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DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250319T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250319T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T075945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T163806Z
UID:11146-1742409000-1742416200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Veterans Writing Collective with Sarah Colby
DESCRIPTION:The Veteran’s Writing Collective (VWC) encourages the art of writing in a workshop environment where participants are offered honest\, positive\, and constructive peer-to-peer and mentor feedback. The workshop is open to all active-duty military\, veterans\, retirees\, and their immediate family members. Writers of all levels working in all genres are welcome. \nThe VWC meets monthly online via Zoom.\nIf you would like an invitation to this class\, send an email to veteranscollective@geminiink.org\n\nSarah Colby was born in northern New Mexico and raised in the Rocky Mountains. She is married to a retired Army Chaplain and is mother to a son in the Navy. Sarah has an MFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada College and an exuberant interest in making the ordinary luminous. Her war-time experiences have motivated her to be a voice for the mostly untold stories of families and loved ones during these years of protracted conflict. She is currently working on a manuscript of poems about her experiences as a military family member.\n \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/veterans-writing-collective-2020-07-15-2021-11-17-2023-08-16-2023-12-20/2025-03-19/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event,Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/homepage-footer-1250-x-600-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Sarah Colby":MAILTO:veteranscollective@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250319T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250319T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250227T220317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250312T150149Z
UID:11957-1742410800-1742414400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:The Big Texas Author Talk featuring Melissa Studdard
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Wednesday\, March 19th\, 2025 via Zoom for a conversation with Melissa Studdard\, to discuss her new book\, Dear Selection Committee (Jackleg Press). Moderated by Elena Karina Byrne.\n\n\n\n\n(Virtual Readings Monthly @ 7pm CST) \n\n\nRSVP\nSign up for Melissa Studdard’s class\, The Poetics of You: An Intro to Poetry Workshop on Monday\, April 7th! \n“I buried // everything they told me to bury. Then\, I dug it up again\,” Melissa Studdard writes in Dear Selection Committee\, an apt description of the work these poems do to unearth the incorrigible self and bury conventionality and its offspring\, shame. The speaker revels in her largesse\, claiming\, in one poem’s title\, she’s “Huge Like King Kong\, Like Godzilla\, Like Gulliver\,” and that the “world is my diorama of a world\,” and in another\, that her honeymoon pictures are “the cover / of the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass.” All of this immensity\, this grand unburying\, is squeezed into the prosaic corseting structure of a job application\, intensifying the split between tame and wild. Even her own birth is enacted with kinetic magnificence: “I broke the kingdom inside her\, broke the gala / of horses straining to get out. I broke the dancehall // mirrors and even the gilded faucet handles. / I was a river that strong. Made for flooding.” Indeed\, these poems are so desirous and animated that they spilled over the edges of the page and into my thirsty soul. “-Diane Seuss \n“The poems in Dear Selection Committee say what I’ve always wanted to say in a job application (and what I’m thinking as I perform the role of Normal Job Person) but never had the guts. Melissa Studdard’s burn-it-down-radical honesty is elating af—exactly what I needed to read—but the poetic attentiveness\, from the first page to the last\, was the real thrill. At the heart of the cyclone\, a dependable\, deepening pulse of self preservation.” -Jennifer L. Knox \n“In the universe of Melissa Studdard’s poems\, both the speaker and the audience will always have their cake and eat it too. After all\, “Life’s never dull when your name’s Melissa\,” and oh my goddess\, does Dear Selection Committee serve hard as a brilliant 21st-century take and critique of the epistolary\, filled with infinite heart and infinite humor and infinite neon signs that point towards the larger-than-life nature of poetry. This is excess. This is extravagance. This is the definition of sensuality. Studdard has the tremendous gift of finding the center of every poem\, giving us the whole damn thing.” -Dorothy Chan \nFramed as a job application and bounding with associative leaps and surrealist underpinnings\, Dear Selection Committee is a subversive\, sexy love song to an endlessly messy self and the burning world it inhabits. Full of apostrophic power\, these poems shift among registers of loss\, desire\, and joy as they wrestle with issues such as climate change\, addiction\, modern distractions\, gender presentation\, religious questioning\, and the nature of pain. Dear Selection Committee attests that although life can feel like a bumpy cab ride to an interview for a job you feel uniquely unqualified for\, if you lay aside the anxieties of self just long enough to peer out the window\, you’ll see great beauty amidst the chaos. \n\nMelissa Studdard is the author of five books\, including the poetry collection I ATE THE COSMOS FOR BREAKFAST. Her work has been published or featured by places such as NPR\, PBS\, The New York Times\, The Guardian\, POETRY\, Kenyon Review\, Psychology Today\, and New England Review. Her awards include The Poetry Society of America’s Lucille Medwick Memorial Award\, The Penn Review Poetry Prize\, the REEL Poetry Festival Audience Choice Award\, the Tom Howard Prize\, and more. \n\nModerator\nA Pushcart Prize and Best American Poetry recipient\, Elena Karina Byrne served as a final judge for PEN’s “Best of the West” award\, for the 2016-2018 Kate and Kingsley Tufts Poetry Awards\, and for the international Laurel Prize in environmental poetry. Her five poetry collections include If This Makes You Nervous (Omnidawn\, 2021). Poems\, reviews\, essays\, and interviews can be found in POETRY\, The Kenyon Review\, The Paris Review\, APR\, Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day\, Poetry Daily\, Verse Daily\, LA Review of Books\, Plume anthologies\, Reel Verse: Poems About the Movies\, BOMB\, and elsewhere. Former 12-year Regional Director of the Poetry Society of America\, Elena now works as a freelance editor\, lecturer\, reviewer\, and Programming Consultant & Poetry Stage Manager for The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/the-big-texas-author-talk-featuring-melissa-studdard/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-TBTAT-2-e1740781793601.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250329T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250329T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T170232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250227T175337Z
UID:11197-1743247800-1743253200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Teen Writing Circle with Daniel Ramirez
DESCRIPTION:Register\nLast Saturday of Every Month 11:30am-1pm cst via Zoom \nFor ages 13-19 years old \nAre you a teen who enjoys writing in their free time? Or are you someone who’s never had the chance to write on their own? If so\, this Online Teen Writing Circle is for you!  \nIn this once-a-month writing circle\, teens will enjoy writing in a judgment free zone. We’ll break the ice with one another and perform various writing exercises. You are encouraged to share your work with your peers and get constructive feedback\, but it is not required. Our only goal is to keep you writing! \nThis course is open to teen writers of any skill level. \nParticipants will leave the writing circle with:  \n\nNew\, unique written work\nListening and sharing experience\nConstructive feedback to help improve their writing\n\nWant to learn more about our Teen Writing Circle? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!\n \n\nDaniel Ramirez has been an educator for over 15 years. After studying History in grad school\, he tromped around the outdoors doing conservation with teenagers. Spending time as a Montessori educator revealed the power of incorporating creativity with learning. Encouraging youth to tap into their creative abilities convinced him to discover his own. Since then\, in addition to his original love of storytelling\, he’s found a penchant for calligraphy\, puppetry\, poetry\, and block printing. A San Antonio native\, he explores the crystalline waters of Central Texas in his free time. \n \n  \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/teen-writing-circle-2025-03-29/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop,Youth
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Teen-Writing-Circle-March-2025-e1740678808264.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250331T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250331T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T141203Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250212T145425Z
UID:11134-1743445800-1743453000@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Open Writer's Labs
