STATE Programs
3rd Saturdays of each month
Program Start Time: 1:30pm, expected to take approximately one hour per program (30- to 40-minute presentations followed by 15-20 minutes Q&A and announcements. Next Program:
May 18, 2024 See Below for Details |
Kansas Authors Club Open Mic (a Zoom meet up)
2nd Tuesdays, 7:00pm CST How does Open Mic work?
|
- Districts and city groups/small writing groups are invited to incorporate these programs into their meetings as they see fit. For groups meeting on the 3rd Saturday of the month, the programs can be viewed live via Zoom as they are taking place. Program recordings will be available to district and group leaders for a period of one month for meetings held at other times.
- All members will receive the link for zoom attendance to make watching from home a possibility. Attendance in person is recommended and encouraged, whenever possible!
- Most meetings will be hosted by a KAC district on location and available to the rest of the state by tuning in on Zoom. Where applicable, we will list the location of the presenter so that members who would like to attend the presentation in person will be able to do so.
2024 PROGRAMS
May 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.
www.penofryandennis.com
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.
www.penofryandennis.com
June 15, 2024
Finding the Best Genre for Your Particular Material
Presenter: Kevin Rabas
Location: Zoom AND members are invited to attend the live presentation in Emporia, Emporia State University, Plumb Hall, Room 406
Presentation Category:
Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Craft (skills and techiniques), Inspiration, Technical (How to), Writing, Writing for Fun, Writing for Profit
Learn to think and write with an eye for genre in mind. Learn what material works best in which genre, while learning the basics of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, play- , and screenwriting along the way.
Past Poet Laureate of Kansas (2017-2019) Kevin Rabas teaches at Emporia State University, where he leads the poetry, playwriting, and filmmaking tracks. He is a seventh generation Kansan. He has sixteen books, including Lisa’s Flying Electric Piano, a Kansas Notable Book and Nelson Poetry Book Award winner, and Elizabeth’s City, a novel, finalist for the 2023 Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Fiction. He is the recipient of the Emporia State President’s and Liberal Arts & Sciences Awards for Research and Creativity, and he is the winner of the Langston Hughes Award for Poetry. His plays and films have shown across the Midwest and on both coasts.
www.kevinrabas.com
Finding the Best Genre for Your Particular Material
Presenter: Kevin Rabas
Location: Zoom AND members are invited to attend the live presentation in Emporia, Emporia State University, Plumb Hall, Room 406
Presentation Category:
Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Craft (skills and techiniques), Inspiration, Technical (How to), Writing, Writing for Fun, Writing for Profit
Learn to think and write with an eye for genre in mind. Learn what material works best in which genre, while learning the basics of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, play- , and screenwriting along the way.
Past Poet Laureate of Kansas (2017-2019) Kevin Rabas teaches at Emporia State University, where he leads the poetry, playwriting, and filmmaking tracks. He is a seventh generation Kansan. He has sixteen books, including Lisa’s Flying Electric Piano, a Kansas Notable Book and Nelson Poetry Book Award winner, and Elizabeth’s City, a novel, finalist for the 2023 Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Fiction. He is the recipient of the Emporia State President’s and Liberal Arts & Sciences Awards for Research and Creativity, and he is the winner of the Langston Hughes Award for Poetry. His plays and films have shown across the Midwest and on both coasts.
www.kevinrabas.com
July 20, 2024
Strategies for Knowing Your Audience
Presenter: Beth Gulley
Location: Zoom AND Live Site To Be Announced
Presentation Category:
Poetry, Nonfiction, Writing, Writing for Fun
Have you ever felt terror when you sit down to writing because you don’t know if your audience will judge you? Have you ever been afraid to step up to the mic to read your work in public? Have you ever wondered why your work isn’t getting accepted? These are all writing issues that could be resolved if you get to know your audience better. As Nikki Giovanni writes “Know who you want to be proud of you.” Then write and edit with those people in mind. Beth Gulley will offer suggestions and resources to help you to know who you are writing for and to as well as what to do with that information once you have gained it.
