​​​​​If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form.

Member Danielle Ramirez of Quiet Storm Services has this news to share about an upcoming book: 

A message from member Sandee Taylor:

Today I had the opportunity to pass out the literary awards to Circle Benton Elementary students. The awards assembly was the culmination of their 25th annual writing and art contest for 4th-6th grades. Such a privilege to shake the young authors’ hands and give them words of encouragement as I handed them their certificates. Each student receives a book and they have a wonderful time signing them at the end of the event. I served as the judge for the 4th grade poetry. Their theme this year was “Time Machine.” Pictured with me and the time machine which lived in their cafeteria for several weeks are Erika and Jason Kirk (coordinators for the event), Rob Leis (principal and KAC member), and Alex Kessler. Alex was the art judge and passed out the art awards. He won the art contest the first and second years of the contest. I served as principal of Benton Elementary during those years.

"Was That Thunder? More Than a Boston Marathon Bombing Story"
​ by Greg Kalkwarf

​If you desire a challenge or appreciate stories including family life, building relationships, developing fortitude, displaying sportsmanship, and ordinary people completing extraordinary feats, read "Was That Thunder? More Than a Boston Marathon Bombing Story" by Greg Kalkwarf. With experiences in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas, Greg’s “journey through adversity,” is beyond typical marathon training.
 
Kalkwarf’s professional connections and knowledge of baseball and distance running guided him as he faced a snowstorm during the Peak 2008 marathon. Elevation, rugged terrain, technical footing, and icy conditions challenged the athletes; nonetheless, teamwork helped them conquer the mountain. With a memory for dates and a keen sense of humor, Kalkwarf’s quest to support those truly facing adversity, he endorsed the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Underwearness, the Alzheimer's Association, and other organizations.
 
Digesting various books, assorted publications, and inspirational biographies from the local library provided Greg with mental training. With an “I run so I can eat” attitude, Kalkwarf trained by running up and down Colorado mountains, parking garages, office stairs, and myriad courses in addition to Kansas and Nebraska rolling hills and plains despite inclement weather.
 
Encountering a raging forest fire near his Colorado home, the sudden death of a family member, diagnosis of a fatal disease of another family member, a car collision, and a terrorist attack, Greg chose happiness over fear. With the unwavering encouragement of his wife Kirsta before, during, and after her two pregnancies, Greg was inspired and determined.
 
Was it divine intervention that Greg “finished the Boston Marathon with a personal record of 3:56:03,” then minutes later, a loud boom cracked the sky? By finishing earlier than anticipated, Greg, his wife, and young children were spared. As a result of this tragedy, three died, a dozen lost limbs, hundreds were injured, and numerous PTSD victims, runners, and volunteers were emotionally scarred. Enduring the 2013 marathon was more severe than insanity drills, injuries, agony, and the effort balancing work, family, and training exercises.
 
“Face your fears” and read "Was That Thunder? More Than a Boston Marathon Bombing Story" with 26.2 chapters focused on an incredible journey to move others forward.
 
At the time of this publication, Greg completed ten marathons in Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and Nebraska. If he is not spending time with his family, running, hiking, or watching baseball, you can connect with Greg at www.gregkalkwarf.com.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Carmaine Ternes
Librarian, Author, Editor, Presenter
April 2025

Carmaine Ternes is a member of Kansas Authors Club. You can follow her reviews on Goodreads.

What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website. ​

In Traci Brimhall’s latest poetry collection, LOVE PRODIGAL (Copper Canyon Press, 2024), she tackles topics such as the end of a marriage, the loss of her mother, the pandemic, and learning to live with chronic pain and illness. This list might lead you to think the book’s primary connective tissue is sadness and regret, but on the contrary (and as the title suggests), the poems are woven into a cohesive collection by love: love that is exuberant and celebratory, even as it acknowledges the messy business of heartbreak and death and pain. There are also pieces in the book about a new relationship, and these are—yes—love poems.