DESCRIPTION:These peer-driven workshops\, held the last Monday of each month\, are free and open to writers of all levels and focus on poetry\, flash fiction\, and short creative non-fiction.\n \n  \n\n\nOnline Via Zoom\nFor the online workshop\, sign up the day before the class to ensure you receive the Zoom link. \nThis workshop is facilitated by Kevin Ramos. Originally from the northeast\, Kevin studied theater arts at Rutgers University and The University of Washington. He’s lived all over the country before making his home in San Antonio\, Texas. Kevin has written several novels and short stories. Most recently\, publishing a short memoir called Enough about addiction\, mothers\, and missing graves. And a novel\, Hayley’s Sense of Fire (DLG Publishing Partners)\, a modern re-telling of the classic fairy tale\, The Little Matchgirl. \n\nIn-Person at Gemini Ink\n \nJoin our in-person Open Writer’s Lab with Robert Allen at Gemini Ink’s office\, 1111 Navarro St.\, San Antonio\, TX 78205. \nRobert Allen has worked as a librarian and an electrical contractor for most of his life. Many moons ago\, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin\, where he studied poetry under David Wevill. Allen has been active in local writer’s groups and open mics\, including the Sun Poets Society. He’s been published in The Ocotillo Review\, the Texas Poetry Calendar\, Voices de la Luna\, di-verse-city\, the San Antonio Express-News\, and Poetry on the Move. In 2006\, he started attending Gemini Ink’s free Monday night writing classes and has attended regularly ever since. With more than a decade of attending writers’ groups\, classes\, and open mics\, he now co-facilitates Gemini Ink’s Open Writer’s Lab. \nParking at Gemini Ink\nGemini Ink offers free parking along the back wall of our downtown offices. Please access this parking lot from Augusta St and first park in any of the 12 spots along the back wall. Only when these 12 spots are full do we ask that you park elsewhere in our lot. We now rent our offices from UTSA and are collaborating with them to create a secure and accessible parking lot for our community of writers and readers.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/open-writers-lab-2-2020-08-31-2020-09-28-2021-06-28-2022-05-30-2022-06-27-2022-07-25-2023-03-27-2023-12-25/2025-03-31/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Open-Writers-Labs-1250-x-600-px-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250401T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250401T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T174011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250331T201257Z
UID:11121-1743532200-1743539400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Everything but the Kitchen Sink: A Workshop on Writing Hybrid Essays with ire’ne lara silva
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday(s)\, April 1\, 8 & 15\, 2025\, 6:30-8:30pm CST\, in-person at Gemini Ink \n(Rescheduled from May 1\, 8 & 15) \nNonmember $150        Member    $ 125                Student $90 \n*EARN CPEs\n \n  \n\n\nAre you a fan of essay writing who is bored to tears with the standard five-paragraph essays taught in school? Want to learn a new approach to essay writing that is fresh and fun? A hybrid essay crosses the boundaries of genre and can include elements of visual art\, photography\, found items and is pulled together by your voice. \nIn this three-week workshop\, we will liberate our minds and recover from the trauma of the “school-essay” mentality by creating hybrid essays that engage the reader\, reflect our realities\, and push the limits of what an essay can be. Bring any projects or ideas you’re working on–memoirs\, family histories\, love letters\, journals\, or thoughts you want to share about life\, art\, history\, spirit\, geography\, the world!  \nThis course is open to writers of all genres\, backgrounds\, and skill levels\, 18+. \nStudents will leave this workshop with:  \n\nA fresh approach to gathering source material for essays\nA first draft of one or more hybrid essays\n\n\nire’ne lara silva\, 2023 Texas State Poet Laureate\, is the author of five poetry collections\, furia\, Blood Sugar Canto\, CUICACALLI/House of Song\, FirstPoems\, and the eaters of flowers; two chapbooks\, Enduring Azucares and Hibiscus Tacos; a comic book\, VENDAVAL; and a short story collection\, flesh to bone\, which won the Premio Aztlán. ire’ne is the recipient of a 2021 Tasajillo Writers Grant\, a 2017 NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant\, the final Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Award\, and the Fiction Finalist for AROHO’s 2013 Gift of Freedom Award. Most recently\, ire’ne was awarded the 2021 Texas Institute of Letters Shrake Award for Best Short Nonfiction. Her second short story collection\, the light of your body\, will be published by Arte Publico Press in Spring 2025. http://www.irenelarasilva.wordpress.com \nSocial media links: Facebook: www.facebook.com/irenelarasilva\, Instagram: @silvairenelara
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/writing-hybrid-essays/
LOCATION:Gemini Ink\, 1111 Navarro St\, San Antonio\, TX\, 78205\, United States
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Homepage-footer2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250407T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250407T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T173426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250407T154150Z
UID:11118-1744050600-1744057800@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:The Poetics of You: An Intro to Poetry Workshop with Melissa Studdard
DESCRIPTION:Monday(s)\, April 7\, 14\, 21 & 28\, 2025\, 6:30-8:30pm CST\, via Zoom \nNonmember $155        Member    $130                  Student $ 90     \n*EARN CPEs\n \n  \n\nPoetry has a way of shifting the way we view the world and ourselves\, of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary\, of infusing the mundane with meaning. Ready to see life through a poetry lens?  \nIn this four-session workshop\, we’ll explore and review basic poetic concepts while working with prompts designed to unlock your own unique poetic gifts and subject matter. The Poetics of You will be a generative\, supportive\, and encouraging space to learn\, experiment\, and explore. In the weekly virtual meetings\, we will study basic techniques\, read sample poems\, compose drafts\, and share writings. \nThis course is open to writers of all genres\, backgrounds\, and skill levels\, 18+. \nStudents will leave this class with:  \n\nNew drafts of poems\nUnderstanding of basic poetic concepts\nA sense of your own subject matter and unique abilities\n\n\nMelissa Studdard writes poetry\, fiction\, song cycles\, and libretti. Her most recent book is the poetry collection Dear Selection Committee (Jackleg Press). Her work has been featured by PBS\, NPR\, The New York Times\, The Guardian\, Ms. Magazine\, the Best American Poetry blog\, and the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day series and has appeared in periodicals such as POETRY\, Kenyon Review\, and New England Review. Her Awards include the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America\, The Penn Review Poetry Prize\, the Tom Howard Prize\, the REELpoetry International Film Festival Audience Choice Award\, and more. As a librettist/lyricist\, she has had works commissioned by Aspen Music Festival\, Wolf Trap\, Yale Institute of Sacred Music\, and the University of Michigan School of Music. With Kelli Russell Agodon\, she co-hosts the YouTube poetry series Poems You Need. You can find her at www.melissastuddard.com and www.youtube.com/@PoemsYouNeed \nSocial media links: @melissastuddard \nLearn about Cancellation & Refund Policies 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/the-poetics-of-you/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250412T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250412T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250402T192506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250402T193149Z
UID:12091-1744448400-1744477200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:San Antonio Book Festival 2025
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the San Antonio Book Festival on Saturday\, April 12\, 2025\, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Find us on Exhibitor’s Row (Augusta St)\, alongside other community organizations focused on literature\, education\, and culture.. \nThe festival includes author presentations\, panel discussions\, book signings\, activities for children and teens\, and food trucks. It will showcase award-winning and bestselling authors such as Naomi Shihab Nye\, Laila Lalami\, Martín Espada\, Tim Z\, Hernandez\, Diana López\, Stephen Graham Jones\, Nita Prose\, Cristina Rivera Garza\, and more. You can find a more complete list of authors on the festival’s website: San Antonio Book Festival. \nDate: Saturday\, April 12\, 2025.\nTime: 9 AM to 5 PM\nLocation: Central Library and UTSA Southwest Campus in downtown San Antonio.\nAuthors: The 2025 festival will feature over 100 local\, regional\, and national authors.\nCost: Free
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/san-antonio-book-festival-2025/
LOCATION:Texas
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-STD.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250416T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250416T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T075945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T163807Z
UID:11147-1744828200-1744835400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Veterans Writing Collective with Sarah Colby
