Taos, New Mexico has long been a haven for the creative soul. Since the arrival of literary notables Willa Cather and D.H. Lawrence in the early twentieth century, literature has played a prominent role in the area’s rich cultural landscape. As the literary arts flourished, the need for formal community support became apparent, which ultimately led to the non-profit incorporation of SOMOS in 1983. Today, it has expanded into its present role as a respected resource center whose outreach extends to the greater community of Northern New Mexico – and beyond. Our live readings, workshops, conferences, and festivals are designed not only to showcase accomplished writers, but also to encourage creativity in novice writers from all walks of life.

SOMOS is a membership organization. The generosity of our supporters allows us to honor our commitment of presenting the very best of the literary arts to the Taos area at no cost, or for a minimal fee. We cordially invite you to join us in answering the call of the Muse of the Southwest.

SOMOS projects are made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, A Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts; Mag Dimond; The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation; The Peter and Madeleine Martin Foundation for the Arts; Healy Foundation; and Taos County Lodgers Tax.

RIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010!
7 PM at Mabel Dodge Luhan House, 240 Morada Lane

$8 and &6/members/seniors/students

Mirabai Starr – writes fiction, creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature.  She teaches Philosophy and World Religions at the UNM-Taos and teaches and speaks widely on contemplative practice and grief and loss.  Mirabai has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary new translations of Dark Night of the Soul by sixteenth century Spanish mystic, St. John of the Cross and The Interior Castle and The Book of My Life, by St. Teresa of Avila, as well as the 6-volume Sounds True series, “Devotions, Prayers & Living Wisdom.” She will be reading from her new translations of the love poems of John of the Cross & Teresa of Avila, an excerpt from a personal essay about her husband, and a selection from her memoir-in-progress.

Sean Murphy – has published three novels (The Finished Man, The Hope Valley Hubcap King, The Time of New Weather), a nonfiction book on Zen practice (One Bird, One Stone) and four plays.  He teaches creative writing and literature at UNM-Taos and leads writing workshops around the country.  He also co-taught with Natalie Goldberg (author of Writing Down the Bones) in her series of writing and meditation seminars. Sean’s latest novel, The Time of New Weather, (January, 2005) from which he will be reading was awarded First Place for Best Novel in the National Press Women Communications Awards.

Jenny Bird – will play selections from her newest CD, Mystics Muse, (2009). Jenny has been called “the most passionate performer in the new folk/rock genre.”  For the last 20 years she’s toured widely in the US, Canada, and Europe and also spends time in her hometown of Taos where she records and teaches music.

Tuesday, February 23rd 4:30 PM at SOMOS office

Poetry at Paul’s Chupadero presents Nathan Brown, Saturday, February 13th at 2pm

Pot luck, open mic, directions below

www.brownlines.com

Directions to Paul’s from Santa Fe:
Take Highway 285 North.  Get off at the first Tesuque exit #168 which says “Tesuque North CR73.” Go (about 2 1/2 miles) through Tesuque past the Tesuque Village Market, El Nido and the Post Office.
Then turn right on Route 592 and go 3 1/2 miles to the stop sign at the top of the hill.     Turn left at the stop sign (this is still Route 592) and go down 1 mile into the Chupadero valley.

At the green street sign turn left on Camino Chupadero (CR78).  Go another .9 (nine tenths) of  a mile.  On the left you’ll see an old plank wood fence (not a coyote fence), then four white mailboxes at end of fence marked 92 ABC.
Slow down, the driveway is hidden.
-Go left immediately after the mailboxes, down the paved driveway. At the bottom, take a sharp right onto the dirt driveway.  You have arrived!
Phone; 505-988-1082
Alternate route:
-Head north on Highway 285 (St. Francis drive turns into route 285 after last stop light in Santa Fe).
-Aproximately 8 miles north of the last stop light in Santa Fe take the #172 exit which says “Tesuque South CR73″ (first exit past the flea market exit)
-Take extremely sharp right at bottom of ramp, go 3/10 mile then left on Route 592
-Follow directions above for route 592.
Directions from North (Espanola and Pojoaque):
-Heading south on Highway 285 take exit #172 Tesuque 73 south (this is after Tesuque Pueblo Casino but before the Opera and Flea Market exit) Go left under the bridge at the bottom of the exit ramp, straight ahead is CR 73. -On CR 73 go about 3/10 mile and take Route 592 to the left. -Follow directions above for Route 592
**If your odometer measures tenths of mile it is helpful to use it. **Route 592 and Camino Chupadero are paved roads all the way. + Recommend going the speed limit and stopping completely at the stop signs.

The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

& The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

Founded by Ruth G. Hardman

FIRST PLACE: $2,000 and publication
SECOND PLACE: $1,000 and publication

Contest Rules

Contest Begins: January 1, 2010

Postmark Deadline: April 30, 2010

Poetry: 3-10 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems).

Fiction: 7,500 words maximum.

No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. Author’s name must not appear on the manuscript.  Include a cover sheet containing major title and subtitles, author’s name, full address, phone & email.  ”Contest Entry” should be clearly indicated on both the outer envelope and the cover sheet. Manuscripts should be stapled, if possible; if not, please bind with a black clip. Manuscripts will not be returned.  Nimrod retains the right to publish any submission.  Include SASE for results only.  If no SASE is sent, no contest results will be sent; however, the results will be posted on Nimrod’s Web site. Submitters must have a U.S. address by October of 2010 to enter the contest. Winners will also be brought to Tulsa for the Awards Ceremony in October. All finalists will be considered for publication.

