the 9th annual
Taos Writers Conference
Sponsored by SOMOS, Taos, NM
Early Bird Registration by end of day 6/28/25:
All workshops (except for the ones designated online via Zoom) are located at SOMOS, 108 Civic Plaza Dr, Taos, NM 87571, unless otherwise specified.
The Taos Writers Conference was named one of the best in the Southwest by The Writer magazine.
$175 Friday Intensive (six hours) only plus all of the above
Nick Flynn, Keynote Speaker & Instructor
Keynote to be held at SOMOS – 108 Civic Plaza Dr. Taos, NM. Friday, July 25, 5:30PM
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Nick Flynn
Early Bird Registration ends 6/28/25. All registration closes on 7/23/25.
PLEASE NOTE OUR CANCELLATION POLICY: 100% refund minus a $35 administrative fee for cancellations dated 6/28/25 or earlier; 50% refund minus a $35 administrative fee for cancellations received between 6/29/25 – 7/23/25. No refunds given for cancellations received after 7/23/25.
Peter Callan
Writer
Peter Callan is the author of Prepare to Die!!! and Other Stuff Nobody Told You.
Veronica Golos
Editor
An expert editor for poetry, poetry manuscripts, memoir and non fiction. With years of experience, and depth of perception.
Cisco Guevara
Storyteller
Owner of Los Rios River Runners, New Mexico’s oldest and largest rafting company, Cisco honed his storytelling skills around the campfire. A regular at the Taos Storytelling Festival, Cisco has told his tales to audiences as far afield as London and Paris, as well as to groups in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Thomas Hollingsworth
Writer
Thomas is a naturalist, philosopher and writer. He has written extensively on leadership, criminal justice, and technology as a state agency trainer. He currently contributes to a master naturalist newsletter and is writing a non-fiction on the principles of character. Thomas teaches yoga in Taos as a service to contribute to the Taos Medical Debt Relief Program.
Scott Archer Jones
Writer
Scott is currently working on his sixth novel. He lives in northern New Mexico, after stints in the Netherlands, Scotland and Norway, plus less exotic locations. . He’s worked for a power company, a lumberyard, an energy company, and a winery. He has three books out, through Southern Yellow Pine and Fomite.
Christian Leahy
Writer, Editor
Christian Leahy is a story midwife, developmental editor, and writer of mythic nonfiction. From groundbreaking bestsellers to award-winning documentaries and transformative TED Talks, Christian collaborates with people and projects committed to the power of story and narrative change to heal our connection to ourselves, the earth and each other.
Anne MacNaughton
Writer
Anne is a writer, poet, editor, visual artist and educator. A founder of both S.O.M.O.S. and the World Poetry Bout Association, she produced the famed Taos Poetry Circus from 1982 to 2005. She created the first competitive poetry contest for teenagers as well as the earliest teen competitive poetry team. She has taught creative writing and public speaking at UNM-Taos.
Kelly Madrone
Writer, Editor
Kelly Madrone is the award-winning author of two non-fiction books for and about teens, and more than 100 articles and guest blogs. She is a seasoned writer, editor, and writing coach with experience working in the traditional publishing industry and with self-publishing.
Ana McCracken
Writer
Ana’s writing is published in The California Writers Club Literary Review, the anthology Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God, Telepoem Booth® Iowa, and other publications. She splits her time between Angel Fire, and Ames, Iowa, and is writing a memoir while completing her MFA and teaching creative nonfiction for OLLI at Iowa State University. As an Amherst Writers & Artists Affiliate, Ana also leads writing workshops. www.anamccracken.com or www.anamccrackenworkshops.com.
Carrie Nassif
Writer, Poet, Editor
Carrie Nassif is a queer poet, clinical psychologist and life coach/creativity catalyst recently moved to the Taos area from the rural Midwest. Her poetry chapbook, “lithopadion” is available now. She hosts a Haiku-a-Week Facebook group for anyone interested.
Signe Nichols
Publisher, Editor
Over 10 Years’ Experience Working with Authors and Publishers
PUBLISHING SERVICES OFFERED
Interior Book Design and Formatting, Print on Demand Formatting, Ebook Design and Conversion; Ebook Fixes and Updates; Ebook uploading
MARKETING
Special Projects; Social Media Promoting; Consulting; Information
Quality Service Guaranteed, Local to Taos
Signe Nichols
firebirdmediamanagement@gmail.com
(575) 770 4617
Dru Philippou
Writer, Poet, Editor
Award-winning prose poetry writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University, Colorado, offers copy editing, and private consultations. She is also the author of A Place to Land, available on Amazon.
