Shale is the University of Kentucky's own undergraduate literary arts journal. Comprised of fiction, poetry, and visual art from talented UK students, Shale is published once a semester to much fanfare. Part of that fanfare is the traditional reception, an event that is free to attend to an art-loving public. Students published in Shale, fans of the magazine, and a number of faculty members meet to celebrate another successfully assembled issue, as well as share their work in a public reading.

There is word on the page and then there is word given breath. This past April, students and faculty from the University of Kentucky brought words to life thanks to a 12-hour open air poetry reading. The event, organized by English professor and published author Julia Johnson, was held outside of the Student Center welcoming anyone and everyone to come read their favorite poems aloud.