Beth Gulley lives in Spring Hill, Kansas and teaches writing at Johnson County Community College. She has published three chapbooks and four full-length collections of poetry. Her chapbook, Since Corona Ruined Our Trip to the Library, won the 2023 Chapbook Award from the Kansas Authors Club. Her full-length collection, Frog Joy, was runner up for the 2023 Amity Prize. Beth serves on the Riverfront Reading Committee and is a Writers Place board member where she edits the yearbook. More information about Beth can be found on her blog at
https://timeeasesallthings.wordpress.com/
Strategies for Knowing Your Audience
Presenter: Beth Gulley
Location: Zoom AND Live Site To Be Announced
Presentation Category:
Poetry, Nonfiction, Writing, Writing for Fun
Have you ever felt terror when you sit down to writing because you don’t know if your audience will judge you? Have you ever been afraid to step up to the mic to read your work in public? Have you ever wondered why your work isn’t getting accepted? These are all writing issues that could be resolved if you get to know your audience better. As Nikki Giovanni writes “Know who you want to be proud of you.” Then write and edit with those people in mind. Beth Gulley will offer suggestions and resources to help you to know who you are writing for and to as well as what to do with that information once you have gained it.
Beth Gulley lives in Spring Hill, Kansas and teaches writing at Johnson County Community College. She has published three chapbooks and four full-length collections of poetry. Her chapbook, Since Corona Ruined Our Trip to the Library, won the 2023 Chapbook Award from the Kansas Authors Club. Her full-length collection, Frog Joy, was runner up for the 2023 Amity Prize. Beth serves on the Riverfront Reading Committee and is a Writers Place board member where she edits the yearbook. More information about Beth can be found on her blog at
https://timeeasesallthings.wordpress.com/
August 17, 2024
Poetry as a Healing Path
Presenter: Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Location: Zoom
Presentation Category:
Poetry, Inspiration, Writing
The practice of poetry can help us better understand our own heart, health, and callings in life. At the same time, the sheer practice of making something out of words can bring us more alive, giving us greater meaning, energy, and even joy in the process. Come explore—through writing in community, reading our words (always optional), and sharing our discoveries—how writing and reading poetry can help you craft a practice that brings you deeper into your own healing and resilience.
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ph.D., the 2009-13 Kansas Poet Laureate is the author of 24 books, including How Time Moves: New & Selected Poems; Miriam's Well, a novel; and The Sky Begins At Your Feet: A Memoir on Cancer, Community, and Coming Home to the Body.
Founder of Transformative Language Arts, she is a beloved writing workshop facilitator and writing coach. For over 20 years, she has facilitated workshops for people living with serious illness and for other groups exploring writing and healing. She also directed the Transformative Language Arts master's program--focusing on writing for individual and community transformation--for 20 years at Goddard College.
Caryn offers classes and retreats through YourRightLivelihood.com with Kathryn Lorenzen, Bravevoice.com with Kelley Hunt, and TheArtofFacilitation.net with Joy Roulier Sawyer. Her weekly “Care Packages for a Creative Life” through her Patron.com/carynmg Find more about her, including her long-time blog, “Everyday Magic” at CarynMirriamGoldberg.com.
http://carynmirriamgoldberg.com
Poetry as a Healing Path
Presenter: Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Location: Zoom
Presentation Category:
Poetry, Inspiration, Writing
The practice of poetry can help us better understand our own heart, health, and callings in life. At the same time, the sheer practice of making something out of words can bring us more alive, giving us greater meaning, energy, and even joy in the process. Come explore—through writing in community, reading our words (always optional), and sharing our discoveries—how writing and reading poetry can help you craft a practice that brings you deeper into your own healing and resilience.
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ph.D., the 2009-13 Kansas Poet Laureate is the author of 24 books, including How Time Moves: New & Selected Poems; Miriam's Well, a novel; and The Sky Begins At Your Feet: A Memoir on Cancer, Community, and Coming Home to the Body.
Founder of Transformative Language Arts, she is a beloved writing workshop facilitator and writing coach. For over 20 years, she has facilitated workshops for people living with serious illness and for other groups exploring writing and healing. She also directed the Transformative Language Arts master's program--focusing on writing for individual and community transformation--for 20 years at Goddard College.