Email: druphilippou@aol.com
Phone: 505 717 7054.
Adrienne Pond
Writer, Editor
Adrienne Pond is an editor, English teacher, writer, and photographer. She loves coaching, developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading fiction and nonfiction. Writers are mavericks who dare themselves and readers to be adventurers, to take changes, to better themselves through language and stories. Adrienne’s love for words and those who wield them makes being an editor a pleasure. Free consultations.
apond.lostartediting@gmail.com
Hannah Rappaport
Writer, Poet
Hannah Rappaport is a writer, poet, and sometime blogger. Her memoir Love on the Brink of History tells of her 20-year initiation in Western Perennial Wisdom culminating with ordination to the priesthood in the Gnostic Tradition. She hosts small meditation/writing groups focusing on non-resistance – exposing the habits that keep us from realizing our life’s mission.
Diana Rico
Editor
Diana Rico offers 30+ years’ experience editing award-winning nonfiction and fiction for established publishers and independent authors. She specializes in memoir/biography, the arts, spirituality, and Latinx subjects. Regular clients include Sounds True, Shambhala, Museum of New Mexico Press, University of Arizona Press, and University of New Mexico Press.
Contact: dianarico@earthlink.net for rates/edited books list. Visit website below for more info.
Dami Roelse
Writer
Dami Roelse was born and raised in Holland. She has traveled the world extensively, lived on different continents and studied with different spiritual teachers. Dami has used her passion for long distance hiking as a means to deepen her connection with nature and the universe. Her books are an expression of how her inner journey evolved alongside her outer journey.
Helen Rynaski
Writer, Editor
Whether you want to explain scientific jargon or tell a good yarn, Helen will make your prose shine. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and professional journals, and her original plays have won competitions. Her editing credits include memoirs; novels; professional, educational, and business publications; and technical manuals. Visit her website and enjoy a free sample edit.
Julian James Spalding
Poet
Julian retired to Ashland, Oregon in 2009 after publishing Albuquerque Arts magazine for ten years. He writes poetry and essays, many of which were published in Ashland Daily Tidings. He moved to Arroyo Seco with his husband August 2018. He is exploring the mystery of Taos Mountain.
Catherine Strisik
Poet, Editor
Catherine Strisik, award-winning poet, author of The Mistress (New Mexico/AZ Book Award for Poetry 2017); Thousand-Cricket Song; & chapbook, Insectum Gravitis (forthcoming Main Street Rag). Co-founder/ co-editor Taos Journal of International Poetry & Art. Active in Taos poetry community for over 36 years, teaches group and private poetry workshops, provides editing consultation for poetry manuscripts.
Cisco Guevara
Storyteller
Owner of Los Rios River Runners, New Mexico’s oldest and largest rafting company, Cisco honed his storytelling skills around the campfire. A regular at the Taos Storytelling Festival, Cisco has told his tales to audiences as far afield as London and Paris, as well as to groups in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Signe Nichols
Publisher, Editor
Over 10 Years’ Experience Working with Authors and Publishers
PUBLISHING SERVICES OFFERED
Interior Book Design and Formatting, Print on Demand Formatting, Ebook Design and Conversion; Ebook Fixes and Updates; Ebook uploading
MARKETING
Special Projects; Social Media Promoting; Consulting; Information
Quality Service Guaranteed, Local to Taos
Signe Nichols
firebirdmediamanagement@gmail.com
(575) 770 4617
Peter Callan
Writer
Peter Callan is the author of Prepare to Die!!! and Other Stuff Nobody Told You.
Thomas Hollingsworth
Writer
Thomas is a naturalist, philosopher and writer. He has written extensively on leadership, criminal justice, and technology as a state agency trainer. He currently contributes to a master naturalist newsletter and is writing a non-fiction on the principles of character. Thomas teaches yoga in Taos as a service to contribute to the Taos Medical Debt Relief Program.
Scott Archer Jones
Writer
Scott is currently working on his sixth novel. He lives in northern New Mexico, after stints in the Netherlands, Scotland and Norway, plus less exotic locations. . He’s worked for a power company, a lumberyard, an energy company, and a winery. He has three books out, through Southern Yellow Pine and Fomite.