As she writes about darker topics, Brimhall leans into the pain for what it can teach her about herself. The lesson over and over is that she is worthy, she is strong, she is capable of self-love. In “Cold, Crazy, Broken,” she explores her mistreatment in a previous relationship: “I’m sorry I held his breath between / my horns until he explained me to myself, said cold / said crazy said broken …” By the end of the poem, she has reframed these insults with her own powerful meanings: “I became the story / of me—cold as mint, crazy as holding my shadow’s hand / broken as the night when the new moon rises through it.”

In “Why I Stayed,” the title implies remaining in a relationship, but the relationship it references is the speaker’s relationship with life. She writes “all summer I wanted // to die … Instead, I took 99 / of the peacock’s eyes, half the checking account, and left.” The explanation for staying comes in these closing lines: “I found // a thousand small pleasures that made me want to live, and / they were bridges, birdsong, strawberries, sunlight, and lambs.”

LOVE PRODIGAL is infused with these “small pleasures” that make it a delight to read. One of Brimhall’s many strengths as a writer is her ability to startle and stun with fresh, inventive language. I underlined so many gorgeous phrases and lines like these:

• “my heart // in its bone kennel” (“If You Want to Fall in Love Again”)
• “love is a syllabus of domestic chores with rolling due dates and extra-credit candlelight” (“Arts & Sciences”)
• “our bedroom window’s archive of light” (“Love Languages”)

I could list more examples, but they are best enjoyed within the context of the poems.

Brimhall’s work can be witty and playful with nods to pop culture (“I Would Do Anything for Love, but I Won’t” and “Long-Distance Relationship as Alt Text” ) as well as poems inspired by other poets, like “Someday I’ll Love Traci Brimhall” (after Ocean Vuong’s “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong”).

“Someday I’ll Love Traci Brimhall” encapsulates many of the themes in the book as she writes of accepting herself, her pain, and her family, including her mother. Her linguistic chops are also on full display: “I’ll boast ornament & scandal”; “I’ll crisis & satisfy”; “[I’ll] Unbutton / myself, let the shames scuttle out”; “I’ll bumble like a bee…”.

The hardest person to love is often oneself, and though the conceit of this poem describes her love for Traci Brimhall as “nearly” here, in truth, the book is studded with a clear acceptance and celebration of the poet’s self. Perhaps that is the secret to the joy spilling out of these pages.
​
I have loved Traci Brimhall (and her words) for about six years now, since I first read her poetry. Of her earlier books, COME THE SLUMBERLESS TO THE LAND OF NOD was my favorite, and as I awaited the publication of LOVE PRODIGAL, I wondered if this new book could measure up. I am happy to report that it does. If you, too, would like to love Traci Brimhall, it’s as easy as reading her poetry. #readlocalks

Member Janice Northerns shared this review of member Traci Brimhall's book, Love Prodigal.
​ 

What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website. ​

Issue #9, the Luck issue, of 105 Meadowlark Reader has stories taking place in 31 Kansas counties and features 30 authors. 

Eleven stories in this issue are by authors new to 105. 

This issue will be available for purchase in Kansas independent boosktores and via the Meadowlark website in May 2025.

Kansas Authors Club members with essays in the Spring 2025 issue are:

Boyd Bauman
Brian Daldorph
Beth Gulley
Roger Heineken
Jerilynn Jones Henrikson
Duane L. Herrmann
Vicki L. Julian
Amy Kliewer
Kerry Moyer
Robert W. Phillips
Robert Rebein
Cynthia C. Schaker
Mason Taylor-Taite
Alicia Troike
Brenda L. White
Sheree L. Wingo

Wednesday, April 23
at Round Table Bookstore 
826 N. Kansas Ave., Topeka

Duane will begin at 6:15 p.m.

Duane Herrmann, a fifth-generation Kansan, has a sci fi novel, a local history book, a compilation on fasting, two collections of short stories and nine books of poetry to his credit. His work has been published in the United States, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, India, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and Wales, in English, German, French and Dutch. Last year, one of his poems was nominated for a Pushcart and a short story for best of the Net. The publisher of that story was the 50th place he had sent it to in 10 years of trying. Duane is regarded as the leading authority on the history of the Baha’i Faith in Kansas.

