Current News from the Kansas Authors Club

High Plains Book Award Finalist

8/29/2024

Member Roy Beckemeyer, Wichita, is a finalist for the 2024 High Plains Book Award in Poetry for The Currency of His Light. Congratulations, Roy!

Learn More: High Plains Book Awards

2022 Youth Contest Results: Poetry

11/19/2022

Judge Kris Polansky
Poetry: Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-6

Kris Polansky focuses on how different techniques for breaking lines of poetry affect the rhythm (sound) and meaning of a poem. She was impressed by the playful rhymes and rhythms of the Grades 3-4 entries and the sophisticated rhythms and pace of the Grade 5-6 entries. She encourages all those who entered the contest to keep writing. She served KAC for four years (2010-13) as Youth Contest Manager. Subsequently, she has served as a judge for the youth contest several times and is currently KAC Vice President. She has been named KAC Poet of the Year three times, most recently October 2021.

POETRY: GRADES 3-4

1st A School Day, Julia Z. Jiao, Member District 1

2nd How Your Kitty Loves You, Julia Z. Jiao, Member District 1

3rd Soccer, Ronin Rohrback

Honorable Mention: Doggies, Julia Z. Jiao, Member District 1

POETRY: GRADES 5-6

1st Some Rain, Cassandra Northerns

2nd Snowboarding, Eli Sun

3rd What is Art?, Adain Smith

Honorable Mention: A Family, Addison Buck

Honorable Mention: Spring Returns, Cassandra Northerns

Judge Roy Beckemeyer
Poetry: Grades 7-8 and Grades 9-12

Roy Beckemeyer is a past-President of the Kansas Authors Club and was KAC Poet of the Year for a number of years. He has four books of poetry published and his poems appear in poetry anthologies as well as in print and online poetry and literary publications. He is a retired engineer and scientific journal editor and has studied fossil insects for over 20 years.

POETRY: GRADES 7-8

1st The Rose Gardener’s Poem, Madeline Male

2nd The Old Fashioned Family Farm, Madeline Male

3rd (TIE) Jawbreaker, Kane Johnson

3rd (TIE) Hay Season, Jack Etzel

Honorable Mention: Weightless, Campbell Hight

Honorable Mention: You are Not Alone, Haley Reiff

Honorable Mention: Women’s Rights Section, El Shipman

Honorable Mention: Lady Acrobat, Ava Von Lintel

Honorable Mention: Haiku, Eli Replolgle

Honorable Mention: I Have to Know, Katherine Stancil, Member District 2

Honorable Mention: Dancer’s Dilemma, Arielle Li

Honorable Mention: The Weather, Aubrey Wilkinson

Honorable Mention: Grandmother, Ansley Bear

Honorable Mention: Lineage Poem, Sophia Goombi

Honorable Mention: Family Poem, Cael Frazier

Honorable Mention: Lineage, Wyatt Schields

Honorable Mention: The First and the Last, Briar Page

Honorable Mention: Fortnite, Landon Hernandez

Honorable Mention: The Past Menace, Rhevl Murphy

Honorable Mention: Mamba Mentality, Kerrick DeDonder

Honorable Mention: July 4th, Emily Ditzler

Honorable Mention: Pancakes, Emily Ditzler

Honorable Mention: Fire Absorbing You, Abigail Bael-Wyrick

Honorable Mention: The Rain Bombardment, Amelia Gurney

POETRY: GRADES 9-12

1st Childhood Best Friend, Isobel Li

2nd A Box for a Body, Isobel Li

Honorable Mention: You Said, Arabella Gipp

Our annual contests for youth and adults open April 1 of each year and close on June 15. Guidelines are updated each year, so be sure to check for any updates after the first of the year before entering.

Contest Guidelines

Two Members Nominated for the 48th Annual Pushcart Award

11/5/2022

Two KAC D5 members, Roy Beckemeyer and Robert L Dean, Jr., have had poems nominated for the 48th Annual Pushcart Award by MacQueen's Quinterly. The poems are: "Megarhyssa" by Roy J. Beckemeyer, and "Cruel and Unusual" by Robert L. Dean, Jr.

CONGRATULATIONS!

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.

