Upcoming Creative Writing Events, Workshops & Conferences at ASU
Desert Owl Book Club
Four Thursdays | May 7, June 11, July 16, and August 13 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Phoenix Time
Join us this summer for Desert Owl Book Club at the Piper Center—an evening for readers to gather, reflect, and connect after the sun goes down.
- August 13 - The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy
We're kicking off the season with a reading and conversation with Arizona Poet Laureate Laura Tohe. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Enjoy light refreshments, a community book exchange (bring a book, take a book), and the option to share a short poem or passage.
LOCATION CHANGE: THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD ON ZOOM
Past Spring & Summer Events
Summers at Piper Center
Summers at Piper provides free creative writing programming to support creative writing students and the broader community by providing access to arts-education and professional development. There is no cost to participate. All genres and skill levels are welcome. Join us for regular programming with our Professional Development Series, Story Starters, and Special Topics Workshops.
MFA Agents & Editors Panel: Navigating the Literary Marketplace
Learn to work with agents and editors and secrets for navigating the literary marketplace with Jessica Friedman, agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. and Leslie Shipman of The Shipman Agency, moderated by ASU Professor Sally Ball, associate director of Four Way Books. Free and open to the public.
Poetry Out Loud Central Region Semi-Final Competition
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students beginning in the classroom and culminating in the National Finals in Washington, D.C. The program cultivates an appreciation of poetry that goes beyond the page and offers an opportunity to win over $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends. The Central Region Competition determines who will move on to the State Competition, held in Tucson, Arizona in March 2026. This event is open to the public. Attend in person or watch the livestream!
Outspoken: Community Open Mic @ Cafetal Coffee
This event is free and open to the public. Write your words, speak your truth!
Poetry at Piper Writers House
Join us for an evening of poetry and conversation featuring two acclaimed voices in contemporary poetry speaking on vision, place, and possibility. Moderated by Isabel Lanzetta.
Jami Macarty, author of The Long Now Conditions Permit (2023 Test Site Poetry Prize) and The Minuses (2020 NM/AZ Book Award), writes from and between the deserts of Tucson and the rain coast of Vancouver.
Geoffrey Babbitt, author of A Grain of Sand in Lambeth (2023 Betsy Joiner Flanagan Prize in Poetry), is Editor of Seneca Review and founder of the Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Book Prize.
Celebrate National Poetry Month with us in the historic Piper Writers House! Light refreshments will be provided.
Skills for Writers
Free and open to the public, this panel focuses on applying to writing residences.
- "Applying to Writers Retreats and Residencies" with Shipra Agarwal
- "Social Media for Writers" with Ofelia Montelongo
- "Building Your Author Brand" with Shipra Agarwal
- "Spreadsheets for Writers: Making and Tracking a Submission Plan" with Cecilia Savala
ASU Community Open Mic
Free and open to the public, highlighting ASU community creative writing voices. Light refreshments are provided. Will be held on the back patio if the weather permits.
Drop-In Writing Hour
Join us for a cozy hour of writing in the Piper Writers House living room. All genres welcome.
Applying for Retreats, Workshops, and Residencies
Virtual with Shipra Agarwal
If you're baffled about how and when to apply for a writer's retreat, workshop, or residency, this online session presented by CantoMundo will help. Shipra Agarwal brings her considerable knowledge to this Saturday class to demystify the process. Enroll today!
About Shipra Agarwal:
Shipra Agarwal is a doctor-turned-brand-manager-turned-writer from India, pursuing an MFA in fiction from Arizona State University (ASU). Her work is published in Witness and The Rumpus. She was nominated for the PEN/Dau Prize and the Pushcart Prize, and shortlisted for the First Pages Prize and the Iron Horse Long Story Prize. She's received support to attend the Tin House Summer Workshop, Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, Sundress Academy for the Arts, and the Authentic Voices Program. Shipra is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Best of the Net, and is currently working on a novel and a collection of stories.
Piper Teaching Artist Open Mic
Join us in supporting our local teaching artists as they share their work! Grab a seat, enjoy a NA drink, and enjoy a night of poetry and prose.