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The recording of the January program is now available for viewing by members at this link. (Member sign-on required.) This video will also remain publicly available on our YouTube channel. Our next program will be on Saturday, February 15, starting at 1:30 p.m. The presenter will be Mary-Lane Kamberg talking about Grand Openings.
January 18, 2025 - 1:30 p.m. Program Location: Zoom  Current members receive an link to the monthly program on Zoom via the monthly e-newsletter. The link is also available using the button above which takes you to our members-only pages. Sign-on is required. Join us in conversation with Kansas Authors Club 2024 book award winners Jim Gilkeson (Coffin Nonfiction), Marilyn Hope Lake (Coffin Fiction), Jerilynn Henrikson (Martin KS History), Lisa Hase-Jackson (Nelson Poetry), and Ann Vigola Anderson (Design). We will discuss writing, entering contests, and best practices for producing an award winning book. Panel moderated by Anne Spry (Design Award Winner & State President).  From the opening poem of Lisa Hase-Jackson's impactful collection, Insomnia in Another Town, we learn that "There is no small grief...all are interconnected." These poems, cloaked in memory and the unmaking and re-making of family, travel us through the harvest of a poet's life. Like the farms she made grow, this book tills the soil of a human soul and all the many experiences that make it. In pantoums, free verse, and prose poems, Hase-Jackson demonstrates the way that every lived experience weaves into a root system that bears unique fruit, singular as our heartbeats, our winding fingerprints. -Ashley M. Jones, poet laureate of Alabama Winner of the 2024 Nelson Poetry Book Award  Jim Gilkeson takes you on a storyteller's journey into three tiny, experimental subcultures in the U.S. and Europe. Told in a series of short interlocking vignettes spanning the years from 1949 to 2015, Gilkeson traces his unlikely path from his conventional upbringing in the Midwest, down the psychedelic rabbit hole of the late 1960s, to his years as a brother in an order of modern mystics and a practitioner and teacher of energy healing at a clothing-optional retreat center. Three Lost Worlds: A Memoir of a life Among Mystics, Healers, and Life-Artists is an insider's account of life in the Holy Order of MANS, an esoteric spiritual order founded in San Francisco in the 1960s; an apprenticeship in energy healing with an Irish clairvoyant, the late Bob Moore; and a fourteen-year stint as a healer at Harbin Hot Springs in Northern California, which comes to an abrupt and devastating end in the wildfires of 2015. Three Lost Worlds is set in part against the backdrop of cults and the paranoia surrounding them in the wake of the Jonestown mass suicides in the late 1970s, but it tells a different kind of story, one of spiritual and personal growth through the eyes of an insider. In the process, Three Lost Worlds offers the reader a reflection on an era in American spiritual history, the heartfelt journey of a modern spiritual seeker. Winner of the 2024 J. Donald & Bertha Coffin Memorial Book Award for Nonfiction.  Our Mothers' Ghosts, by Marilyn Hope Lake: Forced to extremes in order to escape women’s accepted societal roles, the protagonists in this short story collection—the women of one midwestern river town family—overcome hardship and heartbreak, pain and pressure, in order to burst the bonds that hold them and bring forth a better future for their daughters and sons. Their struggles comprise a panorama of women’s issues that span the twentieth century: social injustice, sexism, discrimination, and racism. These ordinary women experienced it all, and the unique ways in which they dealt with these issues illustrate a past we should all hope to leave behind. Winner of the 2024 J. Donald & Bertha Coffin Memorial Book Award for Fiction.  Remembering Martha turns family history and lore into story. Martha grew up in the small town of Neosho Rapids, Kansas, at the turn of the 20th century. This book is an invitation to explore prairie life, its glories and its tragedies, through one woman whose indomitable spirit lives on through generations of grandchildren, including and especially, the author, Jerilynn Henrikson. This novella is a work of fiction inspired by an interview with the author's grandmother. Winner of the 2024 Martin Kansas History Book Award.  When the world shut down in March 2020, Author Anne Spry shut down emotionally ... until she had the time to really notice and appreciate her surroundings. She began taking photos of sunsets, sunrises, clouds and flowers. Poetry flowed out of her soul when she saw what the camera had captured. Now she is sharing her inspirations in hopes that this perspective on a largely negative era in our history will result in more universal gratitude. Winner of the 2024 "It Looks Like a Million" Design Award.  In the Adventures of Bottle Calf, author Ann Vigola Anderson takes us back in time to her grandparents’ farm where Bottle Calf was born during an early spring blizzard. With illustrations by the talented Sara Long, this gorgeous book will be your go-to for holiday gift giving and beyond. Grab a copy to reminisce or to share the stories and gorgeous art with your kids and grandkids. You are going to love Bottle Calf! Reconized - 2024 "It Looks Like a Million" Design Award We are working on an amazing lineup of state programs in 2025! Click here to check on our progress and SAVE THE DATES on your calendar!
