SFCC News:

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) Library and SFCC’s Creative Writing program announce they are partnering with the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) undergraduate Creative Writing Program for The Writing Generation Series.

This free online series is open to the public and will consist of two types of events: readings by New Mexico writers and creative sessions when attendees will be given writing prompts and time to write.

SFCC Library Director Valerie Nye said, “I am really happy that the library can work in collaboration with the Creative Writing departments at SFCC and IAIA to offer this series of readings and workshops. The partnership will provide a platform for sharing written works and inspiring writers in our community.”

Austin Eichelberger, SFCC Professor of English and Creative Writing said, “This series is about giving people time and inspiration to write, building community, amplifying New Mexico voices, and giving students across the globe facetime with our talented faculty.” Eichelberger is alsothe Fiction Editor of The Santa Fe Literary Review.

IAIA Professor and Department Chair of Creative Writing Kim Parko is also enthusiastic about the partnership.

“We are excited to enter this innovative, generative, and reciprocal space with SFCC and to further share the vital and necessary voices of the IAIA community.”

Santa Fe Poet Laureate Janna Lopez

Janna Lopez Santa Fe Poet Laureate Ambassador leads inaugural sessions:

• • • • • 6 p.m. Jan. 24, reading
        • 6 p.m. Jan. 31, creative session

The first event is a reading by Janna Lopez, Santa Fe Poet Laureate Ambassador, online at 6 p.m. Jan. 24, 2024, which will be followed a week later with a creative session at 6 p.m. Jan. 31, when Lopez will share her creative approach of self-conversation with our attendees.

The public is invited to join Lopez, as she publicly reads work for the first time from her newest poetry collection, “such is.” Pieces center on grief, love, and belonging. Janna will read several selected pieces, then share insight about imagery, form, and approach, for a lively, insightful conversation to inform participants about how to apply these ideas into their own creative writing process. Then everyone is invited to her follow-up session Jan. 31.

The series will continue with readings and workshops offered by graduates and professors from SFCC’s and IAIA’s Creative Writing programs throughout the spring. The public is encouraged to join some or all of the free online events.

May 1, the first semester of the series will conclude with an online reading for participants from the previous events, as they get the chance to share their work.

Registration for all Writing Generation Series events is online. Registrants will be notified of additional series events as they are added. All events are online. Zoom links will be sent to participants who register the morning of each event. Other writers participating in the series and the dates of their events will be announced in 2024.

The Writing Generation Series is sponsored by the SFCC Creative Writing program, the SFCC Library, and the IAIA Creative Writing Program. For more information on The Writing Generation Series, please contact SFCC Library Director Valerie Nye at valerie.nye@sfcc.edu or 505.428.1506.

Speaker bio:

Lopez is Santa Fe’s current Poet Laureate Ambassador. She’s a book coach, creative writing teacher with an MFA, and published author. She uses psychic intuition to guide individuals in transforming lives through fearless writing, reimagining the power of poetry, and unlearning false beliefs about writing’s purpose. Her next book is, “Writing Freedom Forever.” She leads writing retreats with people who come from all over the country to make powerful breakthroughs for ultimate writing freedom. Learn more at https://janna-lopez.com/.

About SFCC

For more than 35 years, Santa Fe Community College has been the gateway to success for individuals and the community by providing affordable, high quality educational programs that serve the social, cultural, technological and economic needs of a diverse community. SFCC is designated a ”2019 Best for Vets” and a “2015 Military Friendly” school. The college serves more than 15,000 students per year in its credit, noncredit and adult programs. For further information, visit sfcc.edu or call 505.428.1000. Follow us: Facebook, SFCC on Twitter, SFCC on LinkedIn.

About IAIA

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is the only college in the world dedicated to the study of contemporary Native American and Alaska Native arts. IAIA offers undergraduate degrees in Cinematic Arts and Technology, Creative Writing, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, Performing Arts, and Studio Arts; graduate degrees in Creative Writing, Studio Arts, and Cultural Administration; and certificates in Broadcast Journalism, Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native American Art History. The college serves approximately 500 full-time equivalent (FTE) Native and non-Native American students from around the globe, representing nearly a hundred federally recognized tribes. Named one of the top art institutions by UNESCO and the International Association of Art, IAIA is among the leading art institutes in our nation and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).