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Save-A-Date July 27

July 9, 2019 by Jim Potter 4 Comments

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· Save-A-Date July 27: Young Writers ·

On Saturday, July 27, 2019, young writers from the Reno County community will be highlighted in a panel format at the monthly meeting of the Kansas Authors Club (KAC), District 6.

The creative artists from high school—Annika Smith, Allison Bomgardner, and Iris Rees—and Hutchinson Community College—Dylan Kohls and Tabitha Barr—will share their motivation and passion for writing.

Prior to questions from club members and guests, panel members will read some of their literary work.

Here is additional information about our guest speakers.

Author Annika Smith
Lungs & Liver (2019) book cover

Annika Smith, Buhler High School senior, stands out for self-publishing her book of poems. Lungs & Liver, earlier this year at Lulu https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=annika+smith&type= when she was sixteen. Smith had a book-signing at Bookends https://www.bookendshutch.com in Hutchinson, KS. She has read her poetry at Metropolitan Coffee