The Sage April 2026 News
Opportunities to Experience Community, Provide Input, and Enter Our Annual Writing Contest.
Message from the Prez
Happy April! Or should I say “Happy August” since the weather has been almost summerly? Regardless, I hope the year is treating you well and that your writing is thriving.
I’ve got two calls-to-action for you this month. The first is to watch for information about the SWW 2026 Writing Contest—themed “By Human Hands” to let us show off the cool things we can do that AI can’t.
Submissions open in May, so please complete your entries before then so you can take advantage of the early bird submission rate.
The second request comes with a backstory. Three years ago we signed a multi-year contract with UNM’s Continuing Education Center, where we host our Saturday, in-person meetings. Later this year, that contract runs out. We can renew it, if we so choose. Should we?
Over the last few years, several people have told us that they would prefer a different location (perhaps with an A/V setup that better accommodates our hybrid-Zoom system). In order to change locations, we need to identify a new one early enough to make it possible to continue providing our regular SWW services without interruption.
That’s where you come in. If you know of a location in Albuquerque that would work better than the current one, please let us know either at info@swwriters.com or president@swwriters.com. If possible, please include contact information. We want to start exploring options as soon as we can so we can ensure we provide the best possible experience for the greatest number of members.
Now that I’ve given you some homework to do, go enjoy the sunshine and spring air, and maybe write a poem while you’re out there, even if you’re not a poet (April is National Poetry Month, after all). Happy writing!
Kim Rose
President
From Our VP (Who Also Co-Chairs Our Writing Contest)
SWW’s 2026 Annual Writing Contest opens on 5/1/26. We’re calling it “By Human Hands.”
Hey AI, tell me a story in the style of…STOP! STOP! STOP!
No one wants to hear an artificial story imitating the work of someone else, no matter
how smart it might be. We want to hear you, your voice, your story, your passion, by
your own hands!
SouthWest Writers wants to hear it now, this year, during the annual writing contest.
This year’s theme is By Human Hands! Click here for more information.
Allen Herring
Vice-President and Contest Co-Chair
Why Human Hands Are Important (Editor’s Note)
Thanks to member Dianne Layden for alerting us to this latest AI horror story.
Shy Girl, a UK novel, originally self-published, had already been re-issued by a “regular” publisher. It was also scheduled for 2026 US publication before word got out that the text was almost 80% AI generated.
The US publisher abandoned its plans and the book has been withdrawn from sale by its UK publisher as well.
Beware! AI use potentially affects all authors. Publishers are becoming super-vigilant. The Authors Guild in New York now provides its members with certification that their work has been created by a human.
Léonie Rosenstiel
Editor, The Sage
Upcoming SWW Events
You can find information about upcoming events on the SWW website here. Here’s what’s on tap this month.
April 11, 2026: Meeting presentation (in-person or zoom) from 10 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. Joy, Death, and Memoir in Short Form Poetry will be presented by Sara Frances. More information here.
April 18, 2026: Joy, Death, and Memoir in Short Form Poetry Workshop (in-person or zoom) from 12:00 until 2:00 p.m. will be presented by Sara Frances. More information here and register here.
April 22, 2026: Meeting presentation (zoom only) from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. What Makes a Compelling Story? will be presented by Debbie White . More information here.
Last Month’s Writing Challenge - The Results
March’s Sage challenge featured a story and poetry based on this year’s celebration of Route 66. Rachel Bate submitted a poem entitled “Wild & Free,” exemplifying the spirit of the open road. Suzanne Stauffer’s story “Route 66” has you guessing which era the protagonists are actually transiting. Both of these can be read here.
This Month’s Writing Challenge for SWW Members
POETRY IN MOTION is the Sage Challenge theme for April, celebrating poetry month – but with a twist. We want to see poetry that flies, swims, walks, skips, floats, or just dances. These poems should tell or show a story that contains actions. They can be for any age group but only 800 words total. You can add a photo or picture – or send a poem where the words dance on the page (but that has to be one picture we can fit on the website). For more information click here.
Deadline is April 20, 2026. Send your story or article to: webmaster@swwriters.com.
Credit: Canva
Regional and Online Literary Happenings
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Apply to attend the Mesa Verde Writers Conference (capacity: 40) and the Mesa Verde Literary Festival in beautiful Mancos, Colorado. They are now open for registration (the conference) and applications from writers for the Literary Festival. The conference will be September 2, 3, and 4 at Deer Hill Expeditions, minutes from downtown Mancos. The festival will be all day Saturday September 5 in downtown Mancos (local businesses host the writers). The web site is www.mesaverdewriters.org and anyone can email us at mesaverdewriters@gmail.com
NEW MEXICO BOOK AWARDS
The purpose of the New Mexico Book Awards is to uncover and honor the best in New Mexico books!
Entries in the NM Book Awards will be judged by booksellers, librarians, teachers, authors, publishers, agents, and avid readers.
Eligibility:
Open to authors, designers, publishers, and publicists anywhere. Books must have a direct creative connection to New Mexico or the greater Navajo Nation (for example, author, publisher, subject, cover design). Books with a publication date or copyright date in 2024 or 2025. Click here for more information.
Come and Support the Authors of Our SWW Anthology Unbreaking the Circle!
Five programs of authors reading and discussing their work, supported by grants from New Mexico Arts, remain. One will be online; the rest will be happening throughout the state. The series ends on 6/10/26. The readers will also be discussing how writing their chapters affected their healing. Attend and support the authors and their work.
NMPW Annual Conference
New Mexico Press Women will hold its Annual Conference at Isleta Resort on May 1-2. Rep. Melanie Stansbury will be the keynote speaker at the Saturday banquet.
Email sage@swwriters.com with links to anything you think we should share with Sage subscribers.
Welcome to SouthWest Writers!
The following writers joined our community last month. We hope to see you at one of our events in person or online. Write on!
Bradford Lawson, Susan Hodges, Fr. Brad Karelius, Michelle McDonald, Elizabeth Barror, Brianna Guzman, Laura Mullane, and Dane Monarch.
If you’re not yet a member, learn more about the benefits here. (Remember, if you’re a member, the Office can let those on our mailing list know about your book launch!)
We have resources for writers across our platforms and additional content on our members-only section of the website. Visit our website, ask to join our Facebook Group, check out our blog, see what we’re saying on X (Twitter), check out the session recordings on our YouTube channel, or find our page on Goodreads.