Penkov Wins BBC International Short Story Award

Congratulations to MFA alumnus Miroslav Penkov (2009), whose short story "East of the West" (from his collection by the same title) has won the 2012 BBC International Short Story Award! This marked the first year that judges opened the competition to authors outside of the United Kingdom, and Miro's story was chosen from a distinguished list of international authors.

Heil in print issue of Gigantic

"The Document," an excerpt from Kathleen Heil's recently completed first novel, You Disappoint Me, will be published in the upcoming print issue of Gigantic, slated for publication in late 2012.

Burning Chair Readings (Oct 6)

Jessica Baran and Keith Newton will be reading with alums Adam Clay and Johnathon Williams at Nightbird Books (205 W. Dickson, St., Fayetteville) on Saturday Oct 6, 8 PM.

Adam Clay's second book

Adam Clay's (MFA 2005) second book, A Hotel Lobby at the Edge of the World, was recently published by Milkweed Editions. He will be in town to read as part of the Burning Chair Readings on Saturday Oct 6, 8 PM at Nightbird Books. 

Corbett in the Able Muse

The Summer 2012 issue of Able Muse features a poem titled "Cancer" by first-year poetry student Kevin Corbett. "Cancer" earned Honorable Mention in the Able Muse Write Prize for Poetry.

Anderson-Bauer in Pubscriber

Fourth-year fiction student Kaj Anderson-Bauer's enigmatic story "The Woman in the Rose Colored Dress” appears in the Summer 2012 issue of Pubscriber. 

Eszter Takacs in ILK

Eszter Takacs, first-year poetry student, has a new poem, "Carrie Bradshaw Speaks This Way," in issue 5 of the journal ILK. 

Willamson's new poems

Corrie Willamson has two poems "The Mole, the Sweet Potato, and the Possibility of Allegory" and "Scala Naturae" that will appear in issue 62.2 of The Carolina Quarterly. Her poem "Xanthus, Achilles' Immortal Warhorse, Rodeos in Amarillo" will appear in issue #38 of Rattle. Another poem "The Wisdom of Dormancy" can be found in Fourteen Hills Volume 18.2. 

Guinzio's Spoke & Dark

Celebrating the publication of Carolyn Guinzio's new book, Spoke & Dark, at Nightbird Books (Fayetteville, AR): 7:00 PM  Friday Sept 21, 2012. 

Burning Chair Reading

The Burning Chair Readings series returns to Fayetteville at 8pm on Saturday, August 18, at Nightbird Books. MFA poetry students Willi Goehring, Katie Nichol, and Rodney Wilhite will be featured among other talented local poets. Come out for an evening of verse and vino.

Pizzolatto's HBO Series

MFA alumnus Nic Pizzolatto (2005) has landed a deal to write and produce "True Detective," a new series set to air on HBO starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson! Nic is th e author of a story collection "Between Here and the Yellow Sea," and a novel, "Galveston," the screen rights to which have been bought by Paramount Pictures. Congratulations, Nic!

Improved Lighting April 28

Traci Brimhall and Tom Andes will be reading with Corrie Williamson and Chris Wong on April 28, 7:00 pm at La La Land (behind the Art Experience, 641 MLK Blvd.). There will also be music by The Rhubarbs.

Peterson in MAYDAY Magazine

Josh Peterson's short story "The Center for Religious Extremism" is forthcoming in MAYDAY Magazine.

Great Review of Geoff's Anthology

James Longenbach writes a great insightful review of Geoff Brock's anthology: The FSG Book of Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry in The Nation.

"I’ve never much enjoyed reading anthologies; they rarely seem to contain what I’m looking for, and when they do, they rarely contain enough. But a few anthologies, like the two-volume Library of America anthology of nineteenth-century American poetry, edited by John Hollander, are so thoughtfully conceived that the experience of reading them feels like the experience of reading an intricate novel; you don’t want to skip anything, even if you know it well, because the pleasure lies in the buried narrative created by the anthologist’s choices. The FSG Book of Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry is such an anthology. Dip into it, if you like; look for a particular poet, listen for a particular translator. But for the most rewarding experience, read the whole book slowly, page by page."

