My Calendar

Events in April 2023

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
March 26, 2023
March 27, 2023(1 event)

6:30 pm: 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.

March 28, 2023(2 events)

11:30 am: 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.

7:00 pm: "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.

March 29, 2023
March 30, 2023(3 events)

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!

11:00 am: 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.

6:30 pm: 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!

March 31, 2023(2 events)

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

3:30 pm: 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.

April 1, 2023
April 2, 2023(2 events)

1:00 pm: “Puppets a la Chagall” with Nicole Cloeren and Puppets a la Carte


April 2, 2023

Sunday, April 2, 2023            

1:00-3:00 PM

Inlandia Institute and Riverside Art Museum Present

First Sundays at RAM

“Puppets a la Chagall” with Nicole Cloeren and Puppets a la Carte

 

Riverside Art Museum

3425 Mission Inn Blvd

Riverside, CA 92501

1:00-3:00 PM, with puppet shows at 1:00 and 2:00 PM

 

Free family fun. No registration required.

 

Watch as puppets and music bring a painting to life. Learn about the artist, Marc Chagall, and make some Chagall-inspired puppets to express a simple story you see in Chagall's artwork.

 

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.

1:30 pm: “Rewriting the Narrative: Fighting Erasure and Forging a Future”


April 2, 2023

Sunday, April 2, 2023

1:30-3:00 PM (Doors open at 1:00 PM)

Inlandia Institute and UCR Arts Present

Conversations at the Culver

“Rewriting the Narrative: Fighting Erasure and Forging a Future – A poets laureate discussion moderated by James Coats”

Panel: Antonio Edwards Jr., Natalie J. Graham, and Peter J. Harris

Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts

3834 Main Street, Riverside

Free and open to the public.

 

On Sunday, April 2, join James Coats for a conversation with current and past Poets Laureate as part of Inlandia’s Conversations at the Culver series, in association with Inlandia’s Blacklandia steering committee.

 

During this critical time of book bannings happening across the country and a push to blanch history we talk to three poet laureates rewriting the expected narrative by providing representation and truth-telling in their art and through their work. Poetry has long been a source of honest expression with people courageous enough to say the hard things. This panel looks to examine the difficulties of how we arrived where we are today and ways to reshape the future through education and understanding.

 

Books will be available for sale and signing. Light refreshments will be served. As part of the City of Riverside’s First Sundays program, entrance to the museum is free.

 

Motivational Speaker, Writer and Spoken Word Poet, Antonio Edwards Jr. provides audiences with powerful spoken word presentations customized to inspire and energize any event. When he is not performing Antonio is busy developing teaching methods to help young poets find their literary voice and use language poetry provides to develop their own form of self-expression and self–actualization. An explosive performer of the written word, Antonio's spoken word pieces are charged with rhyme, rhythm, wordplay and verbal assaults that will not just sit on paper. Known as the people’s poet, Antonio was named Tacoma Washington’s Poet Laureate in 2009.

 

Natalie J. Graham is an award-winning author and performer who has toured nationally with her collection of poems, Begin with a Failed Body. In August 2021, Natalie was appointed Poet Laureate of Orange County. A widely published scholar with research interests in race, identity performance, and music, she is also a professor in the Department of African American Studies at Cal State University. When she isn’t making poems, teaching, or planning events, she loves perfecting her chocolate chip cookie baking skills and learning about science with her son, Ronald.

 

Peter J. Harris, Altadena Poet Laureate Editor in Chief (2022-2024), is the author of Safe Arms: 20 Love & Erotic Poems (w/an Ooh Baby Baby moan), with Spanish translations by Francisco Letelier (FlowerSong Press), and SongAgain (Beyond Baroque Books). In 2015, his book of poetry, Bless the Ashes (Tia Chucha Press), won the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, and his book of personal essays, The Black Man of Happiness: In Pursuit of My ‘Unalienable Right,’ won the American Book Award. Harris is founding director of The Black Man of Happiness Project, a creative, intellectual, and artistic exploration of Black men and joy. He writes the blog WREAKING HAPPINESS: A Joyful Living Journal: www.inspirationcrib.com.

