Volcanistas 2022

Cuernavaca, Mexico
Journalism of Witness with Alfredo Corchado & Angela Kocherga

He pasado la segunda mitad de mi vida viviendo en Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. Soy un comunicador y periodista de ciencia , enfocado en contar historias de ciencia desde la complejidad con la que interactúan dentro de las sociedades en las que viven . He colaborado con medios como Tec Review, Nexos , Chilango , La Revista de la Universidad, Este País y Gatopardo . En el 2018, como miembro del colectivo Ciencia Beat, fuimos ganadores del Premio Nacional de Periodismo en la categoría de Divulgación de la Ciencia .

Esta es mi segunda participación en UTV y espero seguir aprendiendo de toda su comunidad .

I’ve spent the second half of my life living in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. I’m a science communicator and journalist who focuses on telling science stories from the complexity of the interaction of science within the societies that are involved in the story. I’ve written for magazines such as Tec Review, Nexos , Chilango , La Revista de la Universidad, Este País y Gatopardo . In 2018, as a member of the Ciencia Beat collective, we were awarded the National Journalism Prize for Science Communication.

This is my second participation in UTV and I hope to keep learning from its diverse community.

New Orleans, Louisiana
Writing with Wonder with Sheree Renée Thomas

IMAGINATION UNBOUND FELLOWSHIP

I was born in Wiesbaden, Germany to Foreign Service parents. Since then, I’ve lived in Gaborone (Botswana), Paramaribo (Surinam), Tunis (Tunisia), and all over the United States. For most of my adult life, I’ve lived in New Orleans, and my city expresses itself over and over through my fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. I graduated from The University of New Orleans, and for five years, I MCed and co-produced a popular literary readings series called Dogfish. I’ve worked as a short order cook, a nonprofit fundraiser, a teacher of both adults and children, an actor, and a stand-up comic.

www.alexjennings.net
@magicknegro
https://www.facebook.com/MagickNegro

Mexico City, Mexico

Narrativa con Alberto Chimal

Graduada de la 12 ª edici ó n del M á ster en Creaci ó n Literaria de la Universidad Pompeu Fabra. Soy comunic ó loga por profesi ó n y correctora de estilo en formaci ó n. Crec í bajo un á rbol de durazno que ya se marchit ó y uno de jacarand á que mi abuelo pint ó . He publicado en la secci ó n “ Piensa Joven ” del Heraldo de M é xico, en las revistas digitales Colof ó n, Marabunta, Origami y Efecto Antabus , y tengo una columna en la revista Palabrer í as que le leo a mis seis gatos. Tambi é n soy columnista en la revista Penumbria y mi primera novela, Cautivo de Sombras, saldr á el 2022 por parte del sello Plaza y Vald é s.

I hold a Master ’ s Degree in Creative Writing by Pompeu Fabra University. My BA was in Communications and Digital Media yet I ’ m working hard to become a proofreader. I grew up in the shade of a peach tree that already withered and a jacaranda tree that my grandfather once painted. I ’ ve been published in several magazines such as Colof ó n, Marabunta, Origami, Efecto Antabus and in newspaper El Heraldo de M é xico. Furthermore, I write monthly for Palabrer í as digital magazine a column which I religiously read to my six cats. I also write for Penumbria magazine and my debut novel, Cautivo de Sombras, will be out in 2022 thanks to Plaza y Vald é s editores.

Mexico City, Mexico

Narrativa con Alberto Chimal

Soy Allison Hazel Lievano Gómez y vivo en Ciudad de México. He estado contando historias desde los dos años cuando les “leía” a mis papás los libros infantiles que me regalaban. A los ocho años escribí un cuento inspirado en mi hermana Daniela quien tiene Síndrome de Down y Autismo. Con este gané un concurso de una ONG que publicó mi historia como libro ilustrado. Gracias a esto, también tuve la oportunidad de formar parte del Consejo Consultivo de UNICEF México. Desde ahí descubrí el asombroso poder de las palabras y me imaginé como escritora y luchadora por los derechos de los niños y las minorías. Pero me di cuenta que para lograr esto, tenía que dedicarme a aprender y a pulir mi escritura. Desde entonces tomé clases con excelentes maestros como Juan Gómez Bárcena y Martín Felipe Castagnet. Actualmente tengo quince años y sigo persiguiendo el mismo sueño. Ahora estoy trabajando en mi segundo proyecto de novela.

¡Me siento muy agradecida y privilegiada de formar parte de la comunidad de Volcanistas!

