Six New Mexico writers will gather in Santa Fe on Sunday, Nov. 15, for a fundraiser benefiting Reading Quest, which provides literacy instruction and support for young readers. Called “A Day with Santa Fe Authors,” the event will combine readings with conversations about the authors’ work and experiences.
Organizer Bettye Kearse said she hopes to create an informal setting where readers and writers can become acquainted. Participating authors have been asked to discuss their reasons for writing, what draws them to their subjects and the difficulties they have encountered. Santa Fe residents Deborah Jackson Taffa, Carol Moldaw and LaNysha Adams will join Albuquerque writers Carlene O’Connor, Hakim Bellamy and Margaret Randall.
Jackson Taffa will deliver the keynote address and said she may explore ways to interest students in reading about New Mexico’s complex history, including its Indigenous and Spanish origins. A member of the Quechan and Laguna Pueblo tribes, she wrote “Whiskey Tender,” a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for nonfiction. She also directs the master’s program in creative writing at Santa Fe’s Institute of American Indian Arts.
Randall, 89, plans to present a piece written specifically for the gathering. She said it traces her childhood experiences learning to read, public education during her generation and projects she has undertaken as a writer. The poet, feminist, essayist, memoirist and photographer has lived in Spain, Mexico, Cuba and Nicaragua. In an email, she described literacy efforts as especially important amid what she characterized as government censorship and cuts affecting education.
Bellamy, Albuquerque’s inaugural poet laureate and a national poetry slam champion, emphasized both New Mexico’s oral storytelling traditions and the possibilities opened by reading. He wrote that limited literacy among young people diminishes opportunities for imagination. Moldaw will read from her 2024 poetry collection, “Go Figure,” and said she looks forward to hearing fellow writers and discussing reading and literacy with audience members.
Adams will share material from her multiple award-winning book, “ME POWER,” focusing on personal strengths and strategies for change. She said the book is intended for adults working to improve their reading skills. Adams serves as director of student wellness at Santa Fe Community College.
O’Connor will read from “Bury the Wren,” the fifth book in her “County Kerry Mystery Series.” She said access to books can give children enjoyment, escape, hope and a sense of agency, while encouraging them to create stories of their own.
Based in Santa Fe, Reading Quest supplies free, structured literacy tutoring and social-emotional support to 600 students each week who read at least one year below grade level. Its kindergarten through eighth-grade students attend 11 schools: five in Santa Fe, three in Taos and one each at Santo Domingo, Cochiti and Ohkay Owingeh pueblo schools.
Founder and executive director Rayna Dineen said Reading Quest also offers after-school tutoring, summer camp tutoring and a creative writing and poetry program. A participant in that program, Piñon Elementary sixth grader Valentina (VV) Velasquez, will read a poem at the fundraiser. The organization also provides professional development for teachers, families and tutors.