 

Moderator James Coats is a multidisciplinary artist, author, and educator born in Los Angeles and raised in the Inland Empire. As a creative change agent he believes the arts can inspire the youth and influence positive change in the world. He is the winner of the 2021 San Gabriel Poetry Slam. In 2021 he founded the organization Lift Our Voices Education which hosts an award winning workshop monthly called Be The Change: Social Justice Writing Workshop. He became the Artist in Residence at The Garcia Center for the Arts in 2022. His newest poetry collection Midnight & Mad Dreams is published by World Stage Press. You can find him attending poetry readings throughout California or follow his poetry via his Instagram @MrLovingWords.

April 3, 2023(1 event)

1:00 pm: Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge


April 3, 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.

April 4, 2023(3 events)

11:30 am: Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


April 4, 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.

7:00 pm: How to Get Started Writing When You Don’t Know Where to Start with Renee Gurley


April 4, 2023

How to Get Started Writing When You Don’t Know Where to Start with Renee Gurley
(Beginners Only)
Alternating Saturdays, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/15, 4/29, 5/13, 5/27, and 6/10/23

This workshop is free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Do you want to start writing, but don't know how to get started? In this course, Renee Gurley shows you how to get your thoughts down on paper -- and then grow from there. Learn the basics of:

Creating Structure
Language Use
Point of View
Journaling, memoir, stories, and more

“How to Get Started Writing When You Don't Know Where to Start” gives you concrete tools to help you become the writer you’ve always wanted to be. It's a fun and exciting class for all aspiring writers!

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.

7:00 pm: Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month


April 4, 2023

Tuesdays, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25/23

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

$100, four weekly meetings

To enroll: https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites

Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month

Calling all poets! This is one boot camp you won’t want to miss. Following the method created in John Brantingham’s website, students will write a poem a day for the month of April. At the end of that month, they will have thirty individual poems that together will form a unified chapbook collection. The classes will generate new work, workshop existing poems, and develop new techniques and skills. (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.

April 5, 2023
April 6, 2023(2 events)

11:00 am: All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


April 6, 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.

6:30 pm: “Arranging Your Poetry Manuscript” with Cati Porter and guests


April 6, 2023

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Inlandia Institute and Riverside Public Library Present

First Thursdays Arts Walk

“Arranging Your Poetry Manuscript”

with Cati Porter and guests

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

For National Poetry Month, learn some new techniques for arranging a poetry manuscript. Join Cati Porter and special guests who talk about their own adventures in arranging a poetry manuscript and give you some strategies for arranging your own.

If a poem is the best words in their best order, then a poetry manuscript is the best poems in their best order. But with so many possible variations, how do you decide what is “best”? Cati Porter is the author of eleven poetry books and chapbooks and has extensive experience in what not to do, and some tried-and-true strategies and tips.

Attendees of this program who submit a manuscript to the Hillary Gravendyk Prize open poetry book competition will have their contest entrance fee comped.

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

Cati Porter has been writing and publishing for three decades. She has a Masters in Fine Arts — Poetry from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and is the author of eleven collections of poetry, including The Body at a Loss (CavanKerry Press, 2019), Novel (Bamboo Dart Press, 2022), and the forthcoming small mammals (Mayapple Press, 2023). She is founder and editor of Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry and executive director of Inlandia Institute.

April 7, 2023(1 event)

3:30 pm: Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY


April 7, 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.

April 8, 2023(1 event)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

April 9, 2023(1 event)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

April 10, 2023(3 events)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

1:00 pm: Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge


April 10, 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.

6:00 pm: Writing for Children with José Chávez


April 10, 2023

Writing for Children with José Chávez

(All Levels)
Alternating Mondays, 6:00-8:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/10, 4/24, 5/8, 5/22, and 6/5/23

Free and open to the public, but registration may be limited.

To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW
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.

April 11, 2023(4 events)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

11:30 am: Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


April 11, 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.

11:30 am: Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


April 11, 2023

Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke
(All Levels)
Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM PT, Zoom, Weekly. Workshops resume Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

This workshop is free, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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.

7:00 pm: Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month


April 11, 2023

Tuesdays, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25/23

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

$100, four weekly meetings

To enroll: https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites

Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month

Calling all poets! This is one boot camp you won’t want to miss. Following the method created in John Brantingham’s website, students will write a poem a day for the month of April. At the end of that month, they will have thirty individual poems that together will form a unified chapbook collection. The classes will generate new work, workshop existing poems, and develop new techniques and skills. (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.

