· Reading Rendezvous · It was good for me to get back to the monthly Reading Rendezvous Book Club at Metropolitan Coffee in Hutchinson, Kansas. If you’ve never been a part of a group discussing books, you may not realize that success starts with amazing leaders. Miriam Bebe Kitson and Rebecca Shetler co-share that responsibility at Metropolitan http://www.metrocoffeehutch.com. They are excellent on many levels, including being prepared, welcoming, curious, flexible, interesting, and … [Read more...] about Book Club
Behind the Books Blog
Lyrical Literature
· Diane Wahto · Diane Wahto’s combination of lyrical and descriptive power in her poetry makes music in my mind. The Sad Joy of Leaving is an emotional, imaginative, and beautiful book. Wahto had a stroke last December but she’s recovering well. Now, she’s back and busy producing material for her second book of poems that a publisher has requested. I won’t mention Diane’s age, but anytime a writer tells the reader that she used to own a ’47 Chevy, you can do the math. This is a memory … [Read more...] about Lyrical Literature
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
· The St. Louis Browns and Eddie Gaedel · Herb Potter, my uncle who died last year, used to tell me about a major league baseball (MLB) game he attended in St. Louis when he was almost 14 years old. It was a double-header home game for the St. Louis Browns vs the Detroit Tigers. I searched for the date. It was August 19, 1951. Herb was in baseball heaven from the moment he entered Sportsman Park with my dad, his oldest brother. “They had a band playing inside,” recalled Herb, “and we … [Read more...] about Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Do the Right Thing
· You Can Make a Difference · It’s safe to say that white nationalist members and sympathizers prefer the racist 1915 film, “The Birth of a Nation” over the anti-racist 2018 blockbuster movie, “The BlackkKlansman.” In the early 1900’s the leading white nationalist organization of the day was the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK was organized after the Civil War in order to counter the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. The terrorist group was able to sell itself as … [Read more...] about Do the Right Thing
Memories in Motion
· Lessons Learned Make the Memoir · If you write anything, you’re likely to connect with and use your memories. On a daily basis we are reminded of yesterday. The radio is playing a song from our past. The TV or social media announces an anniversary of a special event. We remember from our life, not a history book. We see a faded photograph of us or our family. We look in the mirror and remember a younger self. Memories and stories are everywhere we look. Most people are content with … [Read more...] about Memories in Motion
EXAGGERATION Postcards
· Tall Tales from the Great Plains · #1 Are you old enough to remember road trip vacations down Route 66? How about the restroom breaks at service stations? I can still see the metal carousels advertising postcards for sale: 5 cents each, six for a quarter. One of my favorite cards was the Jackalope. #2 Fast forward to my collection of exaggeration postcards. The all-time best photographer-publisher of these cards is William H. Martin. A hundred years before Photoshop, he called … [Read more...] about EXAGGERATION Postcards
Deputy Jennings Tells a Story
· Final Episode (#16) · Deputy Tom Jennings and Yackel, his K-9 patrol dog, pulled into Adam and Rosannah Yoder’s driveway with the latest news. The German sheperd was in the backseat with the rear windows slightly down, his nose pressed to the vented window. Yackel von Baerenzwinger either recognized the farmstead or a familiar scent. Two children playing in front of the house spotted the patrol car and ran inside to safety. Seconds later, their father, Adam, opened the front door as he … [Read more...] about Deputy Jennings Tells a Story
Deputy Jennings Digs Deeper
· Episode 15 · Tom Jennings was on his computer a lot and he wasn’t playing games. He was learning about the Amish. Tom read documents answering the standard questions about the Old Order Amish: Where do most of the Amish live? Why are they against technology? Why do they dress that way? Are they non-violent? What is the role of women in their culture? Are the young people leaving the Amish family and community or staying? The Amish who Tom met near Humble in Cottonwood County were part … [Read more...] about Deputy Jennings Digs Deeper
Old Friends at Amanda’s Amish Kitchen
· Episode 14 · Brian McDonald had mailed his annual postcard to Milton Schrock. The color photo showed a Pennsylvania Amish farm with rows of grain stalks or sheaves standing up in orderly fashion. The next Saturday, Brian, as was tradition, sat at a table in Humble’s only restaurant, Amanda’s Amish Kitchen. He stared out a window that faced the public elementary school’s playground where he viewed the baseball field. Memories flooded Brian’s head. It was 1983 and Brian was seventeen, a … [Read more...] about Old Friends at Amanda’s Amish Kitchen
Milton’s Memories
· Episode 13 · The late morning heat guaranteed the afternoon would be a scorcher. Milton Schrock, in his horse-and-buggy, headed towards Amanda’s Amish Restaurant to meet his old friend, Brian McDonald. He reflected on their friendship. It was a year since Milton had seen Brian. It was over thirty years since they had played college football and roomed together at Wichita State University. What an amazing journey Milton had taken, from Humble to Wichita and back. From the simple life to … [Read more...] about Milton’s Memories
