Open Mouth Literary Center, formerly known as the Open Mouth Reading Series, has hosted approximately 90 readings featuring over 160 poets, fiction writers, and translators, who represent a range of ages, experience levels, and racial, ethnic, religious, gender, and sexual identities, both touring nationwide and living in the Northwest Arkansas community.

Each month, Open Mouth hosts a reading, usually featuring a nationally-touring poet. This poet is joined by ten opening readers who read a single poem each, giving local community poets the chance to read our work alongside the more established feature, and enhancing the sense of community and shared voices. To read a poem at a future event, please fill out this form.

We like to think of our monthly readings as a conversation between all of the poets involved, and often find that themes and language come together in unexpected ways, revealing something that multiple poets were thinking of and writing about. We think that poetry is uniquely suited for this type of conversation because of its length–short enough that we can sustain our attention and listen to several different voices in one time period. Poetry also layers contradiction and complexity, which are important to these conversations.

We have also hosted readers at our annual Poetry Festival, as part of our annual Retreat, and for special events like The Conversation, Writers for Migrant Justice, and The Harvest Workshop, as well as providing space and support for special events featuring writers on tour who just happened to be stopping through.

We strive to include poets who are on book tour as well as poets living in Northwest Arkansas, and our featured readers represent a range of poetic styles and experience levels. We want to build continuing relationships with poets, and often feature poets we have worked with in the past. We like to provide opportunities for poets working outside of academia to read and teach our workshops, although we also want to provide our community with access to academic poets. We look for features who are great teachers as well as great readers. We look in particular for writers with a strong sense of community, who are excited to engage meaningfully with our audience. If you are interested in being featured by Open Mouth, please fill out this form.

To find out more about readers we’ve featured, see below. 

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Abdurraqib, Hanif – 2018 Retreat Faculty, 2016 September Feature

Abonado, Albert – 2020 July Feature

Abughattas, Jessica – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Aderibigbe, D. M. – 2019 February Feature

Aguayo, Emmy – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Ajani, Ashia – 2022 November Feature, 2023 June Feature

Almontaser, Threa – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature

Alsous, Zaina – 2019 Poetry Festival Feature

Amezcua, Eloisa – 2018 Retreat Faculty, 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Angelino, Mary – 2015 October Feature

Antigua, Diannely – 2019 Poetry Festival Feature

Antrobus, Raymond – 2021 July Feature

Araujo, Austin – 2016 May Feature

Arredondo, Kenny – 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader

Arthur, James – 2019 August Feature

Avant, A. H. Jerriod – 2017 The Conversation Feature

Badra, Danielle – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature

Barnes, Aziza – 2017 The Conversation Feature

Bassiri, Kaveh – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature, 2018 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Bellin-Oka, Steve – 2020 September Feature

Blankenship, Megan – 2015 November Feature

Blevins, Allison – 2022 March Feature

Blunschi, Jane V. – 2018 Fiction Takeover

Bolden, Emma – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature, 2016 June Feature

Borland, Bryan – 2017 Poetry Festival Feature

Bradley, Hannah – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Brame, Aaron – 2016 February Feature

Braziel, Tina Mozelle – 2019 March Feature

Brock, Geoffrey – 2019 Translation Showcase

Brodak, Molly – 2016 December Feature

Brown, Molly McCully – 2022 August Feature

Brownderville, Greg – 2018 May Feature

Bruce, Robin – 2022 SoNA Beyond: Transcending Words Reader

Brunson, David – 2023 May Feature

Buchen, Callista – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Buckley, Emmett – 2017 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Cain, Marty – 2016 March Feature

Calabotta, Maximiliano – 2018 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Calvocoressi, Gabrielle – 2021 December Feature

Cerna, Noelia – 2022 SoNA Beyond: Transcending Words Reader, 2021 July Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings, 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader, 2018 Inside Out in Partnership With DecARcerate Reader, 2017 Poetry Festival Halloween Poetry Slam Showcase

Chakraborty, Sumita – 2020 December Feature

Chan, Dorothy – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature

Chang, Michael – 2023 Poetry Feature with The Arkansas International

Chatti, Leila – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Chen, Chen – 2022 September Feature

Choi, Franny – 2019 Retreat Faculty

Clare, Olivia – 2017 January Feature

Clark, Jeremy Michael – 2017 The Conversation Feature

Clark, Joy – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Claro, Nicholas John-Francis – 2018 Fiction Takeover