Words in the Wind is sponsored by
Kansas Authors Club - Topeka Chapter
& Round Table Bookstore

Member Janice Northerns shares a review of member Michael Poage's Heart: Collected Poems 1975-2024.

HEART contains 14 books and spans almost 50 years, and it was wonderful to hear Mike read from it at Watermark Books recently! Here's my review of the book:

HEART: COLLECTED POEMS 1975-2024 by Michael Poage offers a rare opportunity to trace a poet’s evolution over time. Much of his work is spare and philosophical but still capable of profound impact, as in this early poem from BORN, his 1975 collection:

The First Person with Skin
The fog
she thought would cover
her bones
was only a tongue,
a door.

In these few short lines, Poage contrasts the expectation of protection with the discovery of vulnerability and openness. I enjoyed finding another poem much later in the book (from 2001’s GOD WON’T OVERLOOK US) that reminded me of “The First Person with Skin”:

Slipping Into Something Comfortable
She took off her clothes.
It was that simple.

In this later poem, the subject is at ease in her own skin. These pieces may seem only tangentially related, but one of the delights of reading Poage’s collected works is finding poems published many years apart that speak to one another—each enriched by the conversation. These pieces also illustrate the author’s knack for making his titles do much of the work; the titles are the key to understanding these two poems.

Poage’s poetry is lyrical but features plenty of concrete detail and vivid description, with poems set in varied locations, including Kansas, Bosnia (where he spends time teaching each year) and Gaza.

Two of my favorite pieces evoked radically different emotions. A poem late in the book, “a swarm of bees”, which is dedicated to George Floyd, chilled me to the bone. The poem is literally about a video of a swarm of bees, but the figurative meaning as we interpret it in the context of George’s Floyd’s tragic case resonates deeply. The bees are “moving barely enough / to notice.” But the speaker notices “the sound. a / grinding, slow business / cooking above your head.” From there the poem builds to a powerful and haunting conclusion.

Another favorite, “Loose Change” stirred happier feelings. The poem describes a coffee date in a book store between a woman and the poem’s speaker. The language is erotically charged throughout, from these early lines—“you came up behind me. / I felt the light touch / of your breasts through / your blouse and my shirt / against my back” to the closure: “you slipped your hands / into my front pants pockets. / You were not searching / for nickels or dimes.”

As might be expected in a collection that spans fifty years and includes fourteen books, these poems cover a wide range of subjects. There is much more to discover than I have mentioned here. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the book (900+ pages). You can start at the beginning and read the book chronologically, or you can dip in at any point and emerge with core samples from different eras of Michael Poage’s poetry. Both methods yield rich rewards.
#readlocalks

Roy Stucky is a member of Kansas Authors Club. Roy has a wife and two sons in rural Kansas. Roy began writing as a senior in high school. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Management Information Systems, cum laude, from Sterling College. He pays the bills as the network administrator of an accounting firm. Roy's primary artistic output is song lyrics for the band "Mirror Covenant".Along with writing Roy has at one time or another been a tractor driver, Mensa member, roofer, photographer, logger, playground attendant, alternative energy retailer, computer programmer, cabinet maker, chess addict, graphic designer, painter, dairy farmer, student, inventor, sound engineer, auto mechanic, hunter, carpenter, web designer, and all too often a frightful bore. He has only excelled at the latter.

If you, like me, find yourself growing grumpier by the year, check out this memoir by my friend Tammy Hader!
WALKING OLD ROADS: A MEMOIR OF KINDNESS REDISCOVERED by Tammy Hader.

Tammy Hader structures this memoir around revisiting childhood memories in an attempt to find the cure for the cynicism that plagues many of us as we grow older. She describes growing up in the small town of Belle Plain, Kansas, and expresses longing for the past when neighbors and strangers seemed friendlier and more open to helping one another.

