Desert Voices: A Writers Gathering Event

Immerse yourself in the ideas long inspired by the beauty of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts with prose and poetry workshops, readings, and writers panels. This family-friendly event features literature experiences for park lovers ages 10 and older.

• This special writing event takes place at the famous High Desert Test Sites campus.

• Anyone may attend! No writing experience or expertise is required.

• No park pass is required. 

• No meals or equipment are provided.

• Please bring a notebook and paper for the writing prompt.

Navigating the venue is leisurely with less than 2 miles of walking with shade, seating, consistent terrain, and little to no elevation gain. It is not ADA accessible.

Featured Writers

• Obi Kaufmann

• Josh Jackson

• Chris Clarke

• Ruth Nolan

• Thomas Crochetiere

• Patrick Zuchowicki

• Lisa Morgan (moderator)

Obi Kaufmann
Among the featured speakers is Obi Kaufmann, an acclaimed author, artist, and naturalist whose California Field Atlas series has become a defining work in contemporary environmental storytelling. Kaufmann’s richly illustrated books blend science, philosophy, and landscape art, offering readers a sweeping look at California’s ecosystems and the delicate balance between nature and human stewardship. His work invites people to see the natural world not only as scenery, but as a living story unfolding around us.

Joshua Jackson
Josh Jackson is a writer and photographer whose work illuminates America’s most overlooked public lands — those managed by the BLM. His work has appeared in High Country News, the Los Angeles Times, and Adventure Journal, among others. His first book, The Enduring Wild: A Journey into California’s Public Lands, is both a love letter to these landscapes and a meditation on belonging and reciprocity. As founder of the Forgotten Lands Project, Josh extends this work beyond the page — through keynote addresses on public lands and by guiding camping trips that connect people directly to these fragile and inspiring places.

Chris Clarke
Desert naturalist and essayist Chris Clarke has long been one of the most thoughtful voices writing about the American desert. Through essays, books, and environmental commentary, Clarke explores the fragile beauty of desert ecosystems while advocating for the protection of public lands. His writing blends science, humor, and deep personal observation, revealing the Mojave not as an empty landscape but as a complex and vibrant living system. Clarke founded the Desert Advocacy Media Network, which produces 90 Miles from Needles, a podcast dedicated to desert protection and storytelling.

Ruth Nolan
Poet-writer Ruth Nolan is Mojave Desert Poet Laureate, author of two poetry books, After the Dome Fire and Ruby Mountain, and editor of the critically acclaimed No Place for a Puritan: The Literature of California's Deserts (Heyday – Santa Clara University Legacy Series). She is a longtime professor of English and Creative Writing at College of the Desert and at California Indian Nations College. She has spent decades cultivating inclusive community spaces for literary voices in the widespread desert region. Her work reflects the resilience, beauty, and spiritual resonance of desert landscapes. She is also a former wildland firefighter, working for the BLM California Desert District and the U.S. Forest Service.

Tom Crochetiere
Thomas Crochetiere works with the National Park Service at Joshua Tree National Park as a docent. After retiring from a career in public service, he began working with the NPS in 2013. From more than 302,000 eligible volunteers, Thomas was recognized for his contributions to the park service during NPS National Volunteer Week in April 2019 and was featured in an article titled “NPS Meet Our Volunteers: Tom Crochetiere.” In February 2024, after volunteering more than 5,000 hours at JTNP, he was honored to receive the President’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Thomas also volunteers at the California Welcome Center in Yucca Valley as a Welcome Ambassador. He enjoys giving lectures and teaching for the Desert Institute. Thomas is a member of the Morongo Basin Historical Museum, the Twentynine Palms Historical Society, and the Hi-Desert 4x4 Group of Yucca Valley. As a local historian, Thomas spends countless hours researching area history. While identifying and promoting historical records, he enjoys putting together the pieces of the puzzle to offer a unique perspective on events that helped shape the communities and places around us. As a published author, Thomas has written five books about Joshua Tree National Park and one on the history of the area, titled A History of the Morongo Basin.

Patrick Zuchowicki
Patrick Zuchowicki is a Franco-American born in Paris 67 years ago. He studied at New York University from 1976 to 1977, returned to New York permanently in 1982, and later moved to Los Angeles in 1984. For most of his professional life, he organized high-level business events that opened international pathways for the film, television, and sports industries — particularly across emerging markets in the former Soviet republics, the Middle East, and Africa. Twenty-five years ago, Patrick and his wife purchased a weekend home in Twentynine Palms, where they eventually settled full-time five years ago. Together, they run Desert General, a local shop specializing in gifts, art, accessories, and books, and they oversee the annual Twentynine Palms Book Festival.