Category: Member News

September Publication News from D1 Member Duane L. Herrmann

10/6/2022

September 2022 saw the following results from the literary efforts of Duane L Herrmann: three responses posted to three prompts each from the Adirondack Center for Writing and Carrot Ranch blog; Topeka Geneological Society Quarterly carried one poem; and three anthologies were released with Herrmann's poems in them: Foodways (Agrarian Trust) – 3 poems, Writers and Werewolves (Kansas Writers Association) – 5 poems, and The Trick is to Keep Breathing (Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe) – 3 poems; plus the blog: I Write Her – 6 poems.

And, people in at least 21 cities in the US, plus people in: Oslo, Norway; Prague, Czechia; Weesp, Netherlands; London and Bedford, UK; Temara, Morocco; Nha Trang, Vietman; Vienna, Austria; Korea; Ramat Gan, Israel; Nairobi, Kenya; and Adelaide, Australia; and an un-named city in Korea looked at and maybe read something of his work.

Ann Anderson Presenting to Wichita Area Retired Teachers on October 24

10/3/2022

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!

Linda Ahrens Brower published in Ghosts, Ghouls and Haunted Happenings

9/13/2022

Linda Ahrens Brower, a District 6 member, has her poem "The Cat's Tale" accepted for publication in the current Southern Arizona Press anthology Ghosts, Ghouls and Haunted Happenings.

Congratulations, Linda!

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.

IMPORTANT: Team Members Needed

9/11/2022

MAKE YOUR MARK ON OUR GROWING ORGANIZATION!

Do you have talent to spare? Time to invest in your community of writers? We are looking to fill the following positions in 2023.

Contest Managers: We are actively seeking individuals to manage our 2023 adult poetry and youth writing contests. This person should be comfortable using Submittable (and/or willing to learn how to manage things on the back side). An enthusiasm for promoting and growing our contests is always a plus. Contest managers are charged with selecting judges for the contest, assuring that entries meet the requirements, answering contest questions, and preparing the awards presentation at the annual convention each October. Contest managers work closely with each other and with the Manager. We do ask that managers not enter the contest that they are managing while they are serving in the position. (So if you are a prose writer, managing the poetry contest might be the ideal job for you!)

Publications and Website: Do you have experience with layout and design? Are you proficient (or willing to learn) programs such as Microsoft Publisher and/or Adobe InDesign? Would you like to gain experience with website work or email newsletter services? Perhaps you would be interested in joining our publications team. We currently produce a print yearbook and an electronic newsletter, and publication opportunities within Kansas Authors Club may just be growing! Extra eyes for editing and proofreading are also always appreciated.

Social Media Contributors: If you follow us on Facebook, you already understand the power of teamwork to give an organization a presence. If your district (or area of writing interest) is underrepresented, perhaps you would like to join our teal of social media contributors. We also could use assistance with Twitter and Instagram.

State Secretary: Job Duties (quick version) attends 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. Our Secretary keeps the minutes, prepares a summary for publication, and will work closely with the manager and President as a member of the executive board.

State Financial Officer: Job Duties (quick version) attends 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. Our Financial Officer reviews financial reports generated by the Manager quarterly, sets our budget in coordination with the Manager each year, and works closely with President as a member of the executive board.

District Representatives: Each district needs a representative to the board. The commitment includes attending 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. This is a great way to get to know Kansas Authors Club in more depth and to perform a service for your local community of writers. If you are interested in helping out at the district level, talk to your District President about the many ways you can be involved. Note that District Representatives are elected or appointed at the district level. Pay attention to memos from your officers as districts will begin filling local positions toward the end of this year.

Contact Kris or Tracy Today!

Member Published in the American Foreign Service Journal

9/9/2022

Member Mark Wentling has an article in the American Foreign Service Journal. You can read it here: Much Cause for Worry: A Clear-Eyed Look at Africa.

Congratulations, Mark!

Mark G. Wentling retired from the Senior Foreign Service in 1996, after serving as USAID’s principal officer in six African countries. He has worked in Africa for the Peace Corps, nongovernmental organizations and as a contract employee for USAID. He has published eight books, including a three-volume Africa Memoir released in 2020 and is a frequent contributor on Africa to the FSJ.

Mark is a member of District 5.

