I teach composition, creative nonfiction, and poetry writing at a small regional university in Claremore, Oklahoma (and yes, it is a long commute). I am also working on creating a website, but that will have to be added later! Thank you so much for making me feel welcome!
Jeanice lives outside Clearwater, KS. She has this to say about herself and her writing: I have had works published, mostly poetry, and I am currently attempting to get a poetry collection (or maybe two) published. I write pieces of creative nonfiction in addition to poetry. I also have the bones of a book about modern dying, death, grief, and eulogy, but it has been a bit side-tracked by life and work. I inherited my small family farm a couple of years ago and my husband and I are building a small home on the property. I teach composition, creative nonfiction, and poetry writing at a small regional university in Claremore, Oklahoma (and yes, it is a long commute). I am also working on creating a website, but that will have to be added later! Thank you so much for making me feel welcome! Welcome, Jeanice - we're glad to have you!
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Members will receive the link to attend this program via zoom in their monthly email newsletters. The link is also available on the Member Pages of this website, sign-in required. Please plan to sign on to Zoom a few minutes early. We start our programs right on time! Purple Doesn't Look Good on Anyone: How to Write Emotion 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. Patrick lives in Topeka with his wife Lisa; they have three adult children. Here's what Patrick has to say:
I grew up in the heart of wrestling country in northern Iowa and have been a wrestling enthusiast since my earliest memories (think high school, college, Olympics, and not the chair-throwing, predetermined outcome type of wrestling). I was introduced to the sport early and competed throughout my college years. Along the way, I read about every book about the sport and kept up with current happenings by subscribing to wrestling magazines and reading daily newspaper articles. After college, I became a teacher and coach. In the fall of 2024, I will embark on my thirtieth year in the classroom. In 2022 I retired from coaching at the high school level and began to devote more time to researching and writing about the sport, which I have dabbled in through the years. I have written articles for several wrestling publications and currently write a monthly article for WIN Magazine, a nationally circulated wrestling publication. Shortly after my coaching retirement, I began researching the Kansas State University wrestling program, which operated from 1922 until it was dropped in 1975. I found the stats and stories fascinating and worthy of a broader audience. I am putting the final touches on the manuscript of a book with a working title of The Undertold Story of Kanas State University Wrestling. I look for it to be out in late fall 2024. Let us know when the book is out and we'll post a Member Book News notice here! Welcome, Patrick. 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. Arlice W. Davenport, a member of District 5 of the Kansas Authors Club, will read from, comment on, and sign copies of his most recent book from Meadowlark Press, In Search of the Sublime. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at Eighth Day Books, 2838 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS.
Sublime is Davenport's fourth work from Meadowlark Press and his most ambitious to date. Drawing on the words of William Wordsworth, one of his favorite English Romantic poets, Davenport explores four themes: searching for the sublime in the self, Old World Europe, Nature's Kingdom, and the new worldview he has acquired from decades of travel around the globe. He is the author of three other poetry collections from Meadowlark Press: Setting the Waves on Fired, Everlasting: Poems, Kind of Blue:New Poems. Davenport is the retired Books editor and Travel editor for The Wichita Eagle newspaper in Wichita, Kansas. As Books editor, he was a strong advocate for reviewing major names in poetry, including W. S. Merwin and Marvin Bell, whom he interviewed for features stories and, of course, reviews. You can reach him at arliced@yahoo.com. With much appreciation to our authors, artists, and readers we invite you to celebrate the publication of
THE WRITE BRIDGE JOURNAL: 2024 edition. Enjoy refreshments, great speakers & A GOOD TIME! SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 20243:30 - 6:30 PM WATKINS MUSEUM, LAWRENCE, KANSAS Find Out More SELECT ARTICLES, POEMS, SHORT STORIES, PLAYS AND ARTWORK FROM AUTHORS AND ARTISTS WITH POWERFUL VOICES The Write Bridge presents two opposing ideas for creators and readers to delve into—seriously or in fun—in order stretch our imaginations, to move beyond boundaries, to bridge the gap. RNAL TOPIC: SOLITUDE and SOLIDARITYPUBLICATION DATE: MARCH 17, 202 AVAILABLE NOW HERE! CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS & ARTISTS: *denotes KAC member Barry Barnes Vern Barnet Shelley Watts Barnhill Stephanie A. Barrows *Lindsey Bartlett *Julie Ann Baker Brin Patricia Cleveland *Ian Cook Louis Copt *Brian Daldorph *Anamarie Davis-Wilkins *Thaddeus Dugan Heather Duris *Gretchen Cassel Eick Andrew Evans *Robert Fraga *Amber Fraley *Beth Gulley *George Gurley *Duane L. Herrmann *D.A. Irsik *Kelly W. Johnston Kathleen Kaska Julia Mathias Manglitz Cathy Martin J.A. McGovern *Ronda Miller *Peg Nichols *Kevin Rabas John Ritchie *Troy Robinson BruDe Rolfe *Mark Scheel *Diane Silver Garold Sneegas *Lori Stratton *Connlyn Synclair *Chuck Warner *Barbara Waterman Peters *Brenda White Meet K.P. Kollenborn, new member from District 2. She has this to say about herself and her writing: Greetings! I go by my pen name, K.P. Kollenborn, a name designed as tribute to my mother's maiden name. And as a writer who has a passion and respect for history, it's only natural to write with historical context. While I’ve been writing since childhood, I have a BA in History. I love studying history as much as wanting to evoke stories. I like to believe that after decades worth of introspection we have learned, hopefully more wisely if not conscientiously, what happened yesterday with a critical eye. Social consciousness is a process learned through observation and experience. Although writing can educate as well as entertain, yet what makes art incredibly amazing, to that of paintings, photographs, and music, it transposes emotion into another form of humanity, and therefore, it is our humanity which keeps all of us striving for an improved future.
