Lance Stafford of Cloverton plays piano and sings lead vocals during the band's Aug. 6 performance at the In Session Music Festival in Topeka, Kan. Cloverton was the headliner of the inaugural festival, which took place outside of the Sunrise Optimist Building in North Topeka.

Rouse’s Reviews | A regular web column by Josh Rouse, who keeps his ear to the ground and his lens steady through life in T-Town

Manhattan has Country Stampede, Kansas City has Kanrocksas and now North Topeka has its own music festival: In Session.

The inaugural Christian music festival took place Saturday, Aug. 6, outside the Sunrise Optimist Building at 720 NW 50th Street, right across the street from Seaman High School. The one-day festival featured Manhattan-based Christian rock band Cloverton, whose single “Take Me Into the Beautiful” has received airtime on multiple Christian radio stations, including K-LOVE 88.9 FM in the Topeka and Manhattan area.

Other bands involved with the event included The Reach, from Topeka; Artfully Folded Paper, from Wichita; and the Plugged-In Band, from Lawrence. The event was unique in that the stage was constructed using two large hauling trailers and a large canopy. The crowd wasn’t huge, maybe about 200 people, but with planners hoping to continue this event annually, it has plenty of room to grow into a much bigger event.

Proceeds from the event went to Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, which is raising funds to relocate to a more accessible area on 46th Street.

Want to see more? Check out this photo gallery and videos by Josh Rouse below.

Earlier this year, seveneightfive published an article about And Hell Followed With It, Bonar Menninger’s captivating narrative about the EF5 that swept through Topeka 44 years ago. Posting it online, we hope it will encourage more people to check out this fascinating, terrifying, and most of all informative account of T-town’s most horrifying tragedy.

- Robin Cremer, May 24, 2011

Be prepared for a tornado: review these safety tips, because it can happen here.

Book Review by Judith and Robin Cremer

Whenever a group of locals start talking about “the tornado,” there is rarely a need to say more to direct the discussion toward the EF5 whirlwind that cut through the heart of Topeka June 8, 1966. The behemoth ripped through the city, blasting a half mile-wide path of destruction and leaving deep emotional and physical scars on the hearts and minds of Topekans, young and old alike. The memory of that mighty wind resonates strongly with those who were there that Wednesday evening. The power of the experience has subsequently been passed down through stories shared by survivors that relate the awesome power of the unfettered forces of nature that were unleashed that day.

One of the vehicles helping to propel this transfer of experiences is Bonar Menninger’s new book, And Hell Followed With It, which fully documents the June 8 tornado, capturing both the history and the drama of this unforgettable event. Menninger gathered the stories, culled from over 140 interviews, to create a narrative that reads like one of the suspense novels on the market today. The fact that the reader is fully aware that this is not a story, but a true life account of actual events, makes the book all the more terrifying.

Bonar’s intense storyline focuses on a core group of citizens spaced throughout the city during the course of the hours that changed the life and landscape of Topeka. The text graphically details each individual’s story, relating their apprehension as the storm approaches, their terror during the time the whirlwind was actively in play and the hopelessness they felt in the aftermath. Readers get an unparalleled view of one of the most devastating disasters to ever befall T-Town.

The book includes chapters on the history of Topeka, as well as an overview of the science of early tornado detection. This information puts things into context and gives the reader a point of reference regarding the city’s warning system prior to that monumental evening of disaster.

Maps of the city placed strategically throughout the book also allow the reader to follow the twister’s brutal path of destruction; beginning at Burnett’s Mound, barreling through downtown and dissipating over the river near Tecumseh. Sitting at my kitchen table, I was able to look down the street and imagine the mayhem that took place as the massive winds ripped through the Oakland area. The graphic recollections in this book will undoubtedly likewise strike any Topekan who reads it as they pass by key modern-day landmarks described in the text throughout the city.

June 8, 2011 will mark the 45th anniversary of the Topeka tornado. This phenomenal book brings the events of that day back to life, definitely recording them for posterity. It clarifies the facts, discusses the myths and makes the story accessible to a new generation – and it’s first and foremost a good read.

Interview by Robin Cremer

I had a chance to speak with Bonar, and we talked about that eventful evening in 1966, that ultimately led to him writing And Hell Followed With It.

What motivated you to write this book in the first place?

Just a sense that the story deserved to be told after all these years. It was something I’d grown up with. I thought it was a fascinating tale, and I realized at the time of the fortieth anniversary in ’06, a lot of these people were getting up in years and if it was going to be done, it had to be done now. So I felt a sense of, for lack of a better term, civic responsibility, to tell the story.

