October events focused on creative writing, poetry
The University of Central Arkansas will host celebrated writer Bessie Flores Zaldívar for a two-day residency Nov. 6-7 highlighting their debut publication “Libertad,” a coming-of-age story set in the midst of the contentious 2017 Honduran elections.
The residency will include conversations with students from UCA’s creative writing, gender studies and Spanish programs. Zaldívar will also lead a masterclass with students pursuing an MFA in creative writing and attend an interview with the editors of UCA’s national online literary magazine Arkana. Additionally, the public is invited to an event that includes a reading, keynote address and book signing at the C.D. Wright Writers Conference, which will be held in McCastlain Hall at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. All events will take place on UCA’s campus and are open to the public and free of charge, with no tickets required for entry.
“UCA and the C.D. Wright Writers Conference are so lucky to host a writer of such incomparable gifts as Bessie Flores Zaldívar,” Dr. Tom Williams, dean of UCA’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, said. “Zaldívar’s fiction returns us to the pangs and pleasures of growing up, and presents words and worlds we’re all the better for encountering.”
The full schedule for Zaldívar’s residency is as follows:
Nov. 6
- 12:15-1:30 p.m., Student Event: Craft Talk With Creative Writing students, McCastlain Hall Fireplace Room.
- 1:40-2:30 p.m., Student Event: Conversation With students from multiple disciplines (Creative Writing, Gender Studies, Spanish, etc.), McCastlain Hall Fireplace Room.
- 4-5 p.m., Student Event: Masterclass With MFA Creative Writing students, Win Thompson Hall 104.
Nov. 7
- 4-5 p.m., Student Event: Interview With editors of Arkana (UCA’s national online literary magazine), Win Thompson Hall 331.
- 6-7 p.m., Public Event: Reading/Keynote and Book Signing (C. D. Wright Writers Conference), McCastlain Hall Ballroom.
A native of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Zaldívar’s work explores themes of identity, belonging and liberation. With an MFA in fiction from Virginia Tech, they bring a rich, transnational perspective to writing and teaching. Currently based in New Haven, Conn., Zaldívar teaches creative writing at Quinnipiac University, where the writer mentors emerging voices with insight and empathy. With their 2024 debut publication “Libertad,” Zaldívar marks a bold and lyrical entrance into contemporary literature, blending narrative innovation with emotional depth. As an artist in residence, Zaldívar invites communities to engage in dialogue, memory and imagination.
Additional information about Bessie Flores Zaldívar is available at bessiefzaldivar.org. More information about the residency is available by contacting professor Acie Clark at kclark27@uca.edu.
The UCA Artists in Residence program is funded by the Fine and Performing Arts Fee paid by all students, with additional support from Engage Management and Pyramid Art, Books, and Custom Framing. More information about the Artists in Residence program is available at uca.edu/go/artistsinresidence or by contacting Dr. Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at gayles@uca.edu.