Author: Robert Rebein
ISBN: 978-1-956578-59-1
-Cindy Roupe, Judge
•The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg
•The Pamela Papers by Nancy McCabe
•Clocked Out by Anna St. John
•Parent Imperfect by Paul Lamble
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Title: The Last Rancher Author: Robert Rebein ISBN: 978-1-956578-59-1 “This is the sort of book to take to appointments, not minding at all if you get a few minutes of reading in a waiting room. From the start, it was the language that attracted me. Author Robert Rebein warns us: “this place is going to have its claws in you.” From the suburbs of Leawood, and the serenity of the homeplace, to the dusty river, roads of Dodge City, I felt I knew each place. I wanted to stand with Annie, cup of coffee in hand, on the porch of the homeplace and see the fields of grazing cattle and horses while listening to the croaking bullfrogs and bellowing calves. The places became so real that I found myself wanting to google the streets and restaurants of Dodge. But I didn’t have to.” -Cindy Roupe, Judge Finalists: •The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg •The Pamela Papers by Nancy McCabe •Clocked Out by Anna St. John •Parent Imperfect by Paul Lamble Cindy Roupe served as coordinator for the State Library of Kansas Notable Books program for 15 years. She was a long-time Director of Reference for the State Libary and on several occasions served as the interim State Librarian.
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Title: The Eleven Directions of Kansas Author: Jim Gilkeson ISBN: 978-1892193025 “. . . with a clear trajectory and an effective ending. Gilkeson introduces a wide variety of characters and experiences; one of the virtues of the book is frequent surprise. Another virtue is humor–Each piece is well-planned, Gilkeson laughs at himself and makes gentle fun of others who are generally depicted sympathetically. The book is both fun and thought-provoking.” – Kim Stanley, Judge Finalists: •Walking Old Roads by Tammy Hader •Shattered by Ginger Zyskowski Kim Stanley is a professor emerita of the Department of Modern Languages at McPherson College. She taught courses in English and world literature, composition, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Prof. Stanley has a varied academic background, with a B.A. in English and Spanish from Trinity University in San Antonio, an M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College in Santa Fe, and a Ph.D. in British literature from the University of Texas. Her academic interests include storytelling in all its forms. Prof. Stanley enjoys using literature to help people talk and write about their lives and ideas. Title: Like What You Do: The Memoirs of Dr. Walt Menninger Author: Todd Fertig, with Walt Menninger ISBN: 9781953583901 “Todd Fertig’s Like What You Do is a well written book on the life of one of America’s premiere psychologists. With Fertig, Mr. Menninger’s writing gives great detail on the establishment of the Menninger Foundation, a Topeka landmark for 84 years. I recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn about the advancement of American psychiatry.” –Keith Wondra, Judge Finalist: •A Captivating Cast of Characters by Mike Durall Keith Wondra is the curator at Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City. He is the former curator of collections and exhibits at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degree in history from Wichita State University. Title: House of Grace, House of Blood Author: Denise Low ISBN: 9781953743374 “A stunning work of poetic witness and imagination. Low’s poetry sings out of documentary texts, oral histories, family stories, and personal interrogation and reflection, illuminating the 1782 massacre by renegade western Pennsylvania militia of Native Lenape (including women and children) converted to the pacifist Moravian faith in Gnadenhutten, Ohio (literally house or hut of Grace).” –Alison Hicks, Judge Finalists: •Arteries by Laura Lee Washburn •The Will to Punish by Michael Poage Alison Hicks has published four poetry collections, including the 2021 Birdy Poetry Prize from Meadowlark Press, a novella, and an anthology. Her work has appeared in Eclipse, Gargoyle, Permafrost, and Poet Lore, among other journals. She was named a finalist for the 2021 Beullah Rose Prize from Smartish Pace, an Editor's Choice selection in the Philadelphia Stories National Poetry Prize, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Green Hills Literary Lantern, Quartet Journal, and Nude Bruce Review. She is 1982 graduate of Bryn Mawr College, and received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a concentration in fiction in 1987 from the University of Arizona, where she held a University Fellowship, the Anonymous Scholarship, and was a second-place