Christian Leahy
Writer, Editor
Christian Leahy is a story midwife, developmental editor, and writer of mythic nonfiction. From groundbreaking bestsellers to award-winning documentaries and transformative TED Talks, Christian collaborates with people and projects committed to the power of story and narrative change to heal our connection to ourselves, the earth and each other.
Anne MacNaughton
Writer
Anne is a writer, poet, editor, visual artist and educator. A founder of both S.O.M.O.S. and the World Poetry Bout Association, she produced the famed Taos Poetry Circus from 1982 to 2005. She created the first competitive poetry contest for teenagers as well as the earliest teen competitive poetry team. She has taught creative writing and public speaking at UNM-Taos.
Kelly Madrone
Writer, Editor
Kelly Madrone is the award-winning author of two non-fiction books for and about teens, and more than 100 articles and guest blogs. She is a seasoned writer, editor, and writing coach with experience working in the traditional publishing industry and with self-publishing.
Ana McCracken
Writer
Ana’s writing is published in The California Writers Club Literary Review, the anthology Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God, Telepoem Booth® Iowa, and other publications. She splits her time between Angel Fire, and Ames, Iowa, and is writing a memoir while completing her MFA and teaching creative nonfiction for OLLI at Iowa State University. As an Amherst Writers & Artists Affiliate, Ana also leads writing workshops. www.anamccracken.com or www.anamccrackenworkshops.com.
Carrie Nassif
Writer, Poet, Editor
Carrie Nassif is a queer poet, clinical psychologist and life coach/creativity catalyst recently moved to the Taos area from the rural Midwest. Her poetry chapbook, “lithopadion” is available now. She hosts a Haiku-a-Week Facebook group for anyone interested.
Dru Philippou
Writer, Poet, Editor
Award-winning prose poetry writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University, Colorado, offers copy editing, and private consultations. She is also the author of A Place to Land, available on Amazon.
Email: druphilippou@aol.com
Phone: 505 717 7054.
Adrienne Pond
Writer, Editor
Adrienne Pond is an editor, English teacher, writer, and photographer. She loves coaching, developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading fiction and nonfiction. Writers are mavericks who dare themselves and readers to be adventurers, to take changes, to better themselves through language and stories. Adrienne’s love for words and those who wield them makes being an editor a pleasure. Free consultations.
apond.lostartediting@gmail.com
Hannah Rappaport
Writer, Poet
Hannah Rappaport is a writer, poet, and sometime blogger. Her memoir Love on the Brink of History tells of her 20-year initiation in Western Perennial Wisdom culminating with ordination to the priesthood in the Gnostic Tradition. She hosts small meditation/writing groups focusing on non-resistance – exposing the habits that keep us from realizing our life’s mission.
Dami Roelse
Writer
Dami Roelse was born and raised in Holland. She has traveled the world extensively, lived on different continents and studied with different spiritual teachers. Dami has used her passion for long distance hiking as a means to deepen her connection with nature and the universe. Her books are an expression of how her inner journey evolved alongside her outer journey.
Helen Rynaski
Writer, Editor
Whether you want to explain scientific jargon or tell a good yarn, Helen will make your prose shine. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and professional journals, and her original plays have won competitions. Her editing credits include memoirs; novels; professional, educational, and business publications; and technical manuals. Visit her website and enjoy a free sample edit.
Carrie Nassif
Writer, Poet, Editor
Carrie Nassif is a queer poet, clinical psychologist and life coach/creativity catalyst recently moved to the Taos area from the rural Midwest. Her poetry chapbook, “lithopadion” is available now. She hosts a Haiku-a-Week Facebook group for anyone interested.
Dru Philippou
Writer, Poet, Editor
Award-winning prose poetry writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University, Colorado, offers copy editing, and private consultations. She is also the author of A Place to Land, available on Amazon.
Email: druphilippou@aol.com
Phone: 505 717 7054.
Hannah Rappaport
Writer, Poet
Hannah Rappaport is a writer, poet, and sometime blogger. Her memoir Love on the Brink of History tells of her 20-year initiation in Western Perennial Wisdom culminating with ordination to the priesthood in the Gnostic Tradition. She hosts small meditation/writing groups focusing on non-resistance – exposing the habits that keep us from realizing our life’s mission.
Julian James Spalding
Poet
Julian retired to Ashland, Oregon in 2009 after publishing Albuquerque Arts magazine for ten years. He writes poetry and essays, many of which were published in Ashland Daily Tidings. He moved to Arroyo Seco with his husband August 2018. He is exploring the mystery of Taos Mountain.
