Guest Authors
Somos Esritoras uses writing (YA books, picture books, excerpts from chapter books, poems, etc.) by Latinx and BIPOC authors, poets, and storytellers as mentor texts for our writing. A mentor text is a piece of writing that is a good example for writing students.
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Over the years, Latinx authors have joined our space and led mini workshops. BIPOC and Latinx books speak truths that echo the truths of our escritoras, families, and the community, making them feel seen, heard, and understood. Plus, the wisdom given as writers nurture our escritoras dreams.
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Below is the list of guest authors that have led workshops for our escritoras.
Mexican Poet, Author & Teacher
On International Day of the Girl 2021, Ms. Garcia McCall joined us and led a special online workshop with escritoras across the U.S. She told us stories of her childhood and her path to writing.
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Ms. Garcia McCall joined us during our Summer Writing Workshop in 2024. She talked about her journey to writing and her writing process.
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Guadalupe García McCall is a celebrated author known for her contributions to young adult literature, short stories for adults, and children’s poetry. Her accolades include the prestigious Pura Belpré Award, a Westchester Young Adult Fiction Award, and the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award, among others.
Chicana poet, storyteller, performance artist & Professor Emeritus
In 2022 and 2023, author Carmen Tafolla joined us during our signature Summer Writing Workshop. She discussed her writing journey and led our escritoras through a writing workshop.
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In the fall of 2023, the Somos Escritoras Book Club was invited to participate for a second time in the Texas Book Festival. Our Book Club met weekly at a school to read Tafolla’s book “Warrior Girl” and later met Carmen Tafolla, who led a special workshop on her book.
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Dr. Carmen Tafolla, has over 40 books to her name. Tafolla’s accolades include serving as San Antonio’s inaugural City Poet Laureate from 2012 to 2014 and being named Texas Poet Laureate in 2015. She has received numerous awards, including the Americas Award, two Tomás Rivera Book Awards, six International Latino Book Awards, and the Art of Peace Award.
Tejana Illustrator & Author
In 2024, during our Summer Writing Workshop, Ms. Eliza Kinkz joined us. She talked about how she was drawn to drawing at a young age, drew pictures as she shared her stories, and led a zine workshop.
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Eliza Kinkz is a Tejana artist who was the 2022 James Marshall Fellow. She has illustrated many picture books, including Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock by Jesús Trejo, which won her a Pura Belpré Illustration Honor.
Mexican Poet, Author & Teacher
In 2023, during our Summer Writing Workshop, Ms. Narváez Varela joined us. She read excerpts from her and led our girls through writing activities.
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Alessandra Narváez Varlea’s has appeared in various publications including Poets.org, Huizache, Acentos Review, Duende, The Normal School, and TAYO. She was showcased in an article titled “Seeking a Voice, Via a Bilingual M.F.A., in Writing and in Life” in the New York Times Education Life section, where she discussed her identity as a bilingual poet. Her debut Young Adult (YA) Novel, “Thirty Talks Weird Love”, about a 13-year-old girl growing up in Mexico visited by her 30-year-old self was released in 2021.
Mexican – Cuban Author & Librarian
In 2022, Somos Escritoras Book Club was invited to participate in the Texas Book Festival. Our fall Book Club met for four weeks online. At our fifth and final meeting, we met author Celia C. Perez, who led a special workshop on her book “Tumble.”
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Celia C. Pérez, “The First Rule of Punk”, received numerous accolades including the Pura Belpré Award Honor and was featured on various best-of-the-year lists. Her second book, “Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers”, was also well-received, earning recognition from notable organizations and publications. Pérez’s latest release, Tumble, continues her trend of crafting stories about endearing misfits.
Chicana Writer, Slam Poet & Journalist
During the pandemic, we held our Summer Writing Workshop online. Mercedez Holtry joined us online for a special poetry writing workshop. Our escritoras read some of their poems from her workshop at our Writing Celebration.
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Mercedez Holtry has represented Albuquerque at various national poetry events, ranking 3rd globally for best woman poet in 2015 and 1st in slam poetry in Albuquerque for the same year. She is the president of Lobo Slam, and co-founder To The Last Word Poetry, a youth poetry collective in collaboration with Warehouse 508. Holtry’s work has been featured in numerous publications, both in poetry and journalism, and she remains dedicated to honing her craft while contributing to her community.
