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Carlsbad adult learners publish Waves of Inspiration anthology; book release set for May 3
Summary
The Carlsbad City Library Literacy Services presented 'Waves of Inspiration,' an anthology of writing by adult learners. Staff said the project took more than a year, included creative writing workshops and will be celebrated with a free book release and author readings on May 3 at the Ruby G. Shulman Auditorium.
Carlsbad City Library Literacy Services staff presented the completed anthology Waves of Inspiration — a collection of original stories and poems written by adult learners — to the Library Board of Trustees on April 23.
Sandra Riggins, community outreach supervisor, said the anthology grew from more than a year of creative writing workshops and tutoring: "Waves of Inspiration is an anthology created by our adult learners in our literacy program," Riggins said. The book includes pieces written independently by learners, pieces dictated to tutors and pieces developed in weekly workshops.
Riggins described the anthology's design by local graphic designer Mike Stiver, who created page themes to match each story or poem, and said the project was supported by a grant from California Library Literacy Services. The book is organized into ocean- and water-themed chapters — for example, Flow of Nature and Harbors of Home and Family — that reflect both learners’ journeys and Carlsbad’s coastal identity.
The department will hold a free book release and signing on Saturday, May 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Ruby G. Shulman Auditorium. Riggins said attendees will receive a free copy of the book, authors will be honored with certificates from the state senator’s office, library director Suzanne Smithson will speak, and authors will read selections. The event will include a reception and opportunities to meet the authors in the Ann Coulson Courtyard.
Trustee comments at the meeting praised the program’s outcomes. Trustee McBride called the project "wonderful" and highlighted the confidence-building aspect when learners read their work aloud. Riggins said some learners who will read at the May 3 event are practicing reading aloud in a second language or after long struggles with reading and writing.
Riggins said the anthology includes a range of life experiences — a first international trip that inspired poetry, the effects of China’s one‑child policy on a family, and accounts of parents watching adult children leave home — and stressed the project’s role in promoting literacy, connection and cultural expression.
