Williams's first book, The Road to Happiness

Johnathon Williams's first book of poems, The Road to Happiness, has been accepted for publication by Antilever Press. Williams graduated from the MFA program in 2010. His poems have appeared in Best New Poets 2009, Crab Orchard Review, and Hayden's Ferry Review, among other publications. The book is slated for publication in late 2012.

Seay's short story in CutBank

Erika Seay's short story "There, There" is forthcoming in the next issue of CutBank.

Randall's first novel The Memory of Orchids

Cherri Randall (University of Arkansas MFA in Poetry and PhD in English Literature) announces the publication of her novel The Memory of Orchids. Three women. Three two-year sentences. Three very different crimes. Jim Daniels, author of Trigger Man, says, "This novel is full of heart. Everything rings true—a world drawn so sharp and clear it hurts with the pain of human recognition." Cherri Randall teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She has published in Blue Earth Review, Mudfish, The Potomac Review, So to Speak and several other journals as well as the anthology Impact (Telling Our Stories Press).

Heil is a finalist for Coescha Eñe Prize

Kathleen Heil's Spanish-language short story, "Orden E Progresso" was longlisted as a finalist for the 2011 Cosecha Eñe Prize.

Brock Receives an NEA

Geoffrey Brock receives a 2012 NEA fellowship to support the translation of the selected poems of Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli.

New Poem by Brock in Poetry Magazine

Read "Bryant Park at Dusk," a new poem by Geoffrey Brock, in the latest issue of Poetry Magazine.

Improved Lighting Reading (Nov 12)

Improved Lighting Reading Series presents Chris Martin, Mary Austin Speaker, & four poets from Bloof Books, Shanna Compton, Peter Davis, Sandra Simonds & Maureen Thorson, plus music by Brian Abel on Saturday, November 12, 7:30 pm at Nightbird Books (205 West Dickson Street; Fayetteville, Arkansas).

Williamson in Cream City Review

Corrie Williamson's poem, "Once, In College, My Father Played Horatio" will appear in an upcoming issue of Cream City Review.

Brown receives a Arkansas Artist Fellowshiop

Josh Brown (J. Camp Brown) received a 2011 Individual Artist Fellowship from Arkansas Arts Council.

Yew: A journal of innovative writing and images by women

The inaugural issue of Yew is now online at yewjournal.com, featuring exciting new work by Laynie Browne, Andrea Baker and Doro Boehme. Edited by designer Stephenie Foster and poet Carolyn Guinzio, Yew will feature three writers per month with visual art provided by the writers, their collaborators, other artists or the editors. Please visit the site or the The Facebook page.

Peterson at 751 Magazine

A short story of Josh Peterson titled "The X-Factor" can be found in 751 Magazine. You can also read his essay, "How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Damnation," in SlackLust.

Seay wins Playboy College Fiction Contest Prize

Erika Seay’s story "The Good Daughter" won 2nd place in this year's Playboy College Fiction Contest. The honor carries a prize of $500.

Williamson in 32 Poems

Corrie Williamson’s poem “My Father’s Pronunciation” will be published in 32 Poems.

Anderson-Bauer and Williamson Reading at Big Rock Reading Series

Kaj Anderson-Bauer and Corrie Williamson are reading as part of the Big Rock Reading Series at Pulaski Tech in Little Rock on November 8th.

Poetry Reading

Sandy Longhorn (MFA 2003), along with Amanda Auchter, Tony Presley, and Mark Spitzer will be reading at Nightbird Books (October 22, 7:30 p.m.) as part of Improved Lighting Reading Series.

Dramatic Reading from Elizabeth Bishop Letters

Joelle Biele, Davis McCombs, Carolyn Guinzio and Sidney Burris will perform a dramatic reading-- "These Fine Mornings"-- that tells the story of Elizabeth Bishop and The New Yorker. Friday, October 21st, 7:30 p.m. at Nightbird Books.

Heffernan in The Gettysburg Review

Michael Heffernan's poems “The Silver Strand" and "The Snake Charmer" appear in The Gettysburg Review, 24:3 (Autumn 2011).

Cellpoems, a poetry journal

Cellpoems, a text-message based poetry journal, is looking for submissions of short poems and poem reviews.

Past contributors include Sherman Alexie, Charles Simic, Kimiko Hahn, Matthea Harvey, and Matthew Rohrer.

GUIDELINES:  Poems must be less than 140 characters in length (including spaces) and reviews must be less than 200 characters (including spaces). We accept simultaneous submissions, but do not consider previously published work. Please see our website for additional information: http://cellpoems.org/submit/

Henriksen's first book

Matt Henriksen’s (MFA 2004) first book of poems, Ordinary Sun, came out in spring 2011 from Black Ocean and has been on the Small Press Distributions' bestseller list for the past three months.

Dearnley, a runner up in The Pinch contest

Stuart Dearnley was a runner up in The Pinch’s fiction contest.

Meunier at ALTA

Thomas A. Meunier will be reading from both the original German and his translation of a short story by Heinz Steguweit, entitled "Wie ich den Herrgott kennenlernte" ("When I Met God") in 2011 ALTA Conference. At last year's conference in Philadelphia, he chaired a panel on the translation of creative non-fiction. He also discussed his use of the practice of translation to reveal concrete military-historical details in a boys' adventure story published late in WWII.

Wong's first book

Chris Wong’s (MFA 2010) first book, Songs For Margaret Cravens, was recently published by USPOCO BOOKS.

Review of McHugh's book in Poetry Magazine

Ashley Anna McHugh’s (MFA 2011) first book, Into These Knots, received a great review in the latest issue of Poetry Magazine.

