Creator and Director

Julia Paganelli Marín (she/her) is the Creator and Director of Bee Balm Arkansas, a community writing experience begun in October 2022 with opportunities to listen, write, and share within and beyond Northwest Arkansas. Julia has been teaching and designing curriculum for more than a decade for adult, college-level, and high school learners and has published her research and presented at academic conferences about community writing.

Her role in the Bee Balm community is program and community building; grant writing and development; and workshop instruction. She is the host and editor of the show Bee Balm Presents, a collaboration with KUAF National Public Radio in Fayetteville.

Julia holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas. Her publications include her chapbook, Blush Less, as well as individual poems. Her editorial work has included reading and selection of work for The Arkansas International and Up North Lit.


  • Micah Poor

    PROGRAM SPECIALIST &
    PRODUCER OF BEE BALM PRESENTS

    Micah Poor (he/him) is a Fayetteville-based digital media specialist with expertise in audio/video production, editing, storytelling, and graphic design across various media platforms. He develops and coordinates Bee Balm Arkansas programming with Julia and produces the KUAF National Public Radio show and podcast Bee Balm Presents. When he isn’t writing, Micah can be found watching spooky movies with his dog Miko.

  • Kirsten Beckett

    NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR

    Kirsten Beckett (she/her) is our Bee Balm Arkansas Newsletter Coordinator, so she’s the one in your inbox each month. Marketer by trade and poet by choice, Kirsten is a UT Austin grad with a Bachelor’s of Journalism. She made her way to NWA in 2021 and was part of the founding Bee Balm class in 2022. Kirsten regularly leads group members in drafting nights to create a dedicated space where writers can focus on developing their craft and building community. She hadn’t written poetry for fun before joining this community and now she can’t stop!

  • Sav Leonard

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Sav Leonard (she/they) is a creative professional living in Fayetteville, Arkansas who supports small businesses and local creatives with designs that are both fun and functional. Whether it's creating social media templates, designing promotional content, or building a whole brand guide from the ground up, she's excited to be part of your growth and success. Sav graduated from John Brown University in 2018 with a degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Business Administration & Marketing. View more of Sav’s graphic designs on their website.