The book features a dual plot line as each short chapter focuses on a visit to her aging mother. Together, mother and daughter sort through old photographs and these often spark the memories that form the bulk of the book. In writing about the weekly visits to her mother, Hader also reflects on role reversal as she poignantly contrasts memories of her parents caring for her with the details of her new role: taking her mom to medical appointments, helping her with daily tasks, and offering comfort and reassurance.

The author recalls her childhood with details such as these, as she thinks about the five-and-dime store she and a friend visited often: “The store’s curious odor blended necessities and indulgences into a thick promise of discovery. …. Bubble gum and Milk Duds in hand, the creaky wood floor kept track of us until the door chime announced our departure.”
​
She also vividly describes her parents as newlyweds, captured in a short home movie that she finds at her Mom’s house: “Smartly attired in his Army uniform, Dad reached up to straighten his military-issue dress hat. There was no audio of Dad joking with his bride or Mom’s laughter, but I heard them anyway. Mom grabbed Dad’s hand ….. They climbed into their blue two-tone 1955 Pontiac and drove off in the direction of a new beginning.”
Readers will enjoy these glimpses of life in small-town Kansas, as well as Hader’s chronicle of her quest to rediscover the kindness she grew up with. Insights and reflections throughout the book are infused with dry humor, adding another layer to the memoir. The author’s examination of her changing relationship with her mother is just as interesting as her childhood recollections, and anyone who is in a similar stage of life will appreciate that aspect of WALKING OLD ROADS as well.
#readlocalks

After working for decades as a journalist and editor, Cindy Mines joined the Kansas Authors Club to help expand her writing horizons to fiction. She has also had two nonfiction articles published in 105 Meadowlark Reader and won third place for memoir in the 2024 KAC contest.

She began publishing The Wichita Times and Travel Kansas magazine in 1993 after writing/editing positions at Wichita State University and the Wichita Business Journal. She continues to publish Travel Kansas as an annual magazine. 

Freelance projects have included three published books on Kansas history (one was  named a Kansas Notable Book) and travel writing for a variety of publications. She loves to research though admits that being overly thorough can be just an excuse to procrastinate writing – except, of course, the time it was absolutely necessary to criss-cross the state to consume 13 complete fried-chicken dinners as preparation to write an article on Kansas fried chicken for the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
​
She earned a master’s degree in English from Wichita State University and resides with her husband and dog south of Lindsborg.

Member Lisa M. Hase-Jackson has been running a poem-a-day challenge on her website, The Zingara Project/Zingara Poetry Review, and she invites Kansas Authors Club members to follow along.

A note from Lisa:
Below is a list of prompts posted so far this month for anyone wishing to take another look and for those who didn't get a chance to see them the first time around. With each prompt, I include poems published on Zingara Poetry Review that I believe serve as apt examples or as inspiration, so check the list for your name.

Tuesday, April 1:
Journal Mining Prompt
“How I Arrived Here” by Karen Neuberg

Wednesday, April 2:
 Protection Prompt
“Because I Like to Make My Mind Pretty 
the Way We’re Told to Make our Bodies Pretty, 
I Work at Thinking Beautiful Things” by Rebecca Macijeski,
“School Bus” by Michael Chin“Protection” by F.I. Goldhaber

Thursday, April 3:
Beginnings Prompt

Friday, April 4:
Whispers of Work: A Lament for Extinct Professions
“Barnwork We Didn’t Talk Much About” by Charles A. Swanson
“Stay at Home Mom” by  Sabina M. Säfsten“Fugitives” by Stephen Mead

Saturday, April 5:
Absences Unfolded
“What We Leave Behind” by Yvette A. Schnoeker-Shorb
“Song of Sorrow” by Jeremy Garnett“My Sister’s Baby Blanket” by Alejandro Lucero“Absencece by Inference” by Duane Hermann

Sunday, April 6:
Transformation
“The Ugliest Girl in Christendom Goes to the Gynecologist” by Camille-Yvette Welsch
“Ugliness came up” by Kitty Jospé“City of Bread” by Marc Janssen

