For a full list of festival panels, see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss a beat \u2026 Click here to sign up for our email newsletters<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to learn more about our newsletters first<\/p>\n Local authors will discuss topics from KU women\u2019s basketball to axe murder to the reimagining of T.S. Elliot classics. <\/p>\n Here are some of their takes on what stands out about the Kansas literary scene, along with some local book recommendations.<\/p>\n Will Averill<\/p>\n You are speaking at the \u201cClassics Remixed\u201d panel discussing your new book, \u201cDay After the Waste Land,\u201d<\/a> which reimagines T.S. Eliot\u2019s writing in Lawrence. What is something that you hope attendees learn from your event?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to be part of a panel which encourages authors to look at classic works, honor them for what they are and what they\u2019ve done, but also have the audacity and whimsy to play with classic text, and impose current references on them which allows us to enjoy not only the original work, but how it is relevant in the now.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cI have found Kansas writers to be supportive and inspiring, and I love seeing the landscape of our state reflected through their eyes and words. The idea of having a home, and how the geography of your home defines, limits, defines and builds you, is fascinating to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Local books and writers Averill recommends:<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cWhack Job: A History of Axe Murder\u201d<\/a> by Rachel McCarthy James Bryn Greenwood<\/p>\n You are speaking at the \u201cCreating Reality\u201d event with Silvia Park on believable worldbuilding, with a focus on your newest title, \u201cNobody Knows You\u2019re Here.\u201d<\/a> What is something that you hope attendees learn from your event?<\/p>\n \u201cFor writers, I think what will likely prove interesting is some of the psychology around convincing readers to buy into a version of reality that doesn\u2019t match their own. For readers who attend, it\u2019s possible they\u2019ll learn to accept that it\u2019s okay if a book\u2019s world doesn\u2019t look exactly like the one they see every day.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cI suspect that what makes the Kansas literary scene special is similar to what makes Kansans in general special. We tend to be somewhat separated from the larger scene, both by geography and by politics. In a traditionally red state that regularly elects blue governors, Kansans often have diverse and nuanced views of the world. That gets reflected in the stories Kansas writers tell, too.\u201d<\/p>\n A writer Greenwood recommends:<\/p>\n Greenwood wished more readers outside of science fiction and fantasy circles would explore the work of R.B. Lemberg<\/a>, which they call \u201ccomplex and erudite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey write experiences that are not familiar to a lot of Kansans, but this Kansan definitely connects with their writing,\u201d Greenwood said.<\/p>\n Rachel McCarthy James<\/p>\n You are speaking at the \u201cSeeing Red\u201d event, discussing your recent nonfiction title. What is something that you hope attendees learn from your event?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really excited to talk about my new book \u2018Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder\u2019 with Kara Heitz, who is a very impressive cultural historian. We\u2019ll talk about the history of the axe and how it has embodied power and violence throughout the years \u2014 two forces that are eternally relevant.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cI love Kansas and I feel like there\u2019s a lot of inspiration and support for writers statewide. I think there\u2019s an effort to support writers at many different places in the industry, where they might feel lost in a more crowded literary scene \u2026 I especially love living in Lawrence. We\u2019re really lucky to have such an amazing concentration of creative offerings in this small town.\u201d<\/p>\n James especially appreciated these pieces of local literary culture:<\/p>\n \u2022 The Raven Book Store Local writers and books that James recommends:<\/p>\n \u2022 A forthcoming title from her mom, Susan McCarthy, about art in Kansas, expected from the University Press of Kansas next year Silvia Park<\/p>\n You are speaking at the \u201cCreating Reality\u201d event with Bryn Greenwood Park on believable worldbuilding, with a focus on your recent title, \u201cLuminous.\u201d<\/a> What is something that you hope attendees learn from your event?<\/p>\n \u201cI hope attendees realize that worldbuilding isn\u2019t scary at all. It\u2019s actually the foundation of every story, regardless of genre. We\u2019re building a reality from scratch whether we\u2019re writing about our hometown in Maine or a far-away planet covered in ice. And I think in our current political climate, we feel more keenly than ever that many of us are not sharing the same reality.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very close-knit and unapologetically unique. I also feel that Kansas writers are quite attuned to nature and this is a wonderful steady presence in their work.\u201d<\/p>\n A local book that Park recommends:<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cThe Privilege of the Happy Ending\u201d<\/a> by Kij Johnson<\/p>\n Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg<\/p>\n What is something that you hope attendees learn from your event?