I’m Allison Hazel Lievano Gómez and I live in Mexico City. I have been telling stories since I was two years old when I “read” to my parents the children’s books they gave me. At the age of eight I wrote a story inspired by my sister Daniela who has Down Syndrome and a utism. With this I won a contest for an NGO that published my story as an illustrated book. Thanks to this, I also had the opportunity to be part of the UNICEF Mexico Advisory Council. From there I discovered the amazing power of words and imagined myself as a writer and fighter for the rights of children and minorities. But I realized that to achieve this, I had to dedicate myself to learning and polishing my writing. Since then I have taken classes with excellent teachers such as Juan Gómez Bárcena and Martín Felipe Castagnet. I am currently fifteen years old and I continue to pursue the same dream. Now I am working on my second novel project.

Ciudad de México / Chihuahua, México
Poesía con Elisa Díaz Castelo

Nací en la Ciudad de México, pero he sido nómada casi toda mi vida. Estudié filosofía en la UNAM, antropología en la Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia y estoy a medio camino de ser maestra en filosofía por la Universidad IberoAmericana. Hago ontología del espacio y escribo sobre migración, cine, fantasmas, el desierto y lo imposible. Tengo una colección de gnomos de jardín, dos perritas salchicha, hago bici de montaña y no sé nadar. Escribo poesía, guión y ensayo.

I was born in Mexico City, but I’ve been a nomad almost my whole life. I studied philosphy at the UNAM, anthropology at the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, and I’m halfway towards a masters in philosophy from the Universidad IberoAmericana. I do ontology of space and write about migration, film, ghosts, the desert and the impossible. I have a collection of garden gnomes, two dachsunds, and I ride mountain bikes but don’t know how to swim. I write poetry, screenplays and essays.

gnomodedesierto.medium.com

Zurich, Switzerland

Literary Launchpad with Tim MacGabhann

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Annette is based in Zurich, where she works in ethnobotanical drug development. She loves to explore the world’s inner and outer states.

Rome, Italy
Writing of Witness with Elizabeth Rosner

WORDS OF WITNESS FELLOWSHIP

Ariel Sophia Bardi is a writer and researcher. Born in Japan, and raised in the U.K. and U.S., she has lived, worked or reported in France, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank, Kenya, Uganda, India, Italy, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Mexico and Nepal. She has a Ph.D. from Yale University, where her research compared homeland-based nationalist movements through a visual culture lens. As a journalist and essayist, her writing has appeared in The Guardian, Foreign Policy, LA Review of Books, Columbia Journalism Review, Aeon, Al Jazeera, Slate, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. She was a 2021 fellow in the Logan Nonfiction and Documentary program and lives in Rome.

www.arielsophiabardi.com

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Literary Launchpad with Tim MacGabhann

Co-Winner, Grace Paley Fellowship

Born in the US Midwest , I have lived in Philadelphia for the past thirty years. I have a PhD in English and have taught writing at various universit i es . Four stories from my collection I Hold You Harmless have won prizes for short fiction, including the Zoetrope Prize, and the collection was a f inalist for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction from Sarabande Books. At UTV, I’ll be wrangling a novel called Mother of God , which I’ve been working on for a decade. It troubles me in the most beautiful way.

I am the Founder and Director of Songs in the Key of Free, a nonprofit organization hat collaborates with incarcerated musicians and artists to create albums and podcasts , and I have taught writing in prisons for the past ten years.

In the past year, I have fallen in love with a magnificent being, a horse called Pockets (and d are I say, he with me?) . O n any given day I can be found sneaking him carrots at the stables .

Los Angeles, California

Literary Launchpad with Tim MacGabhann

Born in Australia, I now l ive in Los Angeles where I work as a director of c ontent at online publisher BuzzFeed, focusing on international editions. I have a combined BA in Italian literature and marketing and have lived and worked in Tokyo and Mexico City . I grew up on a mountain property next to a botanical gardens and valleys of fire-prone forest , and u p until the pandemic I sang in jazz clubs. So music , c limate change, and the plant world all feature heavily in my first novel which is the manuscript I’ll bring to Under the Volcano . I’d have liked to bring my cat Carol also, but she’s an anxious flyer.

@ aylansmith

Staten Island, New York

Literary Launchpad with Tim MacGabhann

Daniel Barrios is a writer based in Staten Island, New York. He is a recent graduate of the Mountainview low residency MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University. He was awarded a Writers Coop residency at the Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) at Firefly Farms in Knoxville, Tennessee , in 2021. He was also a recipient of a Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Author Fellowship in 2021 . He is working on his debut collection of stories.

Queretaro, México
Manuscript Seminar with Verónica Murguía

I currently live in Querétaro, a warm medium-sized city with the most beautiful name there is in Spanish language (if you don’t believe me, please G oogle it). I’m a full-time professor in different education institutions in Mexico and on Sundays I brighten up my channel #DomingoDeLubidulia with live poetry readings. I’ve been a vegetarian for ten years already (and I’m 29). My goal her e , besides getting to know amazing people, is to broaden my poetic procedures for future projects. You can find me on Twitter as @chicx_zapote (and you may address me with the pronoun you feel most comfortable with).