Watch Lisa D. Stewart's Interview on YouTube!

8/30/2022

Lisa D. Stewart, District 2 member, was recently interviewed by Carly Cade. They spoke on Long Riding the Midwest, saddle anatomy, and overcoming loss.

Lovers of horse books should check out Carly's offerings.

Carly Cade Creative

Lisa D. Stewart Website

Board of Directors, August Meeting, & List of Open Positions

8/19/2022

The Board of Directors for the Kansas Authors Club met for a summer business meeting on Saturday, August 13, 2022, from 10:00 to 12:00, by Zoom. Those in attendance were Tracy Million Simmons (president, transitional manager); Kristine Polansky (vice-president); Monica Graves (financial officer); Cathy Callen (secretary); Anne Spry (D1); Adelaide Bauman (D3); Gretchen Eick (D5); and, Jim Potter (D6). Minutes from the March 26, 2022, board meeting were reviewed, corrected, and approved. The financial report submitted by Monica Graves was reviewed; Tracy sends quarterly reports to Monica, and finances are reported to be in good shape. District representatives took a few moments to report on activities within their districts. Contest managers submitted updates regarding the number of submissions to the various literary contests, with total submissions reported to be within normal limits when compared to previous contests.

A significant portion of the August 13th meeting was spent discussing the restructuring of the organization and the need to finalize changes to the bylaws for approval by members in October. The Board voted unanimously to approve changes and to submit the final version to members for their review. (see link below) Also discussed were plans for the Kansas Book Festival in September at Washburn (Kansas Authors Club will sponsor an informational table), and the upcoming Kansas Authors Club annual convention, to be held in Lawrence in October. We were reminded that there was an “early bird special” conference fee for those registering by September 1.

The nominating committee is preparing a slate of potential officers for 2023. There are still openings, and interested applicants can contact Kristine Polansky. See the list of open positions below.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:55 a.m. The next board meeting is scheduled for October 8, by Zoom.

Submitted for website publication by
Cathy Callen, State Secretary

Click here to view the proposed 2023 Bylaws

Note: The proposed 2023 bylaws are being emailed to every member by end of day on 8/19/2022. If you do not receive this email, please contact Tracy to confirm that your details in our master list are correct.

Make Your Mark on Our Growing Organization!

Do you have talent to spare? Time to invest in your community of writers? We are looking to fill the following positions in 2023.

State Secretary: Job Duties (quick version) attends 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. Our Secretary keeps the minutes, prepares a summary for publication, and will work closely with the manager and President as a member of the executive board.

State Financial Officer: Job Duties (quick version) attends 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. Our Financial Officer reviews financial reports generated by the Manager quarterly, sets our budget in coordination with the Manager each year, and works closely with President as a member of the executive board.

District Representatives: Each district needs a representative to the board. The commitment includes attending 3 board meetings each year plus the annual membership meeting in October. This is a great way to get to know Kansas Authors Club in more depth and to perform a service for your local community of writers. If you are interested in helping out at the district level, talk to your District President about the many ways you can be involved. Note that District Representatives are elected or appointed at the district level. Pay attention to memos from your officers as districts will begin filling local positions toward the end of this year.

Appointed Positions

Contest Managers: We are actively seeking individuals to manage our 2023 adult poetry and youth writing contests. This person should be comfortable using Submittable (and/or willing to learn how to manage things on the back side). An enthusiasm for promoting and growing our contests is always a plus. Contest managers are charged with selecting judges for the contest, assuring that entries meet the requirements, answering contest questions, and preparing the awards presentation at the annual convention each October. Contest managers work closely with each other and with the Manager. We do ask that managers not enter the contest that they are managing while they are serving in the position. (So if you are a prose writer, managing the poetry contest might be the ideal job for you!)

Publications and Website: Do you have experience with layout and design? Are you proficient (or willing to learn) programs such as Microsoft Publisher and/or Adobe InDesign? Would you like to gain experience with website work or email newsletter services? Perhaps you would be interested in joining our publications team. We currently produce a print yearbook and an electronic newsletter, and publication opportunities within Kansas Authors Club may just be growing! Extra eyes for editing and proofreading are also always appreciated.

