A Creative Writing & Storytelling Experience
Program runs February - June 2026
Mil-Tree presents Writes of Passage: Stories of Service, a dynamic creative writing and storytelling program for veterans, service members, and civilians. Sponsored by the California Arts Council’s Community Impact Grant, this unique program brings people together to explore stories of service, place, and lived experience – then transform them into powerful written and spoken narratives.
Writes of Passage is an immersive journey that blends a retreat, hands-on workshops, live performances, and a companion podcast. Participants will develop their own stories through writing, spoken word, and audio, gaining practical skills in creative writing, performance, and podcast production – while connecting with an inspiring community of fellow storytellers.
The program runs through June – sign up below.
Cost: FREE
Space is limited to 12 participants.
Schedule
February | Retreat
Friday through Sunday, February 20 - 22, 2026
This 3-day retreat begins with a guided walk and story-sharing experience with Krystian Lahage, grounding our work in land, history, and lived knowledge. The weekend continues with writing and ritual with culture bearers Miguel Rivera and Delores Mondragon, featuring storytelling, reflection, and creative exploration.
This session has concluded. Thank you to all who participated.
March | Writing Workshops
Renee Pickup
Renee Asher Pickup (Brandi Pickup) is an editor, author, and essayist living in Joshua Tree, CA. Her short stories have been published in numerous publications both online and in print. She is the senior editor of Dirge Magazine, which will be re-launching in summer of 2025. Renee facilitates the weekly Mil-Tree Writers Group on Zoom and teaches a local recurring writing workshop called “Art As Inspiration in Your Writing” at Coyote Little Gallery.
Gabe Hart
Gabriel Hart is a writer, journalist, and musician from Morongo Valley, CA. He’s the author of the noir novel On High at Red Tide and publisher/editor-in-chief of Beyond the Last Estate, a magazine featuring “creative reporting on contemporary literature.” He reports local news daily at Z1077fm.His story “Crossing Alvarado” was nominated for 2022’s Best American Mystery and Suspense. Hart co-produces Mojave Noir, a reading series featuring Southern California crime-fiction authors to benefit Mil-Tree, a local veteran outreach organization. He fronts the local punk/Americana band Hotel Mercy with songwriting partner Tim Paul Gray.
Saturday, March 1, 8, 15 & 22 (2 - 5 pm)
Creative writing workshops lead by Renee Pickup and Gabriel Hart, designed to help you shape raw experience into compelling stories.
April | Storytelling Workshop
Sunday, April 12 (12 - 4pm)
Storytelling workshop with Christian Camargo.
In this one day workshop we'll explore the 5 base elements to live solo performance: Preparation, Playable actions, Points of Power, Vocal Stamina and Audience engagement. Broken up into two parts we'll begin broadly defining the role of storyteller and audience, the difference between soliloquy and monologue, then play with a collection of various methodologies exploring each of the 5 elements. We will end by integrating individual writings using the elements and techniques discussed. This is a crash course on individual live performance. This one day exploration is for all experience levels.
This workshop will be followed by individual coaching sessions with Cheryl Montelle to refine performance and delivery (dates and times TBA).
Christian Camargo
Christian Camargo Graduated from the Juilliard School of Drama and has built an acclaimed career across stage, film, and television. A founding company member of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, he is widely regarded as a leading Shakespearean actor. His Broadway, Off-Broadway, and UK credits include All My Sons, Skylight (Theatre World Award), Pericles, Hamlet (Obie Award), and The Tempest. On screen, his work includes The Hurt Locker, Dexter, Penny Dreadful, House of Cards, and SEE. His recent work includes directing The Last Manhunt, and producing the 2025 Documentary, The Librarians.
Cheryl Montelle
Cheryl Montelle has worn many hats. Starting as a professional dancer and an actress in her youth, she has run a Pilates fitness business, she is a writer and performs her own stories, and currently conceived and curates Live From Joshua Tree, an annual community-based spoken word fundraiser for Mil-Tree. Mil-Tree was formed out of her wish to have the community at large embrace returning veterans and their families. Mil-Tree was founded in 2012, inspired by Dr. Ed Tick and his book, “War and The Soul: Healing Our Nation's Veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
May | Public Performance
Dates and times TBA
A live public storytelling performance.
Full details coming soon.
June | Podcast Production
Dates and times TBA
Record podcast interviews with Dawn Davis, sharing your story in audio form alongside fellow participants.
Full details coming soon.
Dawn Davis
Dawn Davis is a stage, film, and television actor, voiceover artist, narrator, and producer with more than 20 years of experience bringing stories to life. A member of SAG-AFTRA, her work has been recognized by the Desert Theatre League and Joshua Tree Voice. She is the creator and host of the Desert Lady Diaries podcast and a Founding Producer of the Hi-Desert Fringe Festival. Dawn also brings entrepreneurial and corporate leadership experience, having owned a retail shop and managed complex corporate projects from vision to completion. Originally from New Jersey, Dawn has called Joshua Tree home since 2016. dawnpdavis.com
Creative Facilitators
Register to Attend
Whether you are new to creative writing or already telling stories, Writes of Passage offers a supportive, engaging space to explore your voice, honor experiences of service, and share stories that matter.
Join us—we can't wait to hear your story!
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