Actualmente vivo en la hermosa ciudad de Querétaro y soy docente en distintas instituciones educativas . Llevo más de diez años siendo vegetarianx (y tengo 29). Los domingos leo poesía en redes sociales bajo el hashtag #DomingoDeLubidulia. Vine a UTV 2022 para, además de conocer gente asombrosa , explorar otros procedimientos poéticos para mis futuros proyectos . Pueden encontrarme en Twitter como @chicx_zapote (y dirigirse a mí con cualquier pronombre ).

Brooklyn, NY (Park Slope)
Writing of Witness with Elizabeth Rosner

I am an expert in children’s rights, advocacy and litigation, and the central theme of my work is that children and adolescents are entitled to have a voice and representation in legal proceedings that have a significant impact on their lives. To that end, I promote cultural competence to address the underlying issues of poverty and social exclusion based upon race and socio-economic status in the legal and foster care systems in the United States. Ultimately, I recognize that litigation is only one strategy in addressing the issues that plague the child welfare system, and I have been exploring using my voice through writing to elevate the voices of foster children, braiding my childhood experiences with those of former clients. It is my hope to bring greater attention to the issues that plague the child welfare system and the damage that foster children experience to the general public . I am incredibly excited to join the distinguished writers at Under the Volcano to work toward achieving this goal.

@ dawnjpostesq

Brooklyn, New York

Writing of Witness with Elizabeth Rosner

I am a chronically ill and invisibly disabled writer and communications consultant to the Left. I have worked in the labor movement almost my entire adult life, first as an organizer and now in communications strategy. I pay the bills ghost writing OpEd’s (you may have seen my writing under the names of labor union leaders in fancy outlets) and speeches, and supporting workers in telling their own stories in the press. My personal writing focuses on work and the body and is centered on disability, illness, and on finding meaning — and sometimes dark humor — when our bodies are no longer able to produce labor under capitalism. I take a lot of expensive medications to stay alive, including immunosuppressants, and I spend my free time fighting with greedy health insurance companies. I live in Brooklyn, NY, with my musician husband, my 4-year-old Batman unicorn princess boy, a very sweet pit bull, and two mean cats.

Mexico City/UK
Literary Launchpad with Tim MacGabhann

I am a British writer, literary translator, and editor living in Mexico City. I have a PhD from Queen Mary University of London and the long overdue result is that my book, Literature in Motion: Translating Multilingualism Across the Americas , will be published by Columbia University Press during the UtV retreat. My literary translations from Spanish include Ave Barrera’s The Forgery (co-translated with Robin Myers), Bruno Lloret’s Nancy , and Rodrigo Fuentes’s Trout, Belly Up. I have almost finished battling with El rastro (English title TBC) by the extraordinary Margo Glantz (out with Charco Press in early 2023). I’m very interested in exploring the boundaries between creative writing and literary translation, and am looking forward to reading everyone else’s work across the English/Spanish divide.

Valle de Bravo, Mexico
Literary Launchpad with Tim MacGabhann

I came to Mexico (from South Africa) as an English teacher when I was twenty. It was going to be my first stop around the world. Seventeen years later, and this mexicana still hasn’t moved on. I now work in education as a writer and storyteller and live on the outskirts of Valle de Bravo, where the woods call to me every morning. I usually listen. Nature inspires much of my writing, and my poetry and essays are sprinkled with science and question marks. I’m currently working on a novel, and I hope it’s mutual.

Mexico City, Mexico
Manuscript Seminar in Spanish

Soy periodista y escritora de ensayo y no ficción. Crecí en el Estado de México y actualmente radico en la Ciudad de México. He escrito en medios digitales e impresos como Vice.Mx, Yahoo! en Español, revista Cambio, Gatopardo, revista Lento en Uruguay y en dos publicaciones de la Universidad de Nueva York. Escribí dos crónicas sobre el terremoto de 2017 en la Ciudad de México junto con otros autores como Elena Poniatowksa, Benito Taibo y Mónica Lavín para el libro Estamos de pie: Historias de grandeza mexicana (Planeta, 2017). Le dije que sí a la escritura y hago ensayo de no ficción sobre las mujeres y el trabajo, la economía feminista, pero también sobre duelos y relaciones que terminan. Solo sigo la tradición de escritura oral de parte de mi abuelita Herminia, la verdadera escritora de la familia.

I’m a journalist and writer of essays and non-fiction. I was raised in the State of Mexico and currently live in Mexico City. I’ve published pieces in both online and print media including Vice.Mx, Yahoo! en Español, in the magazines Cambio, Gatopardo, Lento in Uruguay and in two publications of NYU. I wrote two accounts about the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City that appeared alongside texts by authors such as Elena Poniatowksa, Benito Taibo and Mónica Lavín in the book Estamos de pie: Historias de grandeza mexicana (Planeta, 2017). I said yes to writing, and I write non-fiction about women and work, the feminist economy and also about grief and the end of relationships. I’m just following the tradition of oral storytelling I inherited from my grandmother Herminia, the real writer of the family.