Social Media Contributors: If you follow us on Facebook, you already understand the power of teamwork to give an organization a presence. If your district (or area of writing interest) is underrepresented, perhaps you would like to join our teal of social media contributors. We also could use assistance with Twitter and Instagram.

Publishing News from D1 Member, Duane L. Herrmann

5/6/2022

April seems to have been a month of threes for Duane L Herrmann. Both the Adirondack Center for Writing and Carrot Ranch published three of his responses to their weekly prompts during the month. Also, three of his poems were accepted by ACW to be among the 200-plus poems included in this year's Poem Village where poems are printed on broadsides and posted around the town of Lake Saranc, New York. Poetry Super Highway not only included six of his poems in response to daily poetry prompts for National Poetry Month, but used one of Herrmann's prompts, and one poem. "Juden Friedhof" was included in the Holocaust Remembrance anthology by PSH for Yan HaShoah. Also, Gonzo Press published/posted his poem, "Churning Butter," while Discretionary Love published/posted his poem, "Family Hands" on their websites.

2022 Literary Contest & Book Awards Contest Guidelines Published

2/14/2022

Now Available!

2022 Guidelines for Adult Literary Contests, Youth Writing Contests, and Book Awards.

Stay tuned for news about our
New Special Category Announcement:

Poetry Chapbook Contest, coming 2022!

2021 Year End News from D1 Member, Duane L. Herrmann

1/4/2022

During the months of Nov & Dec, Duane L Herrmann accomplished:

five responses to prompts by Carrot Ranch
six responses to prompts by Adirandack Center for Writing
Two short stories-one on Literary Yard (website) and one in the book US/THEM.
Five short memoirs were published: three in It Wasn't Funny Then, and two on Page & Spine (website).
Seventeen individual poems in seven places.
Five poems in two micro chapbooks at origamipoems.com, one in English the other German.

D1 Member, Duane L. Herrmann, Publication News

7/14/2021

The Origami Poems Project has selected Herrmann's collection of six poems, entitled: Lunar Locus, to be published as one of their micro-chap (books). These are formatted to be printed on one sheet of 8.5x11 paper, double sided and, if folded properly (and cut on one certain fold), become a micro-chap (book). This is Herrmann's second publication with them, the first was, In Praise of Prairies in 2017. The release date has not yet been determined, but sometime in 2021.

A short story, based on the experience of a friend, has just been published by Literary Yard, out of India.
"My God ! What a surprise, how expertly, you can turn a simple incident (very much familiar to me), into such an interesting and spell binding story," the friend said after reading the story.

District 1 Shares Recording of March Program by Carol Yoho

3/25/2021

Enjoy this program by Carol Yoho, District 1 member, on graphic arts for book covers.

Membership in Kansas Authors Club gets you tickets to programs like this, and more. Anyone interested in writing is welcome to become a member. Additional programs are archived on the "members only" portion of our website.

Call for Newsletter Articles: Deadline March 22

3/13/2021

The first KAC newsletter of 2021 will be available digitally and will be mailed on April 2. We need member submissions by 3/22. We want to add some articles and are specifically looking for pieces about the KAC writing contests, especially ones that would encourage others to enter. Please send questions and/or submissions to member Curtis Becker.

President Duane Johnson Profiled in Kaw Valley Senior Monthly

3/4/2021

Kansas Authors Club president, Duane Johnson, is profiled in the March edition of Kaw Valley Senior Monthly magazine (http://www.seniormonthly.net).

Taking note of the fact that March is both spirituality month and optimism month, KVSM editor Kevin Groenhagen searched Google and came upon an old story in which Johnson had described himself as a spiritual optimist.
Although spiritual optimism, as interpreted by Johnson is the primary focus, part of the story mentions Kansas Authors Club and our virtual conference last fall.

Member News from Duane L. Herrmann, District 1

3/4/2021

Duane Herrmann reports more poetry publications. Congratulations, Duane!

Six poems beginning on p.76 of Hawaii Review.

Two of my poems will be in: Iris 1.4 – "I Didn't Know," and "Wanting to be Dead"

"The Short of it," several short pieces, prose and poetry,
reblogged on: The Reluctant Poet, some of which will be included in the print anthology of last year's postings.

Just Place Chapbook, the poem "Miles and Miles"

Six of my poems have appeared in the print anthology, To The Newspaper Again, from Poet's Choice (Mumbai, India), which just arrived.