Caryn offers classes and retreats through YourRightLivelihood.com with Kathryn Lorenzen, Bravevoice.com with Kelley Hunt, and TheArtofFacilitation.net with Joy Roulier Sawyer. Her weekly “Care Packages for a Creative Life” through her Patron.com/carynmg Find more about her, including her long-time blog, “Everyday Magic” at CarynMirriamGoldberg.com.
http://carynmirriamgoldberg.com
September 21, 2024, to be announced
On September 28 - Invitation to attend the Kansas Book Festival in Topeka.
Kansas Authors Club Youth Writing Contest Award Ceremony will take place here.
Kansas Authors Club Youth Writing Contest Award Ceremony will take place here.
October 4-6, Kansas Authors Club Convention at Rock Springs Ranch
October 19, 2024
All Members are Invited to the
Annual Meeting of the General Membership (Zoom)
Highlights from the 2023 Annual Meeting
All Members are Invited to the
Annual Meeting of the General Membership (Zoom)
Highlights from the 2023 Annual Meeting
November 16, 2024, to be announced
December - No State Program
past programs:
January 2024 Program
Program: Q&A With Award Winning Authors
Program Location: Via Zoom
Join us in convensation with Kansas Authors Club Members K.L. Barron (2023 Coffin Fiction Award), Laura Lee Washburn (2023 Nelson Poetry Award), and D.L. Winter (2023 "Looks Like a Million" Design Award). We will discuss writing, entering contests, and best practices for producing an award-winning book!
Join us in convensation with Kansas Authors Club Members K.L. Barron (2023 Coffin Fiction Award), Laura Lee Washburn (2023 Nelson Poetry Award), and D.L. Winter (2023 "Looks Like a Million" Design Award). We will discuss writing, entering contests, and best practices for producing an award-winning book!
A stunning betrayal forces a young woman to flee a relationship and forge a new life in one of the most brutal landscapes on earth. Gradually adapting to her new surroundings, she becomes aware of the impending dissolution of an entire culture. A diverse cast of displaced Westerners, local nomads, and djinn converge as everyone scrambles to survive and everything comes undone. Winner of the 2023 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award in Fiction.
K.L. Barron is a writer of place: poetry and prose. Her prize-winning fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction has been published in New Letters, The Bennington Review, Little Balkans Review, terrain.org, ChickenBones (Library of Congress), among others, and in several anthologies. She earned an MFA from Bennington in 2005 and taught writing and literature at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas for nearly 20 years. She lives and writes in the Flint Hills.
Her debut novel Thirst came out in November 2022 from Sea Crow Press.
K.L. Barron is a writer of place: poetry and prose. Her prize-winning fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction has been published in New Letters, The Bennington Review, Little Balkans Review, terrain.org, ChickenBones (Library of Congress), among others, and in several anthologies. She earned an MFA from Bennington in 2005 and taught writing and literature at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas for nearly 20 years. She lives and writes in the Flint Hills.
Her debut novel Thirst came out in November 2022 from Sea Crow Press.
In a fantastical neo-classical sense, The Book of Stolen Images speaks novelly toward culture, politics, and collective humanity. This poetry collection recognizes personal yet relatable ordinary and existential experiences, particularly in a timely contextual fashion regarding modern social issues--what makes us feel alive, imperfect, concerned, and inspired to do better. Unique imagery and diction flavor each poem and set this collection apart from other offspring of fairy tales and social commentaries. Winner of the 2023 Nelson Poetry Book Award.
Laura Lee Washburn is the Director of Creative Writing at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, and the author of This Good Warm Place: 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition (March Street), Watching the Contortionists (Palanquin Chapbook Prize), and The Book of Stolen Images (Meadowlark Press, 2023). Harbor Review’s chapbook prize is named in her honor, and she’s the president of Small Harbor Publishing’s Board of Directors. Her degrees are from Old Dominion University, where she interned for the Associated Writing Programs Newsletter, and Arizona State University. Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, she has also lived and worked in Arizona and in Missouri. From her home in Pittsburg, Kansas, she edits The Coop: A Poetry Cooperative.