Queens, New York
Journalism of Witness, with Alfredo Corchado and Angela Kocherga

Gabriel Sandoval es un reportero basado en la ciudad de Nueva York. Cubre el condado de Queens para THE CITY, un noticiero sin fines de lucro. También imparte métodos de investigación en la Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, parte de la Universidad de la Ciudad de NY (CUNY.)

Nacido y criado en San Diego, California, alguna vez adoptó dos gatitos, creyendo que eran machos. Pero pronto se dio cuenta de que en realidad eran hembras cuando ambas dieron a luz a camadas de seis. Gabriel cuidó a los 14 gatitos antes de regalar una docena.

Gabriel Sandoval is a reporter based in New York City. He covers Queens for THE CITY, a nonprofit news outlet. He also teaches research methods at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, he once adopted two kittens, believing they were boys. But he soon realized they were actually girls — when each gave birth to a litter of six. Gabriel cared for the 14 cats before giving away a dozen.

Mexico City
Journalism of Witness with Alfredo Corchado & Angela Kocherga

ROBERT L. BREEN FELLOWSHIP for a MEXICAN JOURNALIST

O riunda y nómada de la ciudad de México ; mi primer empleo como periodista fue de freelance en un periódico local de Minnesota, al tiempo que juntaba dinero para pagar mi último año de universidad. Soy Comunicóloga de profesión y Maestra en Periodismo sobre Políticas Públicas por el Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, CIDE . He colaborado como Editora, Periodista, Documentalista, Copywriter y Reportera para diferentes medios, consultorías de estrategia digital y agencias de publicidad . Soy periodista independiente y Sucursal Fauces es mi proyecto de periodismo sobre Salud Pública Mental .

Mexico City
Manuscript Seminar with Verónica Murguía

LA PÁGINA DORADA FELLOWSHIP

Karen Villeda (Tlaxcala, 1985). A‌ ‌la‌ ‌fecha,‌ ha publicado seis‌ ‌poemarios, tres libros de ensayo y dos libros para niños. Su libro más reciente es Anna y Hans (Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2021). Su‌ ‌obra‌ ‌ha‌ ‌sido‌ ‌reconocida‌ ‌con‌ ‌más‌ ‌de‌ ‌quince‌ ‌premios‌. Sus‌ ‌creaciones‌ ‌literarias‌ ‌han‌ ‌sido‌ ‌traducidas‌ ‌a‌ ‌diversos‌ ‌idiomas‌ ‌como‌ ‌alemán,‌ ‌árabe,‌ ‌francés,‌ ‌griego,‌ ‌inglés‌ ‌y‌ ‌portugués.‌ ‌Su libro Dodo forma parte de la colección Archivo de Literatura Hispánica en Audio y es una de las pocas poetas mexicanas que forman parte de este proyecto de la Biblioteca del Congreso de Estados Unidos. En‌ ‌2015‌ ‌participó‌ ‌en‌ ‌el‌ ‌Programa‌ ‌Internacional‌ ‌de‌ ‌Escritura‌ ‌de‌ ‌la‌ ‌Universidad‌ ‌de‌ ‌Iowa‌ ‌y‌ ‌en‌ ‌2018‌ ‌fue‌ ‌Escritora‌ ‌Residente‌ ‌del‌ ‌Vermont‌ ‌Studio‌ ‌Center.‌ ‌Ha‌ ‌sido‌ ‌becaria‌ ‌de‌ ‌la‌ ‌Pollock-Krasner‌ ‌Foundation,‌ ‌la‌ ‌Open‌ ‌Society‌ ‌Foundation,‌ ‌la‌ ‌Fundación‌ ‌Ragdale‌ ‌y‌ ‌el‌ ‌Fondo‌ ‌Nacional‌ ‌para‌ ‌la‌ ‌Cultura‌ ‌y‌ ‌las‌ ‌Artes.‌ Actualmente‌ ‌‌es‌ ‌editora‌ ‌titular‌ ‌de‌ ‌‌Este‌ ‌País‌,‌ ‌una‌ ‌de‌ ‌las‌ ‌revistas‌ ‌de‌ ‌mayor‌ ‌prestigio‌ ‌en‌ ‌México.‌

www.poetronica.net
@KarenVilleda

Tijuana, Mexico/ Winchester, California

Narrativa con Alberto Chimal

This is my first writing residency and I am both equally nervous and want to get over the nerves. So writing this paragraph leads to easing those feelings. Maybe that’s what writing is at times, a tool to leave nerves inked on paper and enjoy what you have, where you are now. I’ve been living in Southern California, in a small suburban, western like town for some time now. It’s an hour and a half from the city of Tijuana where I was raised. This thing about growing up in a border and not really knowing where you are from is true. Although I like to feel that I’m from both sides of this border, because by the grace of many things I have the privilege to decide.