D5 Authors Nominated for Awards

9/19/2022

Clare MacQueen of MacQueen's Quinterly has nominated two D5 members for the 2023 Best of the Net anthology (Sundress Publications): Roy J. Beckemeyer for his poem "Opening Shutters" and Robert L. Dean, Jr. for his flash fiction story "Napalm Girl and the Boy Next Door." You can access both pieces from the nomination list linked to here: MacQueen’s Quinterly: Anthology Awards: Nominations for Best of the Net 2023

May 25th, 2022

5/25/2022

D5 membrs Robert L. Dean, Jr., Roy Beckemeyer, and Skyler Lovelace have ekphrastic poems in the latest edition of MacQueens Quinterly. Dean has an ekphrastic poem to a painting by Edward Hopper, to which a link is given below. His craft essay on ekphrastic writing can be found in the table of contents. You can view the painting for each by clicking the link below the poem. Enjoy the work of these talented KAC members by clicking on the links below.

“Home Is the Sailor” by Dean
“Finding the Door: One Writer’s Approach to Ekphrasis”
craft essay by Dean
“Piatt Street, 1965” by Dean and Lovelace.
“Insurrection” by Beckemeyer
“Letters From Vincent” by Beckemeyer

Two D5 Poets Published

1/1/2022

Robert L. Dean, Jr. and Roy Beckemeyer have poems in McQueen's Quinterly January 2022 issue. Enjoy Dean's poems "Just East of Midnight" and "Light Speed" by clicking on the button below. Beckemeyer's poems "Hummingbirds" and "Starlings: Ode to Murmuration" can be accessed by clicking the second button. Check out the work of these two fine poets.

Light Speed by Dean

Just East of Midnight by Dean

Starlings by Beckemeyer

Hummingbird by Beckemeyer

Thanks to our Members and Friends Who Took the Time to Help Judge our Youth Contests

10/9/2021

Many thanks to those
who volunteered their time and expertise
to judge the 2021 Kansas Authors Club
Youth Writing Contests.

Kris Polansky
Poetry Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-6

Kristine A. Polansky wrote puppet plays and some poetry as a child but her dream was to write and publish short stories. She took a fiction writing class from James Gunn at the University of Kansas and went on to teach middle school English and social studies ten years before returning to school and obtaining a law degree. Wanting a creative outlet but pressed for time while practicing law, she started writing poems. She experiments with different poetic forms and studies how content and form shape each other. Four of her poems were published in Tallgrass Voices edited by Gary Lechliter. Her poem, “Turning Points” won the 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Art and Writing Contest, adult division, Manhattan, Kansas. She has received numerous awards from KAC for her poetry and was named KAC Poet of the Year twice, most recently October 2020.

Roy Beckemeyer
Poetry Grades 7-8 and 9-12

Roy Beckemeyer is a past-President of the Kansas Authors Club and was KAC Poet of the Year for a number of years. He has four books of poetry published and his poems appear in poetry anthologies as well as in print and online poetry and literary publications. He is a retired engineer and scientific journal editor and has studied fossil insects for over 20 years.

Krista Reed
Fiction Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-6

Krista Reed graduated from Pittsburg State University with a degree in Elementary Education, and went on to receive her Master's Degree in Education from Baker University. She has more than 25 years of experience teaching grades 2-8. Her passion is watching children develop to their fullest potential, both educationally and emotionally. In her free time, she enjoys camping, reading, and spending time with her family. Her newest title as "Gammy" is most rewarding and cherished.

Curtis Becker
Fiction Grades 7-8 and 9-12

Curtis Becker is a teacher, editor, and publisher living in Topeka, KS. His work has appeared in anthologies, literary journals, and magazines. He has presented on writing and teaching at academic conferences and to small groups. Becker’s book, He Watched and Took Note, was released in 2018. An educator for over fifteen years, Becker currently teaches at Holton Middle School in Holton, KS. He sponsors the yearbook and coaches scholars bowl at HMS. Additionally, he coaches debate and forensics at Holton High School. Becker earned a Bachelors and Masters in English and Creative Writing and holds professional licensure in Kansas, highly qualified in English Language Arts and Speech Communications.

Robin Clasen Wunderlich
Non-Fiction Grades 3-4 and 5-6

Robin Clasen Wunderlich is the editor and publisher of the Eureka Herald and President of the Kansas Press Association Board of Directors. Robin is the daughter of the late Dick and Rachel Clasen. Dick Clasen was a KPA president and member of the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame, as was his father, George H. Clasen II. Robin and her husband, Wes have two children and live south of Eureka, Kansas.