DESCRIPTION:The Veteran’s Writing Collective (VWC) encourages the art of writing in a workshop environment where participants are offered honest\, positive\, and constructive peer-to-peer and mentor feedback. The workshop is open to all active-duty military\, veterans\, retirees\, and their immediate family members. Writers of all levels working in all genres are welcome. \nThe VWC meets monthly online via Zoom.\nIf you would like an invitation to this class\, send an email to veteranscollective@geminiink.org\n\nSarah Colby was born in northern New Mexico and raised in the Rocky Mountains. She is married to a retired Army Chaplain and is mother to a son in the Navy. Sarah has an MFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada College and an exuberant interest in making the ordinary luminous. Her war-time experiences have motivated her to be a voice for the mostly untold stories of families and loved ones during these years of protracted conflict. She is currently working on a manuscript of poems about her experiences as a military family member.\n \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/veterans-writing-collective-2020-07-15-2021-11-17-2023-08-16-2023-12-20/2025-04-16/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event,Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/homepage-footer-1250-x-600-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Sarah Colby":MAILTO:veteranscollective@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250422T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250422T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T154614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250421T204717Z
UID:11095-1745346600-1745353800@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Cultivate Creative Resilience and Write Unforgettable Works with Jen Knox
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday(s)\, April 22 & 29\, 2025 from 6:30-8:30pm\, CST via Zoom. \nNonmember $145        Member  $125        Student $85 \n*EARN CPEs\n \n  \n\n  \nCreative resilience means facing setbacks and moving forward in your artistry anyway. It means harnessing the energy tocreate what you feel called to produce. It means owning your journey completely as you share your art. But how do you manage the ups and downs of the writing life\, tell your truths without injuring yourself\, and keep your creative engine burning through it all? \nIn this two-part workshop\, we will explore the many versions of creative block\, from writer’s block to rejection letters\, from tough critiques to typos to self-doubt. We will then combine writing and resiliency techniques to support an enduring creative practice while generating bold new work that only you can write.  \nThis course is open to writers of all genres\, backgrounds\, and skill levels\, 18+. \nWhat you can expect in this workshop:  \n\nA nurturing and fun space to explore your stories and poetry\nCreative resilience techniques for writing through and about difficult times\nPractice using these tools to generate authentic raw material\nFeedback and an opportunity to share\n\n\n\nJen Knox is an award-winning author and lecturer at Ohio State University. Her fiction can be found in The Best Small Fictions\, The Adirondack Review\, Chicago Tribune\, Istanbul Review\, Literary Orphans\, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency\, Room Magazine\, The Santa Fe Writers Project Quarterly\, and The Saturday Evening Post\, among over a hundred other publications. Jen’s books include We Arrive Uninvited (Steel Toe Books Award Winner in Prose) and The Glass City (Press Americana Prose Winner). She recently received grants from the Ohio Arts Council and the Greater Columbus Arts Council to work on a collection of essays about work\, and her newest novel Chaos Magic\, will be released by Kallisto Gaia Press in February 2025. www.jenknox.net \nLinks:\nInstagram\nSubstack\nFacebook\n \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/creative-resilience/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-2.04.42 PM.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250424T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250214T201952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T025633Z
UID:11877-1745521200-1745532000@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Three Poets Laureate Speak: An Evening Celebrating the Power of Poetry
DESCRIPTION:The Little Carver Civic Center \n226 N Hackberry St\, San Antonio\, TX 78202 \nPlease see parking information (link to map) \n“This production is not a presentation of the Carver Community Cultural Center or the Carver Development Board.” \nRSVP\nAttendees who RSVP’d by April 15th will be guaranteed entry until 6:45 PM on April 24th. After that\, entry will be available on a first-come\, first-served basis until capacity is reached. \nDon’t miss an unforgettable night showcasing three powerful women poets! \nCelebrate National Poetry Month with a reading\, discussion\, and book signing with 2020-23 San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson\, 2024 Texas Poet Laureate Amanda Johnston\, and 2012-2014 U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. \n  \n\nThese three distinguished Black women poets will discuss the contributions of African-American writers today and their roles as advocates who use poetry to uplift their communities.  Each of these literary leaders will discuss their own poetic journeys and represent their respective roles as the 2020-2023 San Antonio Poet Laureate\, the 2024 Texas Poet Laureate\, and\, in the case of Ms. Trethewey\, the 2012-2014 U.S. Poet Laureate and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner in Poetry. Slam champion and current Houston Poet Laureate\, Aris Kian Brown\, will bring her own magic to the night as our featured moderator. This event will highlight the unique role poetry can play in helping us ignite our creative voice. \nEach of these poets breaks new ground and asks difficult questions through their work; questions that encourage empathy and resilience\, while not shying away from the realities of being Black women writers in contemporary America. Join us for this intellectually engaging evening celebrating poetry and the transformative and joyful ways poetry impacts our communities. \nLight refreshments will be served. \n\n\nPanelists\nAndrea “Vocab” Sanderson is a dynamic poet\, singer\, and spoken word artist from San Antonio\, Texas. Known for her powerful performances and lyrical prowess\, Sanderson has been a driving force in the local arts community\, advocating for the power of words to inspire and heal. She served as the Poet Laureate of San Antonio (2020-2023)\, using her platform to uplift marginalized voices and foster creativity across the city. In 2021\, she received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship for her legacy project\, The Echo Project\, which was featured on KLRN. Vocab’s debut book\, She Lives In Music\, was published by Flower Song Press (2020)\, and her albums are available for streaming on all music platforms. Her second collection of poems\, The Seasoned Woman\, is forthcoming from Gnashing Teeth Press. Her work\, which blends poetry with music and activism\, resonates deeply with audiences\, addressing themes of social justice\, love\, and resilience. \nAmanda Johnston\, 2024 Texas Poet Laureate\, is an acclaimed poet\, educator\, and advocate for social justice. She is the author of Another Way to Say Enter (Argus House Press 2017)\, and her poetry has been widely recognized for its emotional depth and unflinching exploration of identity\, race\, and gender. Johnston is the founder of Torch Literary Arts\, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the work of Black women and girls in literature. Named one of Blavity’s “13 Black Poets You Should Know\,” Amanda’s work has been featured on Bill Moyers\, the Poetry Society of America’s series “In Their Own Words\,” The Moth Radio Hour\, and the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day series. Her work has also appeared in numerous online and print publications\, among them Callaloo\, Poetry Magazine\, Puerto del Sol\, Muzzle\, and the anthologies Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry and Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism. With a passion for empowering others\, she has taught creative writing in various settings and is a Cave Canem fellow. Johnston’s work continues to influence and inspire new and established voices in the literary world. \nNatasha Trethewey is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate (2012-14)\, who is celebrated for her profound exploration of history\, memory\, and identity. Born in Gulfport\, Mississippi\, Trethewey’s work often delves into the complexities of the American South\, weaving together personal and collective histories. She is the author of several acclaimed collections\, including Native Guard\, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2007. Having also served as the Poet Laureate of the State of Mississippi (2012-2016)\, she is the author of the New York Times bestseller Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir (2020); and a book of nonfiction\, Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (2010). Trethewey’s lyrical and evocative poetry has earned her numerous accolades and a reputation as one of the most important voices in contemporary American literature. Her writing offers a powerful meditation on the intersection of race\, trauma\, and resilience. \nModerator\nAris Kian Brown is a Houston enthusiast and student of abolition. She ranked #2 in the 2023 Womxn of the World Poetry Slam and #1 at the 2024 Southern Fried Poetry Slam with her team Smoke Slam. Her poems are published with Button Poetry\, West Branch\, Obsidian Lit and elsewhere. She received her MFA from the University of Houston and currently serves as the 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/three-poets-laureate-speak/
LOCATION:The Little Carver Theater\, 226 N Hackberry St\, San Antonio\, Texas\, 78202
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Three-Poets-header-1-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Alexandra van de Kamp":MAILTO:avandekamp@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250426T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250426T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T170232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T192231Z