Esta es mi primera residencia de escritura y estoy a la vez nerviosa y con ganas de superar los nervios simultáneamente. Así que escribir este párrafo me ayuda a aliviar ese nerviosismo. Quizá eso sea la escritura, una herramienta para dejar los nervios impresos en el papel y disfrutar de lo que tienes, de donde estás ahora. Llevo un rato viviendo en el sur de California, en una pequeña ciudad suburbana, del viejo oeste. Está a una hora y media de la ciudad de Tijuana donde me crié. Eso de crecer en la frontera y no saber realmente de dónde eres es cierto. Aunque me gusta sentir que soy de ambos lados de esta frontera, porque por la gracia de muchas cosas tengo el privilegio de decidir. Si soy de aquí o soy de allá.

San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México
Journalism of Witness with Alfredo Corchado & Angela Kocherga

ROBERT L. BREEN FELLOWSHIP for a MEXICAN JOURNALIST

Soy curiosa y preguntona: me gusta mirar y descubrir los porqués. Me motivan la libertad, la belleza y la dignidad. Transito entre el periodismo de investigación y la comunicación porque me ayudan a saber y comprender en dónde estoy. Creo en la palabra, en el diálogo. Me encuentro cuando hablo o escribo: aprecio eso. Gozo andar por el mundo y la coincidencia con los otros en el camino. Amo el maíz, la compañía de mis perros, crear algo nuevo, el café, cocinar, el sonido de una botella de vino al ser abierta, los libros, morder chocolates y ver a la gente sonreír.

I’m curious and constantly asking questions. I like to look around and discover why’s and wherefore’s. I’m inspired by freedom, beauty and dignity. I move back and forth between journalism and communication because they both help me know and understand where I am. I believe in the word, in dialogue. I find myself when I speak or write. I savor that. I enjoy roaming the world and coinciding with others along the way. I love corn, the company of my dogs, creating soething new, coffee, cooking, the sound of a wine bottle opening, books, biting chocolates and seeing people smile.

@karlamariaopina

London, England and Queens, New York
Manuscript Seminar with Tim MacGabhann

Co-Winner, Grace Paley Fellowship

I’m a Filipino-British writer currently based in London but who also calls New York home. I am a 2021 Desert Nights, Rising Stars Fellow at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing in Tempe, Arizona, a three-time Finalist in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, and a mentor for PitchWars and #DVMentor. My writing has received support from the Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Cill Rialaig , Ireland, Norton Island Residency, Maine, Faber Llull Residency, Spain, Hambidge , InCahoots , and Sundress Academy of the Arts. “The Party”, a short story about Vita Sackville-West, was performed at the Tara Arts Theatre, London. I’ve received fellowships and/or scholarships from Squaw Valley Community of Writers, Aspen Summer Words, Colgate Writers’ Conference, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, Loft Literary, Key West Literary Seminar, and the Arvon Foundation.

I’m passionate about writing fiction that challenges how we view history. I’m excited to be in Mexico, where a significant part of my new novel is set, and to immerse myself in the unique culture and camaraderie of Under the Volcano.

www.katherinelimwrites.com

@ katherine _lim7

San Diego, California/Peru
Manuscript Seminar with Verónica Murguía

Cuentan que fui futbolista pero hacen falta las pruebas. Con mayor convicción digo que ahora soy periodista y siempre seré un inmigrante. Nací hace 27 marzos: 19 en Perú y ocho en Estados Unidos. Como productor de televisión gané premios Emmys en Nueva York y en California. Como reportero viajé a México y Centroamérica y mi trabajo, en inglés y en español, fue publicado en CBS News, NBC Latino, KQED, CNN, Univision y Telemundo. Creo que hay que escribir lo que no deja dormir. Con el tiempo, escribo más y descanso menos.

Houston, Texas
Writing of Witness with Elizabeth Rosner

I think of myself as a writer more than a scholar and in the last 5 years I have been making a long transition to write toward public as well as university audiences. Rice University is where I work as a professor, in Houston, which is on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, the 4th largest city in the US, very cosmopolitan and rich in who is here. When people dismiss “Texas” as crazy and conservative they overlook the majority-minority folks who live in places like Houston. I came to Houston twenty-five years ago with my husband who is also at Rice as a Chicano Studies professor. He was born and raised in Houston, his family immigrated from Monterrey in 1960, and they have been a big part of our life, and our sons’ lives.

