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.…
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.
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.
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday January 10th, 2026
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!
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.
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday December 13th, 2025
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!
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.…
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.
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Catch George Pintar’s newest book, Dusty Road—A Second Chance, now available on Amazon. Here’s a synopsis:
…In the quiet flatlands of rural Illinois, memories cling like the dust that settles on forgotten roads. Chile Charlie, Slaphappy Joe Smith, and Alice embark on a mysterious excursion that has unanswered questions—and a heart still divided between regret and hope.
Their search for the truth about Grandpa Tom’s disappearance stirs more than old secrets. As fragments of the past surface—a letter, a promise, a betrayal—they must decide whether forgiveness is a destination or the journey itself.
Along the way, familiar faces and new revelations force them to face the life left behind and the legacy still carried. On this winding, timeworn road, redemption waits where you least expect it.
A tender, emotional story of loss, truth, and renewal, Dusty Road—A Second Chance reminds us that even the roughest roads can lead to grace.
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.
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday November 8th, 2025
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.
2:30-4:30 pm, Saturday October 18th, 2025 (Changed date due to SNMBF!)
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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:
