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Welcome to Pen & Purpose

By Yvonne Garcia Zaher

Hello and welcome,

My name is Yvonne Garcia Zaher, and I am a Chicana author, editor, playwright, and community writing facilitator. Over the years, I’ve written multiple manuscripts, helped bring stage plays to life, and—perhaps most importantly—had the honor of sitting in circle with countless writers who believed they had a story to tell but didn’t believe they were “real” writers.

That belief is exactly why I created Pen & Purpose Writing Studio & Publishing House.

Pen & Purpose was born from a simple truth:

Not everyone has the time, resources, or confidence to write an entire book on their own—but that does not mean their story is not valuable, necessary, or worthy of being preserved.

I have spent much of my life listening to stories—stories from mothers, fathers, abuelos, veterans, survivors, dreamers, and everyday people whose lives may never make headlines but whose experiences hold deep wisdom, resilience, and truth. Too often, those voices go unheard because traditional publishing has made storytelling feel inaccessible or reserved for the few.

Pen & Purpose exists to change that.

Whether through one of our writing circles like Writing with the Ancestors, or other avenues, we collaborate in creating anthologies such as El Gato de Cinco Patas, Chicanas at Play, and our upcoming collection, The Heart & Soul of the Barrio, we create space for writers of all levels to share memoirs, essays, poetry, and short stories that reflect the beauty, complexity, and humanity of our lived experiences.

Our mission is simple:

To empower everyday people to become published authors.

To preserve cultural memory through storytelling.

And to build community through the written word.

Whether you are here to write, to read, or simply to remember—you are welcome in this space.

Because our stories matter.

Warmly,

Yvonne Garcia Zaher

Founder, Pen & Purpose Writing Studio & Publishing House

Stories with Soul. Words with Power. Beginnings are hard.

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