Irene Sperber

Exactly a year ago, I wrote an article on the founding Arts at St. John’s director leaving her post after thirteen successful jam-packed years at the helm.

Our paths have crossed several times since then as Carol Hoffman-Guzman has kept up her pace with barely a pause and never a stumble since leaving the St. John’s wide ranging program in the hands of the talented and capable Lloyd Reshard.

An archeologist by education, as well as minister, artist and writer Hoffman-Guzman manages to jam in gardening, arts administration (a 40-year career ) and social activist into her resume of artful talents.

I recently joined her weekly women’s writers group held at St John’s Church on Pine Tree Drive. The group is a melange of local women from myriad backgrounds gathering to read and glean editorial guidance and support from other women writers.

Hoffman-Guzman found herself in need of intelligent feedback and recognized the demand for a women’s writing outlet while grappling with her own book production. I asked Carol about her current book-in-progress: “ ‘The Weeds of Glades County’ relates the challenges that my husband and I faced after buying a picturesque log house in a prairieland setting far from our Miami Beach home. Here I am confronted with an inundation of native plants, which surprisingly hold secrets about ancient inland seas, prehistoric Indians, Cracker cow hunters, white homesteaders, escaped Black slaves, Seminole Indians, and modern-day trailer hamlets.”

(Now for the shameless plug part) The group will stage a (free) spoken word event Sunday afternoon, April 27 at St John’s. Eight current group members will read a short original piece in their various voices of prose, poetry, truth and fiction. The event will include a reception.

The Writing Women’s Voices critique group has been meeting weekly for five years at St. John’s on the Lake as part of the Arts at St. John’s program.

But wait, Carol Hoffman-Guzman is not finished.

In her retirement, she has a second showing on the same day. Her current visual arts work emphasizes assemblage with found materials, including spent bullet casings and fossil seashells.

They will be exhibited at the Pena Art Montage located at the home of Nelson and Christian Pena. The one-day show features four Miami-based visual artists specializing in prints, silkscreen,word art, painting, drawing, assemblage and found art.

The hosts are long-time art collectors presenting in their historic, mid-century Miami Beach home designed by renowned architect Rufus Nims. We are promised to be serenaded by Miami Beach prodigal son, David Kingery.

Carol’s events overlap,but hoof on over to the art exhibition right after the reading.

Writing Women’s Voices

The Writers: Giovanna Raimondo, Rossie Cortes, Cassandra Buery, Rosalind Merritt, Dena Stewart, Ginger Vela, Irene Sperber, and Carol Hoffman-Guzman (critique group leader and event facilitator).

Sunday, April 27, 2 to 4 p.m., Arts at St. John’s, 4760 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach.

Pena Art Montage

The Artists: Lazaro Amaral, Chloe Firetto-Toomey, Elise Avdakov, Carol Hoffman-Guzman

Sunday, April 27, 2 to 6 p.m., Home of Nelson and Christine Pena,621 West 51st Street, Miami Beach.

For information, call Carol Hoffman-Guzman at 305-613-2325.