Reaching our youth – and learning from them – is a vital part of our work. In addition to our Youth Mentorship Program, which pairs teens with adult mentors in a variety of oral and written literary traditions, we sponsor special events featuring young, dynamic visionaries and leaders. Past events have included hosting author and activist Chesa Boudin, who spoke at various schools in Taos County, as well as the Taos Community Auditorium. In addition, storytellers from our annual Storytelling Festival visit local schools and share enchanted tales with the children.
For details about our current Youth Mentorship Program, please click here.

These literary evenings invite writers to read from their recent work, pairing up-and-coming writers with nationally and internationally recognized authors. The eight-week programs take place in January/February and July/August of every year. Writers who have participated include Rudolfo Anaya, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Sophie Cabot Black, Natalie Goldberg, Robert Mirabal, John Nichols, Summer Wood, Veronica Golos and Judyth Hill. For details about the Winter Series, click here. For details about the Summer Series, click here.

Our annual Storytelling Festival showcases some of the best national and regional storytellers. This two-day event held every October includes storytelling concerts, story swaps, a children's concert, and workshops, in which a wide array of cultures and subjects are represented. Presenters have included Angela Lloyd, Joe Hayes, Michael Parent, Connie Regan-Blake, Cisco Guevara, Susan Klein, Jay O’ Callahan and Karahkwahawi. For information on the next Storytelling Festival, please visit our Special Events page.

S.O.M.O.S. workshops are designed to assist both novice and experienced writers. They offer a variety of genres, and address both the creative and practical aspects of being a writer. Workshops presented throughout the year are open to non-members. Topics have included poetry, fiction, presentation, political expression through art, personal memoir, and legal issues for writers. Past presenters have included Denise Chavez, Joan Logghe, Sawnie Morris, James Navé, Jenny Goldberg, Lise Goett and Sean Murphy. For information concerning our upcoming workshops, please visit our Special Events page.

S.O.M.O.S. presents programs that focus on freedom of expression and human rights, featuring works by authors who have been imperiled, imprisoned, or silenced by political censorship. Presenters have included Chilean professor Marjorie Agosin of Wellesley College, youth activist and author Chesa Boudin, and Cambodian exile U Sam Oeur. For information on upcoming special programs, please visit our Special Events page.