2026 Next Words Anthology Reading

The CalArts Creative Writing MFA Program is pleased to present the first installment in the 2026 Next Words Anthology Reading Series, hosted at Village Well. 5 graduating students will read from work we wrote during our time at the program, which represents a brilliant constellation of genres, topics, voices, and perspectives. We hope you join us in taking our first steps into a writing life that awaits us.

About the participants:

Caroline Vasquez (she/they) is a writer and big sports guy from California's Antelope Valley. She received her BA from Rutgers University and her MFA from CalArts. Find them working trackside as a flag marshal at circuits across the world and on Instagram at @00care.

n. roybal (they/them) is a brown, non-binary and queer artist, writer and performer in los angeles. their work is trans irreverent, unapologetic, transgressive, reflexive, urgent and pressurizing. they are a community organizer and progressive activist. n. is a second-year candidate in the mfa creative writing program at calarts. let trans people live!

Thomas Moore is an aspiring novelist and screenwriter who specializes in horrific tales with a dash of (alleged) humor. Having escaped the tedium of the Vancouver suburbs, he is currently finishing his Masters in Critical Studies at Calarts and is looking to move to the Los Angeles area.

AJ Strout is an artist-educator from LA. His practice includes creative writing, media studies, and digital art. He received his BA in Film and Gender from Pitzer College and attended CALARTS where he earned two MFAs in Creative Writing + Arts Education and Art and Technology. He produces live events for the Ex Corpse Art Collective.

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