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NEA Big Read Events

Labriola Community Celebration with ASU Library Labriola Center, Amber McCrary, Alex Soto, Abalone Mountain Press

Date(s): Saturday, March 20, 2021, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Phoenix MST / Pacific
Location: Zoom
Type(s): Conversation, Panel, Q&A, Reading, Talk
Genre and Form(s): American Indian, Community, Family History, Fiction, Flash, Indigenous, Memoir, Mixed Genre, Personal Essays, Poetry, Short Stories, Visual Art
Cost: Free

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

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About this Event

Over the past several months, Indigenous community members have been working with poet Amber McCrary, Abalone Mountain Press, and the Labriola National American Indian Center at ASU Library to share, preserve, and honor their family histories through storytelling, community archiving, creative writing, and zines. Join us in celebrating all of their talent, artistry, and hard work at the Labriola Community Celebration on Saturday, March 20, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Phoenix MST / Pacific on Zoom.

In addition to sharing poems, short stories, flash, and other creative work inspired by family members, speakers will also participate in a short panel about their experience in the workshop series. 

More details and speakers will be announced soon. This event is presented in partnership with the Labriola National American Indian Center at ASU Library and is open to the public and free.

Please note: as Phoenix does not observe daylight savings time, determining the correct time outside of Arizona can be somewhat confusing. Right now, Phoenix MST is currently equivalent to Pacific (not Mountain). To view the current time in Phoenix, Arizona, you can check the world time clock.

Looking for more events? Learn more about community archiving with ASU Library on March 9, register for the keynote with Layli Long Soldier on March 26, or view the full schedule for the NEA Big Read today at http://piper.asu.edu/nea-big-read/events.

 

About the Author


ASU Library Labriola Center

The Labriola National American Indian Data Center's primary purpose is to support scholarship and instruction on Indigenous knowledge across all disciplines at ASU. Since its inception in 1993, the Labriola Center has become a pivotal service for the ASU Indigenous community.

Learn more about ASU Library Labriola Center


Amber McCrary

Amber McCrary is a Diné poet, zinester, feminist and artist. She is Red House born for Mexican people. Originally from Shonto, Arizona and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. In the small town of Flagstaff is where she discovered her love for Punk Rock and the Do it Yourself Culture. She earned her BA from Arizona State University in Political Science with a minor in American Indian Studies. She received her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry at Mills College.

Learn more about Amber McCrary

Photograph of Alexander Soto


Alex Soto

Alex Soto (Tohono O’odham) is the curator/librarian for the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at Arizona State University (ASU) Library. In addition to providing culturally informed library support, he facilitates ASU’s community-driven archives initiative in tribal communities. He believes Indigenous librarianship helps support cultural sovereignty and fosters Indigenous modernity.

Learn more about Alex Soto


Abalone Mountain Press

Abalone Mountain Press is a Diné woman owned press located on occupied Akimel O'odham land. Our mission is to create a space for Indigenous voices to be heard without having to accommodate the white gaze. We strive to create books for Native people by Native people. We hope to create a press that supports Native artistry in all forms. We hope to bring quality work to Indigenous literature and create a world for Indigenous voices to thrive as genuinely and true to form.

Learn more about Abalone Mountain Press

About the NEA Big Read: Phoenix

This event is presented as part of the NEA Big Read: Phoenix, celebrating Indigenous literary arts and culture in the Valley with over 25 talks, workshops, performances, book clubs, art exhibits other virtual events inspired by The Round House by Louise Erdrich. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The NEA Big Read: Phoenix is presented by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University with additional support from Arizona Humanities, Phoenix Public Library, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Humanities Division at ASU, and over 40 authors, performers, and community organizations. Find events, meet our partners, and start reading today at http://piper.asu.edu/big-read.

Logo for Phoenix Public Library




Support Indigenous Communities

The Phoenix Indian Center is the oldest American Indian non-profit organization of its kind in the United States, providing workforce development, cultural enrichment, and other vital services to Indigenous communities throughout the Valley for over 70 years. To support their work, visit their website at https://phxindcenter.org/financial-support/, click the donate button, enter an amount, and enter "NEA Big Read" in the description. Please consider making a gift to the Phoenix Indian Center today.

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