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NEBO: A Literary Journal

Looking Back: a History of Creative Collaboration

The History of Nebo

Nebo: A Literary Journal began publication as the Five Cent Cigar in 1971 and took its current name during the 1982-1983 academic year. Nebo routinely publishes Arkansas Tech students and unpublished writers alongside nationally known writers.

Professor Baxter Clarence Hall, Jr.

The Nebo office in Arkansas Tech University's English Department is dedicated to the memory of Professor B.C. Hall (1936-2004). Professor Hall, or B.C. as he was known to generations of students, taught American literature and creative writing at Tech for 38 years. Hall, a sharecropper's son from Blytheville, earned his undergraduate degree at Henderson State University, where he met his wife Daphne. He worked briefly as a reporter for the Conway Log Cabin Democrat before being admitted to the prestigious Writer's Workshop at the University of Iowa, where he earned an M.F.A. He started teaching at Tech in 1961 and in the 1970s helped found Tech's B.F.A. program in creative writing.

Nebo Now

While Nebo's name and look may have changed across the years, one thing that has always remained constant is the dedication of the journal's student readers, editors, and faculty staff to ensuring that Nebo remains a voice of creative inspiration for Arkansas Tech University and its surrounding community. As faculty and departmental leaders have changed, the support for Nebo and its creative voices has remained constant, a steady pulse connecting Arkansas Tech University to the heart of the literary world.

Words from the Faculty

Dr. Jeffrey Cass, Dean of the Department of English and World Languages at Arkansas Tech University.

“As Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities for the past five years, overseeing many faculty and student collaborations, I could not be prouder of the accomplishments within the college, than I am of NEBO, an interdisciplinary literary journal that features students’ talents across literature and the visual arts. While always vibrant, NEBO has a rich and storied tapestry of achievements. Established over forty years ago, the publication has reinvented itself with online access, an X account, and a blog. The University community and the regional community at large should be grateful for keeping the spirit of NEBO alive, the imaginative spirit of Mercury, the god of celestial messaging and writing, as well as a reference to the grounded spirit of Mt. Nebo, whose soaring presence reifies the passion and joy that the journal embodies. The students and faculty will always have my full support for this endeavor, keeping alive old traditions and creating new ones.”

Dr. Mary Sharpe, Acting Faculty Advisor for Nebo: a Literary Journal.

"On the founding of the influential Ontario Review, novelist Joyce Carol Oates said, “I was fascinated from about the age of eighteen onward by the notion, the abstract, almost Platonic notion, of a physical thing that was at the same time a communal phenomenon. That is, one picks up a magazine, weighs it in the hand, and it appears to be a thing, but in fact it isn't a thing at all. It's a symposium. A gathering…” The biannual gathering that is Nebo has been taking place for almost 45 years, eight of which I’ve served as Faculty Advisor to the hardworking editorial staff made up of undergraduate students—mostly Creative Writing and English majors—at Arkansas Tech University. Though my door is always open to offer what guidance I can, it’s important to me to take a hands-off approach to the journal, making sure the reigns are securely in the hands of the student-editor and the team of staff members they lead each semester. In other words, this is the ATU students’ publication, and it’s the students who are in charge of what pieces are selected to appear in each issue and how that issue is laid out and designed. Having worked with over fifteen student-editors, I can say that no two Nebo editors’ styles—or editorial teams’ visions—have been identical, though the heart of Nebo has always been showcasing the best writing—poetry, short stories, creative nonfiction essays, and more—submitted and with emphasis on the talent found here on campus and in the wider Arkansas River Valley region. On behalf of the Nebo staff—present and past—I hope you enjoy the body of work found here and find writing that speaks to you, challenges you, inspires you, and makes you think—even rethink—what contemporary literature has to offer. Welcome to the symposium—it is now in session."

Abstracting and Indexing

Nebo: A Literary Journal is indexed in several key databases, including:

  • JSTOR
  • Project MUSE
  • Google Scholar
  • Academic Search Premier

These databases provide broad access to the journal's work and contribute to its visibility in the academic and literary communities.

Physical and Digital Copies of Nebo

Physical and digital copies of Nebo: a Literary Journal are housed at the New York Public Library's flagship location, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The Schwarzman Building is one of the Library's premier research centers. It is renowned for its extraordinary historical collections and commitment to providing free and equal access to its resources. Arkansas Tech University is proud to have current and historical copies of Nebo housed through the New York Public Library. Those who are interested in viewing previous issues of Nebo through the Schwarzman Building's digital archives, or in person, can find Nebo in the library's legacy catalogue here.