Wendy Devilbiss, Poetry Contest Manager, presenting Dave Cook with an Honorable Mention in the New Poet Category.

Mike Graves, Prose Contest Manager, presenting Perry Shepard with an Honorable Mention for Playwriting.

Theme Contest – Hook ’Em and Book ’Em – 12 entries. Judge: Janet Anderson-Story.
First Place, District 7 - By Hook or By Book by Linda Ahrens Brower (Right)
Second Place, District 2 - Douglas County Hooks ’Em And I Book ’Em by Brian Daldorph (Second from right)
Third Place, District 5 - Tabula Rasa by Roy Stucky (Left)
Honorable Mention, District 1 - The Ingenious Gentleman by Julie A. Sellers (Second from left)

Prose - Memoir or Inspirational– 24 entries. Judge: Kathy Bode.
First Place, District 4 - A Common Bond by Nancy Julien-Kopp (Right)
Second Place, District 1 - Mermaid’s Tears by Julie A. Sellers (Middle)
Third Place, District 2 - CHARRY’S SMILE by Carolyn A. Hall (Not present)
Honorable Mention, District 2 - Molly by Brian Daldorph (Left)
Honorable Mention, District 1 - Finding My Father by Donna Lynn Lash Wolff (Not present)

​Prose - First Chapter of a Book –36 entries. Category Sponsored by Mike and Monica Graves, District 2. Judge: Roy Briggeman.
First Place, District 1 - Lost to History by Aimee L. Gross (Not present)
Second Place, District 1 - The Rose Garden, Chapter One by Janet Jenkins-Stotts (Right)
Third Place, District 5 - Sonata of Elsie Lenore by Ann Christine Fell (Middle)
Honorable Mention, District 5 - Citizen Zero by Roy Stucky (Left)
Honorable Mention, District 1 - The Alchemist’s Lawn Boy by Aimee L. Gross (Not present)

​Prose - Stories Written for Teenagers – 11 entries. Category Sponsored by Ray “Grizzly” Racobs, District 5 Treasurer. Judge: Cara Codney.
First Place, District 5 - Jack by Roy Stucky (Right)
Second Place, District 5 - Letter You Cannot Read by Roy Stucky
Third Place, District 5 - A Practical Man by Roy Stucky
Honorable Mention, District 2 - Two Different Worlds (Although only 500 Miles Apart) by Joann Williams (Left)
Honorable Mention, District 5 - Rosetta by Roy Stucky

​Prose - Short Story (fiction) – 22 entries. Category Sponsored by Ellen Plumb’s City Bookstore, Emporia, KS. Judge: Richard Keller.
First Place, District 1 - And the Rain by Stacy Thowe (Right)
Second Place, District 5 - Rose by Neel Holler (Not present)
Third Place, District 5 - Mrs. Stetson’s Sunday by Gretchen Cassel Eick (Second from Right)
Honorable Mention, District 5 - Recess by Gretchen Cassel Eick
Honorable Mention, District 2 - Junkyard Kids by Cheryl Unruh (Middle)
Honorable Mention, District 1 - The Leaves of Eden by Julie A. Sellers (Second from Left)
Honorable Mention, District 2 - it’s Like This by Perry L. Shepard (Left)

​Humor – 17 entries. Judge: Marcia Lawrence.
First Place, District 2 - A Tale of Two Sisters…And a Dog by Jerilynn Henrikson (Not Present)
Second Place, District 5 - Hidden Treasures? By Ann Christine Fell (right)
Third Place, District 2 - The summer I worked for the Mafia by Brian Daldorph (Middle)
Honorable Mention, District 5 - My Super-Productive Absolutely-Perfect Day by Sandra Lou Taylor (Left)
Honorable Mention, District 2 - BAKING WITH THE lord by Carolyn A. Hall (Not present)

