My Calendar

Events in March 2023

  • - Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia A Literary Journey, Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson
    Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia A Literary Journey

    Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia A Literary Journey

    March 1, 2023

    Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia: A Literary Journey

    Now accepting art, book reviews, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia Institute’s online literary journal, Inlandia: A Literary Journey. We dedicate each Teen Issue to work by and for teens, particularly — but not exclusively — with connections to Inland Southern California. Submissions are open to ages 13–19. We are also looking for Teen Editors (see the FAQs for more information).

    Deadline EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023!!

    Submissions open Wednesday, February 1, 2023, and close FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023, at midnight Pacific Time.

    For guidelines and to submit: https://inlandiaaliteraryjourney.submittable.com/submit

    Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson

    Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson


    March 1, 2023

    (18 +, College Students, Graduates, Young Adults)

    Alternating Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30, Zoom, 1/18, 2/1, 2/15, 3/1, and 3/15/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This poetry workshop is aimed to support young writers in refining their poetry for publication through a feedback-based workshop setting. Community care and trusted feedback will be fostered in a welcoming environment. Each session will create a space in which participants can relate to each other’s unique experiences as young writers. The authenticity of the writers’ work will be emphasized in a free, non-competitive setting.

    Cait Johnson is a poetry and nonfiction writer with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from CSULB. She credits much of her writing growth to leading and participating in writing workshops over the last 5 years. Workshops helped Cait build the confidence to share her work with the public. Cait's poetry has been published by Picture Show Press, Left Coast Review, and Literary Alchemy Press. She has also created two zines of original poetry and serves as a co-founder and editor of Art of Nothing, an annual zine that showcases up-and-coming young artists.

  • - All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello, Don’t Just Hit SEND: On How to Avoid Common Errors in Publishing
    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello

    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


    March 2, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Thursdays, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, Weekly.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This ongoing writing workshop meets weekly at Redlands Community Center. Memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing are all encouraged and welcome. Discover the pure joy of writing and creating with others in a supportive environment.

    Mae Wagner Marinello has been a part of Inlandia since a 2008 writing workshop with Ruth Nolan. In 2014, she began facilitating a weekly writing workshop called Joslyn Joy Writers, at the Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands. During the pandemic lockdown, the weekly workshop continued on Zoom; it is now a hybrid class averaging between 10-20 combined participants on Zoom and in-person.

    Don’t Just Hit SEND: On How to Avoid Common Errors in Publishing

    Don’t Just Hit SEND: On How to Avoid Common Errors in Publishing


    March 2, 2023

    First Thursdays Arts Walk

    “Don’t Just Hit Print SEND: On How to Avoid Common Errors in Publishing” with Jo Scott-Coe

    Free and open to the public. No registration required.

    Riverside Main Library, 3900 Mission Inn Blvd, Riverside, CA 92501

    Doors Open at 6:00 PM

    6:30-8:00 PM

    It happens to the best of us: We hit print, or send, and only afterwards notice a glaring error.

    Proofreading our own work is notoriously difficult. Learn some tried and true strategies that anyone can implement for getting your work print ready.

    Open readings start at 6:30. Program begins at 7:00.

    Jo Scott-Coe’s essays and stories have been published widely, for literary as well as academic audiences. Her third book, Unheard Witness: The Life and Death of Kathy Leissner Whitman, is forthcoming in Fall 2023 from the University of Texas Press.

  • - Between Worlds: A Conversation with Stephanie Barbé Hammer, Collage and Poetry with Richard Allen May III, Puppets Say What? with Nicole Cloeren and Puppets a la Carte
    Between Worlds: A Conversation with Stephanie Barbé Hammer

    Between Worlds: A Conversation with Stephanie Barbé Hammer


    March 5, 2023

    Conversations at the Culver

    Between Worlds: A Conversation with Stephanie Barbé Hammer

    Location: Downtown Riverside

    1:30-3:00 PM

    Doors open at 1:00 PM

    Free and open to the public.

    The veil between the real and the surreal is thin wherever Hammer’s writing goes. Where do her ideas come from? How does publishing a book change her relationship with it? Why magical realism? In conversation with Cati Porter, Stephanie Barbé Hammer will share her secret alchemy for making magically real books.

