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Ozarks at Large

Arkansas' maternal care deserts — Zeka Pena talks award-winning 'Sundust'

By Aiden Dixon,
Kyle Kellams, Little Rock Public Radio, Matthew Moore
Published July 8, 2026 at 3:43 PM CDT
Jack Travis
/
kuaf

On today's show, we learn that nearly half of Arkansas counties qualify as maternal care deserts and consider how that impacts women seeking prenatal care. We also spoke with artist, writer and storyteller Zeke Pena about his 2026 Caldecott Honor Book Award-winning book, "Sundust." Plus, we dive into a new one-act play about Fort Smith.

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Aiden Dixon
Aiden Dixon is a journalism student and reporter at the University of Arkansas.
See stories by Aiden Dixon
Kyle Kellams
Kyle Kellams is KUAF's news director and host of Ozarks at Large.
See stories by Kyle Kellams
Little Rock Public Radio
Little Rock Public Radio (KUAR 89.1 FM) is a public radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is a network affiliate of National Public Radio (NPR) and is licensed to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
See stories by Little Rock Public Radio
Matthew Moore
Matthew Moore is senior producer for Ozarks at Large.
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