Poetry @ the Public Spring 2026

Join us for an afternoon community and poetry! In partnership with SLANT, the international journal of contemporary poetry published by the UCA School of Language & Literature.

Poetry @ the Public is kicking off the 2026 season with Arkansas natives Nate Duke and Zack Medlin! Doors will open at 2:00 pm and guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments and a meet-and-greet with the authors. Readings will start at 2:30 pm.

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Featured Poets:

Nate Duke is a native of Little Rock. He earned a BA in English from the University of Arkansas, followed by an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana and a PhD in English/Creative Writing with a concentration in poetry from Florida State University. Nate’s debut full-length volume of poetry, A Suit of Paper Feathers, was published by Parlor Press/Free Verse editions in 2023. His poems have also appeared in the Paris Review, Colorado Review, Southern Humanities Review, and Green Linden Press, among others. He has taught at the University of Montana, Florida State, and Montana State University. In the fall semester of 2025, he joined the faculty of the UCA School of Language & Literature and also the editorial board of SLANT.

Zack Medlin is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He holds an M.A./M.F.A. from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah, where he was awarded the Clarence Snow Memorial Fellowship. His poetry has appeared in journals such as The Cincinnati Review, Colorado Review, and Iron Horse Literary Review, among others, and was featured on Poetry Daily. His poems have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes and awarded numerous awards including an AWP Intro Journals Award. His debut poetry collection Beneath All Water was the winner of the Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize.

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This event is free and open to the public; intended for ages 16 and up.

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