    The world of Stephanie Barbe Hammer’s writing is inhabited by the ghosts of Houdini and David Foster Wallace and Eva Gabor, magical talking tattoos, the trees of the Pacific Northwest, and swimming and puppets, among other things. The veil between the real and the surreal is thin wherever Hammer’s writing goes. Where do her ideas come from? How does publishing a book change her relationship with it? Why the fascination with magical realism? In conversation with Cati Porter, Stephanie will share her secret alchemy for making magically real books.

    Books will be available for sale and signing.

    Stephanie Barbé Hammer is a seven time Pushcart Prize nominee in fiction, nonfiction and poetry and is the author of two poetry collections (How Formal? City Slicker: Encounters with the Outside), two novels (The Puppet Turners of Narrow Interior; Pretend Plumber), a novelette (Rescue Plan), and a how to write magical realism craft book (Delicious Strangeness).

    Collage and Poetry with Richard Allen May III

    Collage and Poetry with Richard Allen May III


    March 5, 2023

    First Sundays at RAM: “Collage and Poetry” with Richard Allen May III

    In person at Riverside Art Museum

    3425 Mission Inn Blvd

    Riverside, CA 92501

    1:00-3:30 PM

    This workshop is free and open to the public, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/CollageTechniquesRAM

    First Sundays are free at Riverside Art Museum! Stop by the museum and tour the exhibits – then join us upstairs for making some original art of your own. Artist and educator Richard Allen May III will guide you through a series of collage techniques designed to open up your artistic flow. Participants will then craft a free verse poem inspired by their art. This is an art and poetry workshop won’t want to miss.

    Richard Allen May III comes with a wealth of knowledge about the AfriCOBRA Movement, having written the forward to AfriCOBRA: Experimental Art Toward a School of Thought, published by Duke University, 2020. He is a staff writer at Artillery magazine and his work has been displayed in art galleries throughout the Inland Empire, as well as exhibits throughout the United States. May has taught courses in community colleges, universities, and prisons and will discuss his artwork in the context of community. https://richardmayart.com/

    Puppets Say What? with Nicole Cloeren and Puppets a la Carte

    Puppets Say What? with Nicole Cloeren and Puppets a la Carte


    March 5, 2023

    First Sundays at RAM

    with Nicole Cloeren and Puppets a la Carte

    “Puppets Say What?”

    Riverside Art Museum

    3425 Mission Inn Blvd

    Riverside, CA 92501

    2:00-3:00 PM

    Free and open to the public. No registration required.

    An important part of puppeteering is finding the right voice for a puppet – and an important part of a puppet show are the sound effects. Join us as Nicole's puppets help you play with the microphone and experiment with sound effects. We will explore these techniques through the New Mexican story "The Goat in the Chile Patch."

    Nicole B. Cloeren is the founder and creative director of Puppets a la Carte where she uses puppets to feed the imagination.  Emphasizing play and techniques of improvisation, she creates a space of surprise and wonder in which we all learn from one another through puppetry arts. Nicole is a Teaching Artist with the McCallum Theatre. She likes to pretend her PhD stands for doctor of puppet handling. When not talking with her hands – or to her hands – Nicole enjoys eating jicama, playing dice, camping, and spending time with her family.

  • - Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge, Writing for Children with José Chávez
    Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge

    Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge


    March 6, 2023

    (Seniors, all levels)

    Mondays, 1:00-3:00 PM Janet Goeske Center (Art Room), 5257 Sierra Street, Riverside,

    1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 4/3, 4/10, and 4/17/22.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Writers are encouraged to respond to prompts about universal themes related to the human condition: key relationships, physical places, historic events, personal hardships/recovery, love and loss, and personal achievement and development. It is these ties that bind us all in different stages of our lives. Each of us brings a unique perspective to every story. Maybe it's time to write yours. Space is limited.

    Rose Y. Monge has facilitated memoir classes at the Goeske Center since 2009. She encourages everyone to leave a written legacy for future generations. As an immigrant from Mexico, her memoir honors her parents’ legacy of life lessons. Her activism since retirement has been advocating for social justice, diversity, and inclusion.