April 12, 2023(3 events)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

2:00 pm: No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon


April 12, 2023

No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon
(All Levels)
Meets Weekly on Wednesdays, 2:00-4:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, and 5/10/23
Free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Participants will read excerpts from famous memoirs, which we will examine for structure, tone and craft. Each workshop session will include time for writing from prompts, and writers will share their work for feedback if they wish. We will practice editing and revision in the last two sessions.

Alaina Bixon is a freelance writer, editor, and publisher based in Palm Springs, CA. Her MFA from UC Riverside is in Creative Nonfiction, and she writes personal essays. Alaina has led Inlandia Institute workshops on creative writing, food writing, and memoir. Her company, Tilton Bass Publishing, helps clients launch their books into the world. She has written and lectured on pseudoscience, women at MIT, food history, and New Age San Francisco gurus.

​​

6:00 pm: All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle


April 12, 2023

All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle
(Int.-Adv.)
Alternating Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24, and 6/7/23

Registration may be limited. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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, 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.

April 13, 2023(2 events)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

11:00 am: All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


April 13, 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.

April 14, 2023(2 events)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

3:30 pm: Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY


April 14, 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.

April 15, 2023(1 event)

10:00 am: inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories


April 8, 2023 April 15, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

inVISIBLE/unHEARD: Riverside's Civil Rights Stories

Dramatic, self-guided tour: Jeffery Owens Memorial Marker, Allen Chapel, Chinatown, and Sherman Indian High School

 

Presented by The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Empower You Edutainment, Fox Foundation, Inlandia Institute, the Museum of Riverside, and Sherman Indian High School.

Register free online:

https://tinyurl.com/inVISIBLE-unHEARD

 

The invisible/unHEARD theme stems from the truth that aggressions—both macro and micro—of racism and discrimination erect barriers to the fulfillment of potential for many people. The impact of those aggressions often manifests as an overwhelming sense of invisibility for those who are the recipients.

 

Keep the conversation alive!

 

The inVISIBLE/unHEARD project focuses on the journey from invisibility to visibility for those who have suffered racism and other forms of discrimination. inVISIBLE/unHEARD takes you on a tour of a portion of Riverside’s role in this global conversation through 4 stops and a discussion session. Appropriate for ages 10 and up.

April 16, 2023
April 17, 2023(2 events)

1:00 pm: Memoir: Writing Your Life Story with Rose Y. Monge


April 17, 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.

6:30 pm: Does it Make Cents? The Business of Writing with James Coats


April 17, 2023

Does it Make Cents? The Business of Writing with James Coats
(All Levels)
Alternating Mondays, 6:30-8:30 PM PT, Zoom, 4/17, 5/1, 5/15, 5/29, and 6/12/23

This workshop is free and open to the public, but space may be limited. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

In partnership with Inlandia Institute & Lift Our Voices Education

In this 5-session professional development workshop for writers, attendees will learn about the business of being a writer, the professional expectations, how to create their own opportunities, where to find funding or events, brand development, community resources and much more. If you are a writer interested in turning your words into more dollars this workshop is for you.

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.

April 18, 2023(3 events)

11:30 am: Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


April 18, 2023

Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke
(All Levels)
Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM PT, Zoom, Weekly. Workshops resume Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

This workshop is free, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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.

7:00 pm: How to Get Started Writing When You Don’t Know Where to Start with Renee Gurley


April 18, 2023

How to Get Started Writing When You Don’t Know Where to Start with Renee Gurley
(Beginners Only)
Alternating Saturdays, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/15, 4/29, 5/13, 5/27, and 6/10/23

This workshop is free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Do you want to start writing, but don't know how to get started? In this course, Renee Gurley shows you how to get your thoughts down on paper -- and then grow from there. Learn the basics of:

Creating Structure
Language Use
Point of View
Journaling, memoir, stories, and more

“How to Get Started Writing When You Don't Know Where to Start” gives you concrete tools to help you become the writer you’ve always wanted to be. It's a fun and exciting class for all aspiring writers!

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.

