Alumni authors return to campus for Fresno Writers Summit

By Jefferson Beavers, communication specialist, Department of English | Photo: Hmong American poet Soul Vang by May Yang-Vang.

Fresno State’s Creative Writing Alumni Chapter, in collaboration with the Fresno Poets’ Association series, will present its second annual Fresno Writers Summit. The event celebrates new books by four alumni authors and features a keynote reading from trailblazing Hmong-American poet Soul Vang.

Faculty author Brynn Saito, coordinator of the university’s Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing, will host the event, scheduled for 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 inside the Smittcamp Alumni House boardroom.

General admission is $10, and Fresno State students can attend for free with a promo code. Pre-registration is required.

The first session begins at 1 p.m. with the English Department’s annual Creative Writing Prize Showcase, which includes readings by award-winning student writers Analaura Flores, Celeste Jones, Sharon K. McClain, Stefan Leiva, Angela Medina-Felix, Emily Peacock, Jacob Simmons, and Stella Luna Velez. 

The second session, the Debut Authors Panel, begins at 2:30 p.m. and will include readings by alumni authors Angela Chaidez Vincent, Ryan Kenedy, and Jacob Reina. A book signing will follow.

Chaidez Vincent’s debut poetry collection, “Arena Glow,” was published this year by Tourane Poetry Press. Kenedy’s debut novel, “The Blameless,” was published in 2023 by the University of Wisconsin Press. Reina’s debut memoir, “Purity of the Sky,” was published this year by Atmosphere Press.

After a dinner break, the third session — the Soul Vang Appreciation Panel — begins at 6 p.m. and will include readings by alumni author Soul Vang and award-winning student writers Phoua Lee and Kaylee Ruiz. A book signing will follow.

Vang’s second poetry collection, “Song of the Cluster Bomblet,” was published this year by HER Publisher. Lee and Ruiz are both recent Soul Vang Scholars and winners of the Soul Vang Prize for Poetry. These awards were established in 2016 when Vang created an endowed scholarship encouraging students who write about the Hmong and Asian American experience.

All attendees are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering when indoors. Weekend parking is free in Lots P1 and P2, adjacent to the venue.

For more information, contact Brynn Saito at bsaito@mail.fresnostate.edu or call 559.278.1569. Students seeking a promo code can contact Jefferson Beavers at jbeavers@mail.fresnostate.edu.