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
By Erin Wood If you’ve attended Wednesday Night Poetry in Hot Springs—the longest running consecutive weekly poetry open mic in the country—you may have felt the energy in the room shift as poet and textile artist Crystal C. Mercer took the mic. Mercer’s words charge and calm, command action and offer embrace. Her hand-stitched textiles reveal what it means to weave oneself into a fabric story one stitch, one hour
By Erin Wood Consider supporting Arkansas authors as you give the gift of words this holiday season. With variety for every literary taste, here are a few classics and new releases by Arkansas writers. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou (1969) True Grit, Charles Portis (1968) Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, Dee Brown (1970) The Brief History of the
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“Moku Playland” Photo of Kate Zunick Courtesy of Hot Springs Sister City Kate Zunick relaxes in one of the most beloved features of the Moku Playland exhibit — a giant wooden “hot springs” tub filled with hundreds of smooth wooden balls inspired by the bubbling thermal waters of Hot Springs. Hidden somewhere among the
Moku Playland Pop-Up Opens June 1 with Interactive, Screen-Free Fun for Families Families and visitors to downtown Hot Springs will have the opportunity to experience a unique style of hands-on play this summer as Moku Playland opens June 1 for a special month-long pop-up at 831 Central Avenue. Open Thursday-Tuesday
The Hot Springs Fire Department entry nears the finish line in the 2025 Running of the Tubs. — Courtesy Visit Hot Springs The lineup is complete for the 2026 Stueart Pennington World Championship Running of the Tubs bathtub races through historic downtown Hot Springs. The race starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday,
Where are we?” Missy Conry and Melissa Stevens By Missy Conry & Melissa StevensCan you spot where we took this picture? Take a selfie in front of the same mural and text to 501-651-0545 for a free drop-in class! You can also text us for hints if you need a clue. As we reflect