UID:11198-1745668800-1745674200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Teen Writing Circle with Daniel Ramirez
DESCRIPTION:Register\nLast Saturday of Every Month 12-1:30pm cst via Zoom \nFor ages 13-19 years old \nAre you a teen who enjoys writing in their free time? Or are you someone who’s never had the chance to write on their own? If so\, this Online Teen Writing Circle is for you!  \nIn this once-a-month writing circle\, teens will enjoy writing in a judgment free zone. We’ll break the ice with one another and perform various writing exercises. You are encouraged to share your work with your peers and get constructive feedback\, but it is not required. Our only goal is to keep you writing! \nThis course is open to teen writers of any skill level. \nParticipants will leave the writing circle with:  \n\nNew\, unique written work\nListening and sharing experience\nConstructive feedback to help improve their writing\n\nWant to learn more about our Teen Writing Circle? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!\n \n\nDaniel Ramirez has been an educator for over 15 years. After studying History in grad school\, he tromped around the outdoors doing conservation with teenagers. Spending time as a Montessori educator revealed the power of incorporating creativity with learning. Encouraging youth to tap into their creative abilities convinced him to discover his own. Since then\, in addition to his original love of storytelling\, he’s found a penchant for calligraphy\, puppetry\, poetry\, and block printing. A San Antonio native\, he explores the crystalline waters of Central Texas in his free time. \n \n  \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/teen-writing-circle-2025-03-29-2025-04-26/2025-04-26/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop,Youth
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TWC-website-header.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250428T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250428T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T141203Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T180637Z
UID:11135-1745865000-1745872200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Open Writer's Labs
DESCRIPTION:These peer-driven workshops\, held the last Monday of each month\, are free and open to writers of all levels and focus on poetry\, flash fiction\, and short creative non-fiction.\n \n  \n\n\nOnline Via Zoom\nFor the online workshop\, sign up the day before the class to ensure you receive the Zoom link. \nThis workshop is facilitated by Kevin Ramos. Originally from the northeast\, Kevin studied theater arts at Rutgers University and The University of Washington. He’s lived all over the country before making his home in San Antonio\, Texas. Kevin has written several novels and short stories. Most recently\, publishing a short memoir called Enough about addiction\, mothers\, and missing graves. And a novel\, Hayley’s Sense of Fire (DLG Publishing Partners)\, a modern re-telling of the classic fairy tale\, The Little Matchgirl. \n\nIn-Person at Gemini Ink\n \nJoin our in-person Open Writer’s Lab with Robert Allen at Gemini Ink’s office\, 1111 Navarro St.\, San Antonio\, TX 78205. \nRobert Allen has worked as a librarian and an electrical contractor for most of his life. Many moons ago\, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin\, where he studied poetry under David Wevill. Allen has been active in local writer’s groups and open mics\, including the Sun Poets Society. He’s been published in The Ocotillo Review\, the Texas Poetry Calendar\, Voices de la Luna\, di-verse-city\, the San Antonio Express-News\, and Poetry on the Move. In 2006\, he started attending Gemini Ink’s free Monday night writing classes and has attended regularly ever since. With more than a decade of attending writers’ groups\, classes\, and open mics\, he now co-facilitates Gemini Ink’s Open Writer’s Lab. \nParking at Gemini Ink\nGemini Ink offers free parking along the back wall of our downtown offices. Please access this parking lot from Augusta St and first park in any of the 12 spots along the back wall. Only when these 12 spots are full do we ask that you park elsewhere in our lot. We now rent our offices from UTSA and are collaborating with them to create a secure and accessible parking lot for our community of writers and readers.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/open-writers-lab-2-2020-08-31-2020-09-28-2021-06-28-2022-05-30-2022-06-27-2022-07-25-2023-03-27-2023-12-25-2025-04-28/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250501T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250501T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241206T205539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241206T205629Z
UID:11320-1746124200-1746131400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:(RESCHEDULED) Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Writing Hybrid Essays with ire’ne lara silva
DESCRIPTION:This workshop has been rescheduled to April 1\, 2025 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm CST\, in-person at Gemini Ink \n\n\n(Rescheduled from May 1\, 8 & 15) \nView the class here: https://geminiink.org/events/writing-hybrid-essays/
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/rescheduled-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink/
LOCATION:Texas
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250506T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250506T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T174539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T192113Z
UID:11125-1746556200-1746563400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Writing an Identity Not Your Own with Alex Temblador
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday(s)\, May 6 & 13\, 2025\, 6:30-8:30pm CST\, via Zoom \nNonmember $135        Member    $115                  Student $80 \n*EARN CPE’S\nTWO SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE\n \n  \n\nDo you want to craft diverse and dynamic characters with respect and care for their unique identities? What honest questions must you ask yourself when creating characters different from you? Let’s explore character creation in a thoughtful way! \n \nIn this two-session workshop\, Mixed Latine award-winning author Alex Temblador of Writing An Identity Not Your Own will discuss one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: crafting a character whose identity is not your own. We will examine bias and how it might influence the text through stereotypes\, harmful storyline tropes\, character descriptions\, dialogue\, and more.  \nThe class will also cover the history and state of diversity and representation in publishing. Then\, we will discuss how a writer might approach writing main\, secondary\, and tertiary characters who have historically marginalized identities\, including race and ethnicity\, sexual and romantic orientation\, gender identity\, disability\, nationality\, etc.  \nThis course is open to writers of all genres\, backgrounds\, and skill levels\, 18+. \nStudents will leave this workshop with:  \n\nAwareness of how a writer’s own bias can appear in their creative writing  \nA list of considerations before you write\, as you write\, and in the editing process of character development\nAn introduction to using an intersectional identity approach to crafting characters\n\n\nAlex Temblador is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Writing An Identity Not Your Own\, Half Outlaw\, and Secrets of the Casa Rosada. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Her work has also appeared in PALABRITAS\, D Magazine\, and Colorado Review. Alex has taught creative writing seminars\, workshops\, and classes with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association\, WritingWorkshops.com\, the Writer’s League of Texas\, and more\, as well as spoken about diversity in the literary world with Macmillan Publishers\, Texas Library Association\, Abydos Learning Conference\, and at many other festivals\, conferences\, and universities. Alex lives in Dallas\, Texas\, where she runs a literary panel series called LitTalk and is the Executive Director of Write Here DFW.  \nSocial media links: IG and Twitter and Threads: @Alex_Temblador\, https://www.facebook.com/alextemblador
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/writing-an-identity-not-your-own/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250508T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250508T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250422T125421Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250501T193846Z
UID:12361-1746729000-1746734400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Gemini Ink Author Reading & Open Mic Featuring Jonathan Fletcher
