Check out Las Cruces Digest covering the Southern New Mexico Book Festival, here.
Category: Press
Upcoming Events with LCW’s Charmayne Samuelson
Charmayne has the following exciting events coming in the next several months. Here they are, straight from her newsletter:
FRIDAY SEPT. 11 & SATURDAY SEPT. 12
Major Mata Ortiz exhibition, trunk show, powerpoint presentations, wine reception, and pottery demo and firing at the San Antonio Museum of Art.
I am honored to be attending this event with the world-famous Master Mata Ortiz potters, Hector Gallegos, Laura Bugarini, Paula Bugarini and Yetito Bugarini.
An opening wine/cheese reception on Friday with pottery and books, and on Saturday I will be sharing the unbelievable story of how it all began! Details in the flyer below. Pottery Sales and Book Sales!
SATURDAY OCT 3
SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO BOOK FESTIVAL
I will be attending with my books ready to autograph for you, and I will be leading a workshop. This will be the second year for this event, and it was hugely successful last year. Authors from all over the Southwest will have their books for sale, and there will be other special events.
THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 9, 10
I am very excited to launch the Spencer MacCallum biography En Espanol in Mata Ortiz, Mexico and will be attending a book signing event while there for the world-famous Concurso, competition of the potters. It is a fun and exhilarating weekend full of amazing art, delicious food, and wonderful friends!…
Las Cruces Writer Eva Nevarez-St. John Showcased at the National Association of Memoir Writers!
This is exciting! Check out LCW’s Eva Nevarez-St. John showcased at the July Virtual Book Club of the National Association of Memoir Writers. If you are not familiar with her work, Eva recalls an odyssey of personal loss and recovery following her friend’s murder. You can learn more at Eva’s website, here.…
Fenton Kay New Editions!
Just in time for the July Booknanza, Fenton Kay has new offerings for the kids in all of us. Grab them from Amazon and stop by to get them signed by the author at the Booknanza, or pick them up there!
Book Release: Spencer MacCallum en Español!
Award-winning Las Cruces Writer Charmayne Samuelson has released a Spanish version of her biography of Spencer MacCallum, a critical figure in the development of the Mata Ortiz pottery school of Mexico.
Here are some upcoming events she is doing:
The book launch AND tour begins on Friday, April 17, 2026 from 6-8 at the prestigious Otero Arts Center Reading Program in Alamogordo, NM, where I will be the guest speaker and will share thoughts about everything from the Creative Process to Publishing to the significance of winning awards for not only me but those I write about. I will be signing the new book as well as many of my other books.
The second launch date is Sunday, May 3, 2026 in Tucson, AZ. I will join the renowned Tito Carillo’s Mata Fest, joining famous potters from Mata Ortiz, and signing all three Mata Ortiz books.
The third launch date will be Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Silver City, AZ, at the Silver City Museum for the Silver City Clay Festival. The museum features the stunning work of Mata Ortiz Potter Oralia Lopez and others, and I will be doing 3 slide show presentations and signing books for you!
Charmayne Reigns!
Check out more exciting activities by award-winning Las Cruces Writer Charmayne Samuelson. Here’s a rundown of upcoming events straight from her mailing list:
…On Saturday evening, Feb. 28th, I accepted the very prestigious Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association in El Paso. It was a wonderful event! The BRLA is a stellar institution, and has given these Awards to Authors for 29 years. It is humbling to look at that list of Award-Winning authors and books, and now my name is added to them! Amazing. This is the 8 th Literary Award for my book, MATA ORTIZ POETRY OF THE CLAY, and I am so grateful and happy that this Award helps to shine even more light on the wonderful potters of Mata Ortiz, MX.
Coming up soon in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Join me Sat. March 21st, 2026, 10-1, at the Scarab Art Design House art gallery for New Mexico Book Awards Winners and Finalists “POETRY AND ART BOOK” event hosted by the New Mexico Book Awards. It just so happens that is what my book is: Poetry and Art! My book, POETRY OF THE CLAY POESIA DEL BARRO, won 5 NM Book Awards, including WINNER FIRST PLACE in Fine Art, FINALIST in Poetry, FINALIST in Cover Design, FINALIST in Coffee Table: FINALIST in Multicultural. I will be reading poetry and signing books! All my Albuquerque friends, come on out for this fun event! Thank you to Director Lisa McCoy and the New Mexico Book Awards
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.…
Digest the Southern New Mexico Book Festival with the Las Cruces Digest (and food trucks)!
The Las Cruces Digest has a great write-up about the upcoming Southern New Mexico Book Festival and, again, our own Frank López is front-and-center. Check out the incredible array of workshops, author presentations, children’s activities, and, yes, the critical food trucks available at the upcoming festival this Saturday.
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Visit Las Cruces Live and Las Cruces Writers talk Southern New Mexico Book Festival
Come one, come all and watch LCW’s Frank Lopez chat on the Visit Las Cruces Live podcast about the Southern New Mexico Book Festival: