The high desert has long been a home and source of inspiration for numerous writers—but until last year, the area did not have a literary focal point.
The Twentynine Palms Book Festival is changing that. Now in its second year, the genre-spanning gathering will host 90 authors, local and national, for readings, book-signings, panel discussions and special events in downtown Twentynine Palms on Nov. 8 and 9.
“There wasn’t a book festival serving the high desert area, and there’s an impressive reservoir of authors who live here, full- and part-time, who can bring a lot of different voices to this event,” said Patrick Zuchowicki, the festival’s organizer and the owner of the Desert General shop.
The festival fills a need for local readers and writers while building on the rich artistic history of the area.
“For a long time, the only option writers have had is to go down the hill. This is the first time writing is centered and explored locally,” said romance writer and lifelong high desert resident Jayce Carter, who serves on the board of the Palm Springs Writers Guild and is part of the Desert Writers Guild and Mojave Sage Writers groups.
This year, the festival shines a light on crime and noir fiction. Fans can look forward to the Noir in the Boneyard reading on Friday evening at the Twentynine Palms Public Cemetery, and Mojave Noir on Saturday night, featuring Southern California crime writers accompanied by atmospheric music. There will also be a panel on transitioning crime fiction into film noir with authors, screen writers and producers, including Deanne Stillman, author of Twentynine Palms and Desert Reckoning.
Other events highlight a wide range of genres and feature writers at many points in their careers. As to be expected, the desert’s role as a place of inspiration, fascination and study runs through many of the featured authors’ works, from desert gardeners to Marine veterans. Susan Lang, an award-winning novelist who grew up on a homestead in Pipes Canyon, will discuss how the desert has influenced her work. Longtime music publicist and journalist Cary Baker, whose first book Down on the Corner is slated for a Nov. 12 release, will lead “Books and Beats,” a panel exploring music writing through the lens of Southern California.
Carter, whose spicy romances cater to adult audiences, will talk with young-adult romance author Ariella Moon about the wide spectrum of romance writing.
“I was enthusiastic that the Twentynine Palms Book Festival was not just accepting, but featuring romance,” Carter said, “Book festivals don’t always do a lot when it comes to the genre. I’m excited to help readers see that romance isn’t what it was 20 or 30 years ago.”
“Never Underestimate the Desert” is another important component of the festival. The all-day event on Saturday focuses on the desert’s cultures, geographies and environments. It will feature a panel of contemporary Native writers from the Mojave, including Terria Smith, editor of News From Native California; Emily Clarke, a Cahuilla poet and artist; and Camaray Davalos, a writer and screenwriter.
Another panel will approach creative takes to the climate crisis with podcasters, artists, filmmakers and writer Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Gold Fame Citrus and I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness. Closing out the day will be a discussion between longtime desert writer, professor and former wildland firefighter Ruth Nolan and Obi Kaufman, author of The State of Fire: Why California Burns.
The connection to Hollywood is a unique aspect of the book festival and reflects Zuchowicki’s experience in the film industry. He sold and produced film and television for 35 years, and previously organized events in Los Angeles that connected the entertainment and publishing industries. He has put together 19 desert stories that have the potential to be adapted into screenplays as part of the Shoot in 29 Palms initiative and organized a networking event for authors and filmmakers.
Over all, the festival builds on the deep artistic history and recent cultural renaissance of the area. “Twentynine Palms has become a destination,” Zuchowicki said, “but it has kept its desert character. There are so many stories about the desert, and we’re trying to bring out the richness of that history in the festival.”
Nolan concurred. “Twentynine Palms is one of the oldest cities in the high desert, and there’s always been a thriving arts community there, which laid a framework for new events like this one. The festival is showcasing the people who have laid down that groundwork and are bringing a fresh perspective and a new energy.”
With events and authors that span the paranormal to the ecological to the poetic, the festival reflects the diversity of the region’s writers.
“It’s a quirky desert thing,” Nolan said, “There’s nothing else like it in the literary world.”
The Twentynine Palms Book Festival takes place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8 and 9, primarily at the Twentynine Palms Community Center, at 6547 Freedom Way. Admission is free, but sign-ups are recommended. Learn more at www.29pbf.com.