The Foundation is excited to be going to Berea for a first-time visit and we have a dynamic line-up of poets and music. Marta Miranda-Straub, everyone’s favorite Cubalachian poet, is a published author, poet, storyteller and public speaker. She is the former commissioner for Kentucky’s Department of Community Based Services (DCBS), and she will be the featured poet at the event.
Marta was inducted into the Affrilachian Poets by Kentucky Poet Laureate, Frank X Walker in 2009. She was named among one of 15 emerging authors in 2025 by MSN.
Her bilingual memoir Cradled by Skeletons—A Life in Poems and Essays was published in 2019 and her illustrated children’s book Lullaby for Maddie was published in 2022 by Shadelandhouse Modern Press. Marta will be reading from her latest book of poems, Mermaid Musings: Diving in the Margins (8/2025), as well as from her memoir Cradled by Skeletons. There will be a sneak preview from her latest bilingual children’s book, Spirits in His Hair (Hispanic Heritage Month 2026), about her great nephew’s rough journeys at the barbershop, eased by Tía Marta’s soothing stories about Cuba. As well as an excerpt from her upcoming romance novel, Tangled Sheets & Secret Desires (3/2027), set in Montpellier, France.
Click more for ticket information:
Newsletter Articles 2025-2026
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Marta Miranda-Straub & Friends
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Northern KY Equinox
The James Baker Hall Foundation is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Northern Kentucky Equinox—An Appalachian Arts & Heritage Celebration. Presented by the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition, the event will celebrate the relationship of the region to the Appalachian roots in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.
The Urban Appalachian Community Coalition (UACC) is an alliance of individuals and organizations engaging in research, advocacy, neighborhood service, and arts & cultural outreach programs to serve diverse Cincinnati populations.
The UACC embraces Appalachian and wider-community diversity and actively works for justice and cultural awareness in Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods as well as in neighboring Kentucky. It primarily serves Appalachian settlement neighborhoods in Greater Cincinnati (Lower Price Hill, Over-the-Rhine, Camp Washington, Northside, South Fairmont, East End, St. Bernard), and cities of Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Inspired by the irrepressible spirit of Appalachian people, they promote:- Wisdom informed by Appalachian heritage and urban migration experiences
- Resistance to threats against individual, family, and community well-being
- Respect for the Greater Cincinnati community as a harbor for diverse places and people
- Artistic and cultural expressions inspired by diverse identities and traditions
- Inclusiveness that respects differences, embraces connections, and promotes dynamic collaboration
- Advocacy on behalf of those Cincinnatians whose voices are marginalized or unheard
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Bloodroot Presents Kentucky Poet Laureate
(more…)On Thursday, March 26, the Bloodroot Writers Collective will host Kathleen Driskell, 2025-2026 Poet Laureate of Kentucky, as a visiting writer for an afternoon and evening of poetry, conversation, and community. This visit is part of Bloodroot’s ongoing work as a youth-led literary program hosted by the Rowan County Arts Center in partnership with the James Baker Hall Foundation.
The afternoon will be intentionally intimate and student-centered. From 4:00–4:45 pm at the Rowan County Arts Center, Driskell will lead a craft talk with middle and high school writers, offering students a hands-on writing experience and the chance to engage directly with a working poet.
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SCAPA Young Writers at Carnegie Center
The James Baker Hall Foundation is proud to sponsor the Young Writers Conference. Created by Christopher McCurry and developed in 2022 by the Literary Arts students at SCAPA Lafayette, the Young Writers Conference hosts young writers from around the Bluegrass. The conference is completely student run and led with readings, panels, workshops by and for student writers. The Young Writers Conference will convene March 28 at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and coincides with several Youth Writing Contests offered by the Carnegie Center.
The Young Writers Conference is free and open to the public and offers young writers between the ages of 12 and 18 the opportunity to learn from and network with one another. The schedule consists of morning and afternoon panel sessions; a reading from the SCAPA Literary Arts junior class; and an adult and youth Keynote reader, selected by the co-directors of the conference. The adult keynote speaker in 2026 will be Kathleen Driskell, Kentucky’s current Poet Laureate.