The one scene from the book that drove home to me how terrifying this thing was, was when David Laird witnessed a two car garage being flung into the Capital dome like a “child would fling a dollhouse.”

You know, the Capital is a pretty formidable structure, and pretty imposing, and to see something that’s vastly bigger do something like that; throw a structure at it, like a monster, and then this huge roar. He said, I thought it was the end of the world, and I’ve tried to put myself in his shoes at that moment, and I believe that’s probably what I’d be thinking too, because it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. All of sudden it’s Hell on earth! And where are you going to go? You better make a decision real quick or you’re not going to survive.

Any plans for a movie or DVD documentary? I think it’d make a fascinating movie.

Yeah, I rather see it made into a drama. That movie, Twister, as cheesy as it was, was like the 44th best selling movie of all time. I think there’s a real fascination with tornados and the things that they could do with special effects these days it wouldn’t be hard to do.

The way you wrote the stories, it reads like a really suspenseful action adventure type novel, only terrifyly true.

I appreciate that. I mean, that’s what I tried, because that’s what I always thought of it as. It’s just about the scariest thing I’ve ever heard about in my life, and so I tried real hard to capture the drama and the suspense.

[ republished from seveneightfive Jan. 15 - Feb 1 issue | story by Judith and Robin Cremer | photos contributed | photo of Bonar Menninger courtesy Facebook ]

The Event

Local businesses will serve as venues for the display and performance of art created by over 100 regional and local artists. A large array of artwork will be showcased, including:

• 2D visual art
• music
• film
• poetry + prose

A variety of activities will occur throughout the afternoon, including activities geared toward entertaining and immersing children in art.

Handmade signs directing pedestrian traffic will mark the Art Walk route.

The location of the Art Walk is meant has special meaning to ReThink Topeka, which is a grassroots organization that seeks to enlighten Topekans and visitors about the positive aspects of the city.

“All the venues will emphasize the importance of downtown’s resurgence,” said Justin Marable, co-founder of ReThink Topeka. “Local eateries will provide refreshments at chosen venues, which will bring more local flavor to the event, stimulate the economy and produce an awareness of Topeka cuisine.”

The event is open to the public and asks for a $2 donation, which will give the attendee a handmade ReThink Topeka button and admission to all venues and activities.

Venues and Activities

• Break Room (911 S. Kansas Ave.): film, music and youth art. Food for sale by the Break Room. Youth/Adult activity: make a city collage with provided materials.
• Blue Planet Café (110 S.E. 8th Ave.): Artwork by regional artists, live music, readings and food provided by the Blue Planet Café. Youth/Adult activity: Linda Carson will do storytelling at 2, 4 and 5 p.m. Merchandise will be headquartered at Blue Planet, with ReThink Topeka shirts, chapbooks and Frisbees for sale.
  

  ReThink Topeka Chapbook for sale at the event

• Jayhawk Tower (700 Southwest Jackson St.): Artwork by regional artists, live music, readings and food provided by the Brickyard Barn Inn.  The Jayhawk Theatre will be conducting tours of the theater throughout the afternoon. Youth/Adult activity: cookie decorating.
• NexLynx (123 SW 6th Ave.): Artwork by regional artists will be on display. Youth/Adult activity: poetry workshop. Chapbooks featuring regional authors will be on sale at this location. Door prize provided by NexLynx.
• Supersonic Music (117 S.E. 6th Ave.): Local musicians will perform out front.  Youth/Adult activity: chalking
• Topeka Community Cycle Project (TCCP) (423 S. Kansas Ave.): Local craft and art group, the Craftavists have partnered with the TCCP to upcycle bike parts and materials in order to create handmade bicycle inspired art, which will be on display and for sale at this location
• Music, chalk drawing and other activities will line the sidewalks during the event.

For more information, visit www.rethinktopeka.com

[ April 2011 | press release | images provided by ReThink Topeka | cross-posted at xyztopeka.com ]

Yoho will be focusing on his newest novel, “With the Wisdom of Owls,” which is for sale locally and online and copies will be available for purchase at the event and the author will be available to chat about his works and sign copies.

Yoho’s novel, “The Revival” was recently accepted in Amazon’s 2011 “Breakthrough Novel Award.” His title was among the 2,000 originally accepted as “General Fiction,” and survived a cut to 1000 titles in February. Yoho’s book is now in the 500 titles included in their “Quarter-Finals.” The winner will receive $1500, a publishing contract with Penguin Books and a trip to speak about the novel in New York City.