The books I’ve written engaged important gaps in scholarly fields. The first one Landscapes of the New West created a new feminist critical race framework for cultural analyses of US West social life and border literatures. The next book Surfer Girls in the New World Order blended ethnography with social history and feminist political economy to show that women surfers and their activist organizations have a lot to say to feminist scholars about globalization, embodied politics and environment. To my surprise surfers read that book, reached out to me for collaboration, and since 2014, with surfers, I have directed The Institute for Women Surfers, an international program in feminist political education that has taught me a lot about physical well- being and sea life as sources of passion. Most recently last summer I was on the road, driving 5,000 miles and blogging about it in an interview project for a book called Living West as Feminists. The projects asks scholars to think about their relation to place and to feminism which turns out to be a great impossible task. We are trying to imagine “feminist rest areas” as places of relational trust as we sort out differences between women and the priorities of feminist politics.

All of the writing, and lots of essays, come out of a personal history that is part of the memoir I’m working on in Tepoztlán. Over ten years ago I finished the research into my family’s business, which had to do with the Vietnam War. We were never the same family again after the War, then along came Civil Rights and feminism. I have written most of the memoir, years ago, and I plan to use the Tepoz time, and the discussions about “writing of witness” to draft the final section.

Mexico City, Mexico
Writing with Wonder with Sheree Renée Thomas

Libertad Pantoja is a creative and technical writer based in Mexico City. She studied in the Undergraduate Program in Genomic Sciences at UNAM. Despite her scientific background, Lshe enjoys writing about magic and dreams. Libertad did the Literary Writing Diploma from the Centro Mexicano de Escritores. She is a two-time recipient of the FONCA Young Creators fellowship for fiction and has been a Volcanista twice. Libertad loves reading short stories, petting cats and watching and taking pictures of small critters. Her first short story collection, Tú, enfermo no estás was recently published in Mexico.

Libertad Pantoja es escritora técnica y de ficción especulativa. Vive en la Ciudad de México. Libertad estudió en la Licenciatura en Ciencias Genómicas en la UNAM. A pesar de su formación científica, disfruta escribiendo sobre magia y sueños. Cursó el Diplomado de Escritura Literaria en “Literaria” Centro Mexicano de Escritores y ha recibido la beca FONCA Jóvenes Creadores de narrativa en dos ocasiones. También ha sido Volcanista en dos ocasiones.

A Libertad le encanta leer cuentos, acariciar gatos y mirar y tomar fotografías de criaturas pequeñas. Recientemente se publicó su primer libro de cuentos, Tú, enfermo no estás .

Boston, Massachusetts
Manuscript Seminar with Tim MacGabhann

For the past 25 years or so, I’ve worked in different contexts as a clinical psychologist, researcher, academic, clinic director, and advocate. At present I am an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and I direct the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety. I received my MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Florida in 1995 and ha ve written numerous articles , chapters , and a few books on psychological flexibility in children and families. What is most important to me is helping young people find their strength s and discover magic in the ir world s, even in the darkest of circumstances . At present, I am working on a young adult novel called Edge of the World that is informed by the many stories I ha ve been privileged to witnes s in my work . It is my first, and I am grateful, honored and eager to learn in Under the Volcano with so many incredible writers and teachers.

Tijuana, Mexico
Narrativa con Alberto Chimal

VOZ VIVA FELLOWSHIP

Vivo y radico en Tijuana. Me dedico a ser tallerista, maestra y creadora de cuentos y minificciones. Creo en la fuerza de las comunidades de escritura y escribir para resistir. Me otorgaron la Beca Interfazz en el 2015, la Beca Jóvenes Creadores y el Premio Estatal de la Juventud en Baja California durante el 2018. He publicado los libros Las calles hablan, Brevedades infinitas y Diles que no nos vean. La imaginación es mi fuente de vida y esperanza.

I live and work in Tijuana, Mexico. I run workshops, teach creative writing and write short stories and flash fiction. I believe in the strength of writers’ communities and writing as forms of resistance. I received the Interfazz Fellowshiop in 2015, and the Jóvenes Creadores and the Baja California State Prize in 2018. I’ve published the books Las calles hablan, Brevedades infinitas and Diles que no nos vean. The imagination is my source of life and hope

@Marciaramloz

Mexico City
Writing of Witness with Elizabeth Rosner

I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where I learned to count in Spanish and to read in English. Although Spanish is my first language—language of home and affection—I feel more comfortable writing essays in English since I did my BA at Yale and MFA at The New School.

I live in Mexico City, teaching English to adults one-on-one online and doing the occasional translation. My original plan was to develop professionally as a museum educator, but health issues complicated that. I’ve written in Spanish about chronic illness for Este País and Vice and have learned to find delight in smaller, deeper, slower living.

My current challenges are creating a writing practice that can match my energy envelope and committing to completing a project! At Under the Volcano I’ll be writing about ballet, history, and chronic illness.
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Nací y crecí en Monterrey, donde aprendí a contar en español y a leer en inglés. Aunque el español es mi lengua maternal—lengua de casa y afectiva—y me siento más segura escribiendo ensayos en inglés ya que hice mis estudios de carrera en Yale y la maestría en The New School en los Estados Unidos.