    Writing for Children with José Chávez

    Writing for Children with José Chávez


    March 6, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Alternating Mondays, 6:00-8:00 PM, Zoom, 1/9, 1/23, 2/6, 2/20, and 3/6/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This workshop is designed to meet the needs of those who wish to write or are writing for children. We’ll explore the writing voice for children, define a “picture book,” story arc, story introductions, appropriate vocabulary, children’s poetry, and more. There will be time to flex our writing muscles and develop the beauty and strength of our “voice” for children.

    José Chávez is a retired bilingual teacher and dedicates his life to writing. He's had poetry published in the Multilingual Educator Journal, Acentos Review, Inlandia Anthology and has written two award-winning bilingual poetry books for children. He lives in Riverside, CA, is married, and has three grown children.

  • - Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke, All Genres Workshop with Allyson Jeffredo, "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham
    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke

    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


    March 7, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM, Zoom, Weekly. Meetings resume January 10.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Named in honor of beloved workshop leader CelenaDiana Bumpus, participants are encouraged to write from a prompt and share their work, with friendly critiques offered by workshop members. All genres are welcome to be explored. Enrollment is limited.

    Wil Clarke tolerates writing, but loves having written. He was born and spent 27 years of his life in Africa. He misses the guidance and wisdom of Celena Bumpus and is attempting to keep her legacy alive in her former students through Celena’s Scribes.

    All Genres Workshop with Allyson Jeffredo

    All Genres Workshop with Allyson Jeffredo


    March 7, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Alternating Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 PM, Zoom, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7, and 3/21/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    In this multi-genre workshop, participants receive bi-weekly 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.

    Allyson Jeffredo is a poet, writer, and educator from the Coachella Valley. Learn more about her and her work at www.allysonjeffredo.com.

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham


    March 7, 2023

    John Brantingham Boot Camp

    “Creating a Poetry Routine”

    Tuesdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023

    7:00-9:00 PM PT, on Zoom

    $100, four weekly meetings

    Register today at https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites.

    This boot camp will teach you how to develop a regular writing routine that will get you to write and keep you writing. Students will learn how to develop prompts, generate ideas, and revise work on their own. There will be emphasis both on creating work now and learning how to continue working even while you are busy. Students will also be given the tools to find magazines for their poetry and publishers for their poetry collection. (Meets weekly.)

    John Brantingham was Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ first poet laureate. His work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, Writers Almanac and The Best Small Fictions 2016 and 2022. He has nineteen books of poetry and fiction including Life: Orange to Pear (Bamboo Dart Press). He is the founder and general editor of The Journal of Radical Wonder. He lives in Jamestown, NY.

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

    All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle


    March 8, 2023

    (Int.-Adv.)

    Alternating Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 PM, Zoom, 1/11, 1/25, 2/8, 2/22, and 3/8/22.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    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 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, was published by Los Nietos Press. Her chapbook The Mortality of Dogs and Humans is upcoming from Bamboo Dart Press in February 2023. 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.

  • - All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello, Nonfiction: Opening the Research Doorway, Part 4 with Jo Scott-Coe
    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello

    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


    March 9, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Thursdays, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, Weekly.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This ongoing writing workshop meets weekly at Redlands Community Center. Memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing are all encouraged and welcome. Discover the pure joy of writing and creating with others in a supportive environment.

    Mae Wagner Marinello has been a part of Inlandia since a 2008 writing workshop with Ruth Nolan. In 2014, she began facilitating a weekly writing workshop called Joslyn Joy Writers, at the Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands. During the pandemic lockdown, the weekly workshop continued on Zoom; it is now a hybrid class averaging between 10-20 combined participants on Zoom and in-person.

    Nonfiction: Opening the Research Doorway, Part 4 with Jo Scott-Coe

    Nonfiction: Opening the Research Doorway, Part 4 with Jo Scott-Coe


    March 9, 2023

    (Int.-Adv.)

    Alternating Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 PM, Zoom, 1/26, 2/9, 2/23, 3/9, and 3/23/22.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Explore how variations of structure can open new possibilities in your nonfiction storytelling.