An excerpt from “The Revival” will soon be added the Amazon website as part of the next phase of competition. Further paring will include public viewing of the excerpt and public voting. In late April, 150 titles will continue in the “Semi-Final” competition.

Yoho has established himself as a witty writer from the Midwest, and a growing list of fans enjoy his off-beat sense of humor and mind boggling leaps of logic–often leaving readers laughing out loud. Max is a lifelong Kansan. He was born in Colony, Kansas, in 1934, and became a writer after 38 years as a machinist.

[ March 2011 | photos courtesy Carol Yoho ]

“Postcards from Home” is a collaborative show celebrating 150 years of Kansas’ statehood. Graphic artist Shanon Fouquet and writer Jeff Fouquet have created an exhibit that marries graphic illustrations featuring Kansas places with poetry. The birthday event marks the opening night of “Postcards.”

“The show is made of elements meant to appeal to multiple senses – the poetry, the art, the music and the activities are all aligned to create something closer to a momentary experience of a place through many senses,” said Jeff Fouquet.

Food will include the famous cold cuts, pickles and chili from Porubsky’s Deli and Tavern, and Dotte Cakes will provide birthday cake. Additional food, spirits and refreshments will be available.

Live poetry and music will include Jeff Fouquet’s poetic works about Kansas places and music from Topeka band Interior Sea. There will be a slide show of Kansas places, a place for people to decorate their own Kansas-shaped postcards and a huge outline of Kansas drawn on fabric in front of the stage so guests can label their favorite places and features, and share their Kansas memories and wishes for the future of the state.

Sponsors include Savor Kansas, Bartlett and West, Vision Bank, P.T.’s Coffee and Warehouse 414. The headlining sponsor, ReThink Topeka, is an organization that seeks to encourage citizens to find positive solutions that will breathe life back into the arts, culture and local economy of Topeka.

“We didn’t want the historic event on January 29th to pass without honoring our larger sense of place, so we pitched the idea, and ReThink threw its resources behind it,” said Jeff Fouquet. “They’re great, community-minded people with tons of positive energy, and they are proud to call themselves Kansans.”

The suggested cost for entrance to the party is $2 and purchases a button with a Topeka postcard image.

When the party concludes, the Fouquets hope that guests will take away a better understanding and appreciation for Kansas.

“They are going to visit places in Kansas they may never get the chance to be, and they will hear stories we can’t afford to let blow away in the wind,” said Shanon Fouquet. “We hope they see something new and something newly beautiful about our home state.”

[ Jan. 2011 | Press release | images courtesy Shanon Fouquet / Postcards from Home ]

The Commitments- Roddy Doyle

Book one of Roddy’s ‘Barrytown Trilogy,’ the Commitments is the story of Jimmy Rabbitte and his pains to start, manage and hold together his ‘Irish Soul’ band, despite their brawling, bickering and off-stage sexual escapades. Anybody that’s been in a band will find a lot to relate to in this delightfully ribald tale of Dublin’s hardest working band.

Soundtrack: Percy Sledge, When a Man loves a Woman; Jimmy Ruffin, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted; Eddie Floyd, Knock on Wood; James Brown, Out of Sight; Eddie Jefferson, Night Train

King Dork- Frank Portman

Frank Portman AKA Dr. Frank is the mastermind behind Oakland CA based punk band, The Mr. T Experience. While his story centers on Tom Henderson’s quest to discover more about his deceased father, after finding his battered dog-eared copy of Cather in the Rye, the most fun of the story is Tom’s relationship with his best friend by default, Sam Hellerman, and their ongoing plans to start a band. They have names: Easter Monday, Baby Batter, The Plasma Nukes, and the Chi-Mo’s among others. They even have original songs and ideas for their album jackets, but what they don’t have his instruments; until one day Tom’s step-father “Big Tom” gives him a mid-sixties Gibson Melody Maker, his, “ultimate fantasy guitar,” as an early Christmas present. And when Sam and Tom finally do get to play the schools talent show, well . . . if you’ve ever seen videos of the Who finishing their shows in the sixties, you have an idea of what happens. Village Voice calls it “the Best Punk Rock Novel ever.”

Soundtrack; AC/DC, Walk all over you; Blue Oyster Cult, 7 Screaming Diz-Busters; The Who, Slip Kid; Motorhead, Jailbait; The Chi-Mo’s, Are there Hippies in heaven (and if so can we at least confiscate their Patchouli, ‘Cause otherwise I’m going to hell)?

