Gathered in this zine is the writing and artwork created by participants of DSTL Arts’s Conchas y Café creative writing classes for adults. Through poetry and short fiction, drawings, and photo composition, these workshops empower participants as the artists they are, helping them develop new skills in storytelling.

The theme for Conchas y Café Zine; Volume 8, Issue 3: Pen and Tongue / Pluma y Lengua is “Language.” Through poetry and writing that explores the function and evolution of language, our poets push beyond the boundaries of what sounds and words can do. From creating new languages and words that are missing from their everyday speech, to challenging themselves to the art of poetic translation, our writers illustrate the true power of words: the power of communication. Engage with this collection of poetry and ask yourself, “What function does language have for me?"