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prakash maggan & Rainmaker Hospitality Support the Foundation
When you have a program called Kentucky Writers on the Road (KYOTR), having a loyal supporter in the hospitality trade is a plus. Prakash Maggan is the Chief Financial Officer at Rainmaker Hospitality which is headquartered in Lexington.
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Managing Director Larry Pemble crossed paths with Prakash when their children attended Providence Montessori in Lexington together. As Larry was building the foundation, he sought Rainmaker Hospitality’s support to defer some travel expenses by providing accommodations for travel around the Commonwealth.
With a degree in accounting from Transylvania and then graduating with a law degree from the University of Dayton, Prakash was establishing a successful career at Deloitte when a sudden change with a tragedy around his cousins left his father needing help with the family’s hospitality business. Maggan said he had grown up around the family business and never thought that one day he would make the change. This crisis/opportunity moment for him turned out to be a good decision.
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SLAC Seeks Artists
If you’re a writer, visual artist, musician, or crafter who’s been wanting to deepen your craft, work alongside other committed creatives, and be part of something meaningful from the ground up, here’s an opportunity for you.
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The Arts Leadership Program (ALP) at the Salt River Local Arts Collaborative is a hands-on, mentor-supported experience designed to help artists grow both creatively and as cultural leaders. The program is funded by a special grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and centers artists who are using creative work as a tool for healing, connection, and recovery.
Participants in the ALP will help support and shape the launch of the Salt River Local Arts Collaborative’s literary publication coming this summer.
WHO CAN APPLY
We especially encourage applications from folks who are in recovery from addiction or trauma, living with or loving someone in addiction or recovery, or navigating grief, rupture, or long-term healing. You don’t need to have it all figured out—just a willingness to show up, make art, and grow in community.
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Meet Sarah Miller
One thing for certain about talking to people who were in James Baker Hall’s orbit is that he left a lasting impression. Former students have fond memories of class time and talk about his intensity and belief that art could heal.
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But not everyone in that orbit was focused on creative writing. James Baker Hall was an accomplished and prolific photographer as well as poet, author and teacher. Sarah Miller (artistic name Bloodswan) met Jim in 2005 while modeling for another Lexington photographer, Liam (Billy) Wilson. At the time, she was a psychology student looking to pick up a few extra dollars modeling. Little did she know how this would change her path!!
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Upcoming calendar
The spring is going to be a busy time for the Foundation with several events planned. Make sure you note these dates as we will be heading out in the Commonwealth!
Check us out at these events:Saturday, March 14
1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Readings by Marta Miranda-Straub & Friends
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Rebel Rebel Studio and Lounge
440 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY
Free
Food Truck will be onsite
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Introspection: Managing Director Lawrence Pemble Looks Back and to the Future
I recently spoke with Larry about the foundation after two and a half years to look back at its evolution as well as a glance into the future.
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– Jane White, Editor
JW: It’s been about 2 ½ years since you launched the foundation. Is it different than what you originally imagined or close to what you envisioned?
LP: We’ve learned a lot since we started! It’s a good thing we’ve had such a great group of friends and advisors to help guide us. We knew we wanted to support writers all across Kentucky because that’s what my father had said, but we had no clear idea what that really meant or how to do it!
We established the JBH Book Award from the beginning and made a point of including young writers in everything. As we began to introduce ourselves around the state and find the partner relationships which eventually grew into the Kentucky Writers on the Road speakers series, we found incredibly strong literary communities everywhere!
JW: So that was a good surprise as you were developing the foundation!
LP: Absolutely. Do you know the quality and the sheer number of people who are actively pursuing some interest in creative writing, whether it be poetry or not? We have found all over the state, you know, interest in writing. The commitment is really extraordinary and was totally unexpected outside the major centers.
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James Baker Hall Foundation Salutes Treasured Partner Katerina Stoykova
If you are involved in a writing community in the Commonwealth, you have probably crossed paths with Katerina Stoykova, publisher of Accents Publishing based in Lexington. Katerina has been a good friend to the James Baker Hall Foundation since its inception as a connector to many writers in Kentucky as well providing guidance along the way.
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Katerina was born in Bulgaria and immigrated to the United States in 1995. Trained in her home country as an electrical engineer, she continued her education in the U.S. and obtained a Masters in Computer Science. Additionally she holds an MBA from Virginia Tech and Masters of Fine Arts from Spalding University. This begs the question . . . where did your career path diverge to your current status?