7:00 pm: Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month


April 18, 2023

Tuesdays, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25/23

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

$100, four weekly meetings

To enroll: https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites

Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month

Calling all poets! This is one boot camp you won’t want to miss. Following the method created in John Brantingham’s website, students will write a poem a day for the month of April. At the end of that month, they will have thirty individual poems that together will form a unified chapbook collection. The classes will generate new work, workshop existing poems, and develop new techniques and skills. (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.

April 19, 2023(2 events)

2:00 pm: No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon


April 19, 2023

No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon
(All Levels)
Meets Weekly on Wednesdays, 2:00-4:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, and 5/10/23
Free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Participants will read excerpts from famous memoirs, which we will examine for structure, tone and craft. Each workshop session will include time for writing from prompts, and writers will share their work for feedback if they wish. We will practice editing and revision in the last two sessions.

Alaina Bixon is a freelance writer, editor, and publisher based in Palm Springs, CA. Her MFA from UC Riverside is in Creative Nonfiction, and she writes personal essays. Alaina has led Inlandia Institute workshops on creative writing, food writing, and memoir. Her company, Tilton Bass Publishing, helps clients launch their books into the world. She has written and lectured on pseudoscience, women at MIT, food history, and New Age San Francisco gurus.

​​

6:30 pm: Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson


April 19, 2023

Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson
(18 +, College Students, Graduates, Young Adults)
Alternating Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 PM PT, Zoom, 4/19, 5/3, 5/17, 5/31, and 6/14/23

This workshop is free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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.

April 20, 2023(1 event)

11:00 am: All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


April 20, 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.

April 21, 2023(1 event)

3:30 pm: Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY


April 21, 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.

April 22, 2023
April 23, 2023
April 24, 2023(1 event)

6:00 pm: Writing for Children with José Chávez


April 24, 2023

Writing for Children with José Chávez

(All Levels)
Alternating Mondays, 6:00-8:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/10, 4/24, 5/8, 5/22, and 6/5/23

Free and open to the public, but registration may be limited.

To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW
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.

April 25, 2023(2 events)

11:30 am: Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


April 25, 2023

Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke
(All Levels)
Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM PT, Zoom, Weekly. Workshops resume Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

This workshop is free, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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.

7:00 pm: Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month


April 25, 2023

Tuesdays, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25/23

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

$100, four weekly meetings

To enroll: https://tinyurl.com/BrantinghamWrites

Thirty Days Until Done for National Poetry Month

Calling all poets! This is one boot camp you won’t want to miss. Following the method created in John Brantingham’s website, students will write a poem a day for the month of April. At the end of that month, they will have thirty individual poems that together will form a unified chapbook collection. The classes will generate new work, workshop existing poems, and develop new techniques and skills. (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.

April 26, 2023(2 events)

2:00 pm: No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon


April 26, 2023

No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon
(All Levels)
Meets Weekly on Wednesdays, 2:00-4:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, and 5/10/23
Free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Participants will read excerpts from famous memoirs, which we will examine for structure, tone and craft. Each workshop session will include time for writing from prompts, and writers will share their work for feedback if they wish. We will practice editing and revision in the last two sessions.

Alaina Bixon is a freelance writer, editor, and publisher based in Palm Springs, CA. Her MFA from UC Riverside is in Creative Nonfiction, and she writes personal essays. Alaina has led Inlandia Institute workshops on creative writing, food writing, and memoir. Her company, Tilton Bass Publishing, helps clients launch their books into the world. She has written and lectured on pseudoscience, women at MIT, food history, and New Age San Francisco gurus.

​​

6:00 pm: All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle


April 26, 2023

All Genres Workshop with Victoria Waddle
(Int.-Adv.)
Alternating Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24, and 6/7/23

Registration may be limited. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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, 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.

April 27, 2023(1 event)

11:00 am: All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


April 27, 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.

April 28, 2023(1 event)

3:30 pm: Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY


April 28, 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.

April 29, 2023(1 event)

12:00 pm: Inlandia Institute at the 10th Anniversary Riverside Tamale Festival


April 29, 2023

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Inlandia Institute at the 10th Anniversary Riverside Tamale Festival

Featuring Vilayvanh Bender, José Chavez, James Luna, and Julianna Cruz

 

Presented by Spanish Town Heritage Foundation

White Park

3936 Chestnut St, Riverside, CA

 

Visit the Tamale Festival and stop by the Inlandia Storytelling Booth to hear vibrant multicultural stories by authors from the region. Stories presented on the hour at 12 PM, 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM.

