Mujeres Que Escriben™
Tucson, Arizona
History
Mujeres Que Escriben was founded in 1991 by Silviana Wood. True to our Latina culture, we could not meet without a bocadito to initiate our coming together. After introductions and a cafecito con pan dulce, a general discussion began about the need for an organization of women writers that nurtured and supported the development of creative literary expression. At that first meeting, the structure of the organization and requirements for membership were not strictly defined but were developed later on according to membership needs and growth. Over the years, new members were invited and meeting times changed to accommodate schedules. Café con pan dulce gave way to the rich aroma of frijoles or caldo, and finally, a three course meal which also nurtured the development of countless works of poetry and prose.
Mission and Goals
The mission of Mujeres Que Escriben a Latina Writer’s Group is to provide support and encouragement to develop as writers. Our goals are to develop our craft by writing, editing, publishing, studying, performing; to share our work with the community through public readings and presentations in schools and to foster a unified group by supporting individual endeavors and group activities. The mission and goals were written to acknowledge that the creative work we do as writers is, indeed, an individual and solitary one, but in belonging to a writers group, much like belonging to our families, we also become part of an identity that is bigger than our own—with responsibilities, as well as privileges.
Community Service
In the spirit of servant leadership, we spend much of our time as individuals in service to others. We are integral members of advocacy groups for women’s issues, equity in access to education, the LGBTQ community, the undocumented, and anti- poverty and anti-war efforts. We are tutors for undocumented students pursuing higher education and judges for poetry contests; we organize marches for women and moderate panels for book festivals. We mentor high school teachers and PhD candidates. We are committed to the growth of individuals within the group and in the greater community. There is a sense of stewardship—that Mujeres Que Escriben is much greater than the sum of its parts and, therefore, must be held in trust for the greater good.