Entry/Subscription Fee: $20 includes both entry fee & a one-year subscription (two issues).  Each entry must each be accompanied by a $20 fee.  Make checks payable to Nimrod.

Send to:

Nimrod Journal
Literary Contest–Fiction or Poetry
The University of Tulsa
800 S. Tucker Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74104

First off:  a big THANKS to everyone who has signed up to mentor a young writer.  We’ve had a healthy response to our appeal, and have a terrific roster of adults willing to join the program.

So, what’s the problem?  Well, kind of an embarrassment of riches.  We’ve had such an enthusiastic response from the kids so far that we will DEFINITELY exceed the capacity of the mentor roster.  WE NEED MORE MENTORS!

I can’t overestimate how valuable this one, simple gift — the gift of your attention, for a few hours a month — can be to a child.

What’s this program, again?  The purpose of the Young Writers’ Mentorship Program is to encourage kids, 7^th through 12^th grade, to explore writing in a fun and supported way.  Most mentors meet with their student for an hour at a time, once a week or (more likely) once every two weeks, at a public place like the library or a cafe.  We provide some suggestions for writing exercises to get you started, and resources to find more.  Some mentor-student pairs follow the format of meeting, chatting for a bit (catching up), then doing a few writing exercises, reading the responses to each other, chatting a bit more.  In other cases the kids might be more self-directed, and have a project they want to work on.  The trick is to gently guide while following the kid’s lead.  There’s no homework, and the emphasis is on FUN, not correction or precision — although, if a child asks for help in that department, of course that’s something you can offer.

Mostly, the program is about this:  kids like stories (poetry, sci fi, you name it), and are curious about writing.  Adults provide a safe, supportive environment to explore that field, and at the same time show an interest in the child’s overall well being. That’s just a fancy way of saying that you might become friends.

I should mention that mentors have program support — we offer workshops you can attend with your student (or not) throughout the program, we have a big festive initial get-together where all the pairs meet (and parents are invited, too), and we’re available for help should you run into questions.

The program starts mid-February and runs through the end of April.  Most mentors meet with their kids between six and ten times, total.

We need YOU, and we need your help getting the word out.  Please mention the program to any other writers — professional or recreational — whom you know.  We’ve found the best way to recruit new people into the program is through word of mouth.

And if you’d like to sign up, please email us, somos@somostaos.org

This is a placeholder post awaiting posts and articles submitted by and about our Youth Mentorship participants.

Cherie Burns is the author of  two previously published non-fiction books:  The Great Hurricane: 1938, published by Grove/Atlantic (2005) and Stepmotherhood—How to Survive Without Feeling Frustrated, Left Out or Wicked (Times Books).  Her work has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, People, Glamour, New York, Sports Illustrated, Constitution and other publications.    She lives in Taos, New Mexico and is currently at work on the first biography of Standard Oil heiress and fashion icon Millicent Rogers for St. Martin’s Press.

If you think you might be interested in becoming a mentor, please come to Caffe Tazza tonight, Wednesday Feb. 3rd at 6pm.
There’s no obligation to commit to the program; just stop by to learn more.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010 – 7 PM
TAOS CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 133 Paseo del Pueblo Sur

THIS IS A FREE EVENT!

Don’t miss this VERY SPECIAL evening hosted by local poet and celebrity Anne MacNaughton, and featuring talented YOUNG poets and writers from the Taos Community!!

ANNE MACNAUGHTON Co-founded SOMOS  along with twelve others in 1982.  She also established The Taos Poetry Circus the same year, and served as the Project Director of the Poetry Education Project from 1993 -2003.  MacNaughton teaches creative writing with a performance focus in the area schools and universities.  Her work has been collected in many anthologies, as well as in numerous literary journals, magazines, and periodicals.

This event will featur a growing list of students from area high schools including EMMA SIMS and SETH FUGMAN from Vista Grande High school, LEYTON CASSIDY from Moreno Valley High School, and the Taos High School Slam Poetry Team with OLIVIA ROMO, MAGGIE MANNING, AILI SEILER, TUCKER WHITNEY, ROBBIE DEBURLO and QUINN DRAY.  More students to be added.

Here’s a sample of the talented voices you’ll enjoy:

Anastasia Fever: I am a seventeen year old activist. You might recognize me as that small woman with a big mouth and a mane of brown hair who always carries a book. My passions begin with intellect, but roar fully alive in storytelling. I write to incite and to bear witness; to let my voice give power to things that cannot speak. I am a long time member of the Taos community—a student, poet, actress, and co-host on KTAO’s weekly program “Listen Up.” I believe in education, compassion, and the Earth and have a firm conviction in the strength of the human soul.

My name is Maggie Carson, and I’m 15 years old, which, in my opinion, is the prime of one’s life. You’re old enough to know that you probably won’t amount to much, and you’re young enough to not be too disturbed by that fact. As far as passions and keen interests go, I’m verging on enthusiasm about haphazard immaturity, psycho-babbling punk rockers that sing accurately about adolescent angst, pointing out the absurd, and making bedraggled people smile. I write, and make art in general, in an attempt to say something cynical about life… and poke fun. I’m torn in half by the need to annoy the masses and to amuse them. I amuse myself, and I hope I amuse you, but, if I don’t, and you’re just slightly peeved when you think of me and my brand of literature, in the same way you’re slightly peeved when you think about the kids that lean against walls, dragging on cigarettes that they don’t inhale, and spitting whenever anyone over 25 years old and under 150 pounds walks by, that’s okay, because bothering people is just as fun as making them laugh.

Lauren Bjorkman and Martha Egan