Our new lecture series is designed to bring you the wisdom of acclaimed writers, sharing the tricks, tips and insight of the trade. Each lecture will include a craft talk, writing tools you can practice at home, and an intimate q&a with the author.
Sign Up for Our Literary Masters Lecture Series:
Monday(s) July 7 & 14, 2025, 6:30-8:00 pm CDT via Zoom
The Real Writing is in the Revision with Jasminne Mendez
Have you ever sat down to revise a piece of writing but had no idea where to begin? Or have you started revising only to find yourself stuck halfway through? If you find revision to be an intimidating and messy process, then this class is for you!
Mon, Aug 4 & 11, 6:30-8pm CDT, via Zoom
Reawakening the Past: How to Use Historical Research in Fiction with Katie Gutierrez
Are you a writer digging up history to paint a picture of the past? Are you researching historical facts or concepts to support your story? Learn the ins and outs of historical research from a national bestselling author!
Saturday(s), October 4 & 11, 2025 from 10:00 – 11:30am central online via Zoom
Twists and Turns and Call-backs: How to Train Your Story with Marcela Fuentes (Link coming soon!)
For both creative nonfiction and fiction, the right detail in the right place means everything. We’ll cover how to pick an excellent shape for the story, create strong openings, and make the most of your images.
Meet the Masters:
Jasminne Mendez is a best-selling Dominican-American poet, translator, playwright, audio book narrator and award-winning author of several books for children and adults. Her middle grade novel-in-verse Aniana del Mar Jumps In (Dial) received the 2024 Pura Belpre Honor Award. Her other books have received prizes from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Writer’s League of Texas and the International Latino Book Awards. Her YA fiction debut The Story of My Anger (Dial) will be out September 2025. She is an MFA graduate of the creative writing program at the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University and a University of Houston alumni. She is the Program Director for the literary arts non-profit Tintero Projects and she lives and works in Houston, TX.
Katie Gutierrez is the author of the national bestselling, Edgar Award-nominated debut novel More Than You’ll Ever Know, which was also a Good Morning America Book Club selection. She is a National Magazine Award finalist whose essays and features have appeared in TIME, Texas Highways, Harper’s Bazaar, and more, and acknowledged in Best American Magazine Writing and Best American Essays. She has an MFA from Texas State University and lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and their two kids.
Marcela Fuentes is an award-winning fiction writer and essayist. Her debut novel Malas won the Texas Institute of Letters First Fiction Prize and the National Cowboy Museum & Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Western Novel. The book was longlisted for the Center For Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and was featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, People, Elle Magazine, and Texas Monthly. Malas was Good Morning America Book Club’s pick for June 2024. Marcela is an associate professor at TCU in Fort Worth. She was born and raised in Del Rio, Texas.