 "This is a book that is not only beautiful, but also uplifting. Even though the author does not consider herself a photographer or poet, she has an eye for capturing the small day-to-day things about life in 2020. This all comes together in a well-designed book." - Judge Randi Stones, Washburn Rural HS Journalism Teacher  Anne Garrett Spry was selected as the 2024 "It Looks Like a Million" Book Award recipient.
Also recognized:  "This is a book for everyone. Young and old alike. "The illustrations are vivid and bright. I could have looked at the pictures forever. Even my teenage son thought it was a beautiful book and that is high praise." - Judge Randi Stones, Washburn Rural HS Journalism Teacher
The recording of the March program is now available for viewing by members at this link. (Member sign-on required.) This video will be available until replaced by the March program recording.  Join Us in April While creative nonfiction is oriented toward fact, there are many ways that it borrows on fiction. A “true story” still requires plot, which is organized more meaningfully than actual events. If memory fails, the author invents the truth: picturing what clothes Mom was wearing or how the kitchen smelled or what "exactly" Dad said. The best writers aren’t shy about this creative necessity. Annie Dillard depicts an insect-poisoned frog skin on the bank of Tinker Creek when, in fact, she discovered the phenomenon in a book. James McBride takes on his dead mother’s point of view, letting her speak as if she is the narrator. In this presentation, I will describe the unique relationship of fact and imagination in memoirs and personal narrative essays.
Tim Bascom is the author of a novel, two collections of essays, and two prize-winning memoirs about years spent in East Africa as a youth: Chameleon Days and Running to the Fire. His essays have won editor’s prizes at The Missouri Review and Florida Review, also being selected for the anthologies Best Creative Nonfiction and Best American Travel Writing. His short fiction has appeared in journals such as Zone 3, Front Range Review, and Briar Cliff Review, where he won the 2021 Fiction Prize. Bascom received his MFA from the University of Iowa. He taught creative writing for 20 years at a college level, and he continues to teach workshops at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. He currently directs the annual Kansas Book Festival. Ann Vigola Anderson, D2 member, and artist, Sara Long, had a wonderful event for The Adventures of Bottle Calf at Volland-the place for art and music, in the Flint Hills, Sunday, March 3. Kids and grown up of all ages enjoyed the story and the art! The March program will be available to all members via Zoom and members are also invited to attend the presentation live at Emporia State University, Plumb Hall, Room 406. The Zoom link has been delivered to members via the monthly news email OR can be accessed here. (Member sign-on required)  You've written and book and it's being published. Do you have a plan for what happens after you open that first box of books? Ann will take us through practical and fun ways to market your book. She will cover launch events, the day after, using Facebook, watching out for those scam emails, and having fun. Ann Vigola Anderson is a native Kansan and author of Posts of a Mid-century Kid and The Adventures of Bottle Calf. She is grounded in her sense of place and is committed to the preservation of mid-century memories, open spaces and family stories. Her writing has appeared in 105 Meadowlark Reader, a National Geographic article by Sara Smarsh (Heartland), Tennis Pro Magazine, Itty Bitty Writing Space, and she is a contributor to Facebook sites 'Topeka History Geeks' and 'Friends of the Flint Hills'. Her Facebook sites are Ann Vigola Anderson and Posts of a Mid-Century Kid. Ann is a tennis coach at Jayhawk Tennis Center. She and her husband live in Lawrence with their three rescue kitties. www.annvandersonwordpress.com Save the Date! March 16, 1:30 PM CST The March program will be available to all members via Zoom and members are also invited to attend the presentation live at Emporia State University, Plumb Hall, Room 406. The Zoom link will be delivered via the monthly news email OR can be accessed here. (Member sign-on required) You've written and book and it's being published. Do you have a plan for what happens after you open that first box of books? Ann will take us through practical and fun ways to market your book. She will cover launch events, the day after, using Facebook, watching out for those scam emails, and having fun.