Monday, April 7:
Humor in Public Spaces
"Permanence" by Denise Duhamel 
Dance in a Drugstore by Anne Whitehouse

Tuesday, April 8
Utterance
“Ambidextrous” by Denise Low

Wednesday, April 9
Contradictions
"What is Lost is Not Lost" by Peter Mladinic

Thursday, April 10
Game On

Friday, April 11
Collect, Remix, Repeat

Saturday, April 12
Prose
Things to Be Grateful for During the American Winter by Michael Brockley

Sunday, April 13
What You Leave Behind

Monday, April 14
The Thin Veil
“Where the Dead Go” by Denise Low, Zingara Poetry Review
“Do the Dead See?” by John Brugaletta, Zingara Poetry Review
“Alternate Life Number Two” by Jeanne DeLarm-Neri, Zingara Poetry Review

Tuesday, April 15
Eyesore
“Ugliness Came Up” by Kitty Jospé,

Wednesday, April 16
Apocryphal
“The Parable of the Mustard Seed, the Chanteuse and Wild Rice” by Libby Bernardine
“In My Story” by Chella Courington
“My Stepmother, Having Returned to This Earth, Becomes Hannya” by Tara McDaniel

Member Carmaine Ternes shared this review of More than an Attractive Face, by member Sandee Taylor.

More than an Attractive Face
by Sandra Lou Taylor

A refined Albany, NY, young lady refused an arranged marriage years after the death of her parents and sister in a tragic drowning accident. Elizabeth Spaulding’s grandfather controlled her finances and possibly her future. Although her uncle and aunt became her guardians, there was little affection for Elizabeth. Her beauty, privileged life, and the family’s status provided and protected her to a degree.

To prevent a betrothal, Elizabeth accepted an invitation from family employee, Alister Murphy, to travel west. A sale of furniture was arranged; staff was let go; her pug Dolly, books, and a few possessions, and memories were Elizabeth’s comfort despite the primitive wagon’s bench seat. Mr. Murphy and his daughter Joan lead the team of two Morgans west to Indianapolis, a frontier town in 1837. The extended and arduous journey provided Elizabeth quiet contemplation and scenic views over the rugged terrain. This bouncing and crude conveyance presented an escape from a courtship Elizabeth avoided.

Alistair Murphy gained employment immediately upon arriving in Indianapolis. Joan planned to meet her fiancé Sam; they were happily wed and celebrated with captivating rhythms from the local musicians playing spoons and other instruments. A simple life was typically good for hopeful hard workers.

Moorestown, IN, is the small country town where Mr. Simon Talbot searched for a school teacher. Since Elizabeth was trained in music and possessed other academic talents, she accepted the opportunity to educate children. Her sincerity and willingness to nurture others demonstrated a caring strength that guided her through tremendous obstacles and emotional turmoil. As a newcomer, Elizabeth was determined to focus on her intelligence rather than her appearance, which gained her respect.

Mildred Hadley, the matriarch of the family, organized meal preparation, scheduled gardening and housekeeping while raising a family of five resourceful and responsible children. Henry Hadley was a farmer, rancher, and banker. The Hadleys owned the mercantile, and their eldest son Daniel operated as the store manager. Elizabeth roomed with their daughter Melissa in a loft above the store, where they assisted, and they both taught in the two room schoolhouse.

Faith and her mother’s treasured cameo broach pinned near her throat consoled and gave Elizabeth strength during the critical conversations with the Talbots, who controlled the community. Working at the store for room and board, preparing lessons, teaching, and learning about this western frontier opened Elizabeth’s eyes. Observing children’s behaviors and their parents’ interactions at church and community functions proved insightful.

Elizabeth remained resilient, balanced, and true to her convictions. She was determined to not fall to flattery or requests from widowers or men with different expectations or desires. Focusing on her students, Elizabeth delighted them with her patience, persistence, and playfulness. She encouraged creativity while giving purpose to their needs and talents. A music program she orchestrated even impressed the demanding Talbots. 

