Come hear writers read aloud stories they developed in our GetSmART! writing workshops, and learn more about the art of writing from well-known author and publisher Janis F. Kearney during this free, virtual workshop at 10 a.m. Dec. 1!

Ten writers will read their works during “Writing Out Loud: Sharing Our Stories,” the last of Kearney’s free webinars. Writers were chosen from the Nov. 9 workshop. For the Dec. 1 workshop, each writer will share his or her story about “The One Who Got Away.”

Stories are about 3 to 5 minutes each.

The webinar will end with a question-and-answer session and evaluation of the work. This workshop is a great opportunity to discover emerging Arkansas writers, network and learn more about the craft of writing and oration.

Registration is limited and must be made through email at [email protected].

The workshop is the last step of taking a story through the writing process and learning to tell it aloud. This workshop is for lovers of good writing and the craft of writing. 

Kearney is a writer, publisher, journalist and instructor. She was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame in 2016. She has penned several books and founded a publishing company, called Writing our World Publishing, or “Wow! Publishing.”

Kearney fell in love with the sound and feel of words as a child in the southeast Arkansas Delta. She creates stories about hers and other Southerners’ lives through short stories, memoir, biography and fiction.

She served as publisher of the Arkansas State Press founded by civil rights legend Daisy Gatson Bates. Kearney served eight years in the Clinton Presidency as a Whitehouse media affairs specialist, then as the director of public communications for the U.S. Small Business Administration. She served the last five years of Bill Clinton’s presidency as the personal diarist to President Clinton.

Her two passions are writing and the Celebrate! Maya Project, a nonprofit she and a handful of women created after the death of the iconic Maya Angelou in 2014. “The Project creates forums for young people to learn their own history and create their own stories, and in the process, discover their own voices,” she says.

Please let staff know if an attendee needs support for accessibility, including sight and hearing. For more information, contact Janet Perkins at 501-324-9775 or at [email protected].