Anna Curry
Non-Fiction Grades 7-8 and Grades 9-12

Anna Curry is a mother of four busy children on a ranch in east central Kansas. She enjoys sharing stories about her children and their rural life on her blog as a way to not only preserve cherished memories but also advocate for agriculture. Anna has always enjoyed writing as a creative outlet as well as woodworking. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and master’s from Texas A&M.

D5 Members Published in MacQueen's Quinterly

8/17/2021

D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr., has a poem and a flash fiction in the new issue of MacQueen's Quinterly, which came out on the 15th. Link to the poem, "This Floating Life," is here: MacQueen’s Quinterly: Poetry & Hybrids: Robert L. Dean, Jr.: This Floating Life. This is the link to the flash fiction by Dean, "Napalm Girl and the Boy Next Door," which was a finalist for Editor's Choice award in this issue.

D5 member Roy Beckemeyer also has two poems in this issue -- Shores and Symphony Below the Threshold of Hearing.

Author Talk: Roy Beckemeyer, 2019 Nelson Poetry Book Award Winner

5/25/2021

May Author Talk:
Roy Beckemeyer

Stage Whispers

Winner:
2019 Nelson Poetry Book Award

Recording Available for Viewing by Members - Click Here

Roy will talk about the writing of his poetry book, Stage Whispers. Discussion will include how the chapters and layout came about, and how the poems were assigned to the chapters. He will read from the book as part of the discussion.

Don't forget to support our Kansas Authors! Buy a book. Review a book. Send a note of appreciation about a book. You can order Roy's book from publisher, Meadowlark Press, or wherever you buy books!

Upcoming Author Talk Schedule

3/28/2021

Kansas Authors Club is hosting a monthly “Author Talk” featuring an award-winning writer, with first priority given to authors who have won KAC book awards. The author will talk about an aspect of writing, publishing, or marketing (author's choice). The presentations are expected to last an hour to an hour and a half and will include time for questions and answers.

These events are being planned via Zoom, to take place on the 4th Tuesday of each month. The event will be open to all Kansas Authors Club members. A recording of the event will be made available to members who cannot attend live.

All Kansas Authors Club members are invited to attend. Considering membership? Select "potential new member" and register for one free Author Talk. We'd love to meet you.

April 27 Author Talk by
Ronda Miller

April Author Talk: Ronda Miller

Author of: I Love the Child

Winner: 2020 Kansas Authors Club Children's Book Award

Recording Available for Viewing by Members - Click Here

Ronda will be talking about education vs. entertainment, the importance of layered messaging, finding and working with an illustrator, inclusivity, and her objectives in writing this book.

Don't forget to support our Kansas Authors! Buy a book. Review a book. Send a note of appreciation about a book. You can order Ronda's book from her publisher, Kellogg Press, or wherever you buy books!

May 25 Author Talk by Roy Beckemeyer

Members Dean and Beckemeyer Published

1/1/2021

Poetry written by D5 Members, Roy Beckemeyer and Robert L. Dean, Jr., appear in MacQueen's Quinterly, Issue 6, January 2021. Roy has two poems, one of which won the Editor's Choice Award, and Bob has one poem.

Bob's poem "Borderland" is under Ekphrastic Works. To see the image which inspired it, go to the website and click on the title of the photo by Chris Whitney which appears under the poem title.

Roy's two poems, "Prothalamion" and "The Way Night's Lapidary Light Burnishes Your Skin," are under Poems, Lineated. Roy's latter poem won the Editor's Choice Award for this issue.

Click below for the MacQueen Quinterly Table of Contents to read the poetry of these two talented D5 poets.

MacQueen's Quinterly Issue 6

Length of Membership REcognition - 2020

10/3/2020

It is with sincere appreciation that we acknowledge your dedication and contribution to Kansas Authors Club. Please accept this small token of our gratitude. We look forward to many more years of fellowship and growing our organization for the benefit of writers like you.

Length of Membership Awards

Fred C. Appelhanz – 15 years
Roy J. Beckemeyer – 10 years
Patricia Bonine – 10 years
Annabelle Corrick – 10 years
Edna M. Dyck – 50 years*
Pauline Fecht – 20 years
Marie Fletcher – 30 years
Jean Grant – 10 years
Yvonne Evie Green – 20 years
Reaona T. Hemmingway – 15 years
Kelly W. Johnston – 10 years
Carole Katsantoness – 10 years
Peg Nichols – 15 years
Kristine A. Polansky – 15 years
Cheryl Skupa – 10 years
Candace C. Sherman – 30 years

Octogenarians
Sylvia Colombo (2018)
Tom Mach

THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING OUR FIRST VIRTUAL CONVENTION

10/3/2020

An extra special shout-out to the following members for providing a bit of extra support to the convention team via program advertising. Please take a moment to visit these member websites and check out their books!