<\/p>\n \u201cIn my case, my memoir \u2018The Magic Eye: A Story of Saving a Life and a Place in the Age of Anxiety\u2019<\/a> speaks to expanding our vision of the earth and our lives through the lens of my journey through a rare and dangerous eye cancer and my husband and my struggle to save the land where we live. Our books span memoir and fiction as we explore stories of overcoming the odds and restoring our health, lives, and places, and I believe attendees at our session will expand their view of the possibilities of thriving and finding new ground, even through daunting times.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a real generosity of spirit at the Kansas Book Festival and throughout the Kansas literary scene. Many of us do whatever we can \u2014 in balance with our lives \u2014 to lift each other up rather than push each other aside. For years, I\u2019ve talked with people about how, in the bigger literary scene, there\u2019s a myth that there\u2019s so much pie to go around, and most authors won\u2019t even get a crumb of attention, but we have the power to bake more pies \u2014 create more events, publication possibilities, gatherings, and other ways to cultivate the ground and tend our writing community.\u201d<\/p>\n Local writers and books that Mirriam-Goldberg recommends:<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cHow to Explain\u201d<\/a> by Louise Krug Leslie VonHolten<\/p>\n You will host a book launch for your co-edited anthology \u201cKansas Matters: Twenty-First-Century Writers on the Sunflower State.\u201d<\/a> What is something that you hope attendees learn from your event?<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that attendees will feel a kinship with others in the room. Kansas is a dynamic, hardscrabble, difficult, and beautiful place that fascinates me. The writers who will speak all show us that. We have individual stories that are never reflected in media. I want those stories to be gathered together. Let\u2019s make it weird and beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cThe community! Writing is a solitary endeavor, but the reason to do it is to share stories. The Kansas literary scene is supportive and grassroots. Most of us don\u2019t aspire to Big Publishing or fame. What we love is working together, solving language questions and broadening the view in this place.\u201d<\/p>\n Local books and literary efforts that VonHolten recommends:<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cMegan Kaminski\u2019s work with the Lawrence Transit System<\/a> is exciting because of the democratic feeling of it. Ride the bus and write a poem! The bus is meaningful to me \u2014 my daughter and I used to ride together to work and school, and we met so many wonderful people, and their stories, over the years. Marian E. Washington<\/p>\n You\u2019ll be speaking at the \u201cFierce Hoops\u201d event about your memoir. What is something that you hope attendees learn from your talk?<\/p>\n \u201cAs the first and only Women\u2019s Athletic Director at the University of Kansas, I was responsible for building a Division 1 women\u2019s intercollegiate athletic program among other accomplishments. I do share this history in my autobiography, \u2018FIERCE: My Fight For Nothing Less,\u2019<\/a> so it\u2019s important to me that the history of our women\u2019s athletic programs be accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cThe excitement of Kansas excellence in the writing and overall talent with famous world-renowned authors like Langston Hughes, Gordon Parks, and Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks, to name a few. These writers are known around the world; we should be proud!\u201d<\/p>\n A local writer that Washington recommends:<\/p>\n Washington enjoys the books of Sarah Paretsky<\/a>, a renowned mystery writer from Lawrence.<\/p>\n George Frazier<\/p>\n You\u2019ll be speaking at the \u201cWatery Ways\u201d event about the history and ecology of grassland rivers. What is something that you hope attendees learn from your talk?<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Grassland rivers\u2019 are unique in the pantheon of American rivers, and they are right here in our own backyard, so to speak. Almost everywhere, the wildest lands that remain are close to rivers. This is especially true in the Midwest and Great Plains, where much of the accessible land is privately owned. You probably live within a few miles of a grassland river, yet perhaps less than a hundred people every year lay eyes on tens of thousands of miles of them \u2026 I\u2019ll not only highlight the Kansas and Missouri Rivers close to home, but also some important issues affecting rivers across the prairies and plains. America, in my opinion, is at the beginning of a grassland river revival, and I hope attendees will come away with a new appreciation for these wild landscapes of the Midwest.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think makes the Kansas literary scene special?<\/p>\n \u201cCamaraderie among writers across genres, with the University Press of Kansas as a sturdy backbone and a robust collection of small presses supporting a number of regional writing groups. I\u2019m always fascinated by what I learn about the history of our writing \u2018scene.\u2019 For example, John O\u2019Brien\u2019s fantastic noir novel\u00a0Leaving Las Vegas,\u00a0later adapted into the film, was published by Wichita\u2019s Watermark Press, which at the time was run by the folks at Watermark Books in Wichita. Iris DeMent wrote the haunting lyrics for her first album in a creative writing class at Washburn in Topeka. I could go on \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Local titles Frazier recommends:<\/p>\n \u2022 \u201cThe Center of Everything\u201d by Laura Moriarty \u201cI could go on and on \u2014 these are just a few,\u201d Frazier said.