Tim Bascom, member from Topeka, shares the following book news: I'm excited about the design for my new collection of short stories--Continental Drift--which is now available for pre-orders from Main Street Rag. I've learned to not be shy, since people won't know otherwise. You can save $7 if you order now. Just click this link, and I'd love to hear what you think of these stories about travelers crossing paths between the U.S. and eight different nations in Africa.
0 Comments
The recording of the April 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 MAYMay 18, 2024
Purple Doesn't Look Good on Anyone: How to Write Emotion Presenter: Ryan Dennis Location: Zoom Presentation Category: Nonfiction, Fiction, Craft (skills and techiniques), Writing, Editing Readers come to a story wanting to feel something. It’s our task as writers to remind them that they’re human and prone to all the complexities of joy and sorrow that comes with that. For better or worse, that doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not enough to simply write about something sad. This workshop will break down techniques essential for delivering emotion within fiction and nonfiction that avoid cliché, melodrama or disengaging the reader. It will focus on preventing pitfalls that are common among beginning and experienced writers, as well as how to deliver prose that are original and stay with the reader once they leave the story. We’ll look at how the whole scene can be used to create emotion, as well as an examination of how to best use interior monologue. Ryan Dennis is the author of The Beasts They Turned Away, published by époque press. The Irish Times described the novel as “a demanding debut, dense and dark, but ultimately rewarding in its strange beauty.” His work has appeared in various literary journals and he is a syndicated columnist for agricultural print periodicals in four countries and two languages. He is also a Fulbright alumnus and PhD in creative writing, and has taught at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, the National University of Ireland Galway and Maynooth University. In addition to exploring the dynamics of rural life in literature, Ryan also seeks to serve those communities more directly. In 2020 he founded The Milk House, an initiative to showcase the work of those writing on rural subjects in order to help them find greater audiences. Born on a farm in New York State but now living in the West of Ireland, he has been featured in numerous rural publications and programs, such as The Irish Farmers Journal and RTE’s Countrywide, addressing agricultural policy concerns. In 2021-2022 Ryan was selected as a Writer-in-Residence at Maynooth University. As part of the residency, he created and edited Voices from the Land, a collection of short stories, essays and poems by Irish farmers. Saturday, April 20, 1:30 PM CST The April program will be available to all members via Zoom and members are also invited to attend the presentation live at the Topeka & Shawneee County Public Library. The Zoom link will be delivered via the monthly news email OR can be accessed here. (Member sign-on required) 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. April 20, 2024 Necessary Lies in Essays and Memoir Presenter: Tim Bascom Location: Attend in person at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library or join us via Zoom Presentation Category: Nonfiction 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.
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. Reading Outside the Cultural Box Award-winning authors K.L. Barron and Tim Bascom Roundtable Books Saturday June 3rd, 1:30-2:30pm Please join us for a reading featuring landscapes and cultures of East and West Africa: the rugged mountains and plateaus of Ethiopia and the edge of the Sahara in Niger. Tim Bascom spent half his childhood in Ethiopia and will share both memoir and fiction detailing Ethiopian culture. K.L. Barron lived among the nomads of Niger for a time and will read from her novel Thirst, which captures the dominating desert landscape and some of the nomads’ endangered traditional culture including the Wodaabé men’s beauty contest where they wear elaborate makeup, shiny objects, feathers, and other adornments showing their charisma, dance moves, and charm. Tim Bascom is a District 1 member of Kansas Authors Club. ![]() 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. Tim Bascom is a member from Topeka.
Join Tim Bascom and K.L. Barron for a book reading at Flint Hills Books in Council Grove on Saturday, March 11 from 2-3pm! Reading Outside the Cultural Box Please join us for a reading featuring landscapes and cultures of East and West Africa: the rugged mountains and plateaus of Ethiopia and the edge of the Sahara in Niger. Tim Bascom spent half his childhood in Ethiopia and will share both memoir and fiction detailing Ethiopian culture. K.L. Barron lived among the nomads of Niger for a time and will read from her novel Thirst, which captures the dominating desert landscape and some of the nomads’ endangered traditional culture so reminiscent of traditional Native American cultures on the prairie. Formed by Family: Writing About Those Who Shape UsWhen we write memoirs or personal essays, we inevitably find ourselves depicting those who have had the most influence in our lives—our family members. To understand the self, we must understand them. Take a look at a shelf of memoirs, and you will see just how vital those relationships are—in Tara Westover's Educated or Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home or Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes. However, writing about family is risky, and there are legendary stories of family members who stopped talking after a memoir was published. As a result, we don’t want to get it wrong. In this presentation, we will look at ways to write more freely and honestly while still honoring those we care about. We will discuss how other authors have handled writing about mothers, fathers, spouses, and children. Tim Bascom, who directs the Kansas Book Festival, is 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 a handful of journals as well, winning the 2021 Fiction Prize at Briar Cliff Review. ![]() Tim is scheduled to present at 3:20pm on Saturday, October 22. PRESENTATION BLOCK 5 – WRITING ABOUT SELF |
How to Submit News:
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. Categories
All
Archives
February 2025
|
|