Catherine Strisik
Poet, Editor
Catherine Strisik, award-winning poet, author of The Mistress (New Mexico/AZ Book Award for Poetry 2017); Thousand-Cricket Song; & chapbook, Insectum Gravitis (forthcoming Main Street Rag). Co-founder/ co-editor Taos Journal of International Poetry & Art. Active in Taos poetry community for over 36 years, teaches group and private poetry workshops, provides editing consultation for poetry manuscripts.
Veronica Golos
Editor
An expert editor for poetry, poetry manuscripts, memoir and non fiction. With years of experience, and depth of perception.
Christian Leahy
Writer, Editor
Christian Leahy is a story midwife, developmental editor, and writer of mythic nonfiction. From groundbreaking bestsellers to award-winning documentaries and transformative TED Talks, Christian collaborates with people and projects committed to the power of story and narrative change to heal our connection to ourselves, the earth and each other.
Kelly Madrone
Writer, Editor
Kelly Madrone is the award-winning author of two non-fiction books for and about teens, and more than 100 articles and guest blogs. She is a seasoned writer, editor, and writing coach with experience working in the traditional publishing industry and with self-publishing.
Carrie Nassif
Writer, Poet, Editor
Carrie Nassif is a queer poet, clinical psychologist and life coach/creativity catalyst recently moved to the Taos area from the rural Midwest. Her poetry chapbook, “lithopadion” is available now. She hosts a Haiku-a-Week Facebook group for anyone interested.
Signe Nichols
Publisher, Editor
Over 10 Years’ Experience Working with Authors and Publishers
PUBLISHING SERVICES OFFERED
Interior Book Design and Formatting, Print on Demand Formatting, Ebook Design and Conversion; Ebook Fixes and Updates; Ebook uploading
MARKETING
Special Projects; Social Media Promoting; Consulting; Information
Quality Service Guaranteed, Local to Taos
Signe Nichols
firebirdmediamanagement@gmail.com
(575) 770 4617
Dru Philippou
Writer, Poet, Editor
Award-winning prose poetry writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University, Colorado, offers copy editing, and private consultations. She is also the author of A Place to Land, available on Amazon.
Email: druphilippou@aol.com
Phone: 505 717 7054.
Adrienne Pond
Writer, Editor
Adrienne Pond is an editor, English teacher, writer, and photographer. She loves coaching, developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading fiction and nonfiction. Writers are mavericks who dare themselves and readers to be adventurers, to take changes, to better themselves through language and stories. Adrienne’s love for words and those who wield them makes being an editor a pleasure. Free consultations.
apond.lostartediting@gmail.com
Diana Rico
Editor
Diana Rico offers 30+ years’ experience editing award-winning nonfiction and fiction for established publishers and independent authors. She specializes in memoir/biography, the arts, spirituality, and Latinx subjects. Regular clients include Sounds True, Shambhala, Museum of New Mexico Press, University of Arizona Press, and University of New Mexico Press.
Contact: dianarico@earthlink.net for rates/edited books list. Visit website below for more info.
Helen Rynaski
Writer, Editor
Whether you want to explain scientific jargon or tell a good yarn, Helen will make your prose shine. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and professional journals, and her original plays have won competitions. Her editing credits include memoirs; novels; professional, educational, and business publications; and technical manuals. Visit her website and enjoy a free sample edit.
Catherine Strisik
Poet, Editor
Catherine Strisik, award-winning poet, author of The Mistress (New Mexico/AZ Book Award for Poetry 2017); Thousand-Cricket Song; & chapbook, Insectum Gravitis (forthcoming Main Street Rag). Co-founder/ co-editor Taos Journal of International Poetry & Art. Active in Taos poetry community for over 36 years, teaches group and private poetry workshops, provides editing consultation for poetry manuscripts.
Open Tues-Sat 12pm-4pm 575.758.0081 108 Civic Plaza Drive
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3225, Taos, NM 87571
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS
SOMOS programs are made possible in part by these organizations: New Mexico Arts, a Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts • Taos Community Foundation • The McCune Foundation • The National Endowment For The Arts • The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation • Taos County Lodgers Tax • TaosNetLLC for high speed internet service • LANL (Los Alamos National Labs) • New Mexico Humanities Council • Nusenda Foundation • Witter Bynner Foundation • Amazon Literary Partnership • Literary Emergency Fund
