Arkansas poet Ellie Black will bring her award-winning debut collection, *Revelator*, to Fayetteville next week. She will read from the book at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Pearl’s Books. Black, a visiting assistant professor in creative writing at Hendrix College in Conway, recently received the 2026 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize for the collection. honestly, that kind of recognition from the print poetry world feels like what you’d usually see coming out of a major literary hub, but it’s landing right here in the Natural State. The selection committee described Black’s writing as a study of “the way we seek distinctiveness and the way we surrender,” a theme that runs through the poems featuring angels that, according to *The Democrat-Gazette*, do not necessarily offer comfort or solace. This explores the heavy, difficult stuff of faith, which is a specific kind of muscle to build in poetry. Look at what NWA has been doing with its arts and culture sector over the last decade. We’ve gone from a quiet college town to a destination that people everywhere recognize, and part of that reputation is built on a solid backbone of local literature and community storytelling. Events like this reading at Pearl’s Books are exactly what keeps that engine running. They keep the conversation going in coffee shops and independent bookstores rather than loud concert venues. The Honickman Prize is prestigious, and getting it as a first book puts Arkansas writers on the national radar in a way that feels earned and rooted. It’s not just a trophy; it’s a validation of the hard work that happens in writing workshops and quiet study sessions across the state. For anyone looking to support the local literary scene, Sept. 17 is the night. You get to hear a poet who is carving out her own distinct voice, surrounded by Fayetteville’s vibrant bookish community. It’s the kind of cultural friction that makes a place feel alive. **What to know:** * **Who:** Ellie Black * **Where:** Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville * **When:** Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. * **The Book:** *Revelator* (2026 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize) Read the full report from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