    Jo Scott-Coe’s essays and stories have been published widely, for literary as well as academic audiences. Her third book, Unheard Witness: The Life and Death of Kathy Leissner Whitman, is forthcoming in Fall 2023 from the University of Texas Press.

  • - Show Us! Don’t Tell Us! with Renee Gurley
    Show Us! Don’t Tell Us! with Renee Gurley

    Show Us! Don’t Tell Us! with Renee Gurley


    March 11, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Alternating Saturdays, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM, Zoom, 1/14, 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, and 3/11/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    These five sessions will revolve around moving one’s writing from telling to showing.

    Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned writer, the chances are good that you’ve come up against this feedback and grumbled under your breath trying to figure out how, exactly, to show more than tell. In this workshop, writers will get down and dirty with ways to show and how to identify in their drafts where they are telling and how to enjoy transforming that telling into showing.

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

  • - Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge, Make them Swoon: Writing Romance Readers Will Love with James Coats
    Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge

    Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge


    March 13, 2023

    (Seniors, all levels)

    Mondays, 1:00-3:00 PM Janet Goeske Center (Art Room), 5257 Sierra Street, Riverside,

    1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 4/3, 4/10, and 4/17/22.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Writers are encouraged to respond to prompts about universal themes related to the human condition: key relationships, physical places, historic events, personal hardships/recovery, love and loss, and personal achievement and development. It is these ties that bind us all in different stages of our lives. Each of us brings a unique perspective to every story. Maybe it's time to write yours. Space is limited.

    Rose Y. Monge has facilitated memoir classes at the Goeske Center since 2009. She encourages everyone to leave a written legacy for future generations. As an immigrant from Mexico, her memoir honors her parents’ legacy of life lessons. Her activism since retirement has been advocating for social justice, diversity, and inclusion.

    Make them Swoon: Writing Romance Readers Will Love with James Coats

    Make them Swoon: Writing Romance Readers Will Love with James Coats


    March 13, 2023

    (All Levels, +18)

    Alternating Mondays, 6:30-8:30 PM, Zoom, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/13, and 3/27/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    In this poetry and prose generative writing workshop, participants will be prompted to create delicious text the audience can’t put down. Participants will explore – and be inspired – by the work of romance writers past and present as we examine craft, ways to avoid cliché pitfalls, and how to develop text that is both unique and thrilling.

    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.

  • - Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke, "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham
    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke

    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


    March 14, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM, Zoom, Weekly. Meetings resume January 10.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Named in honor of beloved workshop leader CelenaDiana Bumpus, participants are encouraged to write from a prompt and share their work, with friendly critiques offered by workshop members. All genres are welcome to be explored. Enrollment is limited.

    Wil Clarke tolerates writing, but loves having written. He was born and spent 27 years of his life in Africa. He misses the guidance and wisdom of Celena Bumpus and is attempting to keep her legacy alive in her former students through Celena’s Scribes.

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham


    March 14, 2023

    John Brantingham Boot Camp

    “Creating a Poetry Routine”

    Tuesdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023

    7:00-9:00 PM PT, on Zoom

    $100, four weekly meetings

    Register today at https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites.

    This boot camp will teach you how to develop a regular writing routine that will get you to write and keep you writing. Students will learn how to develop prompts, generate ideas, and revise work on their own. There will be emphasis both on creating work now and learning how to continue working even while you are busy. Students will also be given the tools to find magazines for their poetry and publishers for their poetry collection. (Meets weekly.)

    John Brantingham was Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ first poet laureate. His work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, Writers Almanac and The Best Small Fictions 2016 and 2022. He has nineteen books of poetry and fiction including Life: Orange to Pear (Bamboo Dart Press). He is the founder and general editor of The Journal of Radical Wonder. He lives in Jamestown, NY.

  • - Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson
    Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson

    Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson


    March 15, 2023

    (18 +, College Students, Graduates, Young Adults)

    Alternating Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30, Zoom, 1/18, 2/1, 2/15, 3/1, and 3/15/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This poetry workshop is aimed to support young writers in refining their poetry for publication through a feedback-based workshop setting. Community care and trusted feedback will be fostered in a welcoming environment. Each session will create a space in which participants can relate to each other’s unique experiences as young writers. The authenticity of the writers’ work will be emphasized in a free, non-competitive setting.