It's All Show Business, by Connie Rae

www.105meadowlarkreader.com

Blue Cedar Press

royjbecekemeyer.com

Pete Stone, Private Investigator

River City Poetry - June 2020

7/22/2020

KAC D5 member, April Pameticky, has put together a powerful issue of River City Poetry that assembles Kansas Poets’ responses to the events of June 2020.
Members who have poems in this issue include Roy Beckemeyer, Dixie Brown, Arlice W. Davenport, H.B. Berlow, Robert L. Dean Jr., and Gretchen Eick.

Watermark Books in Wichita to Host D5 poets January 5 and January 12

1/3/2020

Watermark Books & Cafe will host local poets Michael Poage, Diane Wahto, and Matt Cooper for a joint reading and signing of their new books on Sunday, January 5 at 2:00 p.m. Poage and Wahto are D5 members.

Roy Beckemeyer, April Pameticky & Robert Dean are doing a joint reading at Watermark Books in Wichita on Sunday, January 12th, starting at 2 PM.

Members Dean and Beckemeyer in INAUGURAL issue of MacQueen's Quinterly

1/3/2020

Clare MacQueen, the editor of KYSO Flash, has started a new online mag called MacQueen's Quinterly. D5 member, Robert Dean, is the featured artist, with five works in the first issue, all ekprahstic poems to the art of Steven Schroeder (the other featured artist in the issue).

Roy Beckemeyer, also of D5, has one poem in the issue, indexed under "Poems, lineated."

Congratulations to members published in the newest issue of the I-70 Review

10/23/2019

I-70 Review

The new I-70 Review is out! Congratulations to the following Kansas Authors Club members who were published in this issue: Roy Beckemeyer (D5), Robert Dean (D5), Kevin Rabas (D2), Tyler Robert Sheldon (D2), Wyatt Townley (D2).

Order your copy from the I-70 Review website!

Have we missed anyone? Please send an email if there are additional members who should be listed here.

2019 Prose Writer and Poetry Writer of the Year

10/7/2019

Congratulations!

At the 2019 Annual Convention in Wichita, Roy Stucky (D5 member) was named Prose Writer of the Year with eight awards in four prose categories.

The 2019 Poetry Writer of the Year Award went to Roy J. Beckemeyer (D5 member) for eight awards in four poetry categories.

Robert Dean & Roy Beckemeyer published in KYSO Flash

8/4/2019

Two District 5 members have several of their poems in the new issue of KYSO Flash, Robert Dean and Roy Beckemeyer. Roy, who is a former state President of Kansas Authors Club, is the featured author/photographer. Congratulations, Bob and Roy!

High Plains Book Award Finalist

2022 Youth Contest Results: Poetry

Two Members Nominated for the 48th Annual Pushcart Award

CONGRATULATIONS!

D5 Authors Nominated for Awards

May 25th, 2022

Two D5 Poets Published

Thanks to our Members and Friends Who Took the Time to Help Judge our Youth Contests

D5 Members Published in MacQueen's Quinterly

Author Talk: Roy Beckemeyer, 2019 Nelson Poetry Book Award Winner

Upcoming Author Talk Schedule

April 27 Author Talk by
Ronda Miller

May 25 Author Talk by Roy Beckemeyer

Members Dean and Beckemeyer Published

Length of Membership REcognition - 2020

THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING OUR FIRST VIRTUAL CONVENTION

River City Poetry - June 2020

Watermark Books in Wichita to Host D5 poets January 5 and January 12

Members Dean and Beckemeyer in INAUGURAL issue of MacQueen's Quinterly

Congratulations to members published in the newest issue of the I-70 Review

2019 Prose Writer and Poetry Writer of the Year

Congratulations!

Robert Dean & Roy Beckemeyer published in KYSO Flash

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CONGRATULATIONS!

April 27 Author Talk by​Ronda Miller

May 25 Author Talk by Roy Beckemeyer

Congratulations!

Categories

Archives

April 27 Author Talk by
Ronda Miller