Jarret Keene
2025 Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Inductee

Jarret is an assistant professor in the Department of English at UNLV, where he teaches fiction writing, American literature, and the history of the graphic novel. He is the series editor for Las Vegas Writes, sponsored by Nevada Humanities and published by Huntington Press. He is the author of the dystopian adventure novel Hammer of the Dogs (University of Nevada Press), and the middle grade books Decide and Survive: The Attack on Pearl Harbor, Decide and Survive: The Battle of Gettysburg, and Heroes of World War II: 25 True Stories of Unsung Heroes Who Fought for Freedom, published by Bushel & Peck. Keene’s Kid Crimson trilogy of Western novels was published in 2024 by Wolfpack Publishing. His latest book is the story collection Gateways to Annihilation, published by Dark Wolf in 2025. Keene has been interviewed by Writer’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, EcoTheo Review, Library Thing, Black Fox Literary Magazine, and Coast to Coast AM.

Arian Katsimbras
2025 Silver Pen Awardee

Arian Katsimbras is a native of Reno, Nevada. He earned his BA in English from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his MFA from Virginia Tech. His first book, The Wonder Years, is available from Texas A&M University Press. He feverishly loves bees and books into a kind of spiritual affliction — those very things that keep the world in equilibrium. He currently resides with his family in Carson City, Nevada.