CAConrad and Anne Boyer reading

On April 22, Anne Boyer, Cody-Rose Clevidence, CAConrad, and Magdalena Zurawski are reading as part of Improved Lighting Reading Series (4 PM La La Land @ The Art Experience 641 MLK Blvd.).

Gilchrist in Good Housekeeping and National Geographic Traveler

Ellen Gilchrist's short story "Miracle in Atkins, Arkansas" is forthcoming in the June edition of Good Housekeeping. Ellen's non-fiction piece on her favorite travel experiences will appear in the National Geographic Traveler in the fall.

Arkansas Spring Writers Festival (Apr 20-21)

Arkansas Spring Writer's Festival - April 2012

This year’s Arkansas Spring Writers Festival features three major authors from the Middle East: Sinan Antoon, Randa Jarrar, and Shahrnush Parsipur. While the theme of this year’s festival was inspired by the revolutionary events of the Arab Spring and the Green Movement of Iran, these writers were invited not only as representative of their countries’ problems or politics, but because they write tremendous novels of broad appeal.

The Festival features individual readings and a joint forum. Events will be held at the University of Arkansas Global Campus in downtown Fayetteville, the Fayetteville Public Library, and Nightbird Books on Dickson Street. All events are free and open to the public. In advance of the festival, University of Arkansas faculty will lead open discussion groups on the works of each presenting author.

The Festival is sponsored by the University of Arkansas Creative Writing Program, the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the UA Global Campus, with additional support from the UA Fine Arts Activities Fee.

The Authors

Sinan Antoon is a poet, novelist and translator. He was born in Baghdad and studied English literature at Baghdad University. He left Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War and studied Arabic literature at Harvard where he earned his doctorate. He has published two collections of poetry and three novels in Arabic. His novel I`jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody was published in English in 2006. A translation of his latest novel, The Pomegranate Alone (2010), is currently being completed. He has also translated the works of Mahmud Darwish, which won the 2004 PEN prize for translation.

Antoon currently teaches Arabic Literature at New York University.

Randa Jarrar is the author of the critically acclaimed novel A Map of Home (2008), which won a Hopwood Award and was named one of the best novels of 2008 by the Barnes and Noble Review. Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, the Oxford American, the New York Times Magazine, the Utne Reader, and Salon.com. She was chosen to take part in Beirut39, which celebrates the 39 most gifted writers of Arab origin under the age of 40.

Jarrar teaches literature at Cal State-Fresno and is currently completing a collection of stories and a new novel.

Shahrnush Parsipur was born in Tehran and has been one of the most widely read Iranianwriters of her generation. She authored thirteen books, including Touba and the Meaning of Night (1989) and Women Without Men (1990), which are available in English. Her first book The Dog and the Long Winter (1974) was the second great novel to be published by an Iranian woman. Women Without Men was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie (2009) by Shirin Nashat, a well-known visual artist.

Parsipur currently lives in California as a political refugee after multiple imprisonments. Her books are banned in Iran.

Schedule of Events

Pre-Festival Discussion Groups:

3 April 2012 at 7:00 pm
Book Discussion: Women Without Men
by Shahrnush Parsipur, led by Padma
Viswanathan and Kaveh Bassiri

4 April 2012 at 7:00 pm
Film Screening and Discussion: Women
Without Men by Shirin Neshat led by
Joel Gordon and Kaveh Bassiri

9 April 2012 at 7:00 pm

Film Screening and Discussion: About

Baghdad by Sinan Antoon led by Joel Gordon

10 April 2012 at 7:00 pm
Book Discussion: I'jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody
by Sinan Antoon, led by Joel Gordon and
Padma Viswanathan

17 April 2012 at 7:00 pm
Book Discussion: A Map of Home by Randa
Jarrar, led by Mohja Kahf and Padma
Viswanathan

Pre-festival discussion groups at UA Global
Campus (2 East Center Street, 72701)

Festival Events:

20 April 2012 at 7:00 pm at Global Campus:
Reading by Randa Jarrar

21 April 2012 at 10:30 am at Fayetteville
Public Library: Panel Discussion with the authors

21 April 2012 at 3:00 pm at Nightbird Books:
Reading by Sinan Antoon

21 April 2012 at 7:00 pm at Global Campus:
Reading by Shahrnush Parsipur

Heffernan, a finalist for Book of the Year Awards

Michael Heffernan's latest book of poems, At the Bureau of Divine Music, is a finalist for 2011 ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards.