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David Neal Lends Talent to The James Baker Hall Foundation
Native Lexingtonian David Neal never dreamed his dream career path would bring him back to the Bluegrass. Having just graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a degree in cinematography, he assumed his path would take him elsewhere.
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“I realized with some of the things around the state’s incentives to bring more film here and the creation of LEX Studios, there were actually a lot of cool things happening here. So, combining the thing I love most with the place I love, it was easy.”
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Giving Tuesday Wrap Up
On December 2, the James Baker Hall Foundation was part of the world-wide fundraising effort, GivingTuesday. The Foundation raised $48,000 for programs.
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Americans gave $4 billion to nonprofits on GivingTuesday in 2025, an increase from the $3.6 billion they gave in 2024, according to estimates from the nonprofit, GivingTuesday.
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Support the Work of the James Baker Hall Foundation Giving Tuesday December 2
(more…)In just two years, the James Baker Hall Foundation has made quick progress toward our mission of continuing the great artistic heritage by providing direct support to Kentucky’s literary and visual creatives. We’ve been busy! Take a look back and see some of our accomplishments over the past two years:
Programs
- The James Baker Hall Foundation Book Award gave awards in 2024 and 2025 to Kentucky-focused writers who won competitive, independently judged competitions and were awarded publishing contracts and a stipend
- Kentucky Writers on the Road visited communities across the Commonwealth from Newport to Paducah to work with arts organizations to hold readings with the 2024 Book Award Winner and local poets
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James Baker Hall Foundation 2025 Book Award Winner: Willie Davis
The foundation is proud to announce the winner of the second annual James Baker Hall Foundation Book Award. Willie Davis of Lexington was selected as the winner of this year’s competition in short fiction.
Willie Davis’s writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Kenyon Review, Salon, storySouth, and Berkeley Fiction Review amongst other places. He is the winner of The Willesden Short Story Prize (judged by Zadie Smith) and the Katherine Ann Porter Prize (judged by Amy Hempel). He is the author of the novel NIGHTWOLF and the short story collection I CAN OUTDANCE JESUS.
Toni Ann Johnson, Flannery O’Connor Award-winning author of Light Skin Gone to Waste and the 2025 James Baker Hall Book Award judge, made these comments, “Honeysuckle Season” is a novel in stories that takes place in Hazard, Kentucky, and unfolds during the course of one day after a terrible car accident kills a resident. Using a Rashomon approach, Davis moves into the consciousness of multiple townspeople, and we learn about them and their lives. These characters are wonderfully well-drawn. Flawed and funny, odd, and wounded, striving and defeated, we get to know them well enough to root for them as individuals and as people who care for each other more than they realize. It’s a remarkable read.”
Watch in the upcoming months for more on Willie and his upcoming book.
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Legacy Corner
The James Baker Hall Foundation was created several years ago to honor the legacy of James Baker Hall. As the foundation has grown and reached more people, we have come into contact with some of Jim’s former students during his time at the University of Kentucky as director of their Creative Writing Program. We have learned through stories that he mentored quite a few students to not only be better writers, but to also to be devoted to whatever their life threw at them. In November, we talked with Steve Heine, a visual artist from Louisville, Kentucky.
(more…)Steve Heine’s path crossed with James Baker Hall in the mid-1990’s on the University of Kentucky campus. He already had graduated with a degree in Marketing, but had developed a fascination with architecture and came back to UK to study in the School of Architecture. Because he had recently graduated, he was able to use many prerequisites to fill requirements and was in need of an elective and he selected a short story workshop of Jim’s as he had always loved short stories.
Architecture and writing? Seems like a stretch, but Steve thinks it was a natural fit for him. “Jim emphasized clarity in his work,” states Steve. He continues, “Jim was thoughtful and carefully edited. He would say the short story is the hardest form of writing. A novel is a big, expansive piece. With a short story there is nowhere to hide.”
Steve believes thoughtful and careful editing is a centerpiece of his art. “I will edit my art on my laptop. It is multi-layered and 3D and it is highly edited before I begin to work on it in my studio.”
