Black Mountain Institute Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute (BMI) at UNLV will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a year of free in-person and virtual literary events. Beginning in September, BMI welcomes the public to events featuring emerging writers, artists, and scholars in conversation around ideas and questions that are important to the Las Vegas community. A culminating celebration will be held on March 7, 2026, at the Historic Fifth Street School in partnership with the City of Las Vegas.

Founded in 2006 by UNLV President Emerita Carol C. Harter, BMI has brought writers from all walks of life to Las Vegas and cultivated future generations of creative writers in Southern Nevada. Noteworthy writers and scholars who have been a part of BMI’s programming include Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Layli Long Soldier, and Percival Everett. 

BMI’s fellowship programs have integrated emerging writers into the Las Vegas literary community. Writers in residence at BMI this year include KB Brookins, Isle McElroy, Muriel Leung, and Saretta Morgan.

Fall 2025 Events

• Sept. 20, 2025, at 3 p.m. | Thresholds (live podcast recording) featuring Jayson Greene and Jordan Kisner at The Beverly Theater
• Sept. 30, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. | Love is Inconvenience: A Conversation with Maya Salameh and KB Brookins (virtual event)
• Oct. 15, 2025, at 7 p.m. | StraightioLab with special guests at Vegas Theatre Company
• Oct. 22, 2025, at 3 p.m. | Writing the Personal and the Planetary: A Conversation with Meera Subramanian and Neal Thompson in partnership with Orion Magazine (virtual event)
• November 18, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. | An Evening with Maz Jobrani and Maryam Ala Amjadi at the Philip J. Cohen Theatre in the UNLV Student Union
• Nov. 19, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. | A Conversation with Johanna Hedva and Isle McElroy (virtual event)

Spring 2026 Events

• March 7, 2026 | Black Mountain Institute 20th Anniversary at the Historic Fifth Street School
• More TBA

For full event details, including information about the speakers and to register, please visit the Black Mountain Institute website.

About Black Mountain Institute

Black Mountain Institute champions writers and storytellers through programs, fellowships and community engagement. From the brightest spot on the planet, Black Mountain Institute amplifies writing and artistic expression to connect us to each other in the Las Vegas Valley, the Southwest, and beyond.