Actualmente vivo en la Ciudad de México, donde doy clases de inglés y hago algunas traducciones. Mi meta original era trabajar como educadora en museos, pero mis problemas de salud complicaron ese plan. He escrito sobre la enfermedad crónica para Este País y Vice y he aprendido a disfrutar de una vida que es más chica, más profunda, más en calma.

Mis desafíos ahora son crear una práctica de escritura que quepa dentro de mis límites de energía y lograr a acabar un proyecto. En Under the Volcano estaré escribiendo sobre el ballet, la historia y la enfermedad crónica.

Mexico City, Mexico
Narrativa con Alberto Chimal

Mariana Riestra is a writer and editor based in Mexico City. She moved across the country with her family as a young child from Tamaulipas, just south of the Mexican border with the United States, to the capital city. Her writing focuses on narratives of the border and the effects memory has within the body. She is the editor of Chilanga , a subdivision of Chilango magazine that focuses on gender and feminism. She co-founded RUME (Red Universitaria de Mujeres Escritoras ) and currently works as an editor and manager for the project. She has published essays, reviews, short stories and two children’s books.She loves baking and hugging.

Ig: @enelcuartomenguante

Mariana Riestra es una escritora y editora que reside en la Ciudad de México. Cuando era niña se mudó con su familia de Tamaulipas, cerca de la frontera con Estados Unidos, a la capital. Su escritura se enfoca en las narrativas de la frontera y los efectos de la memoria sobre el cuerpo . Es editora de Chilanga , la subdivisión de género y femisnismo de la revista Chilango . Co- fundó la RUME (Red Universitaria de Mujeres Escritoras ) y actualmente trabaja como editora y gestora del proyecto. Ha publicado ensayos, reseñas, relatos y dos libros infantiles . Le encanta hornear y abrazar .

Boston, Massachusetts
Writing with Wonder

I’m a recent transplant to Boston, MA, although I spent 15 years living outside of the US in Europe and Asia. I’m relatively new to fiction but I pay my bills by being a content writer and ESL teacher who occasionally dabbles in music performance. I’m hoping to make headway on my novel-in-progress at UTV, and I’m looking forward to meeting other writers and being in the community. I spend a lot of time reading, doing yoga, and making hats. I once went camel trekking in Mongolia, much to the camel’s consternation.

Mexico City
Fiction with Alberto Chimal

My life has taken place in Mexico City. With the chaos and unique charm of the city, I built my life in the south of the city with my wife, Yanira, and our pets Harry (named after Harry Potter) and Bolaño (named after the renowned author Roberto Bolaño).

The different turns in time led me to immerse myself in video production, audio design, graphic design and photography. I’ve enjoyed the possibilities of transmedia for my passion for the fiction in all its forms and colors. Stories of horror that make you reconsider your whole existence are my special favorites.

Now, I balance my energy between my specialization in production projects for education companies and writing and podcasting in my personal account @CuentosParaDormirFantasmas.

Mexico City, Mexico
Seminario de Manuscritos con Verónica Murguía

Nací y vivo en la CDMX , lugar que experimento a diario con el terror y la fascinación que proviene de identificarse como chilango . Estudié ciencia política y relaciones internacionales en el CIDE y cursé una maestría en política pública como becario Fulbright-García Robles en Washington DC. Tras varios años de escribir para otros , personajes diversos y estrambóticos de la política y la farándula en México, hoy me dedico a dar clases , investigar sobre opinión pública y escribir ficción . Mis historias exploran temas alrededor de masculinidades , identidades transfronterizas y deseos insatisfechos . Me interesa leer ciencia ficción , especialmente la de autoras chinas y rusas . También busco recomendaciones sobre lo gótico en el continente americano. Hace algunos meses terminé la primera versión de una novela titulada chilangoculiacán , que trabajaré en el taller de manuscrito s de UTV22. En el futuro cercano , intentaré dedicarme cada vez más a proyectos pendientes , que incluyen un libro de relatos , ensayos sobre el acto de peregrinar y una colección de textos sobre el Colegio de las Bonitas , una institución pública para impedir la prostitución de indígenas y mestizas guapas durante los últimos años del dominio español sobre la antigua Tenochtitlán .

Belfast, Northern Ireland/Chicago
Writing with a Sense of Wonder

Morgan L. Ventura is a writer, poet, and anthropologist. Their speculative fiction and poetry has appeared in Lackington’s , Strange Horizons, Augur Magazine, and Bending Genres , while their essays have appeared in Best Canadian Essays 2021 and Geist Magazine, among other venues. A former Fulbright-Hays fellow to Mexico and Digital Knowledge Sharing Fellow at the American Philosophical Society, they hold a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and are currently pursuing a Masters in Poetry at Queen’s University Belfast.