Leaving Trunk Blues- Ace Atkins

Nick Travers played pro football for the New Orleans Saints, until one day he walked off the field never to play again. These days find him teaching a blues history class at Tulane University, working on his biography of Guitar Slim, blowing harp at JoJo’s blues bar . . . and solving blues related mysteries. The 2nd in a series of 4, LTB takes place for the most part in Chicago, the city where Muddy Waters invented ‘lectricity. Atkins love for the blues and his knack for creating colorful, sometimes psychopathic characters come alive in this blues drenched novel. Highly recommended for lovers of crime noir.

Soundtrack: Little Walter, Key to the Highway; Robert Johnson, Love in Vain; Muddy Waters, I can’t be Satisfied; Elmore James, It hurts me too; Robert Johnson, Sweet Home Chicago

Anything Goes- Madison Smartt-Bell 

Jesse plays bass for the band Anything Goes, a band that, “doesn’t play punk, don’t play grunge, definitely don’t do covers and also don’t play Top 40. When the lead guitarist takes off Jesse is moved to his position. As the story unfolds, Jesse discovers he has a talent for songwriting and by the end of the book, AG has transformed from a cover band to an original band. I loved this story for its gritty tales of redemption, self-awareness and life on the road.

Soundtrack: Nirvana, Lithium; Allman Brothers, One Way Out; Doc Watson, Moody River; Joni Mitchell, Blue; Anything Goes, Anything goes

Lone Star Ice and Fire- L.E. Brady

Sort of the literary version of the Rutles, All you need is Cash, the late 70s  SNL/Monty Python collaboration,  Lone Star Ice and Fire is the fictionalized history of the Vaughan brothers, Stevie and Jimmie, from their teenage years to the untimely death of the legendary SRV in a Wisconsin helicopter accident. Walker Blaine is the white-hot, extremely talented younger brother, while his older sibling, Sonny is cool, handsome and equally talented in his own rite. Vaughan brother fans who are acquainted with their history, will love playing ‘name the real life person/situation this character/situation is based on’ game. I know I did.

Soundtrack: Bo Didley, Who do you love; Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Chuck Berry (Buddy Holly Version in the book); Johnny Copeland, Down on bended knee; Firewalker Blaine and the Salamanders, Shadows A-Fallin’; The Rocket 88s, Swamps Meetin’ the Plains

Honorable Mentions:

Bill Fitzhugh, “Fender Benders, Radio Activity, Highway 61 Resurfaced”
Stephanie Kuehnert, “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone”
Brendon Halpin, “Long Way Back”
Tom Perotta, “The Wishbones”
Ace Atkins, “Crossroad Blues, Dirty South, Dark End of the Street”

The Friends of the Library Book Sale takes place this weekend, Friday, 6-9 p.m. (members only), Saturday 9-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.

[music notes by Robin Cremer]

There’s simply no other way to describe the packed car lots lining Ag Hall at 17th and Topeka Blvd. Or the fervor of the hordes of people picking through over 100,000 books. Or the sort of determination needed to withstand the lines. Nevermind the lines.

There are CDs, movies, records, magazines and books, and books, and then books. Mystery and poetry and fiction and non-fiction and cookbooks and children’s books and history and really everything you can think of – and cheap.

The sale is open to the public on Sat. Sept 18 from 9am to 5pm and Sun. Sept 19 from 1-5pm, but you might consider getting a jump on the masses and buying a library membership to attend the members only night on Friday Sept 17 from 6-9pm. In addition to having a more leisurely browse through the volumes, your Friends membership saves you 10% at the Chandler booktique at TSCPL until the end of the year.

[ seveneightfive September 1 - October 15 | Melissa Sewell | image provided by Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library ]

more info:

Friends of the Library individual memberships are $15 / $25 family
Admission is free and open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

This sale offers more than 100,000 used books, records, CDs, DVDs and VHSs and magazines. Large quantities of children’s books and paperback fiction will also be available.

Funds from the Friends of the Library Book Sale and the online bookstore are used to support the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.

For information about the Friends of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, call Mary at 785-580-4445.

I’ve been here for days.

The lever,
like the firm hand of someone’s father,
clicks into place.

I’ve been here for days,
it seems, before the water starts to flow—

a soft trickle, at first,
a whisper of piss, basically,
upon a symphony of flame.

