Cosmopolitan Features Maya Sloan

Cosmopolitan's "Get that Life" column -- a weekly series in which successful, talented women reveal how they got to be where they are -- features UA alum Maya Sloan (2006)! Read the full article to hear how Maya launched her career as a novelist and also as a ghostwriter for the rich and famous.

Ombres Poems in Stoneboat

The fall 2014 issue of Stoneboat Literary Journal features new work by alum Jennifer Ombres (2008). Pick up your copy to read Jen's poem "Gizzeria, Italy."

Tanaka in Anomalous Press

Anomalous Press features new work by alum Kaj Tanaka (2013), online now. You can read his story, "Killemoff," here.

Otto Story Anthologized

Traveling over the holiday? You'll need some good reading material. Pick up For the Road: Short Stories of America's Highways, a new anthology that features "Shadow of the Spider" by fourth-year student Alice Otto.

Fugue Features Fiction by Nickol

Alum Ben Nickol (2011) has a story, "Flamingo Motel," in issue 47 of Fugue. The story is part of Ben's first collection, Where the Wind Can Find It, which will be published by Queen's Ferry Press in 2015.

Brown in Black Warrior Review

The Fall/Winter 2014 issue of Black Warrior Review features "burntcork / Hagiography," a poem about the pitfalls of minstrel music and mimicry, by alum J. Camp Brown (2013).

McHugh Poem on Linebreak

Graduate Ashley Anna McHugh (2011) has a new poem on Linebreak this week. You can read "Newlyweds at the Antique Shop," or hear it read aloud by Maryann Corbett, here.

McCabe Reviews Laura Ingalls Wilder Memoir

Check out the Los Angeles Review of Books, where alum Nancy McCabe (1989) examines the long-awaited memoir of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Pioneer Girl, written in 1930. Nancy's own book, From Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood, is available now from University of Missouri Press.

Heil Translation in Subtropics

Fourth-year student Kathleen Heil has work in the latest Subtropics. Pick up issue 18 to read her translation of "One of the Last Things My Father Said to Me," a story by Argentinian author Patricio Pron.

Clay in Boston Review

The November/December 2014 issue of Boston Review features a poem by graduate Adam Clay (2005). Read "Goodbye to All That, the Birds Included."

Moon City Press Interviews Yates

Moon City Press offers a long interview with alum Steve Yates (1994) on his soon-to-be-published novel, The Teeth of the Souls. Steve speaks of the balance he strikes between a demanding job and his writing, and the pull of Ozarks history on his imagination.

Brock Translations in Palabras Errantes

Palabras Errantes, a journal dedicated to Latin American literature in translation, features new translations by professor Geoff Brock. Get a taste of Greek myth through the poetry of Uruguayan authors Horacio Cavallo and Francisco Tomsich, here.

Mulholland in The Account

Head over to the Fall 2014 issue of The Account, where you can read a new story by alum Meaghan Mulholland (2010), "The Same River," as well as her take on how the story was conceived and written.

McMullan Essay in Literary Bohemian

Issue 21 of Literary Bohemian features an essay by alum Margaret McMullan (1989). "Life Jacket" chronicles, through art, a family that has made a history of transition.

Longmire Returns on Netflix

Exciting news for Longmire fans: after a surprise cancellation from A&E, Netflix has agreed to pick up the series for a fourth season. UA alum Tony Tost (2004) will return in his role as writer and executive story editor. If you've been worrying about that season 3 cliffhanger, you'll soon have answers!

McCabe in Ploughshares

Congrats to alum Nancy McCabe, whose latest book, From Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood, is available now through the University of Missouri Press. The book is part memoir, part travelogue and examines the way books shaped her and a whole generation of readers. If you want a taste of Nancy's writing about travel and books, check out her article in Ploughshares, "On the Trail of L. Frank Baum."

Davis Interviewed by Connotation Press

Connotation Press features a long interview with professor Geffrey Davis in its November Congeries column about fatherhood, poetry, boxing, and more. The interview is accompanied by four poems from Geffrey's "The Daddy Notebooks" series.

Rafferty in Southern Review

The Autumn 2014 issue of The Southern Review features four prose poems by alum Charles Rafferty (1990), author of Saturday Night at Magellan's. Pick up your copy to read "After the Flood," "Metropolitan," "Winter Festival," and "The Bridges."

Dorianne Laux Reads Tonight!

Tonight's the night! Distinguished Reader Dorianne Laux will read from her poetry at 7pm in Giffels Auditorium, Old Main. Want to whet your appetite? Hear Laux read "Dust" as part of the PBS Poetry Everywhere project. Or, to learn more about the poet and her work, check out this interview from issue 64 of Willow Springs.

Giller Prize Winner Announced Tonight

We're cheering for professor of fiction Padma Viswanathan, a finalist for one of Canada's leading literary prizes, the Scotiabank Giller Prize! The winner of the prize will be announced tonight during a broadcast on Canada's CBC Television. In the meantime, you can read about Padma's novel The Ever After of Ashwin Rao, and learn more about the other finalists, here.

Mulholland Story in Five Chapters

Take a trip to the Scottish Highlands with the long story "Aqua Vitae" by alum Meaghan Mulholland (2010). Five Chapters has published a section of the story each day this week, which means you can read it in its entirety today! Start now, with part 1.

De La Garza Places in Glimmer Train Contest

Congratulations to recent graduate Stefan De La Garza (2014), whose story "Chiaroscuro” took second place in Glimmer Train's Short-Story Award for New Writers! Read the contest announcement for full details.

Brock's "Voices Bright Flags"

Book-giving season is coming up fast, and Amazon is now shipping professor Geoff Brock's Voices Bright Flags, winner of the Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize from Waywiser Press. "The poems approach America from a range of perspectives - political, historical, and personal - and in a range of styles and voices, with each voice planting its own flag, as it were, implying its own America." This is Geoff's second volume of original poetry. His first, Weighing Light, won The New Criterion Poetry Prize.

McHugh in The Hopkins Review

The Fall 2014 issue of The Hopkins Review features a new poem by alum Ashley Anna McHugh (2011). "What to Tell the Girl" is a perfect read for this season of crisp air and tumbling leaves. Find it in its entirety here.

Brock Essay in Poetry

On this Halloween day, we submit to you "Exhuming Vallejo," an essay by professor Geoff Brock, which appears in the translation issue of Poetry magazine (Nov. 2014). Not quite a ghost story, the essay recounts Geoff's experiences reading and translating Peruvian writer Cesar Vallejo. The latest issue is on bookstands now.

Jensen Story in Denver Quarterly

The Denver Quarterly features a story, "New or Used," by our new assistant professor of fiction Toni Jensen. Pick up the latest issue, volume 49.1 today!

"True Detective" Wins Best International TV Series

Yet another feather in the cap of alum Nic Pizzolatto (2005), or should we say dagger in the boot? Nic's HBO series, True Detective, was awarded a "Dagger" for Best International TV Series from the UK's 2014 Crime Thriller Awards. Congratulations, Nic!

Franklin, Fennelly Up for Crime Thriller Best Read Award

Alums Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly (1998) are nominated for the UK's 2014 Crime Thriller Best Read book award for their novel The Tilted World. The award results will be announced tomorrow, Oct. 24! Tom won Crime Novel of the Year in this contest back in 2011 for his novel "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter." More on the awards, here. And learn more about The Tilted World, in Tommy and Beth Ann's own words, here.

Autry Publishes Story in Forge

First-year student Cheyenne Autry has a story in issue 8.2 of the journal Forge. You can read "Popcorn Stars" here. Congrats on your first publication, Cheyenne!

DuVal Featured on Authors & Translators

Professor of translation John DuVal is featured today on the Authors & Translators blog. A snippet: "...the only writer I have identified with, somewhat, is François Villon. That's a paradox, because he was a thief, a killer of a priest, a whorer, and—if you believe one of his ballades—a pimp; and I am none of these. What I identify with is his inability to take anything or anybody quite seriously and to resist making fun of important people who might not appreciate his jokes.”

Heil Translation in The Chicago Review

The latest issue of The Chicago Review features a translation by fourth-year student Kathleen Heil. You can read “The Narrative Mechanism,” by Argentine author Patricio Pron in issue 58:3/4.

Nimrod Features Poetry by Brown

Recent graduate Joshua Camp Brown (2013) has a poem in Nimrod, issue 36. Pick up your copy to read "Shape Note Singing School," about the childhood of legendary bluegrass musician Bill Monroe.

New Story Collection by Alum Randolph Thomas

Now available: Dispensations, by alum Randolph Thomas (1993). This story collection won last year's Many Voices Project contest from New Rivers Press. Says Lori Ostlund: "Thomas's narrators are like the strangers that you find yourself sitting next to in a seedy bar. They draw you in, telling you their stories of estranged children and decaying parents and lives that have ended up being so much less than they had bargained for. There is sadness here but also deep compassion and nuance and surprise, as well as beautiful storytelling, and so these narrators keep you on the barstool for one more story--and then another."

Pre-order Paganelli's "Blush Less"

Blush Less, a chapbook by first-year poet Julia Paganelli is available for pre-order now! Check out the haunting book trailer at Julia's website. And be sure to visit Finishing Line Press to order. Pre-publication sales determine the book's press run, so reserve your copy today.

Brown in Shenandoah

The fall 2014 issue of Shenandoah includes a new poem by recent graduate Joshua Camp Brown (2013). Read "Mandolin in White Wood, Grain Count" here.

Christiansen in Crab Orchard Review

The summer/fall 2014 issue of Crab Orchard Review features two poems by alum April Christiansen (2012). Pick up your copy today to read "Kalakala" and "The Great Seattle Fire, June 6, 1889."

Tamigi Named ALTA Travel Fellow

Congratulations to third-year student Chris Tamigi, who has been named a 2014 ALTA Travel Fellow! Chris receives funds to travel to the American Literary Translators Association annual conference this November, where he and other fellows will read from their work on Nov. 16.

Davis has Poem of the Day

The Academy of American Poets features professor Geffrey Davis' "The Epistemology of Cheerios" as its poem of the day for September 26. You can read the poem here.

Brown in Carolina Quarterly

Recent graduate Joshua Camp Brown (2013) has a new poem, "Mandolin in White Wood," in the summer 2014 issue of The Carolina Quarterly.  Pick up your copy today!

Greeott Interviewed in Atticus Review

Atticus Review features three translations by student Anne Greeott, along with an interview about Anne's work and travels. Anne currently holds a Fulbright Fellowship in Italy, where she's come across some familiar faces.

Hennessy Interviewed on Morning Edition

NPR's Morning Edition aired a story about the MacArthur grants and the lasting legacy of one winner, Amy Clampitt. The piece featured an interview with UA alum John Hennessy (1996) about his time at the Clampitt house, where he wrote part of his 2013 book Coney Island Pilgrims. You can hear the full story (and perhaps take heart from the fact that Clampitt didn't publish her first collection until the age of 63) here.

Viswanathan in Running for Giller Prize

Assistant professor Padma Viswanathan has been named to the long list of the 2014 Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel The Ever After of Ashwin Rao! The award recognizes excellence in Canadian fiction.

Said the judges: “We’re celebrating writers brave enough to change public discourse, generous with their empathy, offering deeply immersive experiences. Some delve into the sack of memory and retrieve the wisdom we need for our times, others turn the unfamiliar beloved. All are literary achievements we feel will touch and even transform you.” Congratulations, Padma!

Short Short Fiction by Tanaka

Visit Wigleaf for "Ceremony," a short but intense story by 2013 graduate Kaj Tanaka. In Kaj's words, "It features the Denver Broncos, a lobster-faced dog, and the spirits of the dead."

Williamson in Crab Orchard Review

Grab a copy of the winter/spring 2014 issue of Crab Orchard Review for a stirring poem, "Umbrage," by alum Corrie Williamson (2013).

2 Poems by Takacs in Yalobusha Review

Third-year student Eszter Takacs has two poems in issue 20 of the Yalobusha Review. You can read "I want to study your imagination in better light" and "In share of light 3" here.

Geffrey Davis Featured on PoemoftheWeek.org

Head over to PoemoftheWeek.org which currently features three poems from assistant professor Geffrey Davis' collection, Revising the Storm. The feature also includes an interview with editors Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum and Anna Knowles and an audio-recording of Geffrey reading his work at the New York Public Library.

Angelino, McHugh in The Journal

Recent graduates Ashley Anna McHugh and Mary Angelino (2011) are both featured in the summer 2014 issue of The Journal. Grab your copy today to read "Shanidar Cave (11,000 – 9300 BC)" and "The Descent," by Ashley, and Mary's "The Last Beach Ball in Palm Springs."

Blunschi, Henriksen Read at Nightbird Books

Head over to Nightbird Books tonight, September 4, at 8pm, to hear third-year fiction student Jane Blunschi and poetry alum Matt Henriksen read from their work. It's all part of Fayetteville's First Thursday, and it promises to be a great event! Details here.

Otto, Pham Win Arkansas Arts Fellowships!

Big news for fourth-year student Alice Otto and recent graduate Hung Pham (2013), who have won Individual Artist Fellowships from the Arkansas Arts Council! These $4,000 grants are awarded annually to Arkansas artists in recognition of their individual artistic abilities, and are intended to enable artists to set aside time for creating their art and improving their skills. Alice and Hung both won in the Short Story Writing category, alongside Alma writer Marla Cantrell. We couldn't be more proud!

Takacs in Salt Hill

Third-year student Eszter Takacs is featured in issue 33 of Salt Hill, with an excerpt from her long poem "In Share of Light." Copies of the journal are on bookshelves now, and a preview of the issue will be online soon.

Yarbrough Wins Robert Penn Warren Award

The Fellowship of Southern Writers has awarded its prestigious Robert Penn Warren Award for Fiction to alum Steve Yarbrough! Steve's latest novel, The Realm of Last Chances, has been garnering critical acclaim since its release in 2013. He joins an esteemed list of winners, including Cormac McCarthy, Madison Smartt Bell, Lee Smith, Allen Wier, Dorothy Allison, and fellow distinguished alum, Barry Hannah. Congratulations, Steve!

"The Red Hourglass" Now an Audio Book

Alum Gordon Grice's book The Red Hourglass, a collection of essays on some of nature's finest killers, is now available on audio. Lyrical as a poem, chilling as a horror story, this collection only grows more powerful when heard aloud. 

Corbett in The Raintown Review

The spring 2014 issue of The Raintown Review features a sonnet, "What If," by third-year student Kevin Corbett. Congrats, Kevin!

Fares' Translation in World Lit Today

World Literature Today features a new translation by recent graduate Nicole Fares. You can read "Hayat," an excerpt from the novel 32 by Lebanese-Egyptian author Sahar Mandour, here.

Brock Anthologized in Poems of the American South

"Trip Hop," by professor Geoff Brock, appears in the anthology Poems of the American South alongside work by Langston Hughes, Robert Penn Warren, Natasha Trethewey, and Arkansas alum C.D. Wright. Pick up your copy today!

Tanaka in Bull: Men's Fiction

A story about teaching under rough conditions, "Respect," by recent graduate Kaj Tanaka (2013), appears now in Bull: Men's Fiction. Read the full story here.

Heil in World Literature Today

Fourth-year student Kathleen Heil published two new pieces in World Literature Today over the summer. Read her essay on literary translation, "The Great Pongoni." Then enjoy her translation of "Visiting the Master," a short story by Argentinian author Patricio Pron. Great work, Kathleen!

Stewart's Poetry in The Common

In certain areas of Fayetteville, you can still catch the buzzing of cicadas in the trees. It's the perfect time to read "Magicicada, Spring 2012" by alum Kevin C. Stewart on The Common's website. More of Kevin's poems will appear in an upcoming print edition of the journal.

Brock Featured by The Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation features "Homeland Security," by professor of poetry and translation Geoff Brock, as its Poem of the Day. Listen to Geoff read the poem here.

Takacs in Coconut Magazine

The latest issue of Coconut Magazine features two poems by third-year poet Eszter Takacs. You can read them here:

http://www.coconutpoetry.org/takacs19

Craig in Heliopolis

Second-year student Sarah Craig has a new poem, “Ophelia in the Bathtub,” in Heliopolis. You can read the full poem here:

http://heliopolis.la/ophelia-in-the-bathtub/

Brown and Driggers in Crab Creek Review

We're happy to see that the latest issue of Crab Creek Review features poems by poetry alum Josh Brown and current poetry student Kim Driggers. Nice work, you two!

http://www.crabcreekreview.org/

Jabaily-Blackburn in Best New Poets

More good news this morning from poetry alum Jen Jabaily-Blackburn: her poem, For Gene Kelly, has been chosen by judge Dorianne Laux for the 2014 Best New Poets anthology. Way to go, Jen!

http://bestnewpoets.org/blog/2014/7/28/best-new-poets-2014-our-final-50

Giles Publishes New Story Collection

Great news from Professor Emeritus Molly Giles: her new book of stories, Three for the Road, is just out from Shebooks.

http://www.shebooks.net/book/ebook/three-for-the-road/9781940838595#.U9ZzvhYsrlJ

Congratulations, Molly!

Angelino and McHugh in Nimrod

Terrific new poems from poetry alums Mary Angelino and Ashley Anna McHugh in the latest Nimrod. Great work, Mary and Ashley!

Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry

www.utulsa.edu

Nimrod

Jabaily-Blackburn and Pelegrin in unsplendid

Check out the new double issue of unsplendid: women + form, featuring terrific work by two of our poetry alums, Jen Jabaily-Blackburn and Alison Pelegrin.

http://www.unsplendid.com/index.htm

Seay in Deep South Magazine

Alum Erika Seay (2012) has a new story, If You Steal From Here, in the current issue of Deep South Magazine. Great work, Erika!

 http://deepsouthmag.com/2014/07/if-you-steal-from-here/ 

Donovan in Fourteen Hills and Rattle

Poetry alum Aran Donovan has three poems, “hotel grand gesture,” “romance, or taxidermy,” and “how we misunderstand,” in the latest issue of Fourteen Hills. And check out her poem “Two Left Feet,” which recently appeared online in Rattle:

http://www.rattle.com/poetry/two-left-feet-by-aran-donovan/

Letellier Wins Guy Owen Prize

Our 2014 graduates continue their incredible summer winning streak: Traci Letellier's poem "Outlaw Country" has been chosen by judge Claudia Emerson as the winner of the 2014 Guy Owen Prize! Traci will receive $1000 and publication in an upcoming issue of Southern Poetry Review. Way to go, Traci! You make us proud.

http://www.southernpoetryreview.org

Longhorn Wins 2014 Louise Bogan Award

Great news from poetry alum Sandy Longhorn: her third collection, The Alchemy of My Mortal Form, has just been selected by Carol Frost as winner of the 2014 Louise Bogan Award. Sandy will receive a prize of $1000 and the book will be published by Trio House Press. Many congratulations, Sandy!

http://www.triohousepress.org

Macri Publishes Chapbook

Congratulations to poetry alum Angie Macri whose new chapbook, Fear Nothing of the Future or the Past, is just out from Finishing Line Press. Katrina Vandenberg writes, "I know of few poets like Angie Macri – those who zero in on hard beauty. She’s lyric, precise, and unwilling to show off. A poet of mica and bone, panthers and burial mounds, Macri does not fear to tell the past or future who we are, or who we hope to be."

https://finishinglinepress.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=1990&reviews_id=661

Williamson's sweet husk Available for Purchase

Great news from poetry alum Corrie Williamson (2014). Corrie's first book, sweet husk, winner of the 2014 Perugia Press Prize, is now available for purchase! In praising the book, Gregory Orr writes: "Corrie Williamson is multiple in her identities: anthropologist of the imagination, archaeologist of the heart, naturalist observing the world with acuity and praising it with dense music." Congratulations, Corrie!

http://www.perugiapress.com/books/bookpage.php?year=2014&pagetype=reviews

Nawrocki Publishes Collection of Poetry

2001 alum Amy Nawrocki's new book of poems, Four Blue Eggs, was a 2013 finalist in the Homebound Publications Poetry Prize and has just been published by Homebound Publications. In praising the book, Lisa Schwartz writes, "Like Whitman, Amy Nawrocki gracefully extols the beauty of nature while subtly lamenting our detachment from it. Her elegant writing lends transcendence to our everyday world." 

http://homeboundpublications.com/a-first-look-at-four-blue-eggs-by-amy-nawrocki/

Honum's The Tulip-Flame Reviewed in Los Angeles Review of Books

Check out Catherine Pond's glowing and perceptive review of Chloe Honum's The Tulip-Flame in the Los Angeles Review of Books.

https://lareviewofbooks.org/review/trauma-beauty

Blunschi Named 2014 Lambda Fellow

We were thrilled to learn this morning that our own Jane Blunschi has been chosen as a 2014 Lambda Writers Retreat Fellow. She'll spend a week in Los Angeles this August working on her fiction with faculty member Lucy Jane Bledsoe. Way to go, Jane!

http://www.lambdaliterary.org/writers-retreat/2014-writers-retreat-fellows/

Two New Books From Randolph Thomas

Multi-talented alum Randolph Thomas (1993) has two books forthcoming. His poetry collection, The Course of the Telling, has won the Gerald Cable Book Award from Silverfish Review Press (Feb. 2015) and his book of short stories, Dispensations, will be published in October on New Rivers Press.

http://newriverspress.blogspot.com/2013/10/many-voices-project-prizewinners-for.html

Eszter Takacs Wins Cargill Prize

Third-year poet Eszter Takacs joins the very small group of students who have published first books while still enrolled in our program. The Miraculous Hysterical, her first collection of poetry, has won the 2014 Cargill Prize from Coconut Books! Congratulations, Eszter!

https://www.facebook.com/CoconutPoetry?filter=2

Kaj Tanaka Selected for Wigleaf's Top 50 (Very) Short Fictions

More good news this morning from our recent fiction graduates: Kaj Tanaka's story, "Dolly Parton" (originally published in Pank) has been selected by Erin Fitzgerald and Ben Loory for Wigleaf's Top 50 (Very) Short Fiction list of 2014. Congratulations, Kaj!

http://wigleaf.com/

John Englehardt Wins Wabash Prize

Some fantastic news this morning from 2014 graduate John Englehardt: his short story "Flotsam" has won the Wabash Prize for Fiction. Judge Rebecca Makkai calls John's writing "surefooted and organic." John will receive $1000 and "Flotsam" will appear in the next issue of Sycamore Review.

Way to go, John!

 http://www.sycamorereview.com/2014/06/presenting-the-winners-of-the-2014-wabash-prize-for-fiction/

Anne Greeott wins Fulbright

We're so proud of second-year translation student Anne Greeot for winning a 2014 Fulbright Fellowship to study in Italy. Congratulations, Anne!

http://newswire.uark.edu/articles/24429/translation-student-named-fulbright-fellow-to-italy

Longmire premieres tonight

Don't forget to check out the work of program alum Tony Tost in Longmire. Season 3 premieres tonight on A&E.

Two Poems by Brown in Tar River Poetry

Alum Joshua Camp Brown (2013) has two poems in the latest issue of Tar River Poetry: "My Father Explained Sex" and "Inheritance Fiddle." You can pick up your copy in bookstores now.

Honum on Poetry Daily

The May 30 edition of Poetry Daily features a villanelle by alum Chloe Honum (2010). You can read "The Tulip-Flame," the title poem from her new collection, here.

Takacs in Sink Review

Congratulations to second-year student Eszter Takacs, whose work appears in the current issue of Sink Review. In addition, Eszter was recently named a finalist in Cutbank's 2014 Patricia Goedicke Prize for poetry. You can read more about the contest here.

Verse Daily Features Honum

The May 28 edition of Verse Daily features a haunting villanelle, "Come Back," by alum Chloe Honum (2010). The poem is from Chloe's collection The Tulip-Flame, now available in bookstores.

Greeott in Journal of Italian Translation

The Spring 2014 issue of the Journal of Italian Translation features work by second-year student Anne Greeott. Pick up a copy to read her translations of "This Happiness," "Birds," "Interior," "Nature," and "Such peace where you were not, the birds ..." by Mario Luzi.

Anne's work with Luzi's poetry won her a Fulbright Fellowship! She'll spend the next academic year in Italy, collaborating with the Fondazione Mario Luzi in Rome.

Washington Post Celebrates "Acts of God"

Acts of God, the latest collection by Ellen Gilchrist, professor of fiction, has been garnering great reviews. Jonathan Yardley recently declared in The Washington Post, "the best of the stories in Acts of God rank with the best in her first collection and in her second, Victory Over Japan, for which she was awarded a richly deserved National Book Award in 1984." You can read the full review here.

The New York Times Sunday Book Review also recently featured a rave review by Daniel Handler.

Pelegrin Poems in West Branch

Pick up issue 75 of West Branch for two new poems by alum Alison Pelegrin (2000): "Dispatch from the Dirty South" and "On the Beginner's Side of the Bogue Falaya"--fecund poems filled with all manner of beast and leaf and bone.

Miro Penkov to Work with Michael Ondaatje

The Rolex Mentors & Proteges program has selected alum Miroslav Penkov (2009) as its 2014-15 protege in literature. He'll spend a year working closely with celebrated author Michael Ondaatje. 

The Rolex Mentors & Proteges program pairs promising young artists in architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theater, and visual arts with an esteemed professional in their field. Proteges must be nominated for the program and are selected through a rigorous application and interview process.

Miro is the author of the critically acclaimed story collection East of the West and is currently at work on a novel. He's an assistant professor in the creative writing program at the University of North Texas.

Brown's Latest Poem in RHINO

Alum Joshua Camp Brown (2013) has a poem, "Then the Everlasting," in the latest issue of RHINO. Josh is finishing up a year-long term as the George Bennett Writer in Residence at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. 

Otto in East Coast Literary Review, Hawai'i Review

Two poems by third-year student Alice Otto appear in current journals. You can find "Snakes in Winter" in the Spring 2014 issue of the East Coast Literary Review. And "Flight 23 from Cincinnati" appears in issue 79 of the Hawai'i Review. Way to go, Alice!

Boston in Blue Mesa Review & More

Second-year poet Melissa Boston ends the semester with a slew of new publications. You can read “A Muse” in issue 29 of Blue Mesa Review. In addition, "Soutine, Your Carcass" appears in Moon City Review 2014, and the Spring 2014 issue of Fourth River features "What you once called 'little mercies.'" Congratulations, Melissa!

Thomas Essay in Trop

A new essay by alum Randolph Thomas (1993) appears in the journal Trop. You can read the full text of "A Family of Acrobats," about a mother and son and the way we flex, bend, and contort to confront love, online. 

Thomas' story collection, Dispensations, won the MVP Award from New Rivers Press and will be released in October 2014. 

Honum in "Best Emerging Poets" & More

The anthology Best Emerging Poets of 2013 features alum Chloe Honum (2010), whose collection, The Tulip-Flame, just received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. 

If you're interested in reading more about Chloe and her work, check out the Poetry Society of America page, where she discusses her poem "Ballerina, Released."

NYT Reviews Gilchrist's "Acts of God"

The New York Times Sunday Book Review features a terrific review of Ellen Gilchrist's latest collection, Acts of God. Reviewer Daniel Handler writes: "As always happens when I finish a book by Gilchrist, I walked around town, and each selfish thought, every beautiful sight, felt lit by her brash honesty." 

Greeott Wins Fulbright Fellowship to Italy

Second-year translation student Anne Greeott has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Italy! During her nine-month appointment, Anne will research and translate a selection of Mario Luzi's poetry in collaboration with the Fondazione Mario Luzi in Rome. In addition, she'll conduct workshops in Italian public schools on creative writing and literary translation. Congratulations to Anne on this terrific achievement!

Verse Daily Features Bowen

The April 28 edition of Verse Daily features "Whatever Monster," a poem from the collection The Even Years of Marriage by alum Ash Bowen (2008).

Subscribe to Linebreak

Linebreak, an online poetry journal that published poems weekly, with audio, is back! Or it could be soon, with your help. The editors, alums Johnathon Williams (2010) and Ash Bowen (2008), are looking for subscribers. Learn more about Linebreak and the benefits to subscribers here.

Heil in Quarter After Eight

Third-year translation student Kathleen Heil has an essay titled "Borges & I" in the 20th anniversary issue of Quarter After Eight. You can purchase the latest issue, which also includes work by Ander Monson, Sarah Lindsay, and Sean Lovelace, here.

Chapbook Release Party for Takacs

The Burning Chair Readings present a chapbook release party for second-year poet Eszter Takacs at 7pm this Thursday, April 24. Eszter's "Together We Will Talk Right Down to Earth" is being published by The New Megaphone and will be available for sale. It all goes down at Backspace, 546 W. Center Street, just off the trail.

Joyce Carol Oates on Ozarks at Large

Ozarks at Large on our local NPR station featured an interview with Joyce Carol Oates about writing, teaching, and her recent visit to Fayetteville. Visit the OAL webpage and search for the April 17 broadcast to listen to the full segment. 

Three Authors Join Our Faculty This Fall!

The UA Programs in Creative Writing and Translation are proud to announce that three dynamic, talented writers will join our faculty this fall! Fiction writers Toni Jensen and Padma Viswanathan and poet Geffrey Davis will join our program as tenure-track assistant professors in August.

Toni Jensen is the author of From the Hilltop, which was published through the Native Storiers Series at the University of Nebraska Press. Her stories delve into the intertwined lives of Native characters outside the reservation. Always complex, her characters defy stereotype in favor of their own truths about life and tradition.

Novelist, playwright, and essayist Padma Viswanathan is the author of The Toss of a Lemon (2008) and The Ever After of Ashwin Rao, published this month by Random House Canada. Her novels dig deeply into issues of culture, memory, history, and identity to reveal characters complex in both their emotional and interpersonal connections.

Geffrey Davis is the author of Revising the Storm, recently published by BOA Editions and winner of the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in journals nationwide and won numerous awards, including the Leonard Steinberg Memorial Prize from the Academy of American Poets.

For full details on these exciting new hires, read the news release here.

Toni Jensen

Padma Viswanathan

Geffrey Davis

Hoahwah Featured on Poetry Foundation Blog

In celebration of National Poetry Month, The Poetry Foundation asked alum Sy Hoahwah (2007) to contribute to its blog HARRIET. You can read "Careening Through the Birthplace of John Berryman to Get to a Reading in Chickasaw Nation" here.

Sy is the author of the collection Velroy and the Madischie Mafia. In 2013, he won an NEA fellowship.

Witness Features Fiction by O'Grady

The Spring 2014 issue of Witness, the journal out of Black Mountain Institute, features a story excerpt by visiting associate professor Timothy O'Grady. You can read the prologue from his work "Monaghan" here.

"The Tulip-Flame" Now Available

Congratulations to alum Chloe Honum (2010) whose first collection, The Tulip-Flame, is now available for purchase! Chloe's book won the 2013 First Book Prize from the Cleveland State University Poetry Center. This week, the Missouri Review blog offered some advance praise. You can read more about Chloe and her work on her website.

Ombres in the McNeese Review

Volume 51 of the McNeese Review features two poems by alum Jennifer Ombres (2008). Find it on bookshelves now to read "Like Ghosts" and "The Lagoon."

Haschemeyer in AQR

The Spring/Summer 2014 issue of Alaska Quarterly Review features "Too Much Horse," a new story by alum Otis Haschemeyer (2000).  

Yarbrough Wins MIAL Fiction Prize

The Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters has awarded its 2014 Fiction Prize to alum Steve Yarbrough (1985) for his latest novel, The Realm of Last Chances.

Steve's book beat out some tough competitors, including Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. In total, four of the authors nominated for the prize were graduates of our program -- Steve Yarbrough, Beth Ann Fennelly, Tom Franklin, and Steve Yates. What good company (and competition). Congratulations, Steve!

Wright on PBS Poem of the Week

The PBS website features a clip of alum C.D. Wright (1976) reading her poem "Obscurity and Legacy" at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Wright's poem appeared in the Smithsonian's Civil War anthology Lines in Long Array, which also features work by professor Geoff Brock. Click here for the full clip.

Angelino in Shenandoah, Bellingham Review

"Homework," a new poem by recent graduate Mary Angelino (2012), appears online now at Shenandoah. Mary also has two poems in the Spring 2014 issue of Bellingham Review and several more forthcoming in great journals. Nice work, Mary!

Viswanathan on Progressing Plot

Open Book Ontario shares a great article on driving plot forward. The piece offers advice from ten writers, including our own assistant professor of fiction Padma Viswanathan. Padma's second novel, The Ever After of Ashwin Rao, is newly out through Random House Canada. 

New Henriksen Poems in Timber

Timber Journal features three new poems by graduate Matthew Henriksen (2005). You can read "Wall Chart," "Fjord," and "Draft" here.

Matt is the author of Ordinary Sun, a collection published by Black Ocean Press. He runs the Burning Chair Reading Series in Fayetteville and is a strong local advocate for the arts.

Askew a Finalist for Best Western Contemporary Novel

More great news for visiting associate professor Rilla Askew: her novel, Kind of Kin, was named a finalist for the 2014 Best Western Contemporary Novel by the Western Writers of America. Kind of Kin is also a finalist for the 2014 Oklahoma Book Award in fiction. Congratulations, Rilla!

Giles Wins Spokane Prize

Professor emeritus Molly Giles has won the 2013 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction for her collection All the Wrong Places. Molly's book will be published this year by Willow Springs Editions. 

Actress Reads Perabo Story

Actress Hope Davis reads "Indulgence" by alum Susan Perabo (1994) in the "Family Matters" episode of Selected Shorts. You can access the clip here. Perabo's story originally appeared in issue 178 of One Story.

Brock wins 2014 Anthony Hecht Prize

Geoffrey Brock, professor of poetry and translation, has won the 2014 Anthony Hecht Prize for Poetry for his collection, Voices Bright Flags. The book will be published in November by Waywiser Press. Congratulations, Geoff!

Askew a Finalist for Oklahoma Book Award

Congratulations to visiting associate professor Rilla Askew, whose novel Kind of Kin has been named a finalist for the 2014 Oklahoma Book Award in Fiction! 

American Life in Poetry Features Rathburn

Issue 467 of American Life in Poetry features a sonnet by alum Chelsea Rathburn (2001), "After Filing for Divorce": proof that sonnets are not just for love but also for the ripples left in its wake.

Boston in Bird's Thumb Review

The inaugural issue of Bird's Thumb Review features a poem by second-year student Melissa Boston. You can read "The Western Property of Sunset Hill Cemetery," with its mute stone and garnet leaves, here.

Two Graduates in NYT Blog

Check out the March 3 New York Times blog profile of poetry press Black Ocean, which pays homage to two of our graduates: Adam Clay and Matthew Henriksen (both 2005). Matt's poem “The Only Angel Is the Angle of Deliverance,” from his collection Ordinary Sun, closes the piece.

Yarbrough in The Southern Review

The Winter 2014 issue of The Southern Review features a new story by alum Steve Yarbrough (1985). Pick up your copy to read "The Orange Line" in full. Also check out Steve's latest novel, The Realm of Last Chances, which has been garnering critical praise since it's release in August.

"A Brief Interview" with Joyce Carol Oates

The Huffington Post "Brief Interview" series recently featured our 2014 Distinguished Reader, Joyce Carol Oates. Oates will read from her work at 7pm on April 21 at the Fayetteville Town Center. For more information on this event, visit our website. In the meantime, you can read her brief interview here.

Bowen Featured in First Book Interviews

Alum Ash Bowen (2008) is featured in installment 79 of First Book Interviews, wherein he talks about his prize-winning poetry collection, The Even Years of Marriage. The collection is available now from Dream Horse Press. Read Ash's full interview here.

Arkansas at AWP

Going to AWP? Meet some of our peeps! Visiting associate professor Rilla Askew will participate in the panel "A Family Affair: Family Structure as Narrative Structure" at 1:30 on Feb. 28. She'll also be featured at an off-site reading celebrating the new issue of TriQuarterly at A/NT Gallery, 6-7 PM, Thursday, the 27th.

Second-year student Eszter Takacs will read at The New Megaphone + H_NGM_N Books off-site event: 3-6pm Feb. 28 at Belltown Pub.

And fourth-year student Stu Dearnley will be featured in the panel "Literary Players: Former Winners of the Playboy College Fiction Contest Share their Work" at 1:30 on March 1.

Penkov a Finalist to Work with Michael Ondaatje

Miroslav Penkov, 2009 alum and author of East of the West, is a finalist for the 2014-2015 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. If selected over the two other candidates short-listed in literature, Miro will spend a year in one-on-one collaboration with writer Michael Ondaatje!

Williamson Wins Perugia Press Prize

Congratulations to alum Corrie Williamson (2013), whose first collection Sweet Husk has won the 2014 Perugia Press Prize.

The editors write: "Here, poetry and archaeology reflect one another: what is buried may provide insight into—or, conversely, deepen the mystery of—the ways we engage with the world." So proud of you, Corrie!

Hennessy Interviewed in The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post features an in-depth Q&A with poet and alum John Hennessy (1996) on his poetic influences and preoccupations, as well as his perspectives on being a writer who teaches. Read the full interview here.

True Detective a "Pure Visual Novel"

Are you watching True Detective? Bookforum declares it the first true "visual novel" and rhapsodizes over the intensity and imagery of alum Nic Pizzolatto (2005), who wrote, created, and produces the show. 

Rafferty in The New Yorker

Congrats to alum Charles Rafferty (1990), whose poem "Diminution" appears in the February 17 issue of The New Yorker. 

Charles is the author of four full-length books of poetry, A Less Fabulous Infinity, During the Beauty Shortage, Where the Glories of April Lead, and The Man on the Tower. His latest book is a collection of flash fiction, Last Night at Magellan's.

New Novel by 2014 Distinguished Reader Joyce Carol Oates

Who has a new novel out? Our 2014 Distinguished Reader Joyce Carol Oates, that's who! Carthage, a dark novel about family, fate, and the terrible resonances of love and war, is already garnering critical praise with a great review by the New York Times. Pick up your copy in preparation for Oates' reading on April 21, 7pm, at the Fayetteville Town Center.

Two New Poems by Catherwood

Alum Michael Catherwood (1997) has two new poems in journals. Check out the 50th issue of Red River Review for "Directions," then head over to The Burning Bush 2 for "The Bully Poet School."

Angelino in The Adroit Journal

Issue 8 of The Adroit Journal features a poem, "Hearsay III," by recent graduate Mary Angelino (2011). Mary has poems forthcoming in Bellingham Review, Shenandoah, and Nimrod, so keep an eye out for more of her publications!

4 Alums Shortlisted for 2014 MIAL Award

Freezing rain is falling in Fayetteville, but we're warmed by the news that four of the eight authors short-listed for the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters 2014 Fiction Prize are graduates of our program. Congratulations to Beth Ann Fennelly, Tom Franklin, Steve Yarbrough, and Steve Yates! Their books--The Tilted World, The Realm of Last Chances, and Some Kinds of Love: Stories, respectively--are top-notch. We're proud of their achievements!

Boston in PoemMemoirStory

The first of several forthcoming poems by second-year student Melissa Boston is available now! "Edna, Sleeping at Grand Isle" appears in issue 13 of P*M*S poemmemoirstory.

Heil Translation in Istanbul Review

Third-year student Kathleen Heil has a translation featured in issue 4 of The Istanbul Review. Pick up your copy to read "The Trip" by Argentinian author Patricio Pron.

Donovan in New Orleans Review

The New Orleans Review features alum Aran Donovan (2013) interviewing poet Carrie Fountain. Fountain's collection Burn Lake was a 2009 winner of the National Poetry Series, and she has a new collection forthcoming in October. Check out Aran's interview here.