    Cait Johnson is a poetry and nonfiction writer with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from CSULB. She credits much of her writing growth to leading and participating in writing workshops over the last 5 years. Workshops helped Cait build the confidence to share her work with the public. Cait's poetry has been published by Picture Show Press, Left Coast Review, and Literary Alchemy Press. She has also created two zines of original poetry and serves as a co-founder and editor of Art of Nothing, an annual zine that showcases up-and-coming young artists.

  • - All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello
    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello

    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


    March 16, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Thursdays, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, Weekly.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This ongoing writing workshop meets weekly at Redlands Community Center. Memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing are all encouraged and welcome. Discover the pure joy of writing and creating with others in a supportive environment.

    Mae Wagner Marinello has been a part of Inlandia since a 2008 writing workshop with Ruth Nolan. In 2014, she began facilitating a weekly writing workshop called Joslyn Joy Writers, at the Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands. During the pandemic lockdown, the weekly workshop continued on Zoom; it is now a hybrid class averaging between 10-20 combined participants on Zoom and in-person.

  • - Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge
    Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge

    Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge


    March 20, 2023

    (Seniors, all levels)

    Mondays, 1:00-3:00 PM Janet Goeske Center (Art Room), 5257 Sierra Street, Riverside,

    1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 4/3, 4/10, and 4/17/22.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Writers are encouraged to respond to prompts about universal themes related to the human condition: key relationships, physical places, historic events, personal hardships/recovery, love and loss, and personal achievement and development. It is these ties that bind us all in different stages of our lives. Each of us brings a unique perspective to every story. Maybe it's time to write yours. Space is limited.

    Rose Y. Monge has facilitated memoir classes at the Goeske Center since 2009. She encourages everyone to leave a written legacy for future generations. As an immigrant from Mexico, her memoir honors her parents’ legacy of life lessons. Her activism since retirement has been advocating for social justice, diversity, and inclusion.

  • - Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke, All Genres Workshop with Allyson Jeffredo, "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham
    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke

    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


    March 21, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM, Zoom, Weekly. Meetings resume January 10.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Named in honor of beloved workshop leader CelenaDiana Bumpus, participants are encouraged to write from a prompt and share their work, with friendly critiques offered by workshop members. All genres are welcome to be explored. Enrollment is limited.

    Wil Clarke tolerates writing, but loves having written. He was born and spent 27 years of his life in Africa. He misses the guidance and wisdom of Celena Bumpus and is attempting to keep her legacy alive in her former students through Celena’s Scribes.

    All Genres Workshop with Allyson Jeffredo

    All Genres Workshop with Allyson Jeffredo


    March 21, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Alternating Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 PM, Zoom, 1/24, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7, and 3/21/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    In this multi-genre workshop, participants receive bi-weekly 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.

    Allyson Jeffredo is a poet, writer, and educator from the Coachella Valley. Learn more about her and her work at www.allysonjeffredo.com.

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham


    March 21, 2023

    John Brantingham Boot Camp

    “Creating a Poetry Routine”

    Tuesdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023

    7:00-9:00 PM PT, on Zoom

    $100, four weekly meetings

    Register today at https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites.

    This boot camp will teach you how to develop a regular writing routine that will get you to write and keep you writing. Students will learn how to develop prompts, generate ideas, and revise work on their own. There will be emphasis both on creating work now and learning how to continue working even while you are busy. Students will also be given the tools to find magazines for their poetry and publishers for their poetry collection. (Meets weekly.)

    John Brantingham was Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ first poet laureate. His work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, Writers Almanac and The Best Small Fictions 2016 and 2022. He has nineteen books of poetry and fiction including Life: Orange to Pear (Bamboo Dart Press). He is the founder and general editor of The Journal of Radical Wonder. He lives in Jamestown, NY.