Brooklyn, New York/Kerala, India
Journalism of Witness with Alfredo Corchado & Angela Kocherga

Rebecca is an independent writer from Kerala, India, who relocated during the pandemic to Brooklyn, New York, and has consequently had more conversations with trees than people – but that’s not a complaint. She is ineffably grateful to be a part of Under t he Volcano, and is here to join the movement of people trying to soothe this festering world through their words. Rebecca has a keen interest in the impact of globalization on the cultures and lives of rural and Indigenous communities, and is currently working on ‘Pawns of Progress’—a documentary film that follows the story of an Indian farmer and his family, and the absurdities of the global economic paradigm they’ve inherited. Her work has been published with Earth Island Journal, Vice Media, Homegrown India and a few more.

Mexico City, Mexico
Poesía con Elisa Díaz Castelo

Soy escritora, poeta e investigadora. Estoy a punto de presentar mi examen profesional para la licenciatura de Letras Modernas Inglesas en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México con una tesina sobre el dolor, el cuerpo femenino y el color. Mis poemas, ensayos, reseñas e investigaciones han sido publicadas en medios digitales e impresos como Periódico de Poesía, Punto de Partida, Estudios ITAM y Editorial Universidad de Guadalajara. Formo parte de cinco antologías, siendo la más reciente Novísimas: Reunión de poetas mexicanas vol. II . Soy co-fundadora de la Red Universitaria de Mujeres Escritoras, investigadora joven en la Red Mexicana de Jóvenes por la Investigación y becaria en el programa de Teoría literaria y cultural para el siglo XXI de la UNAM. Me gustan los fantasmas, mis flores favoritas son las siemprevivas y, como diría Rosario Castellanos, soy una persona terriblemente hambrienta de ternura.

tw: @figuraretorica, ig: sandradoloresam

I am a writer, poet and researcher. I am about to graduate as an English major at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México with a dissertation on pain, the female body and color. My work has been published in both online and print media such as Periódico de Poesía, Punto de Partida, Estudios ITAM and Editorial Universidad de Guadalajara . My poems were included in five anthologies; Novísimas: Reunión de poetas mexicanas vol. II is the most recent one. I am a co-founder of Red Universitaria de Mujeres Escritoras, a young researcher at Red Mexicana de Jóvenes por la Investigación, and a fellow in the Teoría literaria y cultural para el siglo XXI program at UNAM. I like ghosts, my favorite flowers are called siemprevivas (immortelles) and, as Rosario Castellanos would say, I’m a person with a terrible hunger for tenderness.

Los Angeles, California
Writing of Witness with Elizabeth Rosner

SANDRA CISNEROS FELLOWSHIP

Sofía Aguila r is a Latina writer and editor based in Los Angeles, California. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in New Orleans Review, Emerge Literary Journal, and Melanin Magazine, among other publications. As an alum of WriteGirl and a first-generation college graduate, she earned a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she received the Andrea Klein Willison Prize for Poetry and the Spencer Barnett Memorial Prize for Excellence in Latin American and Latinx Studies. Additionally, she is a two-time recipient of the Nancy Lynn Schwartz Prize for Fiction, a three-time recipient of the Jean Goldschmidt Kempton Scholarship for Young Writers, a Best of the Net nominee, and a finalist for the Academy of American Poets College Prize.

www.sofiaaguilar.com
@sofiaxaguilar

Tucson, Arizona
Writing with Wonder with Sheree Renée Thomas

I’m a lover of the weird, fantastical, and horrifying as a way to talk about experiences often deemed unbelievable. I’m currently working on a collection of shorts about love and abuse, as well as a novella about the intergenerational impacts of trauma on intimacy. Most of my work contains faeries, horror, and the stunning Sonoran desert . I love ghost stories and food, which find their way into my work quite often.

When I’m not writing, I teach humanities (and humanity) to high school students, paint magical cacti, and hike. I am an alumna of Clarion West: Novella Bootcamp 2021, Odyssey: Worldbuilding 2021, and Under the Volcano: Literary Launchpad 2021. My third podcast, Dear Earth I’m Really Sorry (sci-fi comedy), released on January 20, 2022.

You can find me online @tdcleland

Washington, D.C.
Writing with a Sense of Wonder, with Sheree Renée Thomas

I live in Washington, DC but I am from Cleveland, Ohio .

I am pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and Psychology. At Under the Volcano , I want to move beyond the boundaries of traditional horror and transcribe the stories and myths of my ancestors. I want to weave a web of words that allows the reader to become fully immersed in my writing. In my spare time, I love to bake pies and cookies, garden, beat my youngest daughter at “Just Dance” (while teaching her about the wonderful world of d isco), and read graphic novels.