UTV Master Classes
January 9-24, 2026
While specific master classes differ slightly in format, they share a common goal: to offer highly motivated writers an intensely sympathetic reading of their work, with strategic suggestions for revision. We encourage all participants to respond to each other’s work and to each other in the same spirit.
Registration for most master classes is limited to 8. Groups meet three mornings a week for a total of six 3-hour sessions. You will also meet at least once one-to-one with your instructor.
Please note that the Spanish-language manuscript clinic with Socorro Venegas will instead meet for three weekends, with twice weekly afternoon meetings via Zoom, and that participants in her group will be expected to remain in Tepoztlán for the weekend following our closing dinner on January 24th.
You must apply for a single master class. Double registration is not permitted. Choose from the menu below in making your selection. Click on each image for a full description.
Fiction

Fiction
with Aysegul Savas
Open to writers of fiction both short and long, this master class offers a select group of novelists or short story writers the chance to share their work with accomplished peers

Narrativa
con Alberto Chimal
Un taller de creación nueva y puesta en escena de textos anteriores. Para cuentistas y/o novelistas.

Writing the Imagination
with Sheree Reneé Thomas
For writers of speculative fiction, short and long. Find the deep magic that makes your work sing for the reader.
Poetry

Poesía
con Ben Clark
En este seminario-taller indagaremos en algunas claves de la creación poética. Trabajando desde nuestros propios textos, plantearemos algunas de las claves para escribir poemas y para disfrutar más de su lectura.

Poetry
with Paul Muldoon
This two-week poetry intensive is intended for participants with work ready to share and who are ready to generate more in a spirit of generous collective critique.
Writing of Witness

Writing Of Witness
with Jennifer Clement
Open to writers with projects ranging from memoir to autobiography to texts that defy easy categorization, writing of witness is an invitation to pursue the truth in a voice more subjective than journalism but just as committed to revealing the stories of our time.

Escritura y testimonio
con Sandra Lorenzano
Para escritores con proyectos que nacen de la experiencia personal, con un alcance que llega a tocar los temas sociales implicados. Para ensayistas, cronistas, periodistas y quienes inventan formas nuevas.
Investigative Journalism

The Stories Beyond the Stories:Investigative Journalism in a Global World
with Ignacio Rodríguez Reyna
This two-week master class for early- to mid-career journalists from Mexico, the US and elsewhere will challenge participants to look beyond breaking news stories to unpack the root causes behind them.
Clínica De Manuscritos

Clínica de Manuscritos
con Socorro Venegas
Un taller más íntimo para escritores con libros en puerta, con una lectura a fondo mayormente a través de consultas individuales. Para proyectos de narrativa y no-ficción.
Testimonials
I have never felt so supported to achieve what I want. I “leave” this experience with my heart filled with joy, with my brain like a Christmas tree, full of new ideas, and with a sense that I have finally met my tribe.
María Mínguez
UTV fue un detonador de ideas y conexiones. Llegué con una idea y volví a casa con la tercera parte de un libro.
Sylvia Aguilar Zéleny
“When I was feeling overwhelmed at the sheer talent and accomplishments of the faculty, a fellow writing student said to me, “The only difference between them and us is time.”
Martha Morrison
“UTV is more than a learning experience set against a powerful landscape… it offers a mental space for creativity.”
Daniel Escoto
“UTV is the perfect getaway for writers looking to build community, participate in cross-cultural exchange, and find time and space to work on their craft.”