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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.  Read on f

We are thrilled to announce that Dallas Poet Laureate and World Poetry Slam champion Joaquín Zihuatanejo will be joining us for the 2023 Writers Conference! Joaquín will be our keynote speaker at the Conference Kickoff event on November 2nd, he will lead poetry and revision workshops during both days of the Conference November 3rd and 4th, and he will also host the Johnson County Library Writers Conference Poetry Slam Championship to close out a weekend of writing f

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 Old

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 fou

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.  Read on for our interview with Dawn Downey!

This week at the Library, you can join us at:  Poetry Walk at Strang Park – Daily, Nov. 1 – Nov. 30, All Day Writers Conference Kickoff – Thursday, Nov. 2, 6:30 – 8 p.m. 2023 Writers Conference – Friday, Nov. 3 – Saturday, Nov. 4, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Teen Book Club – Monthly, times and locations vary And there’s much more happening this week … Already have a busy week? You can watch recordings of many of our programs at your convenience with Library OnDemand. 

Now that we’ve introduced you to our Writers Conference authors and presenters, it’s time to introduce ourselves! The core team that plans the Writers Conference is a small, but mighty team of staff members from across our Library departments and locations!

This week at the Library, you can join us for: Caregiver Workshop Series – Tuesday, Nov 2 , 7 – 8 p.m.   Table Top Games – Wednesday, Nov 3, 6 – 8 p.m.   Writers’ Conference – Thursday, Nov 4, 6:30 – 8 p.m.   Writers’ Conference Kids Day – Sunday, Nov 7, 12:30 – 5 p.m.  

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