It’s no secret that the Coachella Valley is a magnet for writers, radical thinkers, artists, and aesthetes. Artistic people are drawn to the majesty of the desert and the welcoming, creative community that has evolved here. Inspiration abounds, and there is a tremendous cachet to festivals hosted in our neck of the desert.
The Desert Institute and the Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) will present the first Joshua Tree Writers Festival on Dec. 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The inaugural event will offer themed author panels and six workshops. Local author and professor Ruth Nolan curated the event, which includes creative writing sessions about the Mojave Desert and family-friendly activities such as haiku classes for children. “Highlights will include a veteran-focused workshop, Native American storytelling, and a panel of LGBTQIA writers,” according to the event website.
Nolan is currently an English professor at College of the Desert. Her focus is on creative writing and Native American literature. Nolan has lived much of her life in the Mojave Desert and is a former wildland firefighter for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) California Desert District and the U.S. Forest Service. She writes primarily about desert life and culture. She now lives in the Coachella Valley; she cares deeply about the area and is devoted to giving voice to desert stories. Her books include “After the Dome Fire,” “Ruby Mountain,” and “No Place for a Puritan: The Literature of California’s Deserts” (published by Heyday). Her most recent works appear in “Writing the Golden State: The New Literary Terrain of California” (Angel City Press) and “Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees” (Inlandia).
“I began to envision curating a Writers Festival in Joshua Tree about 10 years ago,” Nolan says. “[I was] compelled by my interest in curating a literary event in an historically underserved region along with my lifelong love for the Mojave Desert and the writing that helps celebrate, educate, and inspire others to love, know, and hopefully, in turn, become stewards of this iconic and threatened landscape.”
The event will occur at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center in Joshua Tree and will feature a showcase of celebrated desert writers during dinner. The event is ADA-accessible; little to no travel is required.
The Desert Institute was established in 1999. It works to expose people to the wealth of desert experiences by offering classes, outdoor adventures, weekend trips, and social events. Its programming seeks to express and celebrate the rich resources of the national park, plus the surrounding desert environment and the diverse community that calls Joshua Tree home. The institute's “vision is to provide a rich, inclusive learning environment that inspires people of all ages and backgrounds to recreate together and help steward this beautiful place for years to come,” according to the event website.
“We at JTNPA are thrilled to present our first Writers Festival,” says Jacqueline Guevara, executive director of the Joshua Tree National Park Association. “In partnership with longtime Desert Institute instructor and supporter, the inaugural Mojave Desert Poet Laureate Ruth Nolan, we aim to engage and inspire desert writers as we come together to celebrate Joshua Tree National Park and its environs.”
The event is free to the public and an ideal complement to the Twentynine Palms Book Festival, which occurred in November. So, gather at the historic Joshua Tree Retreat Center and celebrate the beloved California desert in community through the written word.