My watch face is not visible
through the gloves, but
as the hose kicks finally to life

I can’t help but wonder
what time has just clicked,
firmly, into place.

I’ve been here for days,
in this desert.

Three-hundred sixty-three
to be exact.

And I can think
that this was someone’s house, or that
was where someone went to church—

but this is work,

to me,
that’s all it is.

This is a job I’ve gotten good at,
this is a body I’ve exhausted.

This fire, as it finally extinguishes
is just another clock I’m watching.

Justine’s Hands

Justine’s hands
sand down the details,
the rough paper smoothing
her edges unrecognizable.

It was early January,
some decade or another had just ended,

and I had spent
my fireworks budget
on cheap wine

which I would later spill
on so many cheap dresses, unsuccessfully.

Whenever I went to see Justine,
she was always working.

I would lurk in this corner, or that
the cobwebs and I, chit-chatting
idly in her general direction,

each of us equally ephemeral,
each of us equally likely
to become hopelessly entangled in her hair.

And all the smalltalk
I made there in her workshop
could not stop the big ideas
I had bursting in my brain,

like those fireworks I had forgotten to buy
would have probably done.

I had all this symbolic shit
I wanted to say to her
all this meaning I was desperate to impart
but I was just some guy, you know?

An interview with Timothy Volpert, by Dennis Etzel Jr.

785: Do you have a creative process? How do your poems come “to be?”

My poems usually tend to start with a single line (or image, but just most often just a single line with no context or anything), that I want to expand upon.  From there I just write and see what comes out, I suppose. Well, I guess I write in two stages: I start there, with the single line, and that I write by hand, then at some point I’ll type the poem up on my computer, and I edit while I’m typing. Editing is so important.
785: Your work has changed over the last few years. How would you describe that change?

Gosh, well, I guess I’d say it’s been a combination of how I’ve changed as a person and some conscious effort on my part to improve my writing and to hone my poetic voice.  The last few years of my life have been very full, to say the least, with both good experiences and bad. I’ve grown up a lot, I guess, and that reflects in the writing, I hope.  Also as I’ve continued to be exposed to more poets and writers, my vocabulary of influence has expanded–when I first started seriously writing poems, which was in high school, basically, my only real exposure to actual poetry was probably Edgar Allan Poe and A.A. Milne.  Since then I’ve gotten into the biggest influences of my life: Dylan Thomas, Jim Carroll, Hart Crane, William Carlos Williams, John Berryman, to name a few, and probably most importantly Patti Smith and Leonard Cohen–I’ve always been in love with that place where poetry and music intersect, and those two embody that so well.  Also, at some point my focus shifted to where every poem I write now, I write with the intention of reading aloud, and I usually do read them aloud, to myself, immediately after or during the writing process.  I feel like actually hearing it really helps filter out any awkward turns-of-phrase, or sounds that just don’t work in the poem, and for me poetry has always been foremost an attempt to create beautiful sounds.

785: You bring up two good points there–how poems have a certain sound to them, and that there is an association with music and poetry. I enjoy Smith and Cohen, too. I think there is a pop standard for lyrics to be devoid of metaphor or figurative language. What do you think about this?

Well, I agree that I think the standard for pop music is to be devoid of basically anything.  There are always two forces in music, the people who see it as a product and the people who see it as art.  Fortunately, the real artists are always out there doing what they do, it can just be harder to find sometimes.  But even within mainstream pop music there are some poetic gems to be found; Springsteen, for instance, is a pretty brilliant lyricist, and he’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Kanye West, for all his flaws, still drops a pretty impressive rhyme once in a while.

I’ll admit that I first came to poetry with a desire to write lyrics but no ability to write songs; along the way I also became enamored of poetry itself, and took a long detour down that road, before I just very recently came back to my original desire to play music and write songs (it helps that I finally had the time and focus to actually practice playing an instrument–turns out that helps a lot!), having been steeped for so long in pure poetry.

785: I think that is why lyric poetry is so dominant, and your poems seem to evoke the sense of the lyric. I truly enjoyed your persona poem “The Fireman.”  Have you experimented with persona? What other ways have you experimented in poems?