Ann Vigola Anderson is a native Kansan and author of Posts of a Mid-century Kid and The Adventures of Bottle Calf. She is grounded in her sense of place and is committed to the preservation of mid-century memories, open spaces and family stories. Her writing has appeared in 105 Meadowlark Reader, a National Geographic article by Sara Smarsh (Heartland), Tennis Pro Magazine, Itty Bitty Writing Space, and she is a contributor to Facebook sites 'Topeka History Geeks' and 'Friends of the Flint Hills'. Her Facebook sites are Ann Vigola Anderson and Posts of a Mid-Century Kid. Ann is a tennis coach at Jayhawk Tennis Center. She and her husband live in Lawrence with their three rescue kitties. www.annvandersonwordpress.com An Invitation to Volland: Ann Vigola Anderson and Sara Long, The Adventures of Bottle Calf2/21/2024
 Upcoming at Volland _________________________________ Ann Anderson & Sara LongThe Adventures of Bottle Calf Sunday, March 3, 2024 Doors open | 1pm Reading & Presentation | 2pm Admission | Free Reservations appreciated.  Artist Sara Long and author Ann Anderson, a long-time friend of Volland, come to Volland on March 3rd, 2024 to share their latest work The Adventures of Bottle Calf, published by Meadowlark Press! Anderson, a specialist in warming hearts and delightful fun, will present a reading from her new book and Long will share a few of her paintings that were created especially for The Adventures of Bottle Calf. Rumor has it there will be a special Bottle Calf song for all to enjoy! In 2020, Anderson teamed up with local artist and dear friend Sara Long to share the story of Bottle Calf, who was born during an early spring blizzard at Anderson’s grandfather’s farm. For two years Anderson and Long worked in tandem, writing and illustrating a read-aloud book for all ages to enjoy. The Adventures of Bottle Calf builds off the success of Anderson's Posts of A Mid-Century Kid, a book of short stories written her childhood, which included time in Volland. Prints, puzzles, kids’ tees and kids’ activity kits will be available at the gallery and at saralongart.com. Conversation and refreshments will round out a most pleasant afternoon. Bring your kids, grandkids, and neighbors and come join Ann Vigola Anderson, Sara Long, and Bottle Calf at Volland! Ann Vigola Anderson is a member from District 2 and currently serves as our state secretary.  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.
The recording of the February program is now available for viewing by members at this link. (Member sign-on required.) This video will be available until replaced by the March program recording.  plan to join us in march! What to Do After You've Sold 50 Books to Your Family and Friends: An Intrepid Marketing Plan for Authors and Poets
Presenter: Ann Vigola Anderson Location: Zoom AND Live Site To Be Announced Presentation Category: Craft (skills and techiniques), Inspiration, Marketing You've written and book and it's being published. Do you have a plan for what happens after you open that first box of books? Ann will take us through practical and fun ways to market your book. She will cover launch events, the day after, using Facebook, watching out for those scam emails, and having fun. Ann Vigola Anderson is a native Kansan and author of Posts of a Mid-century Kid and The Adventures of Bottle Calf. She is grounded in her sense of place and is committed to the preservation of mid-century memories, open spaces and family stories. Her writing has appeared in 105 Meadowlark Reader, a National Geographic article by Sara Smarsh (Heartland), Tennis Pro Magazine, Itty Bitty Writing Space, and she is a contributor to Facebook sites 'Topeka History Geeks' and 'Friends of the Flint Hills'. Her Facebook sites are Ann Vigola Anderson and Posts of a Mid-Century Kid. Ann is a tennis coach at Jayhawk Tennis Center. She and her husband live in Lawrence with their three rescue kitties. www.annvandersonwordpress.com  Ann Vigola Anderson, Secretary of Kansas Authors Club (2023-24) Ann Vigola Anderson is Secretary of the Kansas Authors Club Board of Directors (2023 and 2024), served as Assistent Secretary in 2021, and is a member of District 2 since 2020.
