Write with me at WCC! Register today

New Winter 2026 course schedule at Washtenaw Community College is out! Come write with me!

Register today. Washtenaw county residents over 65yo are free.

Writing with Style
3 Saturdays, Jan. 17, 24, 31, 2026, 10am-12pm EST, Washtenaw Community College, online

Finding the Writer Within Continuing Writers Workshop
10 Sundays, Jan 25-Mar 29, 2026, 12pm-2pm ET, Washtenaw Community College, online

Write Here, Write Now
6 Mondays, Feb 23-Mar 30, 2026, 6:30-8:30pm, ET, Washtenaw Community College, online

Writing about Home (new class)
3 Sats, Mar 7, 14, 21, 2026, 10am-12pm, ET, Washtenaw Community College, online

ABCs of Publishing
2 Sats, Apr 18, 25, 2026, 10am-12pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, online

https://washtenaw.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassListing.ClassListingDisplay&int_category_id=3&int_sub_category_id=49&int_catalog_id=1

1990 Institute "How do stories shape how we face the new year?" Dec 2025

My final 1990 Institute newsletter -- Volume 5, Issue 12 -- Wow, we wrote 5 volumes of newsletters since 2021! Check out my annual year-end list of book recs published this year.

How do stories shape how we face the new year?

I recently helped MC a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Lao diaspora to honor the community’s history, achievements, and vision for the future. There was storytelling, photography, poetry, food, and even a fashion show of traditional and modern Lao-inspired designs. Community members told stories about what it means to be a refugee — to leave at a moment’s notice, to only bring what you can carry, to not know where you’re headed, or if you will ever be able to come home again. A Hmong American man who was recently released from ICE detention spoke about his experience. 

I know a lot of the facts around this history, but it was so powerful and so inspiring to hear these stories told from the heart. Stories connect us and shape how we face tomorrow. 

As we head into the new year, I would like to share some books published this year by Asian American authors, including some by friends of the 1990 Institute. 

https://1990institute.salsalabs.org/1990newsletter_vol5_issue12