<\/p>\n Kansas Notable Book<\/a> awardees are honored each year at the Kansas Book Fest. \u201cThe Lies We Conjure\u201d<\/a> by Sarah Henning is one of the named 2025 titles.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lived in Lawrence longer than anywhere else, and I\u2019ve been a guest at the Kansas Book Festival a couple of times,\u201d she said. \u201c\u2026 It was really exciting to me, just as a Kansan, to be recognized for my work.\u201d<\/p>\n She wanted to thank the anonymous person who nominated her for the award. See here<\/a> for some of her local book recommendations.<\/p>\n If our local journalism matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss a beat \u2026 Click here to sign up for our email newsletters<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to learn more about our newsletters first<\/p>\n Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they\/them), community reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com. <\/p>\n Read their complete bio here<\/a>. Read their work for the Times\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Latest Lawrence news:<\/p>\n \t\t Share this post or save for later<\/p>\n On a sunny Saturday at the wetlands, a green heron soars across the sky. Below, Debbie Baker and Kelly Barth of the Lawrence Bird Alliance watch, sharing the experience with a new friend they made that day on the trail. This is a glimpse into birdwatching in Lawrence. <\/p>\n \t\t Share this post or save for later<\/p>\n Lawrence City Commission candidates at a forum Wednesday said annexation is necessary to achieve affordability in the city. They also discussed the city\u2019s response to homelessness. <\/p>\n \t\t Share this post or save for later<\/p>\n Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday joined city commissioners in approving 555 Stoneridge Drive as the location for Fire Station 6.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Averill-Smith-1.jpg\")
Will Averill (left) and Kent Smith with their upcoming title, \u201cDay After the Waste Land\u201d (Contributed photo)<\/p>\n
\u2022 Eric McHenry\u2019s poetry
<\/a>\u2022 \u201cThis Book is Not for You\u201d<\/a> by Daniel Hoyt<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Greenwood-Bryn-1.jpg\")
Contributed photo Bryn Greenwood<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Rachel-McCarthy-James-1.jpg\")
Rachel McCarthy James (right) speaks with Bill James at her Raven Book Store event for \u201cWhack Job.\u201d (Jason Graham \/ Contributed photo)<\/p>\n
<\/a>\u2022 Will Averill\u2019s \u201ceclectic\u201d projects
\u2022 Inside the Castle<\/a>, a small Lawrence press
\u2022 Volta<\/a>, a monthly poetry event at Replay
\u2022 \u201cIn Walks a Woman\u201d<\/a> podcast, which James was recently featured on<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cBad Kansas\u201d<\/a> by Becky Mandelbaum
\u2022 \u201cContinental Breakfast\u201d<\/a> and \u201cHow to Resist Amazon and Why\u201d<\/a> by Danny Caine<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/HAN00926_\u00a9-Han-Jeongseon_cropped.jpg\")
Contributed photo Silvia Park<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Caryn-Mirriam-Goldberg.jpg\")
Contributed photo Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cLove Prodigal\u201d<\/a> by Traci Brimhall
\u2022 \u201cMidlife Abecedarian\u201d<\/a> by Melissa Fite Johnson
\u2022 Writings of Max McCoy<\/a>
\u2022 Writings of George Frazier<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/LVH-w-book.jpg\")
Contributed photo Leslie VonHolten with \u201cKansas Matters\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>\u2022 \u201cRiverine Dreams\u201d<\/a> by George Frazier, coming Oct. 3<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Washington-Marian-2.jpg\")
Contributed photo Marian E. Washington with Bella the pup<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/RiverineDreamsHardback.jpg\")
Contributed photo George Frazier with a copy of his forthcoming title, \u201cRiverine Dreams\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cHurt People\u201d by Cote Smith
\u2022 \u201cWild Douglas County\u201d by Ken Lassman
\u2022 \u201cElevations\u201d by Max McCoy
\u2022 \u201cSpeaking French in Kansas and Other Stories\u201d by Robert Day
\u2022 \u201cEdible Wild Plants of the Prairie\u201d by Kelly Kindscher
\u2022 \u201cTouching the Sky\u201d by Denise Low
\u2022 \u201cA Kansas Bestiary\u201d by Jake Vail and Doug Hitt, with watercolor illustrations from Lisa Grossman
\u2022 \u201cOrigin: A Genetic History of the Americas\u201d by Jennifer Raff<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/20250822-Sarah-Henning-11.jpg\")
Molly Adams \/ Lawrence Times Sarah Henning with her 2025 Kansas Notable Book, \u201cThe Lies We Conjure\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758240981_115_Wulfemeyer-Wulfe-sq.jpg\")
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Nathan Kramer \/ Lawrence Times\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
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Nathan Kramer \/ Lawrence Times\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
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August Rudisell\/Lawrence Times\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
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