Aside from writing, I have several YouTube channels that are either presented in mini documentary format or cultural awareness: Main one: https://www.youtube.com/user/kollenborn/featured, Kansas City Treasure Troves: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV01oSYL4Y3CbhRV--tYUJw, The Buster Clan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh8WxiPvQh8PCMU55RuJZwg Always remember, Get Your History On! https://www.kpkollenborn.com Say hello to Mari Dietz, new member from Dodge City (District 7)! Mari teaches full-time, so writes when she has the spare time. She mainly writes fantasy, and just had a book release this week. "After a long writing dry spell," she says, "it is wonderful to finally publish again." Look for her book, Torment (The Dragons of Tenghua, Book One), in paper or as an e-book, HERE or HERE. Welcome to KAC, Mari! We're happy to have you.
Frog Joy is a collection of free verse and micro poems that point to the beauty in everyday moments. Beth Gulley is making her own world without a fence. Sometimes readers join her as she stains her fingers on low hanging mulberries. Other times the readers chase her along the trail and try to escape the rising flood waters. Underneath it all, a chorus of frog calls, like fingers running along the edge of a comb, echo in the damp night. Beth Gulley is a Kansas City based poet. In addition to Frog Joy, (2024 Anamcara Press) she has published two chapbooks and three full-length collections of poetry: Since Corona Ruined Our Trip to the Library (Finishing Line Press), Little Fish: Tiny Meditations on Freedom (Flying Ketchup Press), Dragon Eggs (Spartan Press), The Sticky Note Alphabet (Alien Buddha Press), and Love of Ornamental Fish (Alien Buddha). She teaches English at Johnson County Community College. Beth serves on the Riverfront Reading Committee and the Writers Place board. She likes to volunteer, trail run, and drink coffee. More information can be found on her blog at https://timeeasesallthings.wordpress.com/. “Few brief, gem-like poetic meditations shine like Beth’s. Part diary entry, part koan or prayer, these new poems sparkle with wit and wisdom. I treasure them. You will too.”—Kevin Rabas, Past Poet Laureate of Kansas (2017-2019), Improvise
Dive into “Frog Joy,” where Beth Gulley’s verses paint everyday magic. From mulberry-stained fingers to a heart-pounding escape from floods, hear the chorus of frog calls serenading life’s simple wonders. AVAILABLE NOW!Jacketed Hardcover, Paperback, EBook “Beth Gulley does it again with her latest collection, Frog Joy. Present is all of Gulley’s trademark wit, heart, and insight. She instantly grabs the reader in the first poem by comparing watching a televised fight to reading Basho. ... The book as a whole could be Beth Gulley’s most rounded and profound collection yet, and that is quite an accomplishment considering her impressive back catalog.”—James Benger, author of The Park “Beth Gulley takes readers on a journey that, on its face, seems to be a trip through the mundane. In reality, readers are transported through observations of daily life into a world that could be theirs. With beautifully relatable simplicity, Frog Joy reminds us that we all travel this life together, just on parallel paths.”—Curtis Becker, author of My Second Act and Greetings from Topeka. 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. Jet Dreams Take Flight
Imagine the sleek Learjet streaking across the sky in this high-flying adventure! Picture yourself zooming through the clouds as young readers discover the trailblazing history of the world's fastest business jet. This book's about talented people who had big dreams and just knew they could make them real. Meet inventor Bill Lear and engineer Dr. Hans Studer. These visionary founders combined creativity and expertise to make the impossible possible. Their Learjet could rocket across the country in a mere 4 hours! Follow their journey from sketching jet wing designs to witnessing their innovative dream take flight. But it wasn't easy. Yet they never even thought about giving up! Nope, they kept on working, figuring things out step-by-step. Finally, their hard work paid off big time! They made the Learjet, the quickest business jet in the sky. It's so speedy and smooth, it changed the way people think about flying! Readers will take off on an exciting ride through decades of Learjet's boundary-pushing innovations. Learning about the daring pilots who pushed the limits will ignite their own willingness to soar. The Age of Learjet will inspire the next generation of innovators to dream big, believe in themselves, and let their bold ideas take wing!" Aviation experts Dr. Peter Hamel, former Director of the Institute of Flight Systems, and Gary Park, aerospace engineer for over 50 years, stand alone as the definitive Learjet historians. Their insider engineering experience paired with exhaustive research resulted in the comprehensive 456-page book "The Learjet History: Beginnings, Innovations, and Utilization." Dr. Hamel brings decades of leadership in aeronautics programs and research. Mr. Park provides an insider perspective from directly working on Learjet certification. For this adaptation, nobody provides more authority and passion for bringing Learjet's untold stories to young readers. So, why should you read this book? Because it shows that when you've got a dream and you stick with it, amazing things can happen! Ready to make your own dreams fly? Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 7:00 PMGet to know members from across the state and beyond at Kansas Authors Club Open Mic (a monthly virtual event on Zoom).
