The Virginia G. Piper
Center for Creative Writing

The NEA Big Read: Phoenix is a celebration of Indigenous literary arts and culture throughout the Valley, presenting over over 25 talks, workshops, performances, book clubs, art exhibits, and other virtual events inspired by The Round House by Louise Erdrich in February and March 2021. To help share the joy, we're giving away over 250 books for free.

To enter the book giveaway, all you need to do is complete a registration form for this event. 

Officially dedicated in October 2017, the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center (PISVC) seeks to preserve the rich and complicated history of the Phoenix Indian School as a symbol of Native American strength, spirit, and resilience. 

Founded in 1929, the Heard Museum seeks to be the world's preeminent museum for the preservation, interpretation, and advancement of American Indian art, providing a distinct, first-person perspective of Native people in the Southwest.

Interested in running a book club on The Round House by Louise Erdrich? Join Phoenix Public Library and the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University for an informal book club training and meet-and-greet on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Phoenix MST on WebEx! 

At this meeting, attendees will work together to:

I still have many of his shirts, and his tires as well. He purchased everything he wore at Silverman's in Grand Forks. They carried the very best men's clothing, and he didn't buy much, but he was particular. I wore my father's ties to get me through law school at the University of Minnesota, and the bar exam after. For the time I was a public prosecutor, I wore his ties for the last week of every jury trial. I used to carry around his fountain pen, too, but I became afraid of losing it. I still have it, but I don't sign my tribal court opinions with it the way he did.

Every family has its own unique history, passed down from one generation to the next. How do we care for and preserve our personal, family, and community histories, especially when our stories have been silenced and unrepresented in history and archives? How do we keep our letters, photographs, and other artifacts safe and accessible for future generations?

How are zines an example of archiving? In the final installment of our three-part workshop series, join poet Amber McCrary for a creative writing and zine workshop on honoring family.

Using digital photographs from the Labriola scanning workshop or your own files at home, we'll create four 'portraitures' based on family members to incorporate in our zines, writing about why they are special to us or our community. 

Join us for the official kick off of the NEA Big Read: Phoenix with Evening Song: A Conversation with Navajo Nation Poets Laureate Luci Tapahonso and Dr. Laura Tohe around Diné womanhood and the power of storytelling on Saturday, February 27, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Phoenix MST on Zoom. 

Curated by poet Jake Skeets and moderated by Dr. Amanda Tachine, the conversation will explore how storytelling and Indigenous narratives can guide the way toward reconciliation, healing, and Native Nation-building.

Context is everything. Whether you're already a few chapters in or you haven't even cracked open the book, join ASU Librarian and Louise Erdrich scholar Joe Buenker for a comprehensive introduction to The Round House on Sunday, Februray 28, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Phoenix MST on Zoom!

Spirited Conversation. Literary Culture. Normally every 1st Thursday at Valley Bar. Online During COVID-19. 

This Month: Decolonization with Dr. Amanda R. Tachine

Curated by Mary Hood, Associate Professor at the ASU School of Art, Map(ing) brought together 25 Native and Indigenous artists with graduate students to produce a series of special, limited-edition prints around Native aesthetics, culture, and identity.

There are so many ways to tell a story. By bringing together printmakers and visual artists of different disciplines, we share and celebrate culture and identity. In this special gallery show curated by Associate Professor Mary Hood, the Herberger School of Art at ASU presents a retrospective of Map(ing), a series of printmaking collaborations between Native and Indigenous artist and graduate printmaking students, celebrating the personal and cultural histories of artists.

Please note: this event is not open to the public. Individuals must be enrolled in the AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute to attend. To learn more about enrolling in the AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute, visit their website at http://www.aguilayouth.org/application. 

There are so many ways to tell a story. By bringing together printmakers and visual artists of different disciplines, we share and celebrate culture and identity. In this special gallery show curated by Associate Professor Mary Hood, the Herberger School of Art at Arizona State University presents a retrospective of Map(ing), a series of printmaking collaborations between Native and Indigenous artist and graduate printmaking students, celebrating the personal and cultural histories of artists.

Please note: while this event is open to members of Indigenous communities, this is a special community workshop, and you must be registered with the Phoenix Indian Center in order to attend. To learn more about registering, visit the Phoenix Indian Center's website at https://phxindcenter.org/online-options/. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Phoenix Indian Center at 602.264.6768 or info@phxindcenter.org. 

Please note: in order to ensure equity and access, the Piper Center is asking individuals to pre-register for this class. Registrations will be distributed through a lottery process with priority given to members of Indigenous communities. Individuals will have one week to claim their registration. The deadline to pre-register is Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Phoenix MST. Registration will open to the general public on March 8, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. Phoenix MST.

Spirited Conversation. Literary Culture. Normally every 1st Thursday at Valley Bar. Online During COVID-19. 

April is National Poetry Month. But what about the rest of the year? What does the poetry scene look like in the Valley? Who gets to be visible? What images does "poet" conjure up in your mind? What's their backstory? How is poetry perceived in the public sphere? Can we broaden the appeal of poetry? Should we?