DESCRIPTION:Come celebrate Jonathan Fletcher and his new chapbook\, This Is My Body: Poems\, winner of the Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize. He will be joined by poets Alex Z. Salinas and Jen Yáñez-Alaniz. \nFollowing the featured reading\, we will host a community open mic. Bring your poems\, stories\, and thoughts to share (there will be a 3-minute limit for each reader). Open mic sign-up will be in person starting at 6:00pm\, so be sure to arrive on time! \nFood trucks are available on site. All ages are welcome. Under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. \n\nJonathan Fletcher holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University School of the Arts.  His work has been featured in numerous literary journals and magazines\, and he has won or placed in various literary contests. A Pushcart Prize\, Best of the Net\, and Best Microfiction nominee\, he won Northwestern University Press’s Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize contest in 2023\, for which his debut chapbook\, This is My Body\, was published in 2025.  Currently\, he serves as a Zoeglossia Fellow. \n  \n  \n \nAlex Z. Salinas is the author of four volumes of poetry\, most recently Hispanic Sonnets and Trash Poems. His book of stories\, City Lights From the Upside Down\, was included in the National Book Critics Circle’s Critical Notes. He lives in San Antonio\, Texas. His debut novel\, The Dream Life of Larry Rios\, is forthcoming in 2025 through FlowerSong Press. \n  \n  \n \nJen Yáñez-Alaniz is a Chicana Cúelcahén Ndé scholar\, poet\, and community organizer whose work centers on cultural preservation\, land-based ceremony\, and decolonial epistemologies. Her poetry can be found in There is So Much I Want to Tell You (Mouthfeel Press) and Somos Xicanas (Riot of Roses Publishing House)\, as well as in various anthologies and journals. She is the author of Surrogate Eater (Alabrava Press) and the forthcoming chapter\, “Catalyzing academic writing through notions of sensuality\, surrogacy\, and consumption as examined in the poetry of Surrogate Eater and selected translingual poems\,” in Decolonizing Academic Writing through Translingualism: Walking the Talk (Routledge Publishing). Jen also authored a critical biography of Carmen Tafolla in Chicana Portraits (University of Arizona Press). Her current manuscript\, Pain Theory: Sweetness Ferments into a Beast\, reflects poetically and critically on healing\, endurance\, and living beyond multiple autoimmune conditions.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/author-reading-featuring-jonathan-fletcher/
LOCATION:artistan craft bar\, 402 Austin St.\, San Antonio\, TX\, 78215\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/jonathan-fletcher-e1746043532328.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250514T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250514T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T202457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250116T194337Z
UID:11205-1747247400-1747252800@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:LitMinds Book Club
DESCRIPTION:Join us for the LitMinds Book Club at Gemini Ink. We’re reading  Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.\nRegister\nAn instant New York Times Bestseller! \nLonglisted for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction\, the Carnegie Medal in Fiction\, the 2019 Aspen Words Literacy Prize\, and the PEN/Hemingway Debut Novel Award \nShortlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize \n“A lyrical work of self-discovery that’s shockingly intimate and insistently universal…Not so much briefly gorgeous as permanently stunning.” —Ron Charles\, The Washington Post \nPoet Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family\, a first love\, and the redemptive power of storytelling \nOn Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker\, Little Dog\, is in his late twenties\, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known\, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son\, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race\, class\, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment\, immersed as we are in addiction\, violence\, and trauma\, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness\, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one’s own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard. \nWith stunning urgency and grace\, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds\, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive\, and how to make of it a kind of joy\, powers the most important debut novel of many years. \n\nOcean Vuong is the author of the debut novel\, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous\, out from Penguin Press (2019) and forthcoming in 12 other languages worldwide. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection\, Night Sky with Exit Wounds\, a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2016\, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize\, the Whiting Award\, the Thom Gunn Award\, and the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. A Ruth Lilly fellow from the Poetry Foundation\, his honors include fellowships from the Lannan Foundation\, the Civitella Ranieri Foundation\, The Elizabeth George Foundation\, The Academy of American Poets\, and the Pushcart Prize.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/lit-minds-book-club/
LOCATION:Gemini Ink\, 1111 Navarro St\, San Antonio\, TX\, 78205\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/91cYzQxaDL._UF10001000_QL80_-e1732566475518.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250517T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250517T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T174924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250515T220202Z
UID:11128-1747476000-1747488600@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:The Art of Bad Poetry with Abby E. Murray
DESCRIPTION:Saturdays\, May 17\, 2025\, 10am-1:30pm CST\, (includes a 30-minute lunch)\, via Zoom \nNonmember: $155  Member:  $130  Student/Educator/Military: $90       \n*EARN CPE’S\nTWO SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE\n \n  \n\n\nWhat do we even mean when we consider a poem “good” or “bad”? Beginners aren’t the only ones who benefit from conversations that question our assumptions about poetry and the way we practice connecting with our own voices. Established poets also gain from discussing poetry’s rules and reputation\, its stereotypes and possibilities.  \nIn this class\, writers of all levels will strive to expand their understanding of the art of poetry\, first by weeding out our judgments of “good” and “bad” poetry\, then shaping poetry’s elusive boundaries by playing with work that challenges our notions of value and weakness. Expect laughter. Anticipate letting go of fears that limit us. Plan to write. \nStudents will leave this class with:  \n\nAn awareness of how judgment applies to the “good” and bad” of poetry\nIncreased sense of freedom without worrying about bad poetry\nDrafts of new written work\n\nRead Abby’s Writers Desk Q&A!\n\nAbby E. Murray (they/them) is the editor of Collateral\, a literary journal concerned with the impact of violent conflict and military service beyond the combat zone. Their first book\, Hail and Farewell\, won the Perugia Press Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award\, while their second book\, Recovery Commands\, recently won the Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Poetry Prize and is forthcoming from Ex Ophidia Press. Abby served as the 2019-2021 poet laureate for the city of Tacoma\, Washington\, and currently teaches rhetoric in military strategy to Army War College fellows at the University of Washington. \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/the-art-of-bad-poetry-2/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/murray.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250521T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250521T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T075945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T163808Z
UID:11148-1747852200-1747859400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Veterans Writing Collective with Sarah Colby
DESCRIPTION:The Veteran’s Writing Collective (VWC) encourages the art of writing in a workshop environment where participants are offered honest\, positive\, and constructive peer-to-peer and mentor feedback. The workshop is open to all active-duty military\, veterans\, retirees\, and their immediate family members. Writers of all levels working in all genres are welcome. \nThe VWC meets monthly online via Zoom.\nIf you would like an invitation to this class\, send an email to veteranscollective@geminiink.org\n\nSarah Colby was born in northern New Mexico and raised in the Rocky Mountains. She is married to a retired Army Chaplain and is mother to a son in the Navy. Sarah has an MFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada College and an exuberant interest in making the ordinary luminous. Her war-time experiences have motivated her to be a voice for the mostly untold stories of families and loved ones during these years of protracted conflict. She is currently working on a manuscript of poems about her experiences as a military family member.\n \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/veterans-writing-collective-2020-07-15-2021-11-17-2023-08-16-2023-12-20/2025-05-21/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event,Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/homepage-footer-1250-x-600-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Sarah Colby":MAILTO:veteranscollective@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250526T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250526T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T141203Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T192950Z
UID:11136-1748284200-1748291400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Open Writer's Labs