For a long time, I considered basically all of my poems to be persona poems. Even if that persona might seem to hew pretty close to my own personality, there was still a lot of element of fiction to it.  There still is quite a bit, but these days I allow myself to write something occasionally that is just purely me.  I was just really burnt out on confessional poetry for a long time, I wanted to tell other people’s stories, not just talk about myself.  But I’m also not a great storyteller, so I developed this style that I’ve always compared to those photographs where they zoom in so close that all you can see is the texture of an object, you can’t even tell what it is.  It’s so specific that it becomes vague.  “Justine’s Hands”, actually, was a specific attempt to zoom back out a little, to tell a story with a more concrete setting, and with two very distinct characters in a kind of real situation. And “The Fireman” is kind of another stab in that direction, but with a little more lyricism and abstraction mixed back in.  I’d say I kind of came at poetry the way, to some extent, I come to everything, which is to start off experimental, and work backwards from there, learning what rules I’d been breaking as I go along.

Also, I once wrote a poem by re-arranging clues from a crossword puzzle. It was better than I would’ve thought, but still not very good. The way crossword clues are phrased made everything end up sounding like newspaper headlines; there aren’t a lot of pronouns to work with.

785: I noticed hands also play a part in “Justine’s Hands.” I think hands are so personal. Do you find hands or other things coming up in poems? Do you see any other recurring themes in your work?

Hands are probably one, I think.  My band is called Paint Hands, in fact. Hands are the main way we interact with the physical world, so they have a lot of significance.  I find the word “listen” pops up a lot, which I think is both because it’s a beautiful word and because I like the idea of having that word built into a poem, especially if you are reading that poem aloud.  Another big theme for me is, I would say, the advancement of technology, and what that means to nature and our souls and all, but not in a completely negative way.  I’m pretty ambivalent about technology: on the one hand, I love all the information available from the internet, and the things it has made possible, but on the other hand there are a lot of legitimate concerns that the internet is just further detaching us all from each other,
from the rest of humanity.  If I were better at prose, I might write a lot of heavy-handed science fiction.  Other themes include death and relationships, you know, the usual.

[ July 2010 | Dennis Etzel Jr. | photo by Matt Porubsky ]
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Without further ado, here is George’s poem. Do you know which page of the June-July 2010 issue this is re-imagined from?

The Battle of the Bands

At first glance,

a steamroller,

simply driven,

but with zero discipline,

comes down Main

Street. Like bail jumpers

the drivers are making

the most of their

neo circus, rolling

down the avenue

like a sixteen penny nail

escaping from a

revolver. Before

there is another day

gone, this tragedy of

romance, is building

its empire, but with

only a grain of honor.

A jangalang battle is

forming on the horizon.

Stand by for radio silence!

George Paris, Blackbird regular and Topeka poet, photo by Kevin Rabas at the Top City Poetry Fest, 2010

“Fast forward twenty years: Dad with some

drinking buddies; one of them hauls out

a home movie, racy, with girl-chicks in it. 

They pop beers and settle back

while the 8-millimeter reels off grainy scenes 

of a bunch of nubile wenches in hot swim suits.

Dad’s world tilts; he comes to:

Hey, those are my daughters!

Whatcha doin’ with my daughters?”

–from “Where the Boys Are,” by Stella Robbins, Inscape 2010 poetry contributor 

 Inscape 2010 is here! Celebrate the release of the literary journal–compiled by upper-level writing students at Washburn University and featuring nearly 40 writers from the area and beyond–at a reading and celebration 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 14, at Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center on the Washburn University campus. Hear a diverse range of voices share their poetry, fiction and nonfiction from the new Inscape, which handles topics from rats to rivers to regret. Plus, see the visual artwork included in the journal and enjoy free food and beverages. 

 You’ll enjoy the literary stylings of these fine writers from our area and beyond:

 Stella Robbins, Topeka, Kansas (poetry: “Vietnam Vet,” “Where the Boys Are”)

Amanda “Cal” Phoenix, Topeka, Kansas (poetry: “Isaac Buried”)

Robert Rebein, Indianapolis, Indiana (nonfiction: “Identity Factory”)

Barbara Brady, Topeka, Kansas (poetry: “Child in the Doorway,” “Separating Symbols,” “Old Woman in the Poetry Class”)

Colin Kostelecky, Topeka, Kansas (fiction: “17th and Seltsam”)

Jane Carver, Emmett, Kansas (poetry: “The Cliffs”)

Christy Wise, Washington, D.C. (nonfiction: “The Office”)

James Haines, Lawrence, Kansas (poetry: “Shiva Shoes”)

 A complete list of contributors can be found under “latest” at inscapewashburn.wordpress.com. Be sure to join the Facebook group, “Inscape: The Literary Journal of Washburn University.”

[Sarah Smarsh | Washburn University]