Creative Writing Celebration

Representing Crisis: Engaging with the Mess of the World through Creative Writing

April 10, 2026, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

There are many fraught social and political problems that need our attention. To solve problems, we need first to understand them, and writing is one way to gather and process information. Writing, when done correctly, also provides a potential opportunity to inspire thought and to educate others. In spite of these advantages, many of us feel fearful or inhibited to write. 

This workshop will explore the challenges and potential benefits of representing humanitarian crises through creative writing. Each participant will choose an issue that is of interest to them. We will discuss techniques to get started, nuances of specific genres of writing, and pitfalls that we may want to avoid. Through a number of thought experiments and writing exercises this workshop will aspire to 1) kickstart your writing, 2) have fun, and 3) fix the world!

Robert Neustadt is a songwriter, immigrant rights activist, playwright, and a professor of Spanish at Norther Arizona University. Participants to the in-person workshop will receive complimentary novels, journals, and refreshments!

When: April 10, 2026, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Library Building, Horace Steele Room 901
Cochise College Sierra Vista Campus
901 N Colombo Ave, Sierra Vista, AZ

Free for Cochise College students!

Register for the in-person workshop

Register for the virtual workshop