Ann writes heartwarming stories of her childhood in the 50s and 60s and of her experiences on her grandparent’s farm. She shares the joys of an ordinary life and how she has taken on life’s challenges. Her first book, Posts of a Mid-century Kid, tells of her days hunting for roly poly bugs to make butter brickle ice cream, riding her bike with playing cards clipped to the spokes of her wheels, and a first kiss under the street light. Her second book, The Adventures of Bottle Calf, shares the story of her childhood on her grandparent’s farm, raising a bottle calf and learning about caring for others. Ann's essays have appeared in 105 Meadowlark Reader, a journal of creative non-fiction, highlighting Kansas authors and places. Her writing was featured in the National Geographic article by Sarah Smarsh (Heartland) “America’s Postal Service is a Rural Life-line-and it’s in Jeopardy.” You can follow Ann's writing on the Facebook sites Topeka History Geeks and Friends of the Flint Hills. She spends her days writing and teaching tennis at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. She and her husband, Vann, and their three kitties, live in Lawrence, Kansas. Before 2023 gets too far behind us, we wanted to take a moment to thank the individuals who make our community possible. Starting with those who serve on our Kansas Authors Club State Board of Directors, we are thankfulf for the time and talents that each of you have shared with the Kansas literary scene.  2023 Kansas Authors Club Officers President, Kristine A. Polansky Vice President, Anne Spry Secretary, Ann Vigola Anderson Financial Officer, Chuck Warner (not pictured) Departing from the Board this year:  Kristine A. Polansky Manhattan, Kansas As a writer, Kris Polansky, is best known for her poems, four of which were published in Tallgrass Voices edited by Gary Lechliter. She experiments with various poetic forms, studying how content and form shape each other. She grew up in Western Kansas (short grass country), writing puppet plays and short stories. She took a fiction writing class from James Gunn at the University of Kansas and went on to teach middle school English and social studies ten years before returning to school, the Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas, where (she jokes) she learned to write creative nonfiction. She has been named KAC Poet of the Year three times, most recently October 2021. Her poem, “Turning Points” won the 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Art and Writing Contest, adult division, Manhattan, Kansas. She has served KAC for four years (2010-13) as Youth Contest Manager, 2021 & 2022 as KAC Financial Secretary, 2023 as State President, multiple years as District 4 Treasurer, and continues as coordinator of Manhattan KAC Writing Group and host of KAC's 2nd Tuesday Open Mic (via Zoom). She also serves as a frequent judge for our annual youth contest. Kristine has a how-to write poetry book as well as a collection of poetry coming out in 2024.  Chuck Warner
Lawrence, Kansas Chuck Warner is a lifelong Kansan. After growing up in Wichita, he has lived in Lawrence since first attending the University of Kansas in the 1960s. With business and law degrees, he embarked on a nearly forty-year career in business and banking. After he retired in 2008, he began writing about his maternal grandfather and in 2019 Birds, Bones, and Beetles: The Improbable Career and Remarkable Legacy of University of Kansas Naturalist Charles D. Bunker was published by the University Press of Kansas. In 2020 his book was recognized as a Kansas Notable book, and also won awards for the best Kansas history and best book layout from the Kansas Authors Club, and was a finalist in the High Plains Book Awards. Chuck joined Kansas Authors Club in 2019, and agreed to serve on the State Board as our first Financial Officer under the restructuring changes. Chuck's contributions to our financial picture have been much appreciated as he used his time and talent to help us streamline and bring more efficiency to our practices.  Ann Vigola Anderson, D2, shipped and hand-delivered nearly 300 of her Limited Edition, signed and numbered, hard cover copies of The Adventures of Bottle Calf (Meadowlark Press, 2023) this week.