April 30, 2023(2 events)

LAST DAY: Call for Entries: 2023 Hillary Gravendyk Poetry Prizes

LAST DAY
April 30, 2023

Call for Entries: 2023

Hillary Gravendyk Poetry Prizes

Submissions from February 1-April 30, 2023

National and Regional awardees each win book publication and a cash prize of $1,000. Enter using Submittable: https://tinyurl.com/InlandiaSubmit

Inlandia Institute is excited to announce the opening of the submission window for the 2023 Hillary Gravendyk Prize poetry competition. Poetry book manuscripts will be accepted via Submittable from February 1 through April 30, 2023. One National and one Regional prizewinner will each be awarded $1,000 and a standard book contract.

The competition was created in memory of the late Inland Empire poet, Hillary Gravendyk, who passed away in 2014.

The Hillary Gravendyk Prize is an open poetry book competition for all writers regardless of the number of previously published poetry collections. The manuscript page limit is 48-100 pages, and Inlandia Institute Press invites all styles and forms of poetry. Only electronic submissions will be accepted via Inlandia’s ‘Submittable’ portal. Multiple submissions are accepted, with a $20 reading fee required for each manuscript. The winners will be announced Fall 2023 for publication in 2024.

All entrants will be considered for the National Prize, and entrants who currently reside or work in Inland Southern California, the “Inland Empire,” will also be considered for the Regional Prize (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, and any non-coastal Southern California area, from Death Valley in the northernmost region to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in the southernmost).

Hillary Gravendyk (1979-2014) was a beloved poet living and teaching in Southern California’s Inland Empire region. She wrote the acclaimed poetry book, HARM from Omnidawn Publishing (2012) and the poetry collection The Naturalist (Anchiote Press, 2008). A native of Washington State, she was an admired Assistant Professor of English at Pomona College in Claremont, CA. Her poetry has appeared widely in journals. She was awarded a 2015 Pushcart Prize for her poem “Your Ghost,” which appeared in the Pushcart Prize Anthology. Hillary Gravendyk passed away on May 10, 2014 after a long illness. This contest has been established in her memory.

For additional details about the Hillary Gravendyk Prize, or to learn more about Inlandia Institute, please visit inlandiainstitute.org.

This activity is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.

 

Call for Submissions Inlandia Hearts Librarians OPENS

April 30, 2023

April 30-June 30, 2023

Call for Submissions: Inlandia Hearts Librarians

Special Library Issue

Call for Submissions for Inlandia: A Literary Journey

Submit to: https://tinyurl.com/InlandiaLibrarians

Now accepting art, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from librarians past and present on any topic and only about librarians/libraries from nonlibrarians for this themed issue.

Submissions open Saturday, April 30, 2023, and close Friday, June 30, 2023, at midnight Pacific Time.

Simultaneous submissions accepted. Previously curated submissions accepted. Translations accepted. See website for full guidelines.

May 1, 2023(1 event)

6:30 pm: Does it Make Cents? The Business of Writing with James Coats


May 1, 2023

Does it Make Cents? The Business of Writing with James Coats
(All Levels)
Alternating Mondays, 6:30-8:30 PM PT, Zoom, 4/17, 5/1, 5/15, 5/29, and 6/12/23

This workshop is free and open to the public, but space may be limited. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

In partnership with Inlandia Institute & Lift Our Voices Education

In this 5-session professional development workshop for writers, attendees will learn about the business of being a writer, the professional expectations, how to create their own opportunities, where to find funding or events, brand development, community resources and much more. If you are a writer interested in turning your words into more dollars this workshop is for you.

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.

May 2, 2023(2 events)

11:30 am: Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke


May 2, 2023

Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke
(All Levels)
Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM PT, Zoom, Weekly. Workshops resume Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

This workshop is free, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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.