  • - All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello, An Evening with Hong-My Basrai and Behind the Red Curtain, Nonfiction: Opening the Research Doorway, Part 4 with Jo Scott-Coe
    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello

    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


    March 23, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Thursdays, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, Weekly.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This ongoing writing workshop meets weekly at Redlands Community Center. Memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing are all encouraged and welcome. Discover the pure joy of writing and creating with others in a supportive environment.

    Mae Wagner Marinello has been a part of Inlandia since a 2008 writing workshop with Ruth Nolan. In 2014, she began facilitating a weekly writing workshop called Joslyn Joy Writers, at the Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands. During the pandemic lockdown, the weekly workshop continued on Zoom; it is now a hybrid class averaging between 10-20 combined participants on Zoom and in-person.

    An Evening with Hong-My Basrai and Behind the Red Curtain

    An Evening with Hong-My Basrai and Behind the Red Curtain


    March 23, 2023

    An Evening with Author Hong-My Basrai and Behind the Red Curtain

    Riverside Civil Rights Institute

    3933 Mission Inn Avenue

    Riverside, CA 92501

    6:00-7:30 PM

    Free and open to the public. All are welcome.

    Join Inlandia at the Civil Rights Institute for an evening with Hong-My Basrai, author of Behind the Red Curtain, a Memoir. Learn Hong-My’s story of living in fallen Saigon under communism, and how she and her family survived following the end of the Vietnam War.

    Books will be available for sale and signing. Refreshments will be served.

    Born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam, Hong-My Basrai (née Lê Thị) is fluent in Vietnamese and French. From a very young age, Hong-My has demonstrated a propensity for literature and love of languages. Transplanted at age twenty-two to Southern California, she picked up English and improvised upon the borrowed language to make it her own. She holds a Chemical Engineering degree and some degrees of self-taught English.

    Nonfiction: Opening the Research Doorway, Part 4 with Jo Scott-Coe

    Nonfiction: Opening the Research Doorway, Part 4 with Jo Scott-Coe


    March 23, 2023

    (Int.-Adv.)

    Alternating Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 PM, Zoom, 1/26, 2/9, 2/23, 3/9, and 3/23/22.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Explore how variations of structure can open new possibilities in your nonfiction storytelling.

    Jo Scott-Coe’s essays and stories have been published widely, for literary as well as academic audiences. Her third book, Unheard Witness: The Life and Death of Kathy Leissner Whitman, is forthcoming in Fall 2023 from the University of Texas Press.

  • - Make them Swoon: Writing Romance Readers Will Love with James Coats
    Make them Swoon: Writing Romance Readers Will Love with James Coats

    Make them Swoon: Writing Romance Readers Will Love with James Coats


    March 27, 2023

    (All Levels, +18)

    Alternating Mondays, 6:30-8:30 PM, Zoom, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/13, and 3/27/23.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    In this poetry and prose generative writing workshop, participants will be prompted to create delicious text the audience can’t put down. Participants will explore – and be inspired – by the work of romance writers past and present as we examine craft, ways to avoid cliché pitfalls, and how to develop text that is both unique and thrilling.

    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.

  • - Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke, "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham
    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke

    Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


    March 28, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM, Zoom, Weekly. Meetings resume January 10.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    Named in honor of beloved workshop leader CelenaDiana Bumpus, participants are encouraged to write from a prompt and share their work, with friendly critiques offered by workshop members. All genres are welcome to be explored. Enrollment is limited.

    Wil Clarke tolerates writing, but loves having written. He was born and spent 27 years of his life in Africa. He misses the guidance and wisdom of Celena Bumpus and is attempting to keep her legacy alive in her former students through Celena’s Scribes.

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham

    "Creating a Poetry Routine” with John Brantingham


    March 28, 2023

    John Brantingham Boot Camp

    “Creating a Poetry Routine”

    Tuesdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023

    7:00-9:00 PM PT, on Zoom

    $100, four weekly meetings

    Register today at https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites.

    This boot camp will teach you how to develop a regular writing routine that will get you to write and keep you writing. Students will learn how to develop prompts, generate ideas, and revise work on their own. There will be emphasis both on creating work now and learning how to continue working even while you are busy. Students will also be given the tools to find magazines for their poetry and publishers for their poetry collection. (Meets weekly.)

