Interior, Mission San Francisco de Borja Adac, Baja California. Photo by the author.
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A.MUIA
A. Muia is the author of A Desert Between Two Seas, a novel in linked stories set in 19th century Baja California, Mexico. The novel won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, was a finalist for the Iowa Short Fiction Award, and is a 2026 Top Pick for the Southwest Books of the Year. The novel is published by the University of Georgia Press. Muia's stories and articles have appeared in literary journals across the U.S. Her work has been anthologized in the Orison Anthology, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
She facilitates writing workshops with youth in juvenile detention through Underground Writing, and co-founded New Earth Recovery, a nonprofit providing a residential program to those recovering from substance use disorder. For fourteen years she served as a chaplain in the Skagit County Jail, and for many years she worked as an advocate for immigrant farm workers in Skagit Valley, Washington.
She holds a degree in Spanish language, a master's in teaching English to speakers of other languages, a post-graduate certificate in Writing Literary Fiction from the University of Washington, and an MFA in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University.
INTERVIEWS
Click to listen.
MAGIC SKAGIT podcast with Michael Boss
Life in wonderful Skagit County, the journey of the novel, and readings of short selections from the book.
WRITERS ON WRITING podcast with Marrie Stone
How the novel was written, why we all think we're an exception to every rule, the struggle to get published, the joys of working with a university press, and advice for emerging writers.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
with Emil Moffatt, KNKX/NPR
A short appearance on NPR about the novel, how it changed over years in the writing, and what the Flannery O'Connor Award means.
BOOK EVENTS
SKAGIT VALLEY YMCA | Thursday January 22, 2026
1901 Hoag Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Join the author for a reading from her recently published novel, A Desert Between Two Seas, winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. Enjoy slides and tales of her research by Jeep, mule, and boots—in the desert ruins of the Spanish colonial missions of Baja California, Mexico. Free for YMCA members. Click HERE to learn more.
KING COUNTY LIBRARY ONLINE | Wednesday March 4, 2026 at 6:30 pm PST
Have you missed some of the local readings? Join the author for an online reading from A Desert Between Two Seas, with slides and tales of back country travels, research on mules, and exploration of the old missions of Baja California, Mexico. A free event. Click HERE to learn more, register, and receive the link to the event.
TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS | March 14-15, 2026
University of Arizona
Fiction panel speaker and workshop presenter on literature of place at the Tucson Festival of Books, a community-wide celebration of literature and one of the largest book festivals in the United States. Free to the public. Click HERE to learn more.
CENTRAL SKAGIT LIBRARY | March 21, 2026 at 4:00 pm
110 W State St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Readings from the novel, A Desert Between Two Seas, stories of research by mules, photos of Spanish colonial missions, and more., and more. Books available for purchase. More information HERE.
CALVIN FESTIVAL OF FAITH AND WRITING | April 16-18, 2026
Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI
Visiting fiction speaker: "The Invitation of Desert Literature: Meeting Ourselves and God in Bleak Places," and a featured panelist on writing literature of place. More information HERE.
STORIES ON STAGE DAVIS | Sunday May 17, 2026
Sudwerk Brewing Co, 2001 2nd Street, Davis, CA
Dramatic presentations by actors, reading from A Desert Between Two Seas, and from Samina Ali's memoir, Pieces You Never Get Back. Click HERE to learn more.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
LITTLE MOUNTAIN BOOKS & BOTANICA | Author Event | November 16, 2025 at 3:30 pm
MOUNT VERNON, WA CITY LIBRARY | Author Event | October 16, 2025 at 5:30 pm
VILLAGE BOOKS, BELLINGHAM, WA | Author Event | October 11, 2025 at 2:00 pm
ELLIOTT BAY BOOKS, SEATTLE, WA | Author Event | September 22, 2025 at 7:00 pm
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY MFA | Guest fiction lecturer | August 5, 2025
NORTHERN STATE HOSPITAL EVENTS
CENTRAL SKAGIT LIBRARY | Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 6:00-7:30 pm
110 W State St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
The Headliners of Northern State—from 1910 in decades to follow, Northern State hospital often made headlines. Hear Northern State researcher A. Muia share tales of the biggest news of Northern State history, through a dynamic slide show.
CENTRAL SKAGIT LIBRARY | Thursday, Jan 8, 2026 at 6:00-7:30 pm
110 W State St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Follow Northern State Hospital through the decades—in photos and stories—with A. Muia. No reservation required. More information HERE.
PUBLIC HISTORY DAY at NORTHERN STATE HOSPITAL | Saturday July 26, 2025 from 9:30-4:00
SWIFT Center (Northern State Hospital Campus)
A full day of events, including a presentation on the general history of Northern State, and guided tours of the former Colman women's ward. More information HERE.
SEDRO-WOOLLEY MUSEUM | FOR THE LOVE OF NORTHERN STATE EVENT | Saturday June 7, 2025 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm
727 Murdock St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Step into the headlines of history with Northern State Hospital researcher Amy Muia as she explores the most talked-about stories from the earliest days of the hospital in 1909 to its closing in 1973. Discover how news coverage reflected changing treatments and philosophies, uncover scandals both real and rumored, learn about notable patients and staff, and hear surprising stories that offer a rare glimpse into life at one of Washington's most renowned institutions. A free event. More info at https://www.sedro-woolleymuseum.org/