ForeWord Reviews' Book of the Year Awards were established to bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors. ForeWord is the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to books from independent houses.

Peterson in Mississippi Review

As a fiction finalist, Josh Peterson's short story "A Cold Man" is forthcoming in 2012 issue of Mississippi Review.

Celebrating Brock's Italian Poetry Anthology

Nightbird Books begins the poetry month by celebrating the publication of The FSG Book of Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry: An Anthology with a reading by Geoff Brock (editor), and contributing translators John DuVal and Van Brock on Saturday April 7 at 7 PM.

This major new anthology offers a broad survey of modern Italian poetry, including such major figures as Montale, Ungaretti, and Quasimodo, as well as more contemporary poets such as Patrizia Valduga and Valerio Magrelli.

Donovan, Albee Foundation Fellow

As Edward F. Albee Foundation Fellow, Aran Donovan will be in six-week residency at The Barn in Montauk, on Long Island in New York.

Donovan in Bayou

Aran Donovan's poem "Arriving Late at the Train Station" will be in the forthcoming issue of Bayou Magazine.

Paul Celan Fellowship for Translators

2012 / 2013 — Call for Applications

Paul Celan Fellowships support translations from Eastern to Western, Western to Eastern, or between two Eastern European languages of canonical texts and contemporary keyworks in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Studies. Special emphasis is put on translations of relevant works written by East European authors and/or by female scholars. A thematic relation to one of the IWM’s research fields is likewise welcomed.

Paul Celan Visiting Fellows are invited to spend three to six months at the IWM (Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen) between July 2012 and June 2013 to pursue their translation projects while working in residence at the Institute. Fellows receive a monthly stipend in the amount of EUR 2,250 to cover all expenses related to the stay in Vienna. The IWM provides an office with internet access, in-house research facilities and other relevant sources in Vienna. Paul Celan Visiting Fellows participate in the scholarly community and activities of the IWM.

See link for more detail: Paul Celan Fellowship.

Angelino in Meridian

Mary Angelino's (MFA 2011) poetry is in the current issue of Meridian (issue 28). Her poems are also forthcoming in 32 Poems and Unsplendid.

Brock in Poetry Magazine

Geoff Brock's poem "Alteration Finds," after Rimbaud, Rilke, and Seferis, is in March 2012 issue of Poetry Magazine.

Improved Lighting Reading (Mar 10)

Wayne Miller will be reading with Geoff Brock, Sara Nicholson, and Martin Bemberg at Nightbird Books (205 W. Dikson St.). We are also celebrating the recently published The City, Our City, by Miller. There will be music by Brian Kupillas.

Donovan a finalist in Bayou Prize

Aran Donovan's poem "Short Lists on a Diagnosis" was a finalist in Bayou Magazine's 2011 Poetry Prize.

Bassiri and Bowen in Best New Poets 2011

Poems by Kaveh Bassiri and Ash Bowen (MFA 2008) are in the Best New Poets 2011 (selected by D.A. Powell).

Steve Yarborough March 8th Reading

Visiting fiction writer Steve Yarbrough will be reading on Thursday, March 8th at 7 p.m. in Giffels Auditorium (University of Arkansas).

MFA Graduate Senior Readings

Please join us for the following MFA Graduate Senior readings at 7 PM in Giffels Auditorium (University of Arkansas).

