Joshua Tree Writers Festival all day Saturday at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center

Kicking things off at 9:30am will be the panel “Celebrating the Literature of Joshua Tree National Park,” with guest speakers Chris Clarke, Ruth Nolan, and Caryn Davidson, moderated by Greg Gilbert.

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At 11:05 is “Mojave Desert Stories, Mojave Desert Voices” featuring the NALC’s Elizabeth Paige, Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilera, and Terria Smith, moderated by Ruth Nolan.

After a break for lunch with an array of vendors and food trucks, presenters Sant Kalsa, Chris Clarke, and Sean Milanavich bring us “Showcase of Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees.” At 2:30 p.m., a Desert Writing Workshop facilitated by Cindi Anderson and Reilly Powell, followed by an open mic and featured readings, with final words at 5:15 p.m..

The event is free and open to all.

Gabriel Hart

Gabriel Hart is an author and journalist from Morongo Valley, CA. He was a finalist for the 2024 Golden Mic Awards for his continuous reporting on the Morongo Valley Community Services District. His punk-noir novel On High at Red Tide is out now from Pig Roast Publishing, and he's the editor-in-chief/publisher of Beyond the Last Estate, a print-only magazine featuring "creative reporting on contemporary literature."