She continues to take orders and expects the next shipment of books to take place early in January 2024. About the Book: Author Ann Vigola Anderson takes us back in time to her grandparents’ farm where Bottle Calf was born during an early spring blizzard. With illustrations by the talented Sara Long, this gorgeous book will be your go-to for holiday gift giving and beyond. Grab a copy to reminisce or to share the stories and gorgeous art with your kids and grandkids. You are going to love Bottle Calf!  “We are in exciting times for Kansas Authors Club. We have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves, and that doesn’t happen often.” – Barbara Waterman Peters, District 1 Representative to the Kansas Authors Club State Board The Kansas Authors Club Board met on Zoom on September 7. We thought you might enjoy an overview of the fall board meeting. It was well attended (4 executive officers, 6 district reps, 2 guests, and our manager). We covered important topics ranging from enhancing our business operations to the writing retreat at Rock Springs on October 6-8. We hope you have a chance to attend the Kansas Book Festival on September 16 at Washburn University in Topeka. KAC will be presenting our annual youth awards at the festival for the first time. This will give our young writers a chance to mingle with authors, take advantage of some of the excellent book festival activities for youth, and celebrate literature in Kansas with their families! Many of our Kansas Authors Club authors, publishers and editors will be at booths to answer questions and sign books for you! Kansas Authors Club is always working to assure we do an excellent job of tracking our financial assets in all districts and at the state level. To further help our district treasurers, KAC will be developing some tools for consistency and information for all of our districts to use. Have you had a chance to zoom in on a statewide program? The attendance has been growing steadily. Our tracking suggests that our programs have been reaching in the range of 68-85 members each month. This has afforded many members the opportunity to be a part of the program without the expense and time of traveling. Check the website for the next speaker! If you have a terrific idea for a statewide program, please send it to one of the KAC board members or Tracy. If you are interested in serving on a committee to plan our state programs, please let us know! Are you a tech wizard? We are looking for a few volunteers that would like to help with the presentation of our state programs on zoom. And if you have other fun ideas of how to enhance our presentations, we’d love to hear from you! Our Fall Gathering is just around the corner. This year it comes in the form of a writing retreat rather than a convention. There are a few spots open so please sign up by September 15 to assure you will be a part of this unique writing retreat. You may register on our website. The retreat will be held at Rock Springs Lodge, just off I-70 near Junction City. The site features beautiful mature trees, creeks, and a view of the Flint Hills. And so many places to relax to read, write, and visit with other attendees. As much as we will enjoy being close to nature, the site also has first-rate room accommodations, meeting rooms that are easily accessible by car or a short walk, and delicious food with many choices. And rumor has it there might be a campfire with s’mores on Saturday night! I know several of our attendees are also looking forward to catching up on reading, too. This is an opportunity to be with writers, publishers, editors and all in a setting of beauty and comfort. The complete minutes of the 2023 Board Meetings can be found here (member sign-in required). A LIST OF BOOKS BY KANSAS AUTHORS CLUB MEMBERS, PAST AND PRESENTInspired by the June program by Denise Low, "Embellishing Prose and Poetry with Memoir," we pulled books by Kansas Authors Club nembers that illustrate the many and varied techniques of memoir writing. If you have examples of member books to add (your own or a friend's) please put your addition in the comments section.  Posts of a Mid-Century Kid, by Ann Vigola Anderson (Anamcara Press, 2021) Anderson takes us on a journey to 1950s and 60s Kansas and treats the reader to hometown cooking in her tasty memoir Posts of a Mid-Century Kid. With humor and richly crafted details, she chronicles her mid-century childhood, offering a sampling of another era. This delightful and mischievous memoir advocates coloring vividly outside of the lines!  Headwinds: A Memoir by Edna Bell-Pearson (Meadowlark, 2019) When World War II made her way to southwest Kansas, Edna Bell-Pearson’s life was forever changed. After meeting her husband Carl Ungerer—a pilot stationed in Liberal for the war— Edna’s moved to the opposite corner of the state, and she became one of the first private female pilots in Kansas. Her story takes place over the course of five years and tells of Ungerer Flying Service, a family-owned and operated business stationed in Marysville. As the business is born and takes on the challenges of life, Edna learns to appreciate the importance of the little things: hunting and fishing trips, a good housekeeper, and crisp, autumnal days without wind.  