Angelino awarded Arkansas Arts Council Grant

Mary Angelino (MFA 2011) received a 2011 Arkansas Arts Council Artist Fellowship grant.

Peterson in Permafrost

Josh Peterson short story “Release" was a finalist in the Permafrost fiction contest and is forthcoming in the journal. His short story "Whirlwind" was a finalist in the McGlinn Contest.

Heil in The Portland Review Online

Kathleen Heil (first year MFA in translation) has three poems (“Life in a Foreign Country,” “Statue of Limitations, I” and “aisotropes”) in The Portland Review Online. She also has a prose poem (“think of the last bad novel you read read this you think of this”) in Pear Noir! #6, Summer 2011.

Settelmeyer awarded ALTA Fellowship

Nikki Settelmeyer’s translation of Hernán Migoya’s short stories received the 2011 ALTA Travel Fellowship.

New poems by Aran Donovan

Aran Donovan has four poems forthcoming: one in the next issue of Southern Poetry Review, two in the next issue of Cider Press Review, and one in RHINO 2012.

Seay forthcoming in The South Carolina Review

Erika Seay's story "Heatstroke" has been accepted by The South Carolina Review. Seay is a fourth-year student in the program, and a recipient of the Walton Fellowship in Fiction.

De La Garza Awarded Scholarship

Stefan R. De La Garza was awarded a scholarship to attend the Summit for Ambitious Writers last month. The 5-day conference featured writers such as Heidi Julavits and Wells Tower. De La Garza is beginning his second year in the program.

Seay published in New Delta Review

Erika Seay's poem "Apartment" appears in the current issue of the New Delta Review. Seay is a fourth-year student in the program.

Robert Hass to read on April 28th

The University of Arkansas Creative Writing Program is proud to welcome United States Poet Laureate (1995-1997) Robert Hass. He will read on April 28th at 7 p.m. in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main.

Widely read and much honored for his work as a poet, essayist and translator, Robert Hass's distinctions include the Pulitzer Prize (2007), The National Book Award (2008). and a MacArthur "Genuis" Fellowship.

This event is made possible by the University of Arkansas Department of English and the University of Arkansas Fine Arts Activities Fee.

Senior MFA Readings

This year's class of graduating MFA students will read from their work at three separate events this month:

Friday, April 8th: Senior MFA students Ben Nickol, Adam Pearson, and Brett Harrington will read in Giffels in Old Main at 7 p.m.

Friday, April 15th: Senior MFA students Jen Jabaily, Mary Angelino, and Ashley McHugh will read in Giffels in Old Main at 7 p.m.

Friday, April 22nd: Senior MFA students Erin Moss and Lindsey Wannenmacher will read in Giffels in Old Main at 7 p.m.

Heffernan featured on Poetry Daily, Writer's Almanac

Poetry Daily recently featured University of Arkansas poet Michael Heffernan's poem "What Should We Do?". The poem is from his latest collection of poetry At the Bureau of Divine Music.

Heffernan was also recently featured on the National Public Radio show The Writer's Almanac, and his poems "The Art of Self Defense" and "Puttenesca " were read by Garrison Keillor. Listen to the poems here:

• March 10, 2011; "Puttanesca"
• March 15, 2011; "The Art of Self Defense"

Mackowski reading Wednesday

The University of Arkansas Programs in Creative Writing and Translation welcomes Visiting Poet Joanie Mackowski.

Wednesday, March 16th
7:00 p.m.
Giffels Auditorium in Old Main.

Joanie Mackowski is the author of two books of poems, View From A Temporary Window (Pitt Poetry Series 2010) and The Zoo (Pitt Poetry Series 2002). She's been awarded the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, The Emily Dickinson Prize from the Poetry Society of America, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Grant, a Wallace Stegner Fellowship, and the Associated Writing Programs Award Series in poetry; her poems have recently appeared in Poetry, The Yale Review, New England Review, The American Scholar, and in Best American Poetry. A member of the Creative Writing faculty at Cornell University, she lives in Ithaca, NY.

Seay forthcoming in Cimarron Review

Erika Seay's poem "Father-Daughter Dance" is forthcoming in Cimarron Review. Erika is a third-year student in the program.

Two new pieces from Ben Nickol

Ben Nickol has two new pieces out:

1. "Sifting Through Upper New Mexico," an essay in Hunger Mountain's January online issue.
2. "Exceptional Red Canoes," a short story in Monkeybicycle.

Nickol is a third-year student in the program.

Former Editor-in-Chief of Little Brown Roger Donald to Present

Roger Donald, visiting writer with the UA Programs in Creative Writing and Translation, will make a presentation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1st in Giffels Auditorium, Old Main.

Roger Donald worked briefly at McGraw Hill, Funk & Wagnalls, World Publishing; and then, for 30 years, at Little, Brown and Company where he served at various times as Senior Editor, Editor-in-Chief, and Publisher. He has edited many important authors including:

Edward Abbey, John Barth, Thomas Berger, Peter DeVries, Ellen Gilchrist, Thom Jones, Arthur Krock, Dumas Malone, William Manchester, Curtis LeMay, Richard Nixon, William Shirer, David Sedaris, and I.F. Stone.

This event is free and open to the public. It it made possible by support from the UA Department of English and a generous grant from the Walton Family Foundation.

Two Stories by Peterson

Josh Peterson has two new short stories forthcoming. "Air Supply" will appear in Saranac Review, and "Nobody Fathers" will appear in The Fiddleback.