Local Writers Extras
Meet the 2023 Writers Conference Presenter: Dennis Etzel, Jr
Dennis Etzel, Jr is a Senior Lecturer of English at Washburn University, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is a neuroqueer poet and Topeka native, where he lives with his wife and sons. Poetry and inclusion are near and dear to Dennis’s heart, as you can see in his poetic memoir My Secret Wars of 1984 which was selected by The Kansas City Star as Best Poetry Book in 2015. His collection of poetry, Fast-Food Sonnets, was a 2017 Kansas Notable Book.
Dennis has been described as an encouraging and enthusiastic teacher who intentionally provides a safe space for all, no matter if someone is an undergrad student or a veteran workshop attendee. His understanding of the important relationship between creativity and connection is another reason we are so excited to have Dennis at the conference this year. In past interviews he has said that he hopes his writing sparks conversation, and that is exactly what we hope to do at the Writers Conference: provide a space for inspiration and conversation for local writers.
You can catch up with Dennis on his website here.
You can register for the Writers Conference here. Registration isn’t required but is appreciated, and your RSVP includes both days of the conference, November 3rd and 4th. Sessions are available on a first-come first-serve basis. We will also be hosting a Writers Conference Kickoff on Thursday, November 2nd.
Inspired by this year’s conference book, By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review, we asked Dennis a few questions to get to know him better:
1. What's in your TBR pile?
Top three on my stack: Valkyrie Poetics by Swanee Astrid, Valley of the Many-Colored Grasses by Ronald Johnson, and A Sand Book by Ariana Reines
2. What are you reading right now?
I am currently reading The Book of Stolen Images by Laura Lee Washburn
3. Do you have a favorite book you love to recommend?
So many favorite books, but AMANDA PARADISE: Resurrect Extinct Vibration by CA Conrad is one I recommend this year.
4. Do you have a favorite bookstore?
My favorite bookstore is Round Table Bookstore which can be found in the NOTO Arts District in Topeka. A family of four run the store and they sell new and used books. It is so amazing--a visit as part of a perfect evening spent in NOTO
5. Answer the question you wish we had asked.
I am currently writing a hybrid non-fiction book titled At the Movies for health and Healing which collages memoir, research on film theory, and mythology as those stories that represent reality--that films give us a contemporary mythos to inform our lives and heal through experiencing.
Open Mic Night
Johnson County Library is teaming up with Bear Necessities Coffee Bar (9609 W 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212) to bring you an Open Mic from 6:30–7:30 p.m. on the 4th Friday of every month. Bring poems, short stories, essays, and excerpts to share on the stage. Or come just to listen. We’ll feature readings from our contest winners and the rest of the time is for you.
August's event is on Friday Aug. 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sign up at the event, 3-minute limit.
Meet the 2023 Writers Conference Presenter: Dawn Downey
Have you ever read something and wondered, how did this author know my story so well? Dawn Downey is such an author. Her love of people and love of writing go hand-in-hand. It comes as no surprise when Dawn explains in one of her blog posts, “I write to spread kindness.” Her compassion for her readers and her love of craft both shine in her work.
In addition to an active online presence on her blog, Dawn has published four books of essays: Stumbling Toward the Buddha: Stories about Tripping over My Principles on the Road to Transformation, From Dawn to Daylight, Searching For My Heart: essays about love, and Blindsided: Essays from the Only Black Woman in the Room, a 2022 Book of the Year Finalist from Independent Author Network.
Dawn’s passion for writing is deeply intertwined with a passion for mindfulness and spirituality. She practices yoga every morning before pen hits paper. Dawn spends most of her time participating in craft workshops that aim to amplify marginalized voices, something she is deeply passionate about. She currently lives in Kansas City with her husband.
We are pleased to announce that Dawn Downey will be presenting a lecture with her editing partner and Writers Conference veteran, Jessica Conoley, on developmental editing.
We look forward to seeing you Nov. 2-4 to write, network, and talk books with us! You can register to attend the Nov. 2 Kickoff here and you can register for both days of the Writers Conference here. For the Conference, your RSVP is for both days and sessions will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
You can catch up with Dawn on her blog here, and you can also keep up with her on her Youtube channel here.
We asked Dawn a few questions inspired by this year’s conference book, By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review, to get to know her better:
- What's in your TBR pile?
Abaddon's Gate by James Corey; Hunger by Roxane Gay; The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
- What are you reading right now?
Soil by Camille T. Dungy; Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis
- Do you have a favorite book you love to recommend?
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow
- Do you have a favorite bookstore?
- Answer the question you wish we had asked.
What do you want to tell other writers? Be kind to yourself.
Meet the 2023 Writers Conference Presenter: Traci Brimhall
Traci Brimhall is a Kansas Poet Laureate (2023-2026) and professor at Kansas State University where she manages the creative writing program. She earned a BA at Florida State University, an MFA at Sarah Lawrence College, and a PhD at Western Michigan University. She has published four books of poetry, Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod (2020), Saudade (2017), Our Lady of Ruins (2012), and Rookery (2010). Her passion for poetry ignited when she read a Sharon Olds poem for the first time in high school and instantly felt less alone.
Traci’s generative poetry workshops include thoroughly engaging discussions and attendees walk away with a greater appreciation for poetry and community. Brimhall has such a thoughtful way of running a workshop. She conveys how the ordinary or “everyday” object or scenario can be transformed by perspective, and thus our understanding of everyday life can also be transformed.
