Events

The week's events

  • - “Remaking Language: AAVE’s Influence on Culture Through Writing”, Puppets a la Carte and the “Running of the Giant Dragon”
    “Remaking Language: AAVE’s Influence on Culture Through Writing”

    “Remaking Language: AAVE’s Influence on Culture Through Writing”


    February 4, 2024

    Sunday, February 4, 2024

    Inlandia Institute and UCR ARTS Present a Blacklandia Event

    Conversations at the Culver

    “Remaking Language: AAVE’s Influence on Culture Through Writing”

    with James Coats in Conversation with Romaine Washington and bridgette bianca

    1:30-3:00 PM

    Barbara and Art Culver Center for the Arts

    3824 Main Street, Riverside

    Free and open to the public.

    Join us for a conversation with educators as they explore language and highlight the impact of African American Vernacular English on writing and mainstream culture.

     

    Puppets a la Carte and the “Running of the Giant Dragon”

    Puppets a la Carte and the “Running of the Giant Dragon”


    February 4, 2024

    Dragon with a chance of showers!
     
    There's no stopping the Running of the Dragon on Sunday, 2/4, but we'll be staying dry at RAM instead of risking rain at Andulka Park.
     
    Same time (2-3 PM), different place (Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside). FREE family fun! Join us!
     
    #Puppets #PuppetsalaCarte #LunarNewYear #RunningDrago
  • - All Genres Workshop with James Coats
    All Genres Workshop with James Coats

    All Genres Workshop with James Coats


    February 5, 2024

    All Genres Workshop with James Coats

    (All Levels)

    Alternating Mondays, 6:30-8:30 PM PT, 1/8, 1/22, 2/5, 2/19, and 3/4/24, on Zoom

    $50; Registration required.

    http://tinyurl.com/WriteWinter2024

    In this multi-genre workshop, participants receive twice-monthly inspiration in the form of both poetry and prose. Prompts inspire writing in the genre of your choice. Class discussions include the craft of writing and the challenges writers face in generating poetry, memoir, and short and long fiction.

    James Coats is an author, poet, and educator born in Los Angeles and raised in the Inland Empire. He received his BFA from Cal Poly Pomona and his MBA from Cal State San Bernardino. As a creative change agent, he believes the arts can inspire youth and influence positive change in the world. His first poetry collection, If I had Lived, was published in 2018. In 2021, he founded Lift Our Voices Education, which hosts the monthly “Be The Change: Social Justice Writing Workshop.” His newest poetry collection, Midnight & Mad Dreams, is published by World Stage Press. Follow him on Instagram @MrLovingWords.

     

  • - Spoken Word Poetry with David Puma
    Spoken Word Poetry with David Puma

    Spoken Word Poetry with David Puma


    February 6, 2024

    Spoken Word Poetry with David Puma

    (All Levels)

    Alternating Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 PM, 1/23, 2/6, 2/20, 3/5, and 3/19/24

    $50. Registration required.

    http://tinyurl.com/WriteWinter2024

    In person at Riverside Main Library

    3900 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside

    In this Spoken Word Poetry Workshop, we invite you to dive into the expressive storytelling power of the spoken word. Unleash your creativity and find your unique voice as we explore the art of crafting powerful and evocative poems. You will be guided through various poetic forms, techniques, and performance styles. Discover how to convey emotions, perspectives, and personal experiences through your words and presence.

    Through interactive exercises, drafting poems, peer review, and analyzing spoken word poets, you will learn to infuse your poems with rhythm, rhyme, and mesmerizing imagery, unlocking the potential to engage listeners on a profound level. Our inclusive and supportive environment encourages open expression, fostering a space where you can share your truth and elevate your spoken word prowess. Registration is limited to 12.

    David Puma obtained his M.F.A. in creative writing at San Jose State University and his B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Redlands. He has been in advanced poetry workshops every semester for the last four years, and has performed spoken word across California, including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire – as well as in New York City and in London, U.K. Professionally, David’s poetry has been included on streaming platforms like Disney+.

     

  • - All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle
    All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle

    All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle


    February 7, 2024

    All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle

    (Int.-Adv.)

    Alternating Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00 PM PT, 1/10, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21, and 3/6/24, on Zoom

    $50. Registration required.

    http://tinyurl.com/WriteWinter2024

    In this multi-genre workshop, participants submit poetry and prose for biweekly critiques and receive feedback from other group members. Discussions include the craft of writing and the challenges writers face. The workshop leader provides biweekly articles and links related to participants’ work, particularly to problems that were discussed in the previous session.

    Victoria Waddle is a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer, with fiction and nonfiction published in literary journals and anthologies, including in Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest. A collection of her short fiction, Acts of Contrition, is available from Los Nietos Press and her chapbook, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans, is available from Bamboo Dart Press. Her YA novel about a teen escaping a polygamist cult is coming from Inlandia Books. Previously the managing editor of Inlandia: A Literary Journey, she helped to establish a yearly teen issue. In a previous life, she was a high school English teacher and librarian.

  • - Breathing Life Into Characters with Renee Gurley
    Breathing Life Into Characters with Renee Gurley

    Breathing Life Into Characters with Renee Gurley


    February 10, 2024

    Breathing Life Into Characters with Renee Gurley

    (All levels)

    Alternating Saturdays, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM PT, 1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, and 3/9/24, on Zoom

    $50. Registration required.

    http://tinyurl.com/WriteWinter2024

    "Breathing Life Into Characters" is a dynamic and immersive writing workshop designed to empower writers of all levels to create compelling, multi-dimensional characters that leap off the page. Whether you're a seasoned novelist, aspiring screenwriter, or just someone with a passion for storytelling, this course will provide you with the tools and techniques to develop characters that resonate with readers and leave a lasting impact.

    R. Gurley, MA, MFA, is a writer and English teacher with over 20 years of experience with words, whose works have appeared in Coping Magazine, Lehigh Valley Woman’ s Journal, and Budget Press.