Oct 4: Creative Writing Workshop & Brunch: Flights of Imagination in the Night Sky with Karen Terrey, Nevada County Poet Laureate

Join us for a creative workshop with coffee, tea, and breakfast goodies Sunday morning, Oct 4 from 10 am – Noon at the 9848 Gallery, 9848 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee. This creative writing workshop will be a supportive and productive experience for writers and photographers and night-sky admirers of all levels of experience. Bring an open mind and a hungry belly - coffee and pastries provided! To sign up go to our Visit Truckee Tahoe page.

Sunday October 4

10 am – Noon

Free

“And I thought that, like the Earth and Moon and all the planets, perhaps every one of us is ancient and full of unknowable history. look up at the sky, or out across the earth, and you can be swept away by glorious flights of the imagination, and the humbling realization that in the true scheme of creation, all the many things we know amounted to almost nothing at all.” – Tracy K Smith

Inspired by the words of Tracy K Smith, this workshop caps Truckee’s Keep it Dark Astrotourism (Oct 1-4) weekend, a contemplation of the stars and the night sky that hang above us, visible and invisible, throughout our daily lives. Writers blend science with poetry, exploring connections between concepts of space, metaphor and time. Through reading poems by poets such as Ada Limon and Dana Goia, guided discussion, and innovative writing prompts, we will explore intersections with our personal lives and the larger planetary story, how to be human and how to exist with the other than human.

To sign up go to our Visit Truckee Tahoe page.

For more info, contact Karen Terrey tangledrootswriting@gmail.com or call 530-386-3901

Poetry at the Truckee Community Block Party, 9/17/2026

 

I'll be reading a poem tomorrow at the Truckee Block Party 2026! Outside the Truckee Train depot in downtown Truckee, this family-friendly gathering will bring together community resources, local culture, and neighbors for a vibrant evening in the heart of downtown. I hope to see you Thursday night from 5-7 pm at the party!

Residents and visitors alike will enjoy an evening filled with:

• Food trucks featuring local flavors
• Live music and performances
• Local art displays
• Raffles, games, crafts, and free face painting
• Extended downtown shopping hours
• Free neighborhood shuttles for easy access
• A bike valet hosted by Truckee Trails Foundation to make arriving by bike easy and stress-free
• A free bike kitchen to tune your bike and get information from Lake Tahoe Bike Coalition
• Opportunities to connect with more than 40 local non-profits, service providers, and community organizations

Spanish interpretation and materials will be available. 

I’m drawn to the words of US Poet Laureate Emerita Tracy K Smith, recently interviewed by Krista Tippett of On Being. In her newest book, Fear Less, Tracy says, “When I’m lost or afraid, the speakers of poems assure me that my feelings are nothing to hide from or deny. Indeed, that vulnerability, uncertainty, and even desperation are not only signs of life, but tools for moving forward toward courage, hope, and purpose. When I’m confident in my convictions, poems alert me to complexities I failed or been unwilling to regard.” 

 

Her words remind me of why we seek out poems during celebrations and rituals. I've chosen to read a poem I wrote last summer after teaching a poetry workshop to a first grade class at Donner lake Memorial State Park. I was inspired by the number of parents and teachers supporting their camping and writing adventure, the dedication and love they poured over these young students. I was also reminded of the fresh and hopeful visions of children.

 

Back in June, I corralled two weeks of personal writing escape time in Colorado for myself after the Mountain Words Festival on Memorial weekend. I brought with me over 100 pages of poems, written over the past decade, to shape into a full-length manuscript of poems. 

 

I look forward to getting back to that project over the winter. While I juggle so many balls between my teaching, my community organizing, mentoring, and figuring out how to be a good person, I struggle as all writers do to focus my creative energies and prioritizing my own writing. 

 

As Tracy K Smith wrote, “We never cease in our becoming.” You can listen to Joy Harjo and Tracy k Smith with On Being https://onbeing.org/programs/joy-harjo-and-tracy-k-smith-this-world-is-full-of-everything-good-everything-beautiful/

Four Free Arts, Music & Literary community events in Truckee 9/10 - 9/13, 2026

Many poets and writers are participating in these events so go to the website links and posters attached for more details. So much opportunity to gather creatively and inspire each other for making and creating in our world. I hope to see you out and about!

Thursday 9/10 Tangled Roots Open Mic & Reading Series at Alibi Truckee 6-7:30 pm. 

• Join us for a community open mic for poetry, prose, and singersongwriters. Our featured reader opens the open mic with a special reading from her debut novel Whalespeak that was released just September 4th! Author Liz Collins of Nevada City.  https://www.facebook.com/events/2282670338937709/

 

Friday 10:30 am - Noon Truckee Library Moments for Memoirs. This writing workshop is open to all. 

• Truckee Library's beloved writer’s program, Moments for Memoirs, is back after a summer break! Join us in the Donner Room for a workshop and write about stories from your life.   Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey returns to lead these engaging memoir‑writing sessions, guiding participants in capturing meaningful memories through writing. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning writers!

Saturday 9/12 10 am - Noon Mountain Bounty Farm, Nevada City

Poetry reading and writing workshop with Ingrid Keriotis, Rooja Hoasessey, and Karen Terrey. Join us under the hundreds year old Oak at the top of the ridge! 

• Mountain Bounty Farm (map) Join Nevada County Poet Laureate Karen Terrey and poet Ingrid Keriotis for a morning of poetry at Mountain Bounty Farm. https://mountainbountyfarm.com/events/2025/poetryonpreserves

Sunday, 9/13 1-5 pm Glenshire Porchfest

• I’ll be performing poems along with many other poets and storytellers at the Glenshire Porchfest this Sunday! Over 18 bands, a plethora of poets and storytellers from all over our region, plus food trucks and face painting in Truckee's Glenshire neighborhood.  Free event full of local musicians, food, and wares. More info at glenshireporchfest.com