winner of the Downs Award for Fiction. She is certified to lead creative writing workshops following the Amherst Writers & Artists method pioneered by Pat Schneider. In 1996, she founded Greater Philadelphia Workshop Studio to support writers in the development of their individual voices and in the practice of their craft. GPWS offers community-based creative writing workshops and personal consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method. Title: Ghost Town Treasure Hunt Author: Abbi Lee ISBN: 9781953743374 “A fun book that gives kids a chance to go on a treasure hunt through geocaching. This is a story of friendship and appreciating adventure.” – Debra Rundus, Judge Finalists: •First Comes a Butterfly by Sherry Krehbiel •Pirate Chickens Attackkk!! By Ashley Donegan Debra Rundus is a preschool teacher and has a heart for young families with small children. She is an owner of Middle Ground Books in Emporia, Kansas. Design Award: Adult Category Title: The Rhino Keeper Author: Jillian Forsberg, Wichita ISBN-13 : 978-1963452037 “The cover of The Rhino Keeper is visually striking and manages to balance graphics and imagery that are thematically appropriate to the tone, topic, and time-period of the book with current popular aesthetic trends in the industry. The illustrative elements are colorful yet subdued which ensures the title is the most prominent element of the design. On the back cover, the text is clean, elegant, and easy to read with plenty of breathing room to avoid crowding.” – Rosalie Krenger, Judge Design Award: Children's Category Title: Pirate Chickens Under Attackkkk!!! Author: Ashley Donegan ISBN: 9798991038713 “Pirate Chickens Under Attack incorporates charming illustrations and small but effective touches throughout. The font is clean and easy to read and choosing to display the onomatopoeia in red is a simple choice that adds a big impact, helping young readers start to understand the process of differentiating stressed words and sounds. The illustrations are charming, and the addition of small pictures in the corners of the text-focused pages supplements the visual storytelling without being overly distracting.” – Rosalie Krenger, Judge Judge Rosalie Krenger is the owner of Well Lit Editing & Design. She has worked in publishing and design for the past decade, including work for several literary journals, a newspaper, a textbook company, several independent publishers and authors, a film festival, and other private clients. She has managed the Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts and has mentored graphic designers, marketing interns, and writers in the Studio E Advertising Collective. Thanks to Jaimie Kirby for serving as our 2025 Prose Contest Manager! Prose Theme: Mark Landon Jarvis & Janice Northerns Category: Theme Prose More Than a Manuscript: Words Take Root First Place: ”The Garden Of Rejected Tales” by Julie A. Sellers, Atchison Second Place: “Silent Reverie” by Mark Landon Jarvis, El Dorado Third Place: “Uprooted—How I Became an Accidental Kansan” by Janice Northerns, Wichita Honorable Mentions: "From Tools to Roots” by Mason Taylor-Taite, Manhattan ”Roots” Julie A. Sellers, Atchison Stories for Young Readers: Jerilynn Jones Henrikson Category: Stories Written for Young Readers First Place: ”Pedro the Cat of Bee Mountain” by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson, Emporia Second Place: “Tiny Mighty Eveliney” by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson, Emporia Third Place: “The Story of Alex the Cat” by Mason Taylor-Taite, Manhattan Honorable Mentions: “The Case of the Missing Ears” by Julie A. Sellers, Atchison “Get Outta My Womb by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson, Emporia Prose Memoir/Inspirational: Mark Landon Jarvis, Sandra Lou Taylor, & S.L. Brown Category: Memoir/Inspirational First Place: “Anomalies” by Mark Landon Jarvis, El Dorado Second Place: “The One We Usually Find When He’s Dead” by Sandra Lou Taylor Third Place: “You’re Enough” by S.L. Brown Honorable Mentions: “The Yellow Gingham Sundress” by Aimee L. Gross, Topeka “My Dad, Not a Father” by Marilynn Hope Lake, Columbia MO Humor: Linda Cook & Jerilynn Jones Henrikson Cateogory: Humor First Place: “By the Numbers” by Julie A. Sellers, Atchison Second Place: “Start of the Week Goes Down the Toilet at Local College” by Julie A. Sellers, Atchison Third Place: “Shit Happens” by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson, Emporia Honorable Mention: “Wilde Ride to the Delivery Room” by Mason Taylor-Taite, Manhattan Honorable Mention: “Rebound Date” by Linda Cook, Manhattan Flash Fiction: Marion J. Bollig, Cheryl Unruh, Jerilynn Jones Henrikson Category: Flash Fiction First Place: ”Doctor VanFleet” by Marion J. Bollig, Baldwin Second Place: “WAGONS,HO!” by Cheryl Unruh, Emporia Third Place: “You Do What You Can” by Martha Wherry, Wichita Honorable Mentions: “Fight Like A Girl” by Katherine St. John, Shawnee “A Prairie Puzzlement” by Jerilynn Jones Henrikson, Emporia Category: First Chapter of a Book First Place: ”Ravens of the Never Wood” by Aimee L. Gross, Topeka Second Place: “Legacy and Lies” by Deborah Linn McNemee, El Dorado Third Place: “Muscular Love” by Gretchen Cassel Eick, Wichita Honorable Mentions: “Disaster at Dawn” by Mary-Lane Kamberg, Olate ”A Senator is Missing” by Peg Nichols, Olathe “The Cane” by Roger Keith Droz, Topeka Category: Playwriting First Place: A Shampoo and a Set by Julie A. Sellers, Atchison Rural Voices: Sandra Lou Taylor & Lindsey Bartlett Category: Rural Voices