March 9th: Nicole Nodi, Tom Menueire, Nikki Settlemeyer
March 15th: Jason Torrente, Nick Welch-Bolen
March 30th: Erin Jones, Kristin Mason
April 13th: Toby Wray, Erika Seay, April Christiansen

Donovan in Horse Literary Review

Aran Donovan's poem will be in the Iron Horse Literary Review (14.1).

Peterson in Barely South Review

Josh Peterson's story "To See the Bear," is forthcoming in the Barely South Review. His story "Air Supply" published in Saranac Review was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

Dearnley in Pinch

Stu Dearnley's story, "Not Sleeping With The New Girl," is published in The Pinch (vol. 32, Spring 2012).

9 by the Light (Wed, Feb 22)

9 by the Light reading will be on Wed, Feb 22nd, starting around 5:30 at the Wine Cellar (Fayetteville, AR). Readers include: Josh Peterson, Nick Welch-Bolen, Joe Trimble, and John Englehardt. Jack O'Neal is the emcee.

Williamson in The Southeast Review

Corrie Williamson's poem "Migraine/Ecotone" will appear in the next issue (30.2) of The Southeast Review.

Giles in Chicago Quarterly Review

Molly Giles has new stories forthcoming in the Chicago Quarterly Review and Winter Tales.

Wisconsin Fiction & Poetry Fellowship

Deadline for Wisconsin Fiction & Poetry Fellowship is Feb 29. You can read more about it at their website.

Poetry and Fiction applications guidelines are outlined below. All applicants must have an MFA or Ph.D. in Creative Writing in-hand by August 1, 2012, to qualify. A $45.00 Application Fee payable to the UW-Madison Department of English. A single cover sheet listing your name, address, phone number, email address and the title(s) of your writing sample, as well as the genre in which you are applying. A resume or curriculum vitae. The names, phone numbers, and email addresses of two recommenders. A writing sample consisting of either 10 pages of poetry (single-spaced and stapled with no more than one poem per page, each new poem starting on a new page) or up to 30 pages of fiction (double-spaced and stapled). Fiction applications must consist of either one short story or a novel excerpt. Your name must not appear anywhere on your manuscript, and while previously published work may be submitted, your manuscript must in no way indicate that your work has been published. A self-addressed stamped envelope for our decision. Send your applications to the address below. Due to the number of applications we receive, we cannot confirm receipt of your application; if you wish to know that it arrived safely, we recommend using USPS Certified Mail: Sean Bishop, Coordinator Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing [insert application genre here] Department of English 600 N Park St, 6195A H.C. White Hall University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706

Harrington in Third Coast

Brett Harrington's poem "Elegy" will be coming out in the Fall 2012 issue of Third Coast. In the meantime, you can read two of his poems, "Unable to Sleep" and "Thaw," in the latest issue of Pebble Lake Review.

Settlelmeyer's translation in Absinthe

Nikki Settelmeyer's translation of Hernán Migoya's story, "A Man Alone in Paris," will be published in the Fall 2012 issue of Absinthe: New European Writing.

Three stories by Andersen-Bauer

Three pieces by Kaj Andersen-Bauer: "Impressions of Death and the Afterlife" in Fiction Bridge, Issue 2, "Three Letters to Val Kilmer" in Sqawk Back, 34, and "10 Stories About My Friends" in Squawk Back, 39.

Christiansen in Pebble Lake Review

April Christiansen's poem "Instead" was published in the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Pebble Lake Review.

Brown in Nashville Review

You can find Joshua Brown's (J. Camp Brown) poem, "Mandolin in White Wood, Inlay" in Nashville Review, Fall 2011. There are also four of his poems archived in Prick of the Spindle, Vol. 5.3 (September 2011).

McCombs in The Missouri Review

Davis McCombs' poem "Biomass: A Genealogy" is the "Poem of the Week" at The Missouri Review.

Seay in New Ohio Review

Erika Seay's (4th year MFA) story "Mr. Lindsey's Angels" will be published in the New Ohio Review.

Peterson in Alligator Juniper

Josh Peterson's short story titled "Just Sadness" is forthcoming in Alligator Juniper. His essay called "Surviving" is up at SlackLust.