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An Evening with Anne-Marie Oomen
When we talked with Writers Conference faculty member Anne-Marie Oomen about the possibility of an event to celebrate her newest, award-winning memoir, As Long as I Know You: The Mom Book, the conversation quickly turned to what Oomen calls “book good.”
We learned, then, that as much as Oomen loves to read her work in front of a crowd, she also has bigger goals for this book. Specifically, she wants to share what she and her family learned as they navigated her mother’s deteriorating health and transition into assisted living with others who are currently facing—or will soon face—this stressful time of life.
To bring this vision to life, we planned this evening to be both a literary event and a community conversation. Local author Virginia Brackett will moderate the event and will be in conversation with Oomen about the book itself and the craft elements that make it unique.
In addition, Tim Wholf, Johnson County’s new Director of Aging and Human Services, will join Oomen and Brackett to discuss the realities of navigating the system when a parent or loved one is aging and needs assistance.
In addition to discussions with Brackett and Wholf, Oomen will read from the memoir, which was awarded the 2021 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction and will take questions from the audience. Books will be available for purchase from local business The Green Door Book Store & Gift Shoppe.
-- written by Lisa Allen, adult services specialist
Why We Give: Chris Anderson and Lyn Buckley
Growing up on the west side of Chicago – and in walking distance to a library nearby, Foundation board member Chris Anderson cannot remember a time when he didn’t go to the library.
“The library was always a safe place to go,” he recalled, and by age 11 he could walk there on his own to check out books, which provided a great sense of independence.
Chris’s wife, Lyn smiled broadly as she remembered her mom taking her to the library when she was a little girl to check out books. It quickly became her favorite place, and she has loved books ever since, noting that reading is her favorite pastime. Out of her siblings, she was definitely the bibliophile and still is. She affectionately refers to books now as “the beauty of the universe.”
As parents to two sons, it was part of their daily routine to read bedtime stories every evening. Their sons now read nightly to their kids continuing the tradition. Chris and Lyn share their love of libraries and reading with their grandchildren and noted their oldest granddaughter is in fourth grade has her very own library card. Lyn added that for people of all ages, library programs are key to engagement as they are centered around access and exploration. From early literacy storytimes to author visits and beyond, sharing information that is open to everyone is unique to libraries and a wonderful resource.
A fun shared experience Chris and Lyn have enjoyed for over 25 years is being part of a book group, where they have read many books they would otherwise not have been exposed to or read. Chris added that reading a variety of literature is the spice of life.
As a Foundation board member for many years, Chris believes the Library is a worthwhile organization to support on different levels. He remembered when he first came on board being amazed at the breadth of all the things the library offered, including online resources and programming for all ages. He added he believes that many of the Library’s programs are able to offer additional resources that exist due to extra funding provided by the Foundation.
Lyn shared her vision of the future of libraries to include more e-readers, a source for continued access to materials and programming for everyone, and a place in particular for students to access technology centered around gaining knowledge.
“Librarians are the most wonderful people on earth!” Lyn exclaimed. “They are always happy to help with anything — be it finding a book, research materials. and connecting people with the resources they are looking for!”
We Want to Hear You Read!
Come Share Your Work at These Two Writers Conference Events!
When we plan events for our annual Writers Conference, we focus on more than just opportunities to learn about writing. We are also committed to creating community and providing opportunities for you, our local writers, to share your work with your peers and the community at large.
That’s why we’ve built in two, brand new elements of this year’s Writers Conference: the Kickoff event, which will take place Thursday, Nov. 17, from 6:30-8 p.m., and the Open Mic, which will take place at Bear Necessities Coffee Bar on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 6-7 p.m.
The Kickoff event will focus on responses to our all-conference book, Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Lead, and Create in Unconventional Ways. If you haven’t yet written a response to one of the exercises and shared it on our blog, you still have time! We’ll be choosing our readers for the Kickoff from the entries on the blog (and we have a few other surprises planned, too, just in case you don’t have the time or inclination to post your work just yet).
Our first-ever Open Mic is a bit less formal. Simply come to Bear Necessities Coffee Bar and add your name to the list to read. We’ll welcome as many readers as that hour allows (please limit your reading to 3-4 minutes, so we can accommodate as many readers as possible).
At the Open Mic event, anything goes. Read your poetry, an excerpt from your romance novel or your sci-fi epic; share part of a personal essay or an excerpt from your memoir. Are you a short story or flash writer? Awesome! Love haikus? We’d love to hear them.
Side note: If you’re wondering what there is to do between the time the Conference ends at 5 and the Open Mic starts at 6, know that you have options: you could head to Bear Necessities early for a drink, or you might grab dinner at one of the within-walking-distance restaurants. This might be even more fun if you meet up with friends for the conference, or if you connect with new friends and get to know each other better over a drink or a meal.
We really want to listen to and celebrate your writing, and hope you will join us for one or both of these events!
-- written by Lisa Allen, adult services specialist
Johnson County Museum’s special exhibition, REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs, and Segregation, is on display through Jan. 7, 2023.