Prose - Flash Fiction – 27 entries. Judge: Amy Sage Webb.
First Place, District 2 - Broken Axis by Cheryl Unruh (Right)
Second Place, District 1 - The Unexpected Casualty by Julie A. Sellers (2nd from Right)
Third Place, District 2 - Kobach in the Parade by Kevin Rabas (2nd from Left)
Honorable Mention, District 2 - Blue by Cheryl Unruh
Honorable Mention, District 1 - TRUTH SERUM EGGNOG by Janet Jenkins-Stotts (Left)

​Prose - Playwriting –11 entries. Category Sponsored by Roy Beckemeyer, KAC State Past President and District 5 Public. Relations Chair – Judge, Amy Sage Webb.
First Place, District 4 - Image is Everything by Kristine A. Polansky (Left)
Second Place, District 5 - Painter by Roy Stucky (Right)
Third Place, District 5 - Cloud by Roy Stucky
Honorable Mention, District 1 - The Garage Sale by Stacy Thowe (2nd from Right)
Honorable Mention, District 2 - Man on a Stick by Perry L. Shepard (2nd from Left)

​Poetry Category:  Classic Forms -- 39 entries. Judged by: Dr. Mark Watney.
1st Place Fifty-Eighth Anniversary--Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita (Right)
2nd Place Used Book Inscribed to "Mom--E-E" --Kristine Polansky, D4, Manhattan (Middle)
3rd Place Complete--Kristine Polansky, D4, Manhattan
Honorable Mention: Cartography--Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita
Honorable Mention: Hang Tight--Patricia Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita (Left)

Poetry Category: Theme Contest "Hook'em and Book'em" -- 23 entries. Judged by: Al Ortolani.
1st Place Dream Fishing--Kelly W. Johnston, D5, Wichita (Right)
2nd Place Still Hungry--Arlice W. Davenport, D5, Wichita (2nd from Right)
3rd Place Circles--Kelly W. Johnston, D5, Wichita
Honorable Mention: Hooked by Books--Hazel Hart, D2, Emporia (Left)
Honorable Mention: Catch and Release--Dixie Brown, D5, Bel Aire (2nd from Left)
Honorable Mention: All Things Are in Process--Arlice W. Davenport, D5, Wichita

​Poetry Category: Performance Poetry--10 entries. Judged by: Matt Spezia.
1st Place Pianos-- Curtis Becker, D2, Emporia (Left)
2nd Place Watchers in the Crowd-- Roy Stucky, D5, Pretty Prairie (Middle)
3rd Place Growing Up-- Taylor Stucky, D5, Pretty Prairie (Right)
Honorable Mention: The Reverie-- Taylor Stucky, D5, Pretty Prairie

Poetry Category: Narrative Verse -- 54 entries. Judged by: H.C. Palmer.
1st Place After the Fire--Linda Ahrens Brower, D7, Ashland (Right)
2nd Place Kiowa County Blues--Rock Neelly, D6, South Lebanon (Not present)
3rd Place The pots -- Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita (2nd from Right)
Honorable Mention: I Don't Think We . . . --Kristine A. Polansky, D4, Manhattan (2nd from Left)
Honorable Mention: Cezanne's Studio--Arlice W. Davenport, D5, Wichita (Left)
Honorable Mention: Dear Bookshelf--Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita

​Poetry Category: Whimsy -- 41 entries. Judged by: Marie Asner.
1st Place The Cat Knows--Roy Beckemeyer, D5,Wichita (Right)
2nd Place Enough Chocolate-- Kristine A. Polansky, D4, Manhattan (Left)
3rd Place Flock of Starlings--Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita
Honorable Mention: Laundromat--Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita
Honorable Mention: Your Trusted Time Machine --Dan Close, D5, Wichita (Middle)

Poetry Category: New Poets -- 29 entries. Judged by: Melissa Fite Johnson.
1st Place Doctor's Visit -- Emily Hamm, NM, New Strawn (Not present)
2nd Place Old Song--Julie A. Sellers, D1, Atchison (Right)
3rd Place Dorothy--Emily Hamm, NM, New Strawn 
Honorable Mention: Before We Part-- Christine Marquardt, D1, Topeka (Not present)
Honorable Mention: To filigree with sky--David Cook, D5, Wichita (Left)
 