7:00 pm: How to Get Started Writing When You Don’t Know Where to Start with Renee Gurley


May 2, 2023

How to Get Started Writing When You Don’t Know Where to Start with Renee Gurley
(Beginners Only)
Alternating Saturdays, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/15, 4/29, 5/13, 5/27, and 6/10/23

This workshop is free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Do you want to start writing, but don't know how to get started? In this course, Renee Gurley shows you how to get your thoughts down on paper -- and then grow from there. Learn the basics of:

Creating Structure
Language Use
Point of View
Journaling, memoir, stories, and more

“How to Get Started Writing When You Don't Know Where to Start” gives you concrete tools to help you become the writer you’ve always wanted to be. It's a fun and exciting class for all aspiring writers!

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.

May 3, 2023(2 events)

2:00 pm: No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon


May 3, 2023

No One Else Can Write Your Memoir! with Alaina Bixon
(All Levels)
Meets Weekly on Wednesdays, 2:00-4:00 PM PT, Zoom, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, and 5/10/23
Free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

Participants will read excerpts from famous memoirs, which we will examine for structure, tone and craft. Each workshop session will include time for writing from prompts, and writers will share their work for feedback if they wish. We will practice editing and revision in the last two sessions.

Alaina Bixon is a freelance writer, editor, and publisher based in Palm Springs, CA. Her MFA from UC Riverside is in Creative Nonfiction, and she writes personal essays. Alaina has led Inlandia Institute workshops on creative writing, food writing, and memoir. Her company, Tilton Bass Publishing, helps clients launch their books into the world. She has written and lectured on pseudoscience, women at MIT, food history, and New Age San Francisco gurus.

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6:30 pm: Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson


May 3, 2023

Poetry for Young Adults with Cait Johnson
(18 +, College Students, Graduates, Young Adults)
Alternating Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 PM PT, Zoom, 4/19, 5/3, 5/17, 5/31, and 6/14/23

This workshop is free and open to the public. To register: https://tinyurl.com/Spring2023CWW

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.

May 4, 2023(3 events)

11:00 am: All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello


May 4, 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.

5:30 pm: Ballet Folklorico at Riverside Main Library!


May 4, 2023

Our Arts Walk event "Music and Memoir" starts at 7:00, but come early if you can! Our second annual Cinco de Mayo performance by Ballet Folklorico Cultural dancers begins at 5:30 PM in RPL’s outdoor arcade. After the performance, join us inside for an open mic experience from 6:30-7:00 where you can read poetry, flash fiction, or an excerpt from your work in progress. And while you’re there, explore the month’s topic of books available for checkout in the Community Room. Don’t have a library card? Apply for one at the event!

 

6:30 pm: Music and Memoir: A Conversation About Writing, Post-Punk, and US Latinidad


May 4, 2023

Thursday, May 4, 2023

First Thursdays Arts Walk

“Music and Memoir: A Conversation About Writing, Post-Punk, and US Latinidad”

With Richard T. Rodríguez and Juanita E. Mantz

Free and open to the public. No registration required.

 

Riverside Main Library

Community Room & Arcade

3900 Mission Inn Blvd

Riverside, CA 92501

5:30 PM Ballet Folklorico Cultural – Arcade

6:30 PM Open Mic – Community Room

7:00 PM “Music and Memoir” – Community Room

Join Inlandia and Riverside Public Library at First Thursdays Arts Walk for a one-of-a-kind conversation between music loving authors Richard T. Rodríguez and Juanita Mantz. The pair will discuss their mutual devotion to punk and how it intersects with US Latinidad, and share their journeys from first inspiration to the completion of a book. How do the dots connect between British post-punk and Latinx audiences? How does punk music become the soundtrack of memoir? Join us in the RPL Community Room at 7:00 PM on May 4 to find out!

But come early if you can! Our second annual Cinco de Mayo performance by Ballet Folklorico Cultural dancers begins at 5:30 PM in RPL’s outdoor arcade. After the performance, join us inside for an open mic experience from 6:30-7:00 where you can read poetry, flash fiction, or an excerpt from your work in progress. And while you’re there, explore the month’s topic of books available for checkout in the Community Room. Don’t have a library card? Apply for one at the event!

May 5, 2023(1 event)

3:30 pm: Comic Book Storytelling for Teens with NARCOMEY


May 5, 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.

May 6, 2023