New Blog Entry from the Johnson County Museum
Confronting Segregation in Johnson County
The Johnson County Museum’s special exhibition, REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs, and Segregation (on display through Jan. 7, 2023), is a gripping exploration of the history of redlining from its origins to its legacies, which continue to shape our lived realities today. REDLINED tells a national story told with a local focus that reveals how Johnson County both shaped and was shaped by the history of redlining. While the bulk of the exhibit is about the federal policy of redlining from its origins to its lasting legacies, the exhibit also highlights Johnson County’s unique role in each stage of the process, including efforts to combat redlining and its effects. In this post, we are highlighting the work of three Johnson Countians who confronted the system of redlining and, in doing so, changed our community.
Laura Loveless | Helen Hokanson
Meet the Presenters: Helen Hokanson & Laura Loveless
Have you ever wanted to host a book signing at your favorite or hometown library? Do you want to teach about an aspect of writing that you love, but you have no idea where to start? Or have you ever just really wanted to see your book on library shelves, but you’re not sure how to make that happen?
One of the things you’ll learn if you start asking these questions is that every library is different, and each has its own unique way of celebrating local authors. And here in the Kansas City metro area, it can be especially confusing, because there are several large library systems and many smaller systems, all of which operate differently.
So...where do you start?
By coming to this panel! We’ll welcome Johnson County Library’s Local Writers Librarian Helen Hokanson and Kansas City Public Library’s Laura Loveless to discuss opportunities for local authors in their respective systems, and to answer your questions about how you might get your foot in the door as an author.
Hokanson is a 25-year employee at Johnson County Library. She found her niche as a Reference Librarian focusing on services to local writers: she helped build programs as simple as open door writing time and more ambitious offerings, like our yearly Writers Conference. If you’ve enjoyed a monthly writing program, our writing blog or our writing contests, you have an idea of what she loves to do.
Hokanson says her favorite thing is connecting writers to services at the library and beyond. Her committee members would add that Helen is passionately curious and a writer in her own right (though she insists she isn’t). She thinks big, champions ideas, and makes space for others.
Loveless has been with Kansas City, Kansas Public Library for 26 years. She has fulfilled several roles while at KCKPL: Teen Librarian, Reader's Services Librarian, Adult Services Supervisor and currently, Branch Manager of the Main Library. Loveless runs book clubs, local author events, book signings, a book podcast and read-alouds for the Main Library. She contributes book reviews and curated lists for Read.Watch.Listen.
Loveless loves books, she loves to talk about books, she loves people who write books, she loves to connect people to great books! The last really great book she read was Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.
This panel will be moderated by Adam Wathen, associate director for systemwide services. You can find more information and register here.
-- written by Lisa Allen, adult services specialist
Thanksgiving, Hygge & Turkey Talk
It's a new podcast episode!
We are thankful for you our listening audience and for the many good people, ideas and things that fill our lives with coziness and "comfortable conviviality" with feelings of wellness and contentment. We dedicate the episode to warmth and thankfulness. We explore the concept of Hygge, interview two chefs to help you stretch yourself as a home cook and create delicious dishes that will make your Thanksgiving feast more flavorful, and we even interview a turkey.
A big shout out to Chef Brett Dehart who is co-owner/operator of two kitchens at a very popular food hall in downtown Overland Park. Much appreciation to Chef Kolika Simmons who is a chef and food blogger. Many thanks to them for adding their expertise to this episode! And finally, our gobs of gratitude to our gobbling thespian, Brian Berrens who played Larry the Turkey!
Our Online Courses Get You On-course
Let's talk about Udemy. Sure, you know that the Library's collection is full of books for you to learn so many things. But, we're pretty proud of our eLibrary too! That's where Udemy comes in.
In a nutshell, Udemy presents online video courses—over 14,000! These include top-rated courses offering up-skilling in the areas of business, tech, and personal development across 75+ different categories.
It's no cost to you! With your Johnson County Library card, you can set up your Udemy account and get started.
Udemy personalizes your learning. It customizes your course recommendations based on your interests. You can explore curated skillsets like:
- Technology—Digital Transformation, Web Development, Data Science & Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing
- Business—Communications Essentials, Change Management, New Manager Essentials, Leadership Essentials, Business Skills, Leading High Performance Teams, Conflict Management, Talent Development, Innovation and Growth Strategies, Digital Marketing, Personal Development
Find the right course for you and let's start learning!
Meet the Presenter: Jamie Lynn Heller
Jaime Lynn Heller’s life is filled with roles: counselor, teacher, parent, spouse, daughter, aunt, neighbor, writer, and a multitude of others. How is it that she finds the energy to juggle all this? She uses poetry as her caffeine.
Heller’s chap book “Domesticated” was published in 2015 (Finishing Line Press) and “Buried in the Suburbs” was published in 2018 (Woodley Press). 2019 was an exciting year for Heller as “Buried in the Suburbs” received a Kansas Notable Book Award from the State Library of Kansas. This collection of poems aims to show the natural rhythms of the world that are overlooked. You can find a complete list of Jaime Lynn Heller’s works on her website.
Jamie will be at this year’s Writers Conference facilitating writing exercises with Metaphor Dice! Get your creativity rolling early with this unique writing tool.
—written by Kathryn “Katt” Cooper, adult services specialist
Storytime On-Demand
In our Storytime On-Demand videos, Johnson County Library staff demonstrate a variety of our favorite songs, rhymes, finger plays, flannel board stories, and more! Hearing stories is a great way to spend time with your kids and help them foster a love of reading. The videos are on the Library's Facebook page but you do not need an account to enjoy them!