Similes, metaphors, personification, imagery, and humor engage the reader. Elements of foreshadowing and details of historical accuracy keep readers turning the page. If you are curious how a pet can influence a classroom, a community member can dominate, and a young lady of privilege connect, read More than an Attractive Face.

Respectfully submitted,
Carmaine Ternes
Librarian, Author, Editor, Presenter
April 2025

What are you reading? Help us lift and share the good news about Kansas literature. Tag your book loves and reviews on social media with #ReadLocalKS and submit here to be posted on the Kansas Authors Club website. ​

Kate Siska grew up on the southwest side of Chicago
and knew from an early age that she was meant to
write, keeping a journal long before anyone told her
what one was. Her mother freaked out when Kate
proudly read her first poem aloud – about dying –
while still in elementary school.

After earning a Master’s Degree in English, Kate
taught college writing. In 1992, she moved to Kansas
City to pursue a career in pharmaceutical sales.
Eventually, Kate found her way to her current life’s
work as a Mitigation Specialist, advocating for life
versus death sentences for clients facing capital murder charges. Mitigation is storytelling – understanding the world intricately from the client’s perspective and finding creative ways to frame that story to influence decision makers.

Kate is currently writing a thriller/mystery novel, trying to find a publisher for her children’s picture book poem, is working on various poems, and is considering writing a memoir.

Kris Cain is a retired detective and SWAT Sniper who then spent almost two decades as a telecommunications fraud investigator.

He began his law-enforcement career on patrol and later transitioned to detective, working in various bureaus, including property crimes, white-collar crimes, narcotics, and vice. As a SWAT team member, some of his experiences included high-hazard search and arrest warrants, barricaded suspect situations, maritime interdiction, and close-in protection of a national public figure targeted by terrorists for assignation post Desert Storm. He attended SWAT schools conducted by the
FBI and DoD.

As a telecommunications fraud investigator, he worked with local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes and fraud committed against his employer. He was his company’s representative working with Federal law enforcement in the immediate post-9/11 investigation of the terrorists.

Now retired, Kris has taken his love of reading to the next level: writing. His transition from investigations to the world of novels has been a fascinating journey. His goal is to blend his knowledge, experiences, real-world events, and imagination into the Chase Thompson novels that readers will enjoy.

He went the self-published route via Kindle Direct Publishing and submitted his book, Random (sometimes it isn't), in late November 2024. He is in the process of preparing to release his second Chase Thompson novel.

Kris and his wife have chosen to make their home in the heart of the Midwest, a place that holds a special significance in their lives.

The recording of the March program is now available for viewing by members at this link. (Member sign-on required.) ​

Program: Finding the Heart of Your Story: Writing Stronger Stories and Making Smarter Revisions

Presented by Lori Martin

Lori Martin is an Associate Professor of English at Pittsburg State University, where she teaches creative writing courses. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous literary magazines, including The Cincinnati Review, The MacGuffin, The Maine Review, Midwest Quarterly, Prick of the Spindle, Room Magazine, Tampa Review, and others.

Martin's writing has been recognized with awards from The Cincinnati Review and Kansas Voices. A graduate of the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, she was named a Truman Capote Fellow and received the Clark Fischer Ansley Award for Excellence in Fiction.

In addition to her teaching and writing, Martin serves as the poetry editor for The Midwest Quarterly and editor in chief of River Styx magazine.

The next state program of the Kansas Authors Club will take place on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Our speaker, Jillian Forsberg, will present on incorporating historical fact into your writing.

Kansas Poet Laureate (and Kansas Authors Club member) Traci Brimhall is hosting Poets on the Plains on High Plains Public Radio.
 
You can stream High Plains Public Radio at www.hppr.org and hear it live Thursdays in the 11:00 hour.

If you can’t make the live broadcast, you can visit Traci’s PoetryByte at https://www.hppr.org/podcast/hppr-poets-on-the-plains