DESCRIPTION:These peer-driven workshops\, held the last Monday of each month\, are free and open to writers of all levels and focus on poetry\, flash fiction\, and short creative non-fiction.\n \n  \n\n\nOnline Via Zoom\nFor the online workshop\, sign up the day before the class to ensure you receive the Zoom link. \nThis workshop is facilitated by Kevin Ramos. Originally from the northeast\, Kevin studied theater arts at Rutgers University and The University of Washington. He’s lived all over the country before making his home in San Antonio\, Texas. Kevin has written several novels and short stories. Most recently\, publishing a short memoir called Enough about addiction\, mothers\, and missing graves. And a novel\, Hayley’s Sense of Fire (DLG Publishing Partners)\, a modern re-telling of the classic fairy tale\, The Little Matchgirl. \n\nIn-Person at Gemini Ink\n \nJoin our in-person Open Writer’s Lab with Robert Allen at Gemini Ink’s office\, 1111 Navarro St.\, San Antonio\, TX 78205. \nRobert Allen has worked as a librarian and an electrical contractor for most of his life. Many moons ago\, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin\, where he studied poetry under David Wevill. Allen has been active in local writer’s groups and open mics\, including the Sun Poets Society. He’s been published in The Ocotillo Review\, the Texas Poetry Calendar\, Voices de la Luna\, di-verse-city\, the San Antonio Express-News\, and Poetry on the Move. In 2006\, he started attending Gemini Ink’s free Monday night writing classes and has attended regularly ever since. With more than a decade of attending writers’ groups\, classes\, and open mics\, he now co-facilitates Gemini Ink’s Open Writer’s Lab. \nParking at Gemini Ink\nGemini Ink offers free parking along the back wall of our downtown offices. Please access this parking lot from Augusta St and first park in any of the 12 spots along the back wall. Only when these 12 spots are full do we ask that you park elsewhere in our lot. We now rent our offices from UTSA and are collaborating with them to create a secure and accessible parking lot for our community of writers and readers.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/open-writers-lab-2-2020-08-31-2020-09-28-2021-06-28-2022-05-30-2022-06-27-2022-07-25-2023-03-27-2023-12-25-2025-04-28-2025-05-26/2025-05-26/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/open-writers-lab.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250531T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250531T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T170232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T192244Z
UID:12335-1748692800-1748698200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Teen Writing Circle with Daniel Ramirez
DESCRIPTION:Register\nLast Saturday of Every Month 12-1:30pm cst via Zoom \nFor ages 13-19 years old \nAre you a teen who enjoys writing in their free time? Or are you someone who’s never had the chance to write on their own? If so\, this Online Teen Writing Circle is for you!  \nIn this once-a-month writing circle\, teens will enjoy writing in a judgment free zone. We’ll break the ice with one another and perform various writing exercises. You are encouraged to share your work with your peers and get constructive feedback\, but it is not required. Our only goal is to keep you writing! \nThis course is open to teen writers of any skill level. \nParticipants will leave the writing circle with:  \n\nNew\, unique written work\nListening and sharing experience\nConstructive feedback to help improve their writing\n\nWant to learn more about our Teen Writing Circle? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!\n \n\nDaniel Ramirez has been an educator for over 15 years. After studying History in grad school\, he tromped around the outdoors doing conservation with teenagers. Spending time as a Montessori educator revealed the power of incorporating creativity with learning. Encouraging youth to tap into their creative abilities convinced him to discover his own. Since then\, in addition to his original love of storytelling\, he’s found a penchant for calligraphy\, puppetry\, poetry\, and block printing. A San Antonio native\, he explores the crystalline waters of Central Texas in his free time. \n \n  \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/teen-writing-circle-2025-03-29-2025-04-26/2025-05-31/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop,Youth
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TWC-website-header.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250604T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250604T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250404T185046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250603T140402Z
UID:12106-1749061800-1749069000@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Delving into the Levant: Inspiration from International Poets with Veronica Golos
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday(s)\, June 4\, 11\, 18\, & 25\, 2025 from 6:30-8:30 pm CDT\, via Zoom \nNonmember: $200; Member: $170; Student/Educ/Mil: $140 \n*EARN CPEs\nTWO SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE\n \n\nIn a time of worldwide strife and disconnection\, poetry reacquaints us with humanity in a way that transcends borders\, time zones\, and languages. Join master poetry teacher Veronica Golos on an international poetry tour. Next stop: the Middle East!  \nIn this four-week generative poetry workshop\, we will read\, discuss deeply\, and draw our inspiration from foundational poets Mahmoud Darwish (Palestine)\, Etel Adnan (Lebanon)\, Saadi Youssef (Iraq)\, and contemporary Iranian-American poet Solmaz Sharif.  We will explore each poet’s craft tools and apply these techniques to our work. Participants will receive a packet with poems and suggestions for developing their writing.  \nThis class is open to writers of all skill levels 18+. \nBy the end of the class\, students will have the following:  \n\nStudy and analyze the work of 4 Middle Eastern poets\nWrite poems that follow the selected poet’s structure and theme\nReceive on-the-spot feedback for written work \n\n\n \nVeronica Golos is the author of four poetry books: GIRL\, awarded the Naji Naaman Honor Prize in 2019; Rootwork\, winner of the 2016 Southwest Book Design Award in Poetry; Vocabulary of Silence\, a 2011 New Mexico Book Award winner that was translated into Arabic\, Spanish and Persian; and A Bell Buried Deep\, a Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize winner. She teaches poetry for Hugo House\, Gemini Ink\, and SOMOS. She reviews poetry books for Tupelo Press and works as a manuscript editor. She lives in Taos\, New Mexico\, with her husband\, David Pérez. \nLearn about Cancellation & Refund Policies at https://geminiink.org/registration/
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/delving-into-the-levant/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SU25golos2-e1748959387113.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250605T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250605T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250414T212048Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T162305Z
UID:12229-1749148200-1749153600@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Trans Poetica: A Literary Pride Plática
DESCRIPTION:Change of Venue: This event will now be held at the Southwest School of Art – Coates Chapel\, located at 300 Augusta. San Antonio TX 78205. (Across the street from Gemini Ink)\nFree parking at Gemini Ink & Southwest School of Art.\nKick off Pride Month with an intimate poetry reading and discussion about the challenges and joys of sustaining Queer and Trans Latinx literary communities across Texas.  \nGemini Ink\, in partnership with Infrarrealista Review and Letras Latinas*\, presents “Trans Poetica: A Pride Month Literary Plática.” This reading and conversation between three published trans Latine poets will be moderated by the 2025 Letras Latinas Poetry Coalition Fellow\, Cloud Delfina Cardona. This event will highlight Pushcart Prize-nominated poet Keagan Wheat\, SG Huerta\, author of Burns (Sundress Publications\, 2026)\, and Stalina Villarreal\, Spanish translator and author of Watcha (Deep Vellum\, 2024). \nThese writers from across Texas will come together in San Antonio for an evening of centering trans Latine voices in a time of censorship and fear. Cardona\, Wheat\, Huerta\, and Villarreal will all read from their published books and discuss their craft\, publishing\, and roles in their literary communities in Houston and San Marcos\, TX. An audience Q&A will follow their discussion.  \nOur panel will be followed by a book signing with all four writers. \nLight refreshments will be served. Signed books will be available for purchase following the panel discussion. \n*Letras Latinas is the literary initiative at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies \n\nKeagan Wheat (he/him) is a trans\, Latinx\, disabled poet\, educator\, and visual artist from Houston. In 2020\, he released Viaticum. The Houston Transgender Unity Committee awarded him the Media and Arts Award for 2024. He’s a Pushcart Prize nominee with work appearing in The Acentos Review\, Anomaly\, Variant Literature and more. Check out his interviews with Brooklyn Poets and Latinx Lit. Find them on social media @kwheat09. \nSG Huerta is a queer Xicanx writer\, editor\, and organizer. They are the Poetry Editor of Abode Press and the author of two poetry chapbooks and the nonfiction chapbook GOOD GRIEF (fifth wheel press 2025). Their work has appeared in Barrelhouse\, Honey Literary\, Infrarrealista Review\, and elsewhere. Find them at sghuertawriting.com. They believe Palestine will be free from the river to the sea. \n \nStalina Emmanuelle Villarreal (she/they) sees\, hears\, feels\, and communicates across mediums and cultures. She’s a deep-watching ekphrastic poet\, a photographic eco-essayist\, a broad-stroke sketch artist\, a sonic improv performer\, a sound-sensitive literary translator\, and an assistant professor of English. Her debut collection of poetry called Watcha is out now from Deep Vellum Publishing. Their poetry can be found in the Rio Grande Review\, Texas Review\, The Acentos Review\, Defunkt Magazine\, and elsewhere. \n\nModerator\nCloud Delfina Cardona (she/they) is an artist\, writer\, and book cover designer from San Antonio\, Texas. She is the author of What Remains\, winner of the 2020 Host Publications Chapbook Prize\, and the past is a jean jacket\, winner of the Hub City Press BIPOC Poetry Series. She co-founded Infrarrealista Review\, a literary nonprofit that publishes Texan voices. She is the 2024-2025 Letras Latinas Poetry Coalition Fellow and currently works as the Marketing Coordinator at Gemini Ink. She moonlights as DJ Mexistentialism.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/trans-poetica-a-pride-month-literary-platica/
