. In partnership with Rica Smith De La Luz, as Sacred Poets, he dramatically inspires a creative message of peace and empowerment. As a coordinator and co-host of local events including Mic Drop!, a monthly open mic at 418 Project, he consciously works to contribute to a strong community of Artists and Supporters locally and globally. Currently, he has grant projects, collaborations and scheduled performances in progress in Santa Cruz County and the Bay Area. He offers the occasional performance and writing workshop.
Dope Poet Love: A Poet’s Performance Workshop
(Break-out Session #2--August 5th & August 12th)
Practice performing your poetry. Start with a poem you have written. In this workshop, you will learn about the technical aspects of performance such as posture, eye contact, projection, etc. You will be invited to perform a poem and reflect upon your delivery. Make sure to bring a poem that you have written using your creative voice. Let’s dramatically inspire a creative message of peace and empowerment through performing our poetry!
Adela Najarro
Adela Najarro is the author of four poetry collections: Split Geography, Twice Told Over, My Childrens, and Volcanic Interruptions, a chapbook that includes Janet Trenchard’s artwork. Adela Najarro’s extended family left Nicaragua and arrived in San Francisco during the 1940s; after the fall of the Somoza regime, the last of the family settled in the Los Angeles area. She serves as President of the Board for Círculo de poetas and Writers. She teaches at Cabrillo College and is the English instructor for the Puente Project, a program designed to support Latinidad in all its aspects while preparing community college students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. More information about Adela can be found at her website: www.adelanajarro.com.
Write the Museum! Finding Literary Inspiration Through Art
(Break-out Session #2--August 5th & August 12th)
In this workshop, participants will view the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) exhibits and then write poems. We will begin by reading ekphrastic poems and viewing the artworks that inspired them. According to the Getty Center: "Ekphrastic poetry has come to be defined as poems written about works of art; however, in ancient. Greece, the term ekphrasis was applied to the skill of describing a thing with vivid detail." After discussing the intersection of art & poetry, participants will be free to roam the MAH and write poems inspired by the museum's collections. We will regroup and share our adventures through the museum with one another.
