Disability Resources Skip to main content
The Boyd Tenney Library presents The Literary Southwest - Readings and conversations with the finest writers in the west and beyond.

Readings and conversations with the finest writers from the West and beyond: distinctive voices, diverse backgrounds, and multiple genres. All events are free and presented in person and via livestream.

Brought to you by the Boyd Tenny Library.

History of Literary Southwest events

List of past events

About the Founder

Jim Natal

Fri, Mar 22 2024 6pm YouTube Live

An Evening with Alice Wong

lsw-alice-wong.jpgRiders Read chosen author Alice Wong will discuss her book Disability Visibility on March 22 at 6 p.m. via YouTube Livestream. Alice Wong (she/her) is a disabled activist, media maker, and consultant based in San Francisco. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing and amplifying disability media and culture. Copies in various formats are available at the YC Library.

Digital portrait of an east asian woman who has black hair pulled back. She is wearing red lipstick, a tiger themed gray sweatshirt, and orange pants as she has a trach in her neck that is attached to a device that she is holding gently in her hands. She is sitting in her power wheelchair. The background is art nouveau inspired and tiger stripe themed with magnolias and tiger lilies and the color theme is mostly orange and black and white. Artist credit: Michaela Oteri

Event details

Fri, Apr 12 2024

Poetic Expressions: A Fusion of Art and Verse

Joni Wallace Creative Writing Workshop: Ekphrasis with Joni Wallace
5 pm – 6 pm (pre-event)

“Ekphrasis” is a Greek word meaning “to speak out of” and generally concerns the practice of writing about visual art. As a creative writing practice, Ekphrasis is more than description or critique of visual art: it is the practice of engaging with another art form to open ourselves to new imaginative worlds and leap right into the middle of an ongoing conversation about what it means to be human. In this one-hour generative workshop, we’ll explore different ekphrastic techniques using visual work by an array of artists. Everyone will leave two to three novel and surprising drafts of poems and/or short prose.

Register for this free workshop

An Evening of Poetry
6:15 - 8:30 pm

Joni Wallace Brooke Sahni Experience an enchanting evening filled with live music, appetizers, and connect with our esteemed panel poets and fellow open mic enthusiasts.

6:15 pm Reception with live music by Galactagogues

6:45 pm Bridging the Ethereal and Tangible: Poetry’s Exploration of Human Experiences
Come join us for a captivating poetry panel featuring Joni Wallace and Brooke Sahni, hosted by Tim Hull. The authors will delve into the exploration of human experiences showcased in their latest books: “Landscape with Missing River” by Joni Wallace and “Before I had the Word” by Brooke Sahni.

Drawing of mother with child. Each have a third eye in their forehead. 7:30 pm Poetry Readings (Open Mic)
Feel the rhythm, embrace the rhyme! Unleash your creativity during our open mic poetry session. Bring your verse and share it with an appreciative audience.

Register for this free event


DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT THE LITERARY SOUTHWEST!

Like what you see on The Literary Southwest? Help the series continue to bring top literary talent to northern Arizona:

Donate to The Literary Southwest


Thank you!

Yavapai College Library presents The Literary Southwest is made possible by Yavapai College and the Yavapai College Foundation.


Program Director Jim Natal

New Literary Southwest Team

Ustadza White

Literary Southwest Program Director

James Rider

Technical Director