UA Little Rock Alum Publishes Debut Story Collection
Jared Lemus said he believes the best stories are those that leave a lasting impression on readers.
A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Lemus published his debut short story collection, Guatemalan Rhapsody, with HarperCollins in 2025. Set in Guatemala, the collection explores interconnected lives, community, and identity through lyrical, character-driven narratives. His debut novel is scheduled for release in 2027, and across both projects, Lemus said his goal is to write stories that feel as relevant decades from now as they do today.
“My stories have been described as timeless, and that’s how I like to think of them,” Lemus said. “I hope they feel just as urgent now as they did when I was writing them.”
He said that while the subject matter of his novel differs from his short fiction works, his creative process has remained largely unchanged. Rather than imposing structure, he allows each story to determine its own form.
“I let the story flow rather than dictate its movements,” he said. “Each one tells me the space it requires.”
Lemus, who majored in psychology with a minor in creative writing, traces his development as a writer to his time at UA Little Rock. He credits Jeffrey Condran, an associate professor of English, as the first person to recognize his talent and encourage him to take writing seriously.
“On the first day of class, I wrote something he wasn’t expecting,” Lemus said. “At that point, I didn’t even have aspirations as a writer. When I started taking it seriously, that’s when I began to feel like a real writer.”
Condran spotted Lemus’ talent right away. His debut short story collection was recently named a finalist for the PEN/Bingham Award, the PEN America prize honoring outstanding debut story collections.
“Even in his early writing, it was clear that Jared possessed a distinctive voice on the page,” Condran said. “It’s been a joy to watch his talent develop and see him succeed so well. Every writing professor’s dream is to see their students break out like this. I’m so happy for him.”
His confidence grew through participation in the university’s writing community, where workshop conversations extended beyond the classroom. Lemus said learning that his classmates were sharing and discussing his work even when he wasn’t present had a profound influence on his career path.
“To know people were preserving my stories — remembering them, sharing them — that meant a lot,” he said. “That’s what really boosted my confidence early on.”
In fall 2025, Lemus returned to campus as part of UA Little Rock’s Visiting Writers Series, where he shared insights into his craft during a public reading and discussion. The event also coincided with a launch celebration for Equinox, the university’s student-run literary journal, emphasizing the same creative community that helped shape his early development as a writer.
Today, Lemus balances his writing career with teaching, serving as a visiting writer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said mentoring emerging writers has sharpened his own approach and keeps him grounded in the fundamentals of fiction.
“Teaching keeps craft at the forefront of my mind,” Lemus said. “When I sit down to the blank page, those lessons are always there.”
Lemus said that despite publishing with a major press, he remains focused on the writing itself rather than the mechanics of the publishing industry.
“I’m very much a purist,” he said. “I focus on the art and trust my agent and publishers to do their part.”
For current UA Little Rock students who hope to build a writing life of their own, Lemus encouraged persistence, attentiveness, and curiosity — starting with expanding knowledge through reading about any and every subject.
“Read everything,” he said. “You never know where an idea is going to come from.”
Over time, that mindset becomes instinctive, he said.
“Eventually, you stop reminding yourself that you’re a writer,” Lemus said. “You just start seeing the world that way.”