Running Out of Footprints, by Cathy Callen (2013) Running Out of Footprints is the true story of three generations of the Neff family, who arrived on the scene in Kansas City in the late 1800s full of energy and potential, contributed as political, business, religious and medical leaders in the city, and then gradually disappeared into obituaries and census data. The author, a fourth generation Neff herself, came into possession of a metal box full of old letters, documents and photographs after her father's death. The questions she asked about these keepsakes and the answers she sought and found, led to writing this collection of biographies.  Lovers, Dreams & Thieves, by Marcia Cebulska (Flint Hills Publishing, 2023) "With a novelist’s eye for detail and a poet’s gift for language, Cebulska has written a visceral knockout of a memoir packed with vibrant, unforgettable family members and unexpected happenings. Cebulska is a brilliant, big-hearted, and luminous storyteller who can capture a world in a short vignette. I was entirely captivated by these intimate and moving family portraits that have shaped the author's life and work.” -Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance of Anger and Why Won’t You Apologize?  High Plains Homestead, by R. Kent Crawford (Post Rock Press, 2023) Scorching heat. Bitter cold. Relentless wind. No trees. Scarce water. That’s what settlers faced on the Kansas plains. Crawford grew up on a farm in Russell County that his great grandparents homesteaded in 1879. Tales of hardship, humor, and grit merge with details of the enormous changes in mechanization, economics, and political forces as the country transitioned from a mostly rural nation to a mostly urban one. Crawford's personal story coupled with meticulous research on the evolution of farming from the homestead years to the recent prairie fires describe the birth and transformation of his family farm. The narrative concludes with a thought-provoking discussion of the future of rural communities, the options for farmers, and High Plains farming.  In the Shadow of the Wind, by Ann Christine Fell (2014) Following a series of tragic losses, thirty-year old Ann Fell struggles alone in a strange and frightening world. The young widow and bereaved mother retreats to the wilderness for comfort and healing. Planning to stay forty days, she sets up a solitary camp on the river bank of her family’s abandoned farm homestead. Marooned by rising flood waters after only a few days, she faces her own mortality.  And I Cried, Too, by Mike Hartnett (Meadowlark Press, 2020) Mike and his wife, Barbara, moved to Lincoln, Illinois, in 1972. The town of 17,000 was charming, friendly, and safe. As employees of Lincoln College, a small, private junior college, they quickly grew to enjoy the subtle pleasures of small-town living. Then the campus was hit with a series of burglaries and a student disappeared. Finally, the murders began. This is Mike Hartnett’s personal story, memories that have taken him more than forty years to write. This is not a true crime exposé or a who-dunnit mystery. This is simply a story about one man on the periphery of a series of events that devastate a community for a time. It is a story about the guilt that lingers and the questions that remain.  31 Days (Nights), by Reginald Jarrell (Blue Cedar Press, 2022) Reginald D. Jarrell’s book of essays is a thoughtful exploration of experiences that molded him as a Black man growing up and raising his family primarily in Kansas. Mr. Jarrell also lived in Mississippi, Iowa, California, and Washington, D.C. As a pastor, lawyer, communications professional, and university professor, Mr. Jarrell is first of all a truth teller.  The Art of Listening to the Heart, by James Kenyon (2016/ 2022) In this memoir collection, retired veterinarian James Kenyon recalls his days in veterinary practice. From heartwarming to heartbreaking and everything in between, Kenyon writes of his care for beloved family pets, livestock, and their human caretakers. His memories illustrate a true devotion and love for veterinary work, as well as a passion for people and local history. Each chapter relates a specific memory of working with a quirky, loyal, and loveable animal, as well as the quirky, loyal, and lovable humans who owned them. The work offers not just insight into the work of a veterinarian, but to human nature and the manner in which people relate to and care for each other, as well as their animals.  Jigsaw Puzzling: Essays in a Time of Pestilence, by Denise Low (Meadowlark Press, 2022) Writer of poetry, essays, memoir, and fiction—Denise Low did what so many of us did in the spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic sent us to spending long days at home. Denise’s jigsaw puzzling went well beyond pictures put together piece-by-piece, however. The 15 essays in this book document the pestilence that impacted our entire world. In them, Low explores the very culture of jigsaw puzzles while providing poetic lessons in art, geography, history, and more.  