Upcoming Events for 2026
2026 BOOK TOUR FOR ART ABOVE EVERYTHING
Saturday, January 10 — PITTSBURGH, PA
Stephanie will give a reading as a Visiting Author at the Carlow MFA in Creative Writing Program from 2:30 to 3:30 pm.
Monday, January 12 — ZOOM
Stephanie will teach a Writing the Body workshop and gave a reading at the Solstice MFA Program.
Wednesday, February 4 – ZOOM
Stephanie will present her work for CREEES at the University of Texas at Austin.
Tuesday, February 10 – CHAPEL HILL, NC
Stephanie will be in conversation with Kate Bowler, host of “Everything Happens” podcast, at UNC Chapel Hill. Details TBA.
Wednesday, February 11 to Sunday, February 15, 2026 — SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO
Featured artist Sandra Cisneros will join Stephanie for a discussion about Art Above Everything at the San Miguel de Allende Writers Conference and Festival on February 13 from 10:45 AM-12:15 PM at HRM Ballroom. Stephanie will also teach a workshop called Writing the Body on February 15 from 9 AM – 10:30 AM at HRM Tent.
Thursday, March 5 to Saturday, March 7 — BALTIMORE, MD
Stephanie will sign copies of Art Above Everything from 12-1 at the Macondo booth on Friday and present on a panel about the borderlands on Saturday from 11:40-12:55 pm.
Friday, March 13 – CHAPEL HILL, NC
Stephanie will discuss her work on art and creativity at UNC World View. Details TBA.
Thursday, March 19 – GREENVILLE, NC
Stephanie will present on a panel at East Carolina University. Details TBA.
Saturday, April 11 — SAN ANTONIO, TX
Stephanie will participate in the panel “Sandra Cisneros Presents: Writing Between Worlds” at the San Antonio Book Festival from 10 – 11 am.
Thursday, October 15 to Sunday, October 18 — CLYDE, NC
Stephanie will join Betsy Bertram in hosting a women’s yoga and writing retreat called “Creative Embodiment.” It will feature Betsy’s daily yoga and meditation classes along with Stephanie’s intensive memoir workshop called “Writing the Body.” Healthy, homemade meals, autumn foliage, and downtime for nature walks are included! Learn more here, and don’t miss out on the early bird registration rate!
Video Portfolio
This Video Portfolio features clips from two of Stephanie’s favorite performances:
“All the Agents and Saints,” held at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee on October 18, 2018. Based on her 2017 book of the same name, this keynote explores the ramifications of having an international borderline split an ancestral land in two, as experienced by the Tejanos of the Texas/Mexico borderlands and Mohawks of the Akwesasne Nation at the New York/Canada borderlands.
“Art Above Everything,” held at the 2018 NonfictioNow Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on November 3, 2018. This keynote follows her 12-nation journey to interview artists about the value of living an art-focused life—and her own reflections on the matter.
Here is what recent hosts have said about Stephanie’s visits:
“Stephanie Elizondo Griest is one of the most dynamic public speakers I know – full of vitality and urgency, passionate without being strident. She never fails to leave an audience mesmerized by her powerful words.”
– Robin Hemley, Author; Founder, NonfictioNow Conference
“Not just students and staff but many community members came together to hear her speak wisdom and hope when the world seemed to be coming apart. Women, in particular, left feeling empowered and on fire. Students felt inspired and motivated. And to me, she is not only a gifted writer and speaker, but a teaching artist sister friend lifting others up so that they too can find room to stand on their own.”
– Dr. Liza Ann Acosta, University Dean, North Park University
“My students were awestruck and one student asked how she could ‘be like her.’ It is a treat to have her visit and to hear this amazing and vibrant writer.”
– Oliver de la Paz, Poet and Associate Professor of Creative Writing, College of the Holy Cross
“Stephanie Elizondo Griest reminds us of art’s urgency and necessity, especially in moments of great personal and political pain. Her talk compels us to remember the essential role art-makers have in generating futures of hope during dangerous times.”
– Laurel Flores Fantauzzo, Author, Assistant Professor of English, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and Yale-NUS College Singapore