    John Brantingham was Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ first poet laureate. His work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, Writers Almanac and The Best Small Fictions 2016 and 2022. He has nineteen books of poetry and fiction including Life: Orange to Pear (Bamboo Dart Press). He is the founder and general editor of The Journal of Radical Wonder. He lives in Jamestown, NY.

  • - Spring Creative Writing Workshops Begin!, All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello, Inlandia + RCC’s MUSE at Back to the Grind!
    Spring Creative Writing Workshops Begin!

    Spring Creative Writing Workshops Begin!

    March 30, 2023

    Spring Creative Writing Workshops Begin!

    Register now: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

    Inlandia Institute is offering new and ongoing writing workshops for spring quarter! Explore poetry, prose, memoir, and more. Celebrate the vernal equinox with a springtime workshop – and watch your writing grow. The Inlandia community of writers awaits!

    All workshops are free. Registration may be limited, enroll today!

    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello

    All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


    March 30, 2023

    (All Levels)

    Thursdays, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, Weekly.

    To register: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2023CWW

    This ongoing writing workshop meets weekly at Redlands Community Center. Memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing are all encouraged and welcome. Discover the pure joy of writing and creating with others in a supportive environment.

    Mae Wagner Marinello has been a part of Inlandia since a 2008 writing workshop with Ruth Nolan. In 2014, she began facilitating a weekly writing workshop called Joslyn Joy Writers, at the Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands. During the pandemic lockdown, the weekly workshop continued on Zoom; it is now a hybrid class averaging between 10-20 combined participants on Zoom and in-person.

    Inlandia + RCC’s MUSE at Back to the Grind!

    Inlandia + RCC’s MUSE at Back to the Grind!


    March 30, 2023

    Inlandia + RCC’s MUSE at Back to the Grind!

    3575 University Avenue

    Riverside, CA 92501

    6:30-8:30 PM

    Featuring Romaine Washington, with guest poets

    Special guest Typewriter Muse

    Open Mic to follow

    Free and open to the public. No registration required.

    Each spring, students at Riverside City College release a new edition of MUSE, a diverse collection of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction/memoir, art, and short interviews. First published in 1986, the journal welcomes contributions from new, emerging, and established writers and artists from RCC, our region, and around the world. Join Inlandia, Romaine Washington, students, and others at Back to Grind to celebrate the 2023 launch of MUSE!

  • - LAST DAY! Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia A Literary Journey, Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY
    LAST DAY! Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia A Literary Journey

    LAST DAY! Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia A Literary Journey

    March 31, 2023

    LAST DAY!

    Call for submissions for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia: A Literary Journey

    Now accepting art, book reviews, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the Spring 2023 Teen Issue of Inlandia Institute’s online literary journal, Inlandia: A Literary Journey. We dedicate each Teen Issue to work by and for teens, particularly — but not exclusively — with connections to Inland Southern California. Submissions are open to ages 13–19. We are also looking for Teen Editors (see the FAQs for more information).

    Deadline EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023!!

    Submissions open Wednesday, February 1, 2023, and close FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023, at midnight Pacific Time.

    For guidelines and to submit: https://inlandiaaliteraryjourney.submittable.com/submit

    Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY

    Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY


    March 31, 2023

    Inlandia Institute is excited to announce a new comic book workshop for teens! Join cartoonist and illustrator NARCOMEY for a class that will inspire your creativity and clarify your focus. Sessions will be held on Zoom over six consecutive Fridays – March 31, April 7, April 14, April 21, April 28, and May 5, 2023 – from 3:30-5:00 PM PT.

    During this 6-week workshop, NARCOMEY will walk you through the basics of comic book storytelling. This will be accomplished by working on a simple, 4-page comic book story. Focusing on one page per week – along with a Q&A – NARCOMEY wants participants to leave with four complete pages of comic book layouts/roughs. This workshop is about storytelling, not pretty pictures, so don’t worry if you can’t draw a stick figure. The basics are what every craftsperson falls back on, and NARCOMEY hopes this basic storytelling workshop will give you a strong foundation to build your craft on.

    The workshop is free and open to teens ages 13-18, but registration is required. To register, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/ComicBookTeens.