Diary of a German War Bride, by Trudy McFarland (2006) "Trudy McFarland's telling of her mother's story in diary form, from her parents' 'love at first sight' meeting in post World War I Germany to 1988 when her mother's very full life ends, is a remarkable account of family relationships, historical events, and the characteristics which make a family strong and memorable. It is a fascinating read!" --Evie Green, Coordinator of Write Stuff  My Flint Hills Childhood, by Gail Lee Martin (Blurb, 2009) A childhood on the Kansas prairies in the 1930s springs vividly to life in the detailed memories of Gail Martin. Her simple accounts of long ago school days, celebrations and family life are a treasure. Travel back in time to life in the Flint Hills during the Great Depression and the time leading up to World War II. The memories include her father's work in the oil field, trips to town in the family's Model A, raising her pet badger, fishing on the Cottonwood River, and wearing dresses made from feed sack material. The book also explores her family's role in early Kansas history with details of covered wagons, homesteading, the Civil War and fledgling industries. These range from Tyro to Teterville to Eureka.  Courtesy Boy: A Memoir of Addiction, by Mike Matson (Flint Hills Publishing, 2021) “Thirty years after my last ingestion of chemicals, I inventoried the traits and behaviors connected with my addiction, chronicled my early adult life, and wrote a book. My motivation is to help those suffering and their loved ones connect the dots between the destructive traits and behaviors—and the potential for addiction. In so doing, infuse some fresh air into the oppressive stigma that clings to addiction and mental health.  The Sky Begins At Your Feet, by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg (Ice Cube Press, 2009) I cannot figure out who I am as a body these days, writes Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg in this powerful, tender and humorous memoir about resiliency and love in the face of cancer. Mirriam-Goldberg braves breast cancer, the breast cancer genetic mutation and the loss of a parent by connecting with an eclectic Midwest community, the land and sky, and a body undergoing vast renovation.  Cop in the Classroom, by Sgt. Jim Potter (Sandhenge Publications, 2007) Learn how kids and cops connect at school. You will enjoy 33 personal stories about one officer's professional career as a deputy sheriff and school resource officer. Cop in the Classroom gives an insider's look at the emotional experiences behind the badge--and life lessons for us all.  I've been fighting this war within myself, poetry by Antonio Sanchez-Day (Meadowlark Press, 2023) Even though he was often vastly outnumbered by enemies on the outside and by demons on the inside, Antonio Sanchez-Day took on life. He fought against racism as a boy, fought against family troubles, and fought as a street soldier for his gang which was the “family” he’d always wanted. Then he had to fight simply to survive 13 years of incarceration. Inside the walls, Antonio found his main weapon, his pen. He wrote brilliantly, and with pen in hand, he turned his life around. The 123 pages of new, unpublished poetry in this book was put together by Antonio’s friend and mentor, Brian Daldorph, to “cement [his] legacy” (Antonio’s words).  The Big Quiet: One Woman's Horseback Ride Home, by Lisa D. Stewart (Meadowlark Press, 2020) At 54, Lisa Stewart set out to regain the fearless girl she once had been, riding her horse, Chief, 500 miles home. Hot, homeless, and horseback, she snapped back into every original cell. On an extraordinary homegoing from Kansas City to Bates and Vernon Counties in Missouri, Lisa exhausted herself, faced her past, trusted strangers, and stayed in the middle of her frightened horse to document modern rural America, the people, animals, and land.  Gravedigger's Daughter, by Cheryl Unruh (Meadowlark Press, 2021) Gravedigger's Daughter: Vignettes from a Small Kansas Town is more than a story of the author and her father. It is a reminder of the relationships we all have, more than skin deep, an examination of the complexities of the people we love and care for. It is a love letter to the individuals who always exist at our very core.  It's All Showbusiness, by Connie Rae (Page Publishing, 2019) Lee Edward Atterbury was born September 1, 1924, into the Atterbury Circus family. He was the fifth of seven children born to Robert L. and Rose Atterbury. By the time Lee was old enough for school, his older siblings were accomplished aerialists and his mother was a slack wire walker. The Atterbury Circus was a road circus, traveling the highways of rural America from Iowa and the Dakotas to Texas throughout the years of the Great Depression. (written by Connie Rae White)  Memoirs of the Dysfunctional? by Joann Garrity Williams (Meadowlark, 2018) Memoirs of the Dysfunctional depicts the unconventional, but necessary lifestyle, and results, of a family forced to live a somewhat nomadic existence because the father, who was blinded as a child, had no means of support other than working as a street musician. The author, Joann Garrity Williams, is the oldest child of Ethel and Francis Garrity. She served for four years as state president of the Kansas Authors Club. This is the first time many, including family members and close friends, will learn the truth about Joann’s unique childhood and upbringing.
