2025 Rogue Festival welcomes Fresno State creative writers

By Jefferson Beavers, communication specialist, Department of English

Creative writers from Fresno State’s Department of English will headline the “Fresno Writers Live” performances at the 2025 Rogue Festival, scheduled for February 28 through March 8 in Fresno’s Tower District.

Fresno Writers Live will feature the latest poetry and prose from 20 emerging Fresno writers in four storytelling and spoken-word shows. The shows will include 10 graduate students from the Master of Fine Arts program, plus 10 graduate and undergraduate English majors.

All of the Fresno Writers Live shows will be held inside Hart’s Haven Bookstore, 950 N. Van Ness Ave. Tickets cost $10 per show, along with a one-time purchase of a $7 Rogue Festival wristband. The shows are rated PG-13, and latecomers are okay. Seating is limited.

• Saturday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. — Curated by the San Joaquin Literary Association, this show features graduate students Vivian Aguirre, Soreath Hok, and Sharon K. McClain, with undergrads Analaura Flores and Celeste Jones.
• Sunday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. — Curated by the Hmong American Ink and Stories club, this show features graduate students Isabella De La Torre, Hannah Sutton, and Bo Vang, with undergrads Martin Dabon and Amy Vang.
• Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m. — Curated by the editorial team of the San Joaquin Review journal, this show features graduate student Joseph LeForge, with undergrads John Conn, Dawn Parker, Katie Quigley, and Brandon Xiong.
• Saturday, March 8 at 3:30 p.m. — Curated by the Chicanx Writers and Artists Association, this show features graduate students Chloe Abella, Miguel Ángel Ángeles, Angelina Leaños, and Taylor Seals, with undergrad Aura Peredia Garcia.

Located in the heart of California, the Fresno State Creative Writing Program enjoys a 65-year history of literary excellence. The program features graduate training in the advanced study of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction and an option in literary publishing and editing. The program also includes an undergraduate English degree in creative writing.

The Rogue Festival is an annual non-juried fringe festival that celebrates independent artists in theatre, music, dance, film, spoken word, performance art, puppetry, and magic. The event is among the largest cultural arts events in California.