LOCATION:UTSA Southwest Campus – Coates Chapel\, 300 Augusta\, San Antonio\, Texas\, 78205
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/transpoetica.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Cloud Cardona":MAILTO:ccardona@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250618T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250618T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T075945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T163809Z
UID:11149-1750271400-1750278600@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Veterans Writing Collective with Sarah Colby
DESCRIPTION:The Veteran’s Writing Collective (VWC) encourages the art of writing in a workshop environment where participants are offered honest\, positive\, and constructive peer-to-peer and mentor feedback. The workshop is open to all active-duty military\, veterans\, retirees\, and their immediate family members. Writers of all levels working in all genres are welcome. \nThe VWC meets monthly online via Zoom.\nIf you would like an invitation to this class\, send an email to veteranscollective@geminiink.org\n\nSarah Colby was born in northern New Mexico and raised in the Rocky Mountains. She is married to a retired Army Chaplain and is mother to a son in the Navy. Sarah has an MFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada College and an exuberant interest in making the ordinary luminous. Her war-time experiences have motivated her to be a voice for the mostly untold stories of families and loved ones during these years of protracted conflict. She is currently working on a manuscript of poems about her experiences as a military family member.\n \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/veterans-writing-collective-2020-07-15-2021-11-17-2023-08-16-2023-12-20/2025-06-18/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event,Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/homepage-footer-1250-x-600-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Sarah Colby":MAILTO:veteranscollective@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250618T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250618T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250530T202346Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T203014Z
UID:12553-1750273200-1750278600@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:The Big Texas Author Talk featuring Amanda Churchill
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Wednesday\, June 18th\, 2025\, via Zoom for a conversation with Amanda Churchill\, to discuss her new book\, The Turtle House\, A Novel (Harper Collins). Moderated by Kim Garza\, author of the critically acclaimed novel The Last Karankawas.\n\n\n\n\n(Virtual Readings Quarterly @ 7pm CST) \n\n\nRSVP \n“A heartbreakingly resonant debut\, The Turtle House is a tender\, big-hearted story about women\, family\, and the complicated history of Texas. These characters\, and their tentative\, flawed stumblings toward grace\, will stay with me.”—Elizabeth Wetmore\, author of Valentine \n“Sweeping yet intimate\, Amanda Churchill’s Turtle House spans cultures and continents. Minnie and her granddaughter Lia are unforgettable protagonists\, whose grit and grace will inspire you. Together\, they find a way through in this gripping debut.”—Vanessa Hua\, author of Forbidden City \nSpanning from late 1990s small-town Texas to pre-World War II Japan and occupied Tokyo\, this emotionally engaging literary debut follows a grandmother and granddaughter who bond over a beloved lost place and the secrets they share. \nIn spring 1999\, 25-year-old Lia Cope and her 73-year-old grandmother\, Mineko\, find themselves sharing a bedroom in Curtain\, Texas. Both at turning points—Mineko\, a Japanese war bride\, displaced after a fire; Lia\, an architect who’s returned home under mysterious circumstances—the two grow close through late-night conversations. Mineko recounts her early life in Japan\, her love for Akio Sato\, and the Turtle House\, an abandoned estate where their relationship blossomed. As Mineko reveals her past\, Lia begins to understand her grandmother’s sacrifices and sees her family anew\, while confronting her own secrets. \nWhen Mineko’s children plan to move her into assisted living\, she and Lia hatch a plan to revive a cherished lost place\, seeking safety and belonging together.\nThe Turtle House is a story of intergenerational friendship\, family\, identity\, and love—illuminating the hidden lives we lead and what it means to find home again when it feels lost forever. \n\nAbout the Author\nAmanda Churchill is a writer living in Texas. Her novel\, The Turtle House\, was inspired by the life of her beloved grandmother\, a Japanese war bride. Her work has been featured in Hobart Pulp\, Witness\, River Styx\, and other publications. Amanda is a Writers’ League of Texas 2021 Fellow. She attended the 2021 Community of Writers workshop in fiction as a James D. Houston Memorial Scholarship recipient. She has also attended the Tin House Summer and Winter Conferences\, the One Story Summer Workshop\, and StoryBoard Chicago. She was a Fall 2020 mentee in AWP’s Writer to Writer program. \n\nAbout the Moderator\n \nKimberly Garza is the author of the critically acclaimed novel The Last Karankawas\, a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an Indie Next pick. Her stories and essays have appeared in Electric Literature\, Texas Highways\, Copper Nickel\, and elsewhere\, and she is a 2024 National Endowment of the Artscreative writing fellow. She teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio\, where she directs the Creative Writing Program.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/tbtat-featuring-amanda-churchill/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-amanda-churchill-website-header-e1748883305336.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250623T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250623T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250505T174943Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250602T183353Z
UID:12408-1750683600-1750696200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:“Walk Out and Speak Up” Teen Storytelling Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Register\nDiscover the power of your voice to inspire change and connect across generations.\n  \nPresented by the H.E. Butt Foundation | In partnership with the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI)\, and the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center \nDates: June 23–26\, 2025 (Mon–Thu)\, 1-4:30pm daily\nWorkshop Location: MACRI\, 2123 Buena Vista St\, San Antonio\, TX 78207\nFinal Celebration & Performance: Fri\, June 27\, 5:30-8:30pm (Rehearsal at 4:30pm)\, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center\, 922 San Pedro Ave\, San Antonio\, TX 78212 \nAbout the Workshop\n“Walk Out and Speak Up” is a dynamic storytelling workshop designed for teens ages 13–19\, inspired by the historic 1968 Edgewood Walkout—a pivotal moment in San Antonio’s fight for educational equity and social justice. Using a new documentary on the Edgewood Walkouts as a springboard\, participants will explore how young people have always been at the forefront of change and learn to craft their own powerful stories as acts of protest and community building. \nOver four days\, students will work with acclaimed teaching artists Marisela Barrera and Joyous Windrider to develop personal narratives that connect the past to the present\, centering the power of youth voices. The experience culminates in a public performance\, where students will share their stories alongside community members and documentary participants. Selected stories will be recorded and broadcast by Empower House Radio\, and preserved on Gemini Ink’s SoundCloud page. \n No experience is needed-just a willingness to share! \nPlease read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sheet HERE for more information.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/walk-out-and-speak-up-youth/
LOCATION:MACRI\, 2123 Buena Vista St\, San Antonio\, Texas\, 78207
CATEGORIES:Workshop,Youth
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/walkout-header.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Catherine Burianek":MAILTO:cburianek@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250627T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250627T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250623T203051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250623T203051Z
UID:12683-1751049000-1751056200@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Walk Out and Speak Up: Final Celebration & Performance
DESCRIPTION:Date: Friday\, June 27\, 2025\nTime: 6:30–8:30 PM\, FREE and Open to the Public\nLocation: Esperanza Peace and Justice Center\, 922 San Pedro Ave\, San Antonio\, TX 78212 \nJoin us to celebrate San Antonio teens sharing powerful stories inspired by the historic 1968 Edgewood Walkout! Hear original performances from workshop participants and community members\, highlighting youth voices for justice and change. \nEveryone is welcome—bring your friends and family for an inspiring evening of storytelling and community! \nQuestions?\nContact Catherine Burianek at cburianek@geminiink.org \nLet’s celebrate the next generation of changemakers!