 The spring 2023 issue of 105 Meadowlark Reader features the following essays by Kansas Authors Club members: A Cryptid Sighting in Kansas by Denise Low (D2) Love Bears All Things by Amy D. Kliewer (D5) Nocturnal Nuisance by Elizabeth R. Schmidt (D5) The Right Man for the Job by Brenda L. White (D2) Little Owl by Lindsey Bartlett (D2) My Heron by Michael D. Graves (D2) You Dirty Bird by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson (D2) Blessed is the Peacemaker by Cheryl Suzanne Heide (D2) Introducing the Black Tornado by Cynthia Schaker (D5) Buddy the Bookstore Beagle by Linda Crowder (D6) Princess With an Attitude by Thomas N. Holmquist (D4) Skiing in Kansas by Boyd Bauman (D2) Not a Playmate by Carolyn Hall (D2) Broken Heart by Ann Vigola Anderson (D2) I Did. I Saw a Camel! by Marilyn Hope Lake (D2) Invaders Via My Pre-vet Roommate by Annabelle Corrick (D2) Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Pamela Yenser (D7) This Is Not About Dogs by Julie Ann Baker Brin (D5) Congratulations to our members! 105 Meadowlark Reader is currently (through June 30, 2023) taking submissions on the theme of Landmarks.
Book News from D2 Member, Ann Anderson! I am excited to be sharing stories from my book Posts of a Mid-century Kid, to the Wichita Area Retired Teachers and Personnel, October 24, in Wichita at 11:45 am! They will be meeting at the Riverside Christian Church, 1001 Litchfield. Teachers helped put me on my writing journey!   Anderson takes us on a journey to 1950s and 60s Kansas and treats the reader to hometown cooking in her tasty memoir, Posts of a Mid-Century Kid. With humor and richly crafted details, she chronicles her mid-century childhood, offering a sampling of another era.
Please join us on February 19th, 2022 Third Saturday of Month 10:00am-12:00pm Flint Hills Tech College 3301 W. 18th Ave Emporia, KS Live or Zoom meeting Presenter: Ann Anderson Ann Anderson is an author, tennis coach, and creator of the comic strip, “The Borrego Springs Sun”. With roots deep in Kansas, Ann’s led a rich career from the Governor’s Office of the Great State of Kansas to working with the American Cancer Society, to directing the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Borrego Springs, CA. She is active in the Kansas Authors Club and the Lawrence Writers’ Group, supports dog and cat rescue organizations, and takes ukulele lessons. She lives with her husband, Vann, and three cats in Lawrence.   Thank you for all of your support on my new book Posts of a Mid-century Kid! I did 18 events, signings, interviews in November and December. Here is a picture of me at Meadowlark in Lawrence. The side benefit of writing a book is meeting so many fascinating people like Clenece Hills at KLWN/KANU. Micki (Anamcara Press) and I had a great morning of book talks with her.  District 2 members Linzi Garcia and Ann Vigola Anderson will be in Salina with poetry and book events this weekend. All are invited to attend.  Hosted by Ad Astra Books & Coffee House 141 N Santa Fe Ave., Salina Friday, November 12, 7:00pm Click here for more information.  Hosted by Ad Astra Books & Coffee House
141 N Santa Fe Ave., Salina Saturday, November 13, 4:00pm Click here for more information. |
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