​Poetry Category: Free Verse -- 81 entries. Judged by: Jennifer Halling.
1st Place Tenacity--Brenda L. White, NM, Emporia (Not Present)
2nd Place Almost an Astronaut--Cheryl Unruh, D2, Emporia (Right)
3rd Place Wheat--Roy Beckemeyer, D5, Wichita (Middle)
Honorable Mention: Treasure--Marilyn B. Page, D1, Leavenworth (Not present)
Honorable Mention: Metamorphosis--Kristine A. Polansky, D4, Manhattan (Left)
Honorable Mention: To Kate Spade-- Brenda L. White, NM, Emporia (Not present)

​Poetry Category: Japanese Forms (Haiku, Renga, Tanka) -- 34 entries. Judged by: Al Ortolani.
1st Place Garden of eggplants--Barbara Brady, D1, Topeka (Not present)
2nd Place Wind-- Diane Wahto, D5, Wichita (Right)
3rd Place Stone stubborn poets-- Kristine A. Polansky, D4, Manhattan (Middle)
Honorable Mention: Black stripes on pant leg----Kristine A. Polansky, D4, Manhattan
Honorable Mention: Swallows-- Roy Stucky, D5, Pretty Prairie (Left)
Honorable Mention: Pillow-- Roy Stucky, D5, Pretty Prairie

​Writers of the Year
Roy Stucky – Prose
Roy Beckemeyer - Poetry

​Special Category – Author Websites – 6 entries. Category sponsored by Meadowlark Books, Emporia, KS. Judge: Dave Leiker.
First Place, D5 – Roy Beckemeyer for royjbeckemeyer.com (Right)
Second Place, D6 – Jim Potter for Sandhenge Publications (Left)
Third Place, D5 – April Pameticky for River City Poetry (Not present)

April Pameticky (D5), presenter.

Blogger Panel - from left: Joy Lenz, Sara Weinert, Nancy Julien Kopp (D4), and Jim Potter (D6).

Presenter H. B. Berlow.

From left: H. B. Berlow, April Pameticky, and Hazel Hart in a moment of relaxed networking.

Keynote Speaker Paul Bishop also presented workshops to keep us all enthralled.

Anthony Sanchez-Day and Brian Daldorph presented "Writing as a Rehabilitation Tool."

The 2019 Youth Writing Awards brought a ballroom full of young authors and their parents. It was heartening and awe-inspiring to see the enthusiasm for writing on display Saturday afternoon. Here are the young poets and fiction and non-fiction authors who were recognized this year. In the back row, wearing hats, are (from left) Youth Writing Contest Co-Manager Perry Shepard, KAC President Ronda Miller, and Youth Writing Contest CO-manager Sheree Downs. 

Janet Jenkins-Stotts (D1) reciting her poem at the Rythm-A-Ning poetry and music event.

Bob Dean (D5), MC and instigator of Rhythm-A-Ning. 

Above: Jenn Bailey reading at Rhythm-A-Ning.

Bassist Seth Carithers with Bob Dean.

Debra Irsik (D2) at Rhythm-A-Ning.

The 2019 KAC D5 Convention Planning Committee members at the convention kick-off.

From Left: Connie White, Convention Co-chair, D5; Ronda Miller, KAC State President, D2; Diane Wahto, D5 President, State Awards Chair, and 2019 Convention Co-chair; Ann Fell, D5, Convention Program Chair.

Ray "Griz" Racobs, D5 Treasurer and 2019 Convention Book Room and Silent Auction Chair.

Left: Pat Beckemeyer, D5, and Right: Gloria Zachgo, State New Member Chair and D5 member, working the 2019 Convention Registration Table.

Nancy Julien Kopp, D4, and Jim Potter, D6, discuss Blogging.
​

The Distinguished Head Table. From left: Connie White (D5) Convention Co-chair, Ronda Miller (D2) State President, Michael Graves (D2), Prose Contest Manager, Diane Wahto, D5 President and Convention Chair, Duane Johnson, D1, State Vice-President and Book Award Chair, and Wendy Devilbiss, D2, Poetry Contest Manager.
​

Audiobooks!

Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment in publishing.  Almost 45,000 were produced in 2018!  This session will cover that market, distribution options, how audiobooks are produced, the roles of author, narrator and post-production, and, of course, a Q/A.

Bio

Bob Neufeld is an audiobook narrator with 80+ titles to date.  He lives in Wichita, where he was born and raised.  He sang some opera and did some theater in college, hitchhiked 4,000 miles in Africa (including the Sahara) and had a 25-year business career in NYC and LA.  You can find him most days in his home studio telling stories.

• When: Saturday, October 12th, 2019 at 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• Where: Larksfield Place, 7373 E. 29th St. N., Wichita KS (just west of Rock Rd. on the south side of 29th Street). Park in the Visitors lot and enter the Welcome Entrance walking left through the main dining room to the Lakeview Dining Room.

Gloria Zachgo won Don Marler's contest with her definition of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony—presented in the form of a short story. Her winning entry is posted on her blog at www.gloriazachgo.com. Congratulations, Gloria, and thanks for sponsoring the contest, Don. Roy Stucky and Ray Racobs were runners-up.

We had our biggest crowd in quite a while, with every seat filled for Ken Hada's enthralling reading of his poems accompanied by projected images of his brother's watercolors of the White River in Arkansas. Ken took us on a tour from the river's origins to its confluence with the Mississippi. Thanks to the folks who bought copies of his books!
​

Congratulations to D5 member, Robert L. Dean, whose ephrastic work "Aftermath" was posted at the Ekphrastic Review, with art by Steven Schroeder. Dean was also notified that Lorette C. Luzajic, editor at the Ekphrastic Review, nominated his piece, "Metal Man," posted on ER earlier this year, and written to a photo of my paternal grandfather in my collection, for the Best of the Net. This was his first such nomination!

Clare MacQueen at KYSO Flash also nominated Dean's poem "Windmill," written to a wonderful painting by Steven Schroeder, for Best of the Net. ​

In his review of Ken's and Duane Hada's delightful book, The River White: A Confluence of Brush and Quill, in World Literature Today, W. M.Hagen says: "Brothers Duane and Ken Hada have produced an unusual and unusually beautiful book, which traces the White River, from its origins in northwestern Arkansas south to where it joins the Arkansas River, just before it flows into the Mississippi. Duane Hada’s watercolors on each page arrest the reader’s attention at different locations, creating a pictorial narrative; Ken Hada’s short poems facing the illustrations remind us that the best travelers perceive and think sideways, fusing what is before them with memories and associations."

D5 members and their guests (the meeting is open to the public) will be fortunate to hear Ken's words and see images of Duane's watercolors in Ken Hada's presentation at the September 14th meeting at Larksfield Place in Wichita.

​Ken will have copies of The River White and of other of his poetry books for sale at the meeting, and will gladly inscribe them for you. 

Ken Hada has seven collections of poetry in print, including his latest: Not Quite Pilgrims (Chicago:
VACpoetry, 2019). His book, Spare Parts, received the Wrangler Award from the National Western Heritage Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame. Three of his books have been named finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. He has also received the SCMLA Prize for Poetry, and was a finalist for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. Recently Ken was awarded the Glenda Carlile Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book. Ken is a professor at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma where he has directed the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival for 15 years. More information is available at kenhada.org
​

For Kansas Authors Club Members Who Wish to Sell Books at the Convention Bookstore:

Send the following information to Ray (“Griz”) Racobs, 2019 KAC Convention Bookstore Chair in a text message to 316-734-7813 or an email to rayracobs@gmail.com:

Author Name
Book Title(s)
Sale Price of Book (Include sales tax and round up to nearest even dollar). 

Authors are responsible for handling sales tax on their own after the event. 
​
Authors may set up a time to check out if the time on the conference program schedule doesn't work well.