The Las Cruces Writers meeting has been moved to February 21st. More details and agenda are forthcoming.…
Enjoy Valentine’s Day!
Category: Events
Las Cruces Writer Charmayne Samuelson wins Southwest Book Award!
Yes, it’s official, Charmayne’s MATA ORTIZ POETRY OF THE CLAY Pottery. Poems. Artists: POESÍA DEL BARRO Cerámica. Poemas. Artistas just won the SOUTHWEST BOOK AWARD from the Border Regional Library Association. This represents the 8th award for the tome and is an inspiration for all border region writers and poets, especially since poetry is underrepresented and underappreciated in our modern era.…
A Poetic First Meeting of 2026!
In a long night in anxious times,
Stanzas clash in metrical rhymes.
Enjambments crouch in happenstance
Lurking as if spilled by chance.
With pens we frame visionary cheer
And meet in the light of a frothy new year.
Where
Las Cruces Village (formerly Good Samaritan) in the Creative Arts Room, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Enter through the main administrative building entrance (parking is to the east of the building) and turn left in the first hallway to reach the room.
When
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday January 10th, 2026
Agenda
Special Agenda: January is the Poetry meeting month! What does that mean? Bring your poems! Write some poems! Read some poems!
If you haven’t tried writing poetry yet, give it a try. You still have a week. If you have written some things, bring them along to read. If you haven’t and don’t want to, bring a poem from one of your favorite poets and read it.
We’ll also be writing some poems in the meeting with some prompts. Poems poems poems!
- Call to Order
- Welcome New Members
- Membership and Financials
- Member Accomplishments
- Poems reading
- Poems writing
- Favorite poems
- More poems reading
- More poems writing
- Time & Date of next meeting reminders
- Adjournment
December Meeting (NOTE New Meeting Room)
Where
Las Cruces Village (formerly Good Samaritan), 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Our meeting will NOT be taking place in the same room, however. Go down the stairs that are right outside the room we usually meet and there will be a large meeting room almost right at the bottom. We’ve met there several times before.
When
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday December 13th, 2025
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Welcome New Members
- Membership and Financials
- Member Accomplishments
- Holiday themed writing prompts!
- Readings by members?? (THIS COULD BE YOU!)
- Current advertising techniques (we didn’t get to this last time and I’d really like to discuss)
- Goals for the new year as a writer
- Time & Date of next meeting reminders
- Adjournment
From Holiday Booknanzas to the Vatican
Las Cruces Writer Charmayne Samuelson’s award-winning book, MATA ORTIZ POETRY OF THE CLAY Pottery. Poems. Artists: POESÍA DEL BARRO Cerámica. Poemas. Artistas, is on its way to the Vatican with her Mata Ortiz collaborators. Here is Charmayne on the amazing events:
The outstanding Master Mata Ortiz potters, Hector Gallegos and Laura Bugarini, are now at the Vatican in Rome for a special Chihuahua, Mexico in Rome Christmas celebration. The photos here show their outstanding work in creating magnificent life-sized statues of the nativity scene.
They also presented my book to the Ambassador of Mexico to the Holy See, Alberto Barranco Chavarría. I would have never dreamed that my work, my poetry/pottery book would speed around the world to the VATICAN. This is a truly blessed Christmas!
Fenton Kay Short Story!
Las Cruces Writer Fenton Kay has a new short story, “Reverse Lend-Lease: Keeping the Freezer Stocked,” published at Twist and Twain out of India! Fenton has a wide range of writing interests but his background in biology is always present, whether in mysteries, science fiction, or here in a jungle hunt to fulfill the vision of a far-from-home chef.…
Holiday Booknanza 2025!
The poster says it all! Join Las Cruces Writers for the Holiday Booknanza and get some unique books for you, your friends, and your family. You won’t be disappointed.
…
November 2025 Meeting
Where
Las Cruces Village (formerly Good Samaritan) in the Creative Arts Room, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Enter through the main administrative building entrance (parking is to the east of the building) and turn left in the first hallway to reach the room.
When
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday November 8th, 2025
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Welcome New Members
- Membership and Financials
- Member Accomplishments
- Visual writing prompt led by Rosemary
- Readings by members?? (THIS COULD BE YOU!)
- Discussion on the “soul of a story” (I have some interesting things I’d like to discuss here)
- Current advertising techniques
- Writing prompts based on the above conversation
- Time & Date of next meeting reminders
- Adjournment
October Meetup!
Where
Good Samaritan Village in the Creative Arts Room, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. Enter through the main administrative building entrance (parking is to the east of the building) and turn left in the first hallway to reach the room.
When
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday October 18th, 2025 (Changed date due to SNMBF!)
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Welcome New Members
- Membership and Financials
- Member Accomplishments
- AI discussion continued (several people had more things to say that we didn’t quite get to last meeting. This won’t take up too much more time).
- Readings by members?? (THIS COULD BE YOU!)
- How to write tension and drama effectively in a scene
- Writing prompts based on the above conversation
- Time & Date of next meeting reminders
- Adjournment
…
Eva Nevarez-St. John Gets Bronze Medal!
Just after her amazing leadership with the success of the Southern New Mexico Book Festival, Las Cruces Writer Eva Nevarez-St. John has been awarded a bronze medal (memoir/biography) for her book When Tough Cookies Crumble: A True Story of Friendship, Murder, and Healing by the Military Writers Society of America.
Here’s an action-shot of the book with its new award sticker:
