As the only Multi-genre workshop for writers of color in the nation, we provide developing writers a place where they can explore their craft in an atmosphere of support and understanding, where they can exchange with great writers ideas and inspirations, where they can gain empowerment to move from VONA to a writer's life with authority and confidence.

We want to make VONA available to more voices, pull people in from the margins, in from places where writing workshops aren't an everyday occurrence and give them the experience for a lifetime.

Diem Jones, Executive Director

Diem Jones is a poet, musician and arts administrator living in Monutain View, California. His poetry can be found in Sufi Warrior: A Collection of Words (Juke Box Press) and musical journeys on Spoken Song Collections; Black Fish Jazz (Sufi Warrior Entertainment) and Equanimity (Clear Vision Entertainment). As a renowned photographer, Jones authored #1 Bimini Road, a photo history of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970's.

Elmaz Abinader, Co Founder

Elmaz Abinader is co founder of VONA and a faculty member -- she co-administers the program, specializing in public and faculty relations.

Junot Diaz, Co Founder

Junot Díaz was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and is the author of Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which won the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. His fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, African Voices, Best American Short Stories (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000), in Pushcart Prize XXII and in The O'Henry Prize Stories 2009.

Teri Elam, Workshop Director

Teri is an HR Consultant/Coach who recently finished her M.Ed. at UGA. A VONA Alum, she was recently published in "The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South." Contact Teri at teri@voicesatvona.org.

Tony Khalife, Musician

Tony is our VONA musician. A renowned drummer, guitarist and composer, he has 4 CDs, the most recent is Trancendence. Tony has attended VONA for ten years.

Sharline Chiang, Newsletter Editor

Suzanne del Mazo, Program Coordinator