Webb County Heritage Foundation and Laredo Poet Laureate Launch “Words in Progress” Monthly Writing Series

The Webb County Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with City of Laredo Poet Laureate Xiomarra Milann, will launch Words in Progress, a new monthly writing workshop series at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum beginning Thursday, October 15 at 7 p.m.

Free and open to the public, Words in Progress is designed to bring people together through writing, storytelling, and shared ideas in a casual, low-pressure setting. Each monthly gathering will offer a new theme and opportunities for participants to write, experiment, exchange ideas, and develop their own creative work.

The program welcomes people at every level of experience, including those who may simply be curious about writing and are looking for a place to begin.

“Despite the stereotype of writing being a torturous, solitary craft, my personal experience has proven the value in communal writing,” said Milann. “All my best ideas have come from brainstorming alongside like-minded individuals who are working towards a similar goal: completing the stories that live in their mind in the best way possible.”

Words in Progress is part of Milan’s work as Laredo Poet Laureate to make writing more accessible, encourage creative expression, and create opportunities for people to come together through words and storytelling. For the Webb County Heritage Foundation, the collaboration builds on its ongoing efforts to create welcoming spaces where people can connect with stories, history, creativity, and one another.

“We really want people to know that they do not have to already think of themselves as writers to walk through the door,” said Andrea Ordoñez, Director of Operations for the Webb County Heritage Foundation. “If you write all the time, if you have a story you have been thinking about, or if you are simply curious and want to try, this space is for you. So much of our work is about sharing and preserving the stories of Laredo and the people who call it home. Words in Progress gives people another way to explore those stories, put their own experiences into words, and create something that can be shared and remembered.”

Together, Milann and the Webb County Heritage Foundation hope Words in Progress will grow into a space shaped by the people who participate in it, creating more opportunities for Laredoans to write, share ideas, and learn from one another.

The first Words in Progress workshop will take place Thursday, October 15 at 7 p.m. at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza Street. Participation is free, and no previous writing experience is required.

EVENT DETAILS
Words in Progress
Thursday, October 15, 2026
7 p.m.
Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum
810 Zaragoza St., Laredo, Texas
Free and open to the public
No experience needed.