First Place: “Spikes of Light” by Hildebrand Wesley, Second Place: “Don’t Do That Again” by Sandra Lou Taylor, Towanda Third Place: “Lost in the Wilderness” by Mason Taylor-Taite, Manhattan Honorable Mentions: “Snake Acres” by Janice Lee McClure, Sublette “Rural Girl Goes to University” by Lindsey Bartlett, Emporia Thanks to Janice Northerns for serving as our 2024 and 2025 Poetry Contest Manager! Contest Manger Janice Northerns and Theme Honorable Mention, Jeanice Eagan Davis Theme Category in Poetry More Than a Manuscript: Words Take Root First: High Plains Childhood, Janice Lee McClure, Sublette Second: Summon the Muse, Arlice W. Davenport, Wichita Third: The Beginning of All Things, Arlice W. Davenport, Wichita HMs: Cutting Wood, Jeanice Eagan Davis, Clearwater How Few Know the Way, Arlice W. Davenport, Wichita Whimsy: Kristine A. Polansky & Julie Ann Baker Brin Category: Whimsy First: The Two Hemispheres Of My Brain in The Middle Of The Night Are Like, Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City Second: Hidden in Plain Sight, Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City Third: Father Love, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan HMs: Stopping by Woods for a Tasty Morsel, Mary-Lane Kamberg, Olathe Little Miss Muffet Noir, Conrad Jestmore, Wichita Classic Forms: Kristine A. Polansky Category: Classic Forms First: For the Love of Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Janice Lee McClure, Sublette Second: 2025, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan Third: The Vinegar Works, Janice Lee McClure, Sublette HMs: Full Moon IV and Gage Park Carousel, Janice Lee McClure, Sublette Only I Know, Duane Johnson, Topeka Japanese Forms: Kristine A. Polansky & Julie Ann Baker Brin Category: Japanese Forms First: Autumn’s coming soon, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan Second: Study Abroad Day 2: Panteon Municipal Santa Rosa, Beth Gulley, Olathe Third: A gentle fall rain, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan HMs: [Music Everywhere], Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City I wake to bird songs, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan Rural Voices: Kristine A. Polansky & Julie Ann Baker Brin Category: Rural Voices First: Firewatch, Kelly Johnston, Wichita Second: Highway 40 Snowfall, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan Third: High Plains Childhood: Summer, Janice Lee McClure, Sublette Honorable Mentions: Flint Hills Elegy, Tim Keane, Manhattan Cattle Control 2, Kelly Johnston, Wichita Idyllic, Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City Night at the Farm, Brenda White, Emporia Free Verse: Julie Ann Baker Brin Category: Free Verse First: Easter Morning, Brenda White, Emporia Second: Mesmerized, Judy Oliver, Wichita Third: Full Moon II, Janice Lee McClure, Sublette Honorable Mentions: Underground, Arlice W. Davenport, Wichita Ten Years Before Cyberspace, Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City Meeting New Colleagues in Mexico, Beth Gulley, Olathe New Poets: Mark Landon Jarvis & Joseph Zalewski Category: New Poets First: Filling Up, Deborah Linn McNeemee, El Dorado Second: A Day Cutting Firewood, John Joseph Brown, Lawrence Third: Bones He Can’t Grow Back, Mark Landon Jarvis, El Dorado Honorable Mentions: Tribe of Dan, Joseph Zalewski, Manhattan Christmas Morning Poem, Cynthia C. Schaker, El Dorado CJ, Until We Meet Again, Cynthia C. Schaker, El Dorado Narrative Poems: Kristine A. Polansky, Mark Landon Jarvis, Jeanice Eagan Davis Catagory: Narrative Poetry First: Diving Lesson, Kristine A. Polansky, Manhattan Second: Rick Webb, Barber, Mark Landon Jarvis, El Dorado Third: Time Travel, Julie A. Sellers, Atchison HM: Old Sheldon: Here is Hope, Jeanice Eagan Davis, Clearwater Ekphrastic: Julie Ann Baker Brin Category: Ekphrastic First: Memento Volare, Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City Second: Here I Come, April Pameticky, Wichita Third: Safe as Houses, Julie Ann Baker Brin, Park City HM: Hesse and I Have Coffee, April Pameticky, Wichita |
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