A hearty congratulations to our new officers. Mary Lu Nunley will lead Arizona Humanities for the next two years as Board Chair. The Executive Committee also includes Prof. Jim Blasingame, Vice-Chair, Karl Kendall, Treasurer, Eshe Pickett, Secretary, and two At Large Members: Dr. Julie Codell and Dr. Eve Krahe. The group is more than capable, reflecting diverse professional experience from academic, government, and corporate sectors. Check out the AH website to learn more about these talented leaders and the Arizona Humanities Board of Directors.

We are delighted by the news that Brenda Thomson has been elected to serve on the national board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, or the "Federation." 

For those not familiar, the Federation is the membership organization of humanities councils from across the country. The Federation represents the interests of humanities councils before Congress, and also provides communication  between the councils nationwide. The Federation collects information and data, shares information on  programs and grants, and supports and encourages activities that foster good nonprofit management and stewardship. 

 "I have found the work of the Federation to be invaluable. It is important to Arizona Humanities to serve the people of this state well, and to offer cultural programs and activities of the highest caliber. The Federation staff is talented and dedicated. They help us learn about national trends, and also help us individually when we have questions about best practices, and governance. I am honored to be able to share what I have learned, and more importantly, to be able to learn from and assist councils across the country in meeting the challenges we face in promoting and preserving the cultural legacy of the United States. We are a diverse nation, and it is important for us to share the humanities with everyone."  Brenda Thomson.  

Thomson's board term begins in November 2019.

Designed for small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America will serve as a community meeting place to convene conversations about what it means to be a citizen and examine the context and main controversies behind America's democratic system. Towns will develop complementary exhibits, host public programs, and facilitate educational initiatives to deepen people's understanding of our nation's democratic system.

Applications due October 15, 2019.

Visit our web page for more information or to begin you application

The Arizona Humanities Awards event will take place in Spring 2020. Please check back for event details at  www.azhumanities.org.

Nomination deadline: Monday, September 30, 2019

Sign up by September 21, 2019 

Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemmingway said "writing, at its best is a lonely life." This may be true, but it doesn't have to be. With that in mind, Arizona Humanities launches the new "Pen Zen" writer's group/workshop series this fall. The goal is to provide a space for novice writer's to hone their craft through collaboration and constructive criticism. The first workshop will take place at Arizona Humanities,1242 N. Central Avenue in Phoenix on  Wednesday, October 2, 2019 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

Each season we will offer a new 4-month workshop focusing on a particular writing genre. This fall the focus will be fiction. Future workshops will include poetry and non-fiction. Each workshop will consist of a group reading, during which participants will have a chance to present their own work, and receive constructive criticism from their peers, along with instruction from a professional facilitator. Facilitators are accomplished writers and academics from diverse backgrounds.

Click Here to Sign Up

The Literary Southwest celebrates the beginning of its eleventh season of literary programming in Prescott with a reading by acclaimed novelist Janet Fitch.

Fitch speaks on  Friday, September 20 at 7 p.m. in the Yavapai College Library's Susan N. Webb Community Room (Bldg. 19, Room 147) on the Prescott campus. An open conversation, audience Q & A session, and a book signing follow the reading.

Janet Fitch is the author of the best-selling novels White Oleander, an Oprah's Book club pick, and Paint it Black, both made into feature films. Her most recent novel, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, is a continuation of The Revolution of Marina M., set during the Russian Revolution. Her short fiction and essays have been widely published in anthologies and journals such as Black Warrior Review, Black Clock, Los Angeles Noir, Room of One's Own, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. 

Literary Southwest programs are presented free and are open to all. For complete author and series information, visit:  www.yc.edu/Literarysw  or contact Series Director Jim Natal through Yavapai College at 928-776-2295.