Laura Lee Washburn is the Director of Creative Writing at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, and the author of This Good Warm Place: 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition (March Street), Watching the Contortionists (Palanquin Chapbook Prize), and The Book of Stolen Images (Meadowlark Press, 2023). Harbor Review’s chapbook prize is named in her honor, and she’s the president of Small Harbor Publishing’s Board of Directors. Her degrees are from Old Dominion University, where she interned for the Associated Writing Programs Newsletter, and Arizona State University. Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, she has also lived and worked in Arizona and in Missouri. From her home in Pittsburg, Kansas, she edits The Coop: A Poetry Cooperative.
Armed with his trusty birch wand and protective shield, young apprentice wizard Alistur Grimaldi believes he can wield his powers with the same determination and results as his beloved mentor, his Great-grandfather Balthazar. His amusement quickly turns to anguish when his inexperience triggers a chain of disastrous events, putting him-and others-in dire circumstances. Mere hours after the most important event in his fourteen years, Alistur must find the courage to face the catastrophic proof of his foolish actions and make things right . . . if he can. From the coast of the Azlyn Sea to the depths of the Crystal Caverns-befriending magical and mystical creatures along his way-Alistur must learn the journey to becoming a wise and responsible wizard will not be walked alone. Winner of the 2023 "It Looks Like a Million" Design Award.
D.L. Winter was raised in Kansas and spent her adult life in Northern California. Many years ago, on her first trip abroad, inspired by the nostalgic allure of legends, lore, and architectural wonders of the Mediterranean region, the concept for Alistur’s story was born. However, crafting the fable would have to wait. Plotting adventures in the fictitious Kingdom of Fleurbania would be among the creative projects of her retirement. After a corporate career, D.L. now resides in her home state of Kansas once again, telling tales and enjoying life with family members.
D.L. Winter was raised in Kansas and spent her adult life in Northern California. Many years ago, on her first trip abroad, inspired by the nostalgic allure of legends, lore, and architectural wonders of the Mediterranean region, the concept for Alistur’s story was born. However, crafting the fable would have to wait. Plotting adventures in the fictitious Kingdom of Fleurbania would be among the creative projects of her retirement. After a corporate career, D.L. now resides in her home state of Kansas once again, telling tales and enjoying life with family members.
February 17, 2024
Program: Writing Glitter: How Art Gets Into Everything
Presented by Christine Benner Dixon
Covering: Craft (skills and techiniques), Writing
This presentation is for writers at any level who are struggling to make room for their writing practice in everyday life.
Presented by Christine Benner Dixon
Covering: Craft (skills and techiniques), Writing
This presentation is for writers at any level who are struggling to make room for their writing practice in everyday life.
Even with limited time to dedicate to their craft, writers can enhance their everyday writing practice by nurturing an artistic mindset. Let your art get into everything: from cooking to watching TV to sitting through meetings. Develop habits of mind that keep your writing alive between writing sessions. Setting aside dedicated writing time is key to being a writer—but you can make the most of your writing time by keeping the creative pump primed. Join M. C. Benner Dixon, co-author of Millions of Suns (2023) named one of Poets & Writers "Best Books for Writers," for a conversation on the writing life. This presentation, which includes practical exercises as well as a philosophical framework, encourages writers to let their art expand into every part of their life.
Christine Benner Dixon (M.C. Benner Dixon) is a teacher, poet, editor, and award-winning novelist living in Pittsburgh, PA, where she serves as the interim executive director of Write Pittsburgh. Christine’s writing has appeared in outlets such as Literary Hub, Reckoning, Flash Fiction Online, Appalachian Review, and elsewhere. Along with poet Sharon Fagan McDermott, Christine is the co-author of Millions of Suns: On Writing and Life, a collection of hybrid craft-of-writing and personal essays about navigating life as a creative person. Millions of Suns is out now from the University of Michigan Press as part of their Writers on Writing series. Christine’s debut novel, The Height of Land, is scheduled for release in late 2024 from Orison Books. You can find Christine online at bennerdixon.com.
March 16, 2024
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 members are invited to attend the live presentation in Emporia, Emporia State University, Plumb Hall, Room 406
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.
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 members are invited to attend the live presentation in Emporia, Emporia State University, Plumb Hall, Room 406
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.
April 20, 2024
Necessary Lies in Essays and Memoir
Presenter: Tim Bascom
Location: Zoom AND Live Site Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
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.
Necessary Lies in Essays and Memoir
Presenter: Tim Bascom
Location: Zoom AND Live Site Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
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.