Clay, Adam – 2016 April Feature

Clevidence, Cody-Rose – 2017 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature, 2018 July Book Release

Clifton, Brian – 2020 January Feature, 2017 May Feature

Coggin, Kai – 2017 Poetry Festival Halloween Poetry Slam Showcase

Cole, Emily Rose – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature

Craig, Brody Parrish – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature, 2018 Poetry Festival Feature

Crow, Zachary – 2019 January Feature, 2018 Inside Out in Partnership With DecARcerate Reader

Davis, Geffrey – 2019 Night Angler Book Launch, 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader

Day, Meg – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Daye, Tyree – 2019 August Feature

Di, Zang – 2019 Poetry Festival US/China Poetry Dialogue

Dobbins, Heather – 2017 September Feature

Dollarhide, Abby – 2018 Fiction Takeover

Donna, David – 2021 Poetry Festival Opening Mini-Feature

Dordal, Lisa – 2018 February Feature

Eaton, C. Violet – 2017 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Erlichman, Shira – 2017 January Odes For You Tour

Ezell, Caroline – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Felsenthal, Alan – 2017 April Special Event Reader

Fernandes, Megan – 2021 May Feature

Fletcher, Cheyenne – 2017 July Feature

Font, Patrick – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Frank, Rebecca Morgan – 2021 March Feature

Franklin, Jordan E. – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature

French, Kerri – 2017 October Feature

Fund, Courtney – 2017 December Feature

Gabbert, Mag – 2023 February Feature

Garcia, Benjamin – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Garcia, Suzi F. – 2021 February Feature

Gay, Ross – 2019 Harvest Workshop and Night Angler Book Launch

Gerard, Christian Anton – 2017 September Feature

el Ghadbanah, Banah – 2022 November Feature, 2021 Poetry Festival Feature, 2019 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Glasgow, Matty Layne – 2019 November Feature

greathouse, torrin a. – 2021 Retreat Faculty

Greeott, Anne – 2019 Translation Showcase

Guinzio, Carolyn – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature, 2018 March Special Event Reader

Hale, Karstin – 2016 May Feature

Hanway, Nancy – 2019 Translation Showcase

Harms, Liz – 2017 July Feature

Haydar, Adnan – 2019 Translation Showcase

Haydar, Paula – 2019 Translation Showcase

Hemphill, Destiny – 2023 June Feature

Henriksen, Matthew – 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader, 2016 January Feature

Hill, Gwyn – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings, 2019 Harvest Workshop and Night Angler Book Launch

Hindi, Noor – 2021 November Feature

Hirsi, Fatima-Ayan Malika – 2018 March Feature

Hoahwah, Sy – 2021 April Feature

Honum, Chloe – 2017 May Feature

Howell, Rebecca Gayle – 2017 February Feature

Hudson, Victoria – 2019 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Hutchinson, Claire – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Hutchinson, J. Bailey – 2022 April Feature, 2020 February Surprise Guest Reader

Iver, K. – 2023 March Feature

Jarboe, Canese – 2017 August Feature

jay, syan – 2022 July Feature

Jenkins, Marlin M. – 2020 February Feature

Joan, Sophia – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Johnson, Karstin – 2016 May Feature

Jonas, Shannon Tate – 2016 June Feature

Jones, Ashley M. – 2017 Poetry Festival Feature, 2019 March Feature

Joseph, Allison – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Joseph, Janine – 2017 Poetry Festival Feature

Kahf, Mohja – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature, 2018 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Karetnick, Jen – 2020 December Feature

Kirby, Samantha – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Kogen, Topher – 2018 Inside Out in Partnership With DecARcerate Reader

Kook, Hyejung – 2019 Poetry Festival Feature

Laser, Jessica – 2018 May Special Event Reader

Latimer, Kevin – 2021 April Feature

Leung, Muriel – 2021 September Feature

Liebowitz, Emily Sieu – 2017 April Special Event Reader

Lima, Ananda – 2021 August Feature

Limón, Ada – 2016 April Feature

Lindberg, Jacob – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Lovelace, Nabila – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature, 2017 The Conversation Feature

Machado, Aditi – 2021 January Feature

Maksymchuk, Oksana – 2019 Translation Showcase

Marín, Julia Paganelli – 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader

Marshall, Nate – 2019 Retreat Faculty

Mason, Peter – 2017 Poetry Festival Halloween Poetry Slam Showcase

Mijares, Natasha – 2023 January Feature

Miller, J. – 2020 January Feature

Mishler, Peter – 2019 February Feature

Mohabir, Rajiv – 2021 December Feature

Molberg, Jenny – 2020 August Feature

Morgan, Rome Hernández – 2020 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Mulroy, Tara Mae – 2019 January Feature

Myers, Marcus – 2018 December Special Event Reader

Nafis, Angel – 2017 January Odes For You Tour

Nethercott, GennaRose – 2018 December Feature

Nevison, Susanah – 2022 August Feature

Nguyen, Susan – 2022 February Feature

Nichol, Katie – 2016 June Feature

Nicholson, Sara – 2017 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature, 2016 June Feature

Nordgren, Sarah Rose – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature

Nuernberger, Kathryn – 2020 August Feature, 2017 June Feature

O’Neill, Emily – 2019 July Feature

Osinaike, Olatunde – 2019 Poetry Festival Feature, 2018 April Feature

Parker, Nathan – 2016 October Feature

Pascual, Kendra – 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader

Pilgrim, Roy – 2018 Poetry Festival Musical Feature

Pennington, Seth – 2017 Poetry Festival Feature

Ponce, Brandy – 2021 July Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Poppick, Daniel – 2018 May Special Event Reader

Rae, Khalisa – 2021 Poetry Festival Feature

Randall, Julian – 2018 October Feature

Rector, Molly Bess – 2018 Inside Out in Partnership With DecARcerate Reader

Rhodes, Suzanne Underwood – 2022 January Feature

Rizkallah, Jess – 2019 May Feature

Roach-Freiman, Ashley – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature, 2017 Poetry Festival Feature, 2016 February Feature

Robins, Michael – 2016 April Feature

Rocha, Iliana – 2018 June Feature

Rodriguez, Dexta Jean – 2021 July Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Rollins, Alison C. – 2022 Retreat Faculty

Salameh, Maya – 2023 April Feature

Salazar, C.T., – 2022 October Feature

Sambamurti, Vasantha – 2021 Poetry Festival Opening Mini-Feature

Sankey, Shannon – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Scarano, Caitlin – 2017 Poetry Festival Feature

Schnekloth, Clint – 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader

Schultz, Dennison Ty – 2017 December Feature

Selwyn, Calypso Jane – 2020 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature

Shores-Argüello, Jacob – 2018 February Feature

Simonovis, Leonora – 2022 January Feature

Skeets, Jake – 2021 Retreat Faculty

Sloan, Gerry – 2022 SoNA Beyond: Transcending Words Reader

Smith, Abraham – 2016 October Feature

Smith, Jordan – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Sotelo, Analicia – 2018 August Feature

Southwick, Kimberly Ann – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature

Stefanescu, Alina – 2016 August Feature

Tahir, Hiba – 2019 Writers for Migrant Justice Reader

Tess, Lauren – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Thomson, Jeffrey – 2020 January Feature

Thurman, Brandon – 2018 May Special Event Reader

Tolbert, Autumn – 2021 July Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Torres, Michael – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Tran, Paul – 2022 Retreat Faculty

Treviño, Gaby – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Twal, Peter – 2018 Poetry Festival Feature

Useche, Emily – 2022 February Mt. Sequoyah Residency Readings

Vardell, Madeline – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Vilner, Anna – 2020 University of Arkansas M.F.A 4th Year Readings

Vines, Adam – 2018 September Feature

Viswanathan, Padma – 2019 Translation Showcase

Wee, Natali – July 2022 Feature

Whittemore, Amie – 2018 July Feature

Wilhite, Rodney – 2018 Poetry Festival Local Mini-Feature, 2018 Fiction Takeover

Williams, Dare – 2022 July Workshop leader

Williams, P.J. – 2017 April Feature

Williams, Ruth – 2018 December Special Event Reader

Williamson, Corrie – 2019 December Feature

Winter, David – 2015 December Feature

Yau, John – 2019 Night Angler Book Launch

Yun, Jihyun – 2020 Poetry Festival Feature

Zhongyi, Chen – 2019 Poetry Festival US/China Poetry Dialogue