Members may access the link for Open Mic at this link. (Member sign-on required.) Meet Abbi Lee of District 5! Abbi says: I'm in Wichita and I write for young readers. The first book in my debut middle grade series, Geocache Club: Ghost Town Treasure Hunt, will be released October 1, 2024 with Chicken Scratch Books. It's a contemporary adventure story about eleven-year-old Layton Clark. When his best friend moves away, Layton doesn’t know if he’ll ever have another adventure again. Then he meets Sherry who introduces him to the treasure-hunting world of geocaching. The thrill of adventure sends them hunting in an abandoned Kansas ghost town where they find deserted shacks, unmarked geocaches, an old diary, and more. Layton and Sherry must work together to unlock these mysterious geocaches, solve a century-old mystery, and convince Layton’s father not to move the family away. I'm also published in Kansas Country Living magazine and Spider magazine. Currently, I work as a copywriter for a local marketing agency. Prior to that I taught high school English and Social Studies. I also worked at a local museum as the Education Manager conducting tours, creating programs, and using stories to bring history to life. I'm happy to be a part of KAC and can't wait to make connections with fellow local authors. And we're glad to have you join us! Check out her website too: https://abbileebooks.wordpress.com/
District 1 welcomes Abby Bayani-Heitzman! Abby sends us this introduction:
I am a Filipino American writer born and raised in Northeast Kansas. I’m currently based in Topeka and working as a grant writer. My main passion is short fiction, and I primarily draw from magic(al) realist influences — I’m particularly inspired by Nick Joaquin and his “tropical gothic” stories. I’ve also got a novel in mind and hope to start writing it soon! Apart from writing, I enjoy making visual art and playing bass. I’m also a very active member of Malaya Kansas, a Filipino American community organization that focuses on political education and legislative advocacy for the Philippine Human Rights Act. My most recent writing success has been my essay on Bienvenido Santos for The New Territory magazine (forthcoming) as part of Humanities Kansas’ “Literary Landscapes in Kansas” project. An audio version will air on High Plains Public Radio, along with the other essays that were selected. Welcome to KAC, Abby - and do let us know when the radio piece airs! Please note that individual authors should wait for email approval before sending in payment.
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.
For the past three years, Sandee Taylor has judged 4th grade poetry for the annual writing and art contest at Circle Benton Elementary. This is the 24th consecutive year for this contest. It is open to 3rd through 6th grades. She enjoyed helping principal Rob Leis and art judge Alex Kessler pass out awards. She spoke a few minutes encouraging the students write and enter contests. Organizers Erika and Jason Kirk are sitting at the table.
Members Cathy Callen, Lawrence, and Julie A. Sellers, Atchison, had books selected this year as a "recommended title" by the Kansas National Education Association's Reading Circle Commission.
District 6 welcomes Rob! To introduce myself: I grew up in Dodge City, where my father's family has farmed and ranched since the 1920s. Before that, the family farmed near Ellinwood. My mother's people are originally from Maple Hill, on the eastern edge of the Flint Hills, and I have a lot of family in the Salina area, as well. I attended KU as an undergraduate, majoring in English, and Washington University in St. Louis, where I earned my MFA. I also have a PhD from SUNY-Buffalo and an MA from Exeter University in England. My books include a forthcoming debut novel, The Last Rancher, which will be published by Meadowlark Press this summer. I've also published two memoirs, Dragging Wyatt Earp: A Personal History of Dodge City (Swallow Press, 2013) and Headlights on the Prairie: Essays on Home (U P Kansas, 2017); and a work of criticism, Hicks, Tribes, & Dirty Realists: American Fiction after Postmodernism (U Kentucky P, 2001, 2009). Both Dragging Wyatt Earp and Headlights on the Prairie were named Kansas Notable Books, and Headlights was a finalist for the High Plains Book Award in the Creative Nonfiction Category.
I live in Indiana with my wife Alyssa Chase and a pair of ornery beagles. I teach creative writing at Indiana University in Indianapolis. Contest opens April 1, 2024, and closes June 15, 2024
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