And, two more poems were published in the first issue of the 2021 Quarterly of the Topeka Genealogical Society.

Annual Meeting to be Held via ZOOM

10/6/2020

All members are invited to our Annual Meeting. It will take place via ZOOM on Saturday, October 10, at 10:30 am. A link has been emailed to each member via the kansasauthorsclub email.

Note: a state board meeting will take place via that same ZOOM link at 9:00 am on Saturday, October 10.

Kansas Authors Club Receives Grant from The Literary Arts Emergency Fund

10/2/2020

Sept. 15, 2020 - President Duane Johnson is pleased to announce that the Kansas Authors Club was selected as a recipient of The Literary Arts Emergency Fund grant, awarded by by the Academy of American Poets, the Community of Literary Magazine & Presses, and the National Book Foundation. Johnson applied for the grant when it became apparent that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the in-person, annual convention would not be able to take place as usual.

Johnson spearheaded a committee of four to train to host the convention online. With Curtis Becker, Tracy Million Simmons, and Carol Yoho, the organization's October convention will take place virtually, via Zoom webinars, for the first time.

Kansas Authors Club was one of 282 literary organizations that received funding from this grant. The funds are provided to support the software licensing, support services, and training the committee has undergone to bring the convention to members throughout the state of Kansas and beyond.

More about the award can be found at The Literary Hub.

Deadline Reminder for Current Members

9/16/2020

We are currently taking member literary contributions for the 2021 Kansas Authors Club yearbook. Get your entry submitted by October 15 to reserve your page.

Every Member having paid current dues is invited to submit ONE literary contribution for the yearbook. That submission can be either prose or poetry. Prose is limited to one printed page (no more than 500 words). Poetry is limited to one printed page (no more than 40 lines including spaces between verses).
All literary contributions remain the property of the individual authors. Authors may continue to use or distribute their work without requesting permission from the Kansas Authors Club. No work printed in the KAC yearbook may be copied or distributed in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Yearbook Submissions are preferred via the online site, Submittable. There is NO CHARGE to submit a yearbook entry.

Submit Today

Member Jeff Broome, D6, publishes book of essays on the central plains indian war

8/23/2020

Indian Raids and Massacres Essays on the Central Plains Indian War (Caxton Press, September 2020) covers incidents in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska from 1864-1870.

Each chapter is a story unto itself and the book can be read in any order as well as from beginning to end.

There are two sides to these violent events, and, while the focus is on the Euro-American perspective, the contrary perspective of the Native American is also presented. Jeff relies on primary-source documents usually ignored by other authors, but more than that, he carefully sorts out all documents relating to each chapter, while carefully applying critical thinking skills to arrive at the probable truth of each event. Untapped Indian depredation claims housed in Washington, DC give the reader a deeper understanding of the terrors of Indian raids, especially when experienced by new settlers to the region. What emerges represents a bold and new history not found in other published accounts. These chapters reflect more than 20 years of Jeff’s research and writing on the Central Plains Indian War.

This is Jeff’s fourth book on incidents occurring in the Central Plains Indian war. Jeff is a 5th generation Coloradan, but lived in Salina for four years, graduating from St. John’s Military School. He received an MA at Baylor University and a PhD at CU, Boulder, both in philosophy. For the past four years he has resided in Beulah, Colorado. He is a member of the 6th District of the Kansas Authors Club and spoke at the Salina convention in 2017.

The softcover is available next week and the hardcover two or three weeks after that. Caxton Press is offering a new book discount (discount not available on Amazon) and can be ordered at the website of Caxton Press, under New Releases. They are taking orders now for both editions. www.caxtonpress.com/

Additionally, if one wants to purchase a signed and, if requested, inscribed copy, email Jeff for details:

We want to help you share your writing news!

District 6 Publishes Anthology

8/16/2020

Anthology 2020: A Collection of Work from Kansas Authors Club District 6, is about to be published. 29 Writers with 49 Literary Pieces, Poetry & Prose, Fiction & Non-Fiction,100 pages.

Pre-orders taken until Sept.1st. Special Pricing for KAC Members. Recommended Donation $10 (plus S/H). Contact Jim Potter - or 620-899-3144

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