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/walk-out-and-speak-up-final-celebration-performance/
LOCATION:Esperanza Peace & Justice Center\, 922 San Pedro Ave\, San Antonio\, Texas\, 78212
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/speakup-1250-x-600.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Catherine Burianek":MAILTO:cburianek@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250628T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250628T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20241125T170232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T192244Z
UID:12336-1751112000-1751117400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Teen Writing Circle with Daniel Ramirez
DESCRIPTION:Register\nLast Saturday of Every Month 12-1:30pm cst via Zoom \nFor ages 13-19 years old \nAre you a teen who enjoys writing in their free time? Or are you someone who’s never had the chance to write on their own? If so\, this Online Teen Writing Circle is for you!  \nIn this once-a-month writing circle\, teens will enjoy writing in a judgment free zone. We’ll break the ice with one another and perform various writing exercises. You are encouraged to share your work with your peers and get constructive feedback\, but it is not required. Our only goal is to keep you writing! \nThis course is open to teen writers of any skill level. \nParticipants will leave the writing circle with:  \n\nNew\, unique written work\nListening and sharing experience\nConstructive feedback to help improve their writing\n\nWant to learn more about our Teen Writing Circle? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!\n \n\nDaniel Ramirez has been an educator for over 15 years. After studying History in grad school\, he tromped around the outdoors doing conservation with teenagers. Spending time as a Montessori educator revealed the power of incorporating creativity with learning. Encouraging youth to tap into their creative abilities convinced him to discover his own. Since then\, in addition to his original love of storytelling\, he’s found a penchant for calligraphy\, puppetry\, poetry\, and block printing. A San Antonio native\, he explores the crystalline waters of Central Texas in his free time. \n \n  \n 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/teen-writing-circle-2025-03-29-2025-04-26/2025-06-28/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop,Youth
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TWC-website-header.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250630T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250630T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20191105T141203Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T193006Z
UID:11137-1751308200-1751315400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Open Writer's Labs
DESCRIPTION:These peer-driven workshops\, held the last Monday of each month\, are free and open to writers of all levels and focus on poetry\, flash fiction\, and short creative non-fiction.\n \n  \n\n\nOnline Via Zoom\nFor the online workshop\, sign up the day before the class to ensure you receive the Zoom link. \nThis workshop is facilitated by Kevin Ramos. Originally from the northeast\, Kevin studied theater arts at Rutgers University and The University of Washington. He’s lived all over the country before making his home in San Antonio\, Texas. Kevin has written several novels and short stories. Most recently\, publishing a short memoir called Enough about addiction\, mothers\, and missing graves. And a novel\, Hayley’s Sense of Fire (DLG Publishing Partners)\, a modern re-telling of the classic fairy tale\, The Little Matchgirl. \n\nIn-Person at Gemini Ink\n \nJoin our in-person Open Writer’s Lab with Robert Allen at Gemini Ink’s office\, 1111 Navarro St.\, San Antonio\, TX 78205. \nRobert Allen has worked as a librarian and an electrical contractor for most of his life. Many moons ago\, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin\, where he studied poetry under David Wevill. Allen has been active in local writer’s groups and open mics\, including the Sun Poets Society. He’s been published in The Ocotillo Review\, the Texas Poetry Calendar\, Voices de la Luna\, di-verse-city\, the San Antonio Express-News\, and Poetry on the Move. In 2006\, he started attending Gemini Ink’s free Monday night writing classes and has attended regularly ever since. With more than a decade of attending writers’ groups\, classes\, and open mics\, he now co-facilitates Gemini Ink’s Open Writer’s Lab. \nParking at Gemini Ink\nGemini Ink offers free parking along the back wall of our downtown offices. Please access this parking lot from Augusta St and first park in any of the 12 spots along the back wall. Only when these 12 spots are full do we ask that you park elsewhere in our lot. We now rent our offices from UTSA and are collaborating with them to create a secure and accessible parking lot for our community of writers and readers.
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/open-writers-lab-2-2020-08-31-2020-09-28-2021-06-28-2022-05-30-2022-06-27-2022-07-25-2023-03-27-2023-12-25-2025-04-28-2025-05-26/2025-06-30/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/open-writers-lab.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250701T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250701T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250404T191121Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250623T194447Z
UID:12149-1751394600-1751401800@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:Sex is Not a Four-Letter Word with Laura Castoro
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday(s) July 1\, 8 & 15\, 2025 6:30-8:30pm CDT Hybrid (available online via Zoom and in-person) \nNonmember $150\, Member $129; Student/Educ/Mil $105 \n*EARN CPEs\n \n_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \nAre you a writer looking for a fresh approach to sex scenes\, or are you a newbie ready to write your first R-rated interaction? Learn how to write memorable sex scenes that fit your characters and your plot!  \nThis is a frank\, fun\, respectful workshop about the ‘birds and the bees\,’ and what goes on between the sheets\, or on the kitchen floor\, or maybe out at sea. This class will allow participants to explore the many ways of writing about sex no matter the genre or fictional interest–Thriller\, Science Fiction\, Romance\, Suspense\, Mystery\, Western\, Saga\, General Fiction\, and more. \nThe classes will include writing prompts based on examples from books\, song lyrics\, visual images\, short videos\, and more. Writers will be asked to interpret them by writing their own versions. Each class will include in-class writing and homework assignments. Writers will be encouraged to share their own work in progress. \nThis course is open to fiction writers 18+. \nBy the end of the class students will:  \n\nLearn how to decipher the needs of a sex scene vs. a romantic scene\nWrite a compelling scene in the genre of their choice\nIdeas on how to keep the creative process going\n\nRead Laura’s Writer’s Desk Q&A!\n_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n \n Laura Castoro\, a USA Today\, Amazon top 100\, and Apple Books bestseller\, has published 47 novels with major publishing houses such as Dell Books\, Berkley\, Avon\, Warner\, MIRA\, Harlequin\, Kensington\, Pocketbooks\, St\, Harper Collins\, Martins Press\, and William Morrow. She has also contributed to several fiction anthologies and has published non-fiction YA and short fiction in Good Housekeeping. Under the name Laura Parker\, she writes historical and contemporary romance\, westerns\, and sagas. As Laura Castoro\, she writes contemporary African American and contemporary women’s fiction. Writing as D. D. Ayres\, she publishes a romantic suspense series called the K-9 Rescue Series. Her current release as Laura Castoro is Love On The Line (2021) through William Morrow. Laura has won multiple national writing awards. In 2005 she was inducted into the Arkansas Writers’ Hall of Fame. She is a past president of Novelists\, Inc. (2013)\, an international professional fiction writers’ organization. She is a past president and board member of the Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow\, a writer residency program in the AR Ozarks. She is a speaker at numerous conferences and workshops in the U.S. and abroad. Laura currently lives in San Antonio\, TX. Email: Laurapcastoro@gmail.com. website: www.ddayres.com \nLearn about Cancellation & Refund Policies at https://geminiink.org/registration/ 
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/sex-is-not-a-four-letter-word-with-laura-castoro/
LOCATION:Gemini Ink\, 1111 Navarro St\, San Antonio\, TX\, 78205\, United States
CATEGORIES:Online Workshop,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://geminiink.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/laura-castoro-3.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250707T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Mexico_City:20250707T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T173706
CREATED:20250404T190141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250624T195132Z
UID:12135-1751913000-1751918400@geminiink.org
SUMMARY:The Real Writing is in the Revision with Jasminne Mendez
DESCRIPTION:Monday(s) July 7 & 14\, 2025\, 6:30-8:00 pm CDT via Zoom \nNonmember $90; Member $75; Student/Educ/Mil $63 \n*EARN CPEs\n \nHave 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!  \nIn this two-part lecture\, writers of any genre and at any stage in their craft will learn practical revision strategies to help refine and reimagine their drafts and works-in-progress. We will discuss how to assess what needs to be revised\, including beginnings and endings\, scenes and plots\, syntax and diction\, metaphors and more. Then\, we will explore visual organization tools such as note cards\, sticky notes\, and highlighters. Students will leave with tools to continue these editing practices following the lecture. \nThis lecture is open to writers of all skill levels 18+. \nBy the end of the lecture students will have:  \n\nPractical\, concrete revision strategies \nIdeas for visual organization\nA plan for setting revision goals before writing\n\n\n \nJasminne 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. \nInstagram: @jasminnemendez \nLearn about Cancellation & Refund Policies at https://geminiink.org/registration/
URL:https://geminiink.org/events/the-real-writing-is-in-the-revision-with-jasminne-mendez/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
ORGANIZER;CN="Mandy Lynn Lara":MAILTO:mllara@geminiink.org
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR