By Erin WoodA very unique book launched on March 20, the birthday of author and “create(her)” Crystal C. Mercer’s late grandmother, in whose honor she sewed the book’s pages. Yes, sewed. By hand. The pages of her first children’s book, From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair, reflect 467 hours of hand-stitching and not only incorporate fabrics studied in Ghana, Africa, as part of her graduate work, but
By Erin Wood For veteran teacher Tracy Peterson, helping kids find their special way of learning has been a motivation for nearly four decades. This month, one classroom story will find its way into print in the form of a children’s picture book that she hopes will help many children among the 20% that the Yale University Center for Dyslexia and Creativity estimates struggle with dyslexia. Cartwheels: Finding Your Special
A monthly series including news about an Arkansas book, author, event, or item of literary interest to Arkansans. By Erin WoodFebruary is the month of love. The pandemic has greatly expanded my sense of that word. Sometimes love means not saying what I am tempted to, listening more closely and being quiet even when I have my own troubles to share, reaching out to someone knowing that they need support
By Erin WoodFor the writer on your gift list this holiday season, you might consider an editing or publishing consultation. While publishing consultations are a bit more difficult to come by, there are many professional and responsible editors in every genre who can help writers transform and polish their manuscripts. The best advice in finding the right editorial match is to ask for references. If your gift recipient is a
By Erin Wood Calling all book lovers and anyone looking for some awesome entertainment! Set your calendar for the virtual Six Bridges Book Festival (formerly the Arkansas Literary Festival), October 8–18. As always, the Fest offers something for everyone, with more than 60 authors and presenters writing nonfiction, fiction, and children’s titles. In the mood to take out some aggression in the kitchen? Attend Katherine Alford’s Rage Baking: The Transformative
By Erin WoodAs Americans, we live in a consumer society that encourages us to buy and spend. However, during the pandemic, we are experiencing a savings rate that has soared to 23%. For Little Rock-based financial planner, national speaker, and physician educator Sarah-Catherine Gutierrez (aka “Ladysplaining Money”), the pandemic has offered a previously unimaginable opportunity for young women to uniquely experience the value of paying themselves first and adopting saving
By Erin Wood As hurricane season arrives in the Gulf Coast amidst a global pandemic, we approach the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It is difficult to reflect on Katrina’s devastation without remembering the horrors of the Superdome. Taking readers on a journey through the maelstrom is the only known memoir by a native New Orleanian about surviving the Superdome. The Katrina 15th Anniversary Edition of the IPPY-medal-winning Can Everybody
By Erin Wood Caregivers of those facing serious illnesses and entering hospice during the pandemic are especially vulnerable and threadbare, and need messages of courage and peace. Little Rock author Jennifer A. O’Brien has been spending her time in isolation doing all she can to ensure encouraging messages are available and received, providing workshops, creating resources, and connecting caregivers throughout this time of social distancing. In her advocacy work as
By Erin Wood In January’s article, I shared that textile artist, poet, and regular contributor to Wednesday Night Poetry, Crystal C. Mercer, was finishing work on an EP, Black Glow Matters, as well as a related short film. On May 17, both were released. (Also, in May, Mercer was notified that she’d received coveted grants from PEN America and the Dramatist Guild Foundation, both of which are helping her continue
By Erin Wood The Six Bridges Book Festival (formerly the Arkansas Literary Festival) is normally enjoyed by thousands in Central Arkansas at the end of April. Due to concerns surrounding COVID-19, the 2020 Festival is postponed until fall. Seven Arkansas contributors are featured in Closet Cases: Queers on What We Wear, an anthology by Atlanta author Megan Volpert, which will be part of the Festival. Those contributors include Jane V.
By Erin Wood Ahead of the April 2, 2020 release of her children’s book Butterfly Dreams: Friendship Takes Flight and her original single “Butterflies and Honeybees,” Little Rock author, illustrator, and children’s music teacher Carol Dabney is helping kids enjoy time with music and puppets on her new YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/dabohana). As we are all called upon to encourage each other through challenging times, Dabney’s book and accompanying song offer
By Erin Wood Little Rock author Jennifer A. O’Brien has great hope that her book, The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: A Journal, released February 25, will help those facing death as well as normalizing and encouraging dialogue about end of life. A love story and practical guide in one, O’Brien’s digital art journal chronicles the time in her marriage when her husband—a hospice doctor who spent a 40-year career of caregiving
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“Brady Roseberry” Featured at the Big Steam & Roots Music Festival Photography by Jay Hiatt FIRST – Check out the Gallery Walk $250 Gift Card Giveaway on Pg. 4! Hello, Hot Springs! As we lean into the autumn equinox, we’re celebrating with a burst of blues, hometown pride, and one seriously striking cover. This month features
By Jennifer Case By Erin Wood The Carework Project: Reckoning with Love, Labor, and the Living World is the third book by Conway resident and University of Central Arkansas creative writing professor Jennifer Case, released last month from Trinity University Press. Combining elements of memoir, collage, interview, research, and cultural reflection, The Carework Project probes what care
Can you find this mural in downtown Hot Springs? Text a selfie in front of it to receive a free drop-in at The Yoga Place for any class in September. 501-651-0545. Photo by Missy Conry. By Missy Conry & Melissa Stevens In yoga, balance is about more than simply standing on one
The transition into autumn signals the busy back-to-school shopping season. As autumn approaches, style is taking a richer turn, and The Velvet Attic Boutique is bringing the season’s changing look to downtown Hot Springs. Their curated autumn lineup mixes seasonal colors, balances rich textures and versatile layers, and features transition-ready