Recently, Traci collaborated with visual artist Kelly Yarbrough to create a Poetry Walk for November 2023 to coincide with the Johnson County Library Writer’s Conference. Make sure to take a stroll through Strang Park, just behind the Central Resource Library, during the conference or during your Library visit this upcoming November.
Traci and Kelly will do a panel at the conference on the fascinating dynamics of their collaboration, and Traci will teach several poetry workshops during the conference. We look forward to seeing you Nov. 2-4 to write, network, and talk books with us! You can register to attend the Nov. 2 Kickoff here and you can register for both days of the Writers Conference here. For the Conference, your RSVP is for both days and sessions will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. We look forward to seeing you there!
If you’d like to catch up with Traci online, you can find her on her website.
Meet the 2023 Writers Conference Presenter: Jessica Conoley
Jessica Conoley has been on the faculty of our Writers Conference for years for a reason: attendees love her. They relate to her, respect her, and consistently tell us that her sessions are full of information, interesting, and engaging.
And that’s no surprise to anyone who’s spent any time with Jessica. She’s not only an accomplished writer and creative careers coach; she’s curious about others and genuinely interested in seeing people live their dream.
Jessica founded and leads The Creative’s Apprentice, where she provides step-by-step, easily implementable mindset and educational guidance so creatives can stop worrying about all of the “business stuff they’re supposed to do” and focus on the creative work they love to do.
We are pleased to announce that this year Jessica will be partnering with her editing partner, Dawn Downey, to teach a class on developmental editing.
We look forward to seeing you Nov. 2-4 to write, network, and talk books with us! You can register to attend the Nov. 2 Kickoff here and you can register for both days of the Writers Conference here. For the Conference, your RSVP is for both days and sessions will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
You can keep up with Jessica by visiting her website (linked above) or on Instagram and Twitter at @thecreativesapp.
We asked Jessica a few questions inspired by this year’s conference book, By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review, to get to know her better:
1. What's in your TBR pile?
Dirty Laundry: Why Adults w/ADHD are so ashamed & what we can do to help by Roxanne Emery & Richard Pink; Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
2. What are you reading right now?
The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind & Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk; Exhalation by Ted Chiang
3. Do you have a favorite book you love to recommend?
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
4. Do you have a favorite bookstore?
5. Answer the question you wish we had asked.
My favorite word is EGG
Volume is an annual publication; part anthology and part journal that showcases the work of local writers and artists.
Call for Submissions to Volume 6
The Local Writers Committee is calling for submissions of writing and art for Volume 6. Volume is an annual publication; part anthology and part journal that showcases the work of local writers and artists. This printed, spiral bound, easy-to-carry publication aims to both celebrate KC writers and artists in and around Johnson County while also inspiring others to create, submit, and celebrate their own work.
Enter your writing or art to be included in our Volume 6 Notebook, which will be distributed at our 8th annual Writers Conference.
Many of Johnson County Library’s writing programs have been supported by the Joan Berkely Writers Fund, which is administered by the Johnson County Library Foundation. The Berkley family started the fund to honor Joan Berkeley, who was an avid reader and lover of literature. Bert Berkley has supported the fund since its inception in 2013 and we thought it would be fun to honor Bert along with Joan with a prompt all about his favorite thing: fishing.
Whether it be fishing for compliments, fishers of men, or actual fishing for fish, tell us about the ways you cast your net, what you’re hoping to catch, and the surprises along the way. Need inspiration? Read about Bert’s passion for fly-fishing in Anglers Journal.
Submission deadline is July 15, 2023.
Open Mic Night
Johnson County Library is teaming up with Bear Necessities Coffee Bar to bring you an Open Mic from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the 4th Friday of every month. Bring poems, short stories, essays, and excerpts to share on the stage. Or come just to listen. We’ll feature readings from our contest winners and the rest of the time is for you.
Sign up at the event, 3-minute limit.
And don't forget to save the date!
The 2023 Writers Conference will be Nov. 2-4.
Save the Date!
The 2023 Writers Conference will be Thursday, Nov. 2 – Saturday, Nov. 4.
Our 2022 conference was loads of fun and our conference planners are already busy identifying potential faculty and making big plans.
A Big Writers Conference Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Writers Conference. It was a blast! If you missed it, you can still watch some of the session recordings at Library OnDemand.
We value your feedback and hearing from you helps ensure we offer programming you value.
If you want to share your conference experience with us, please fill out and submit our Attendee Survey.
We would love for you to share your opinion about our Local Writers Programming as well.
Meet the Presenter: Polly McCann
The lyrical poetry of Polly Alice McCann paints a beautiful narrative revolving around the internal heartland. With poetry as beautiful as hers, it is no surprise that she is also an artist! This author, artist and dreamer began writing poetry after taking an impactful trip to the desert with a pillow and a book. We can only imagine the beauty she discovered there that would inspire her to start to write — and continue writing — poetry.
Polly received her MFA in Writing from Hamline University. Her poetry has been published both nationally and internationally in journals such as “Naugatuck River Review” and “arc23” in Tel Aviv. Polly is the managing editor of Flying Ketchup Press and an adjunct writing professor. You can find her poetry collections, including her newest collection, “Night Blooming,” along with her memoir, “Pray Like a Woman,” at online stores.
You can learn more about Polly McCann on her website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also learn more from her at this year’s Writers Conference, where she’ll be teaching two sessions: “Chatting About Chapbooks: Five Ways to Share Your Poetry” and “Place & Power in Narrative Poetry.”
We look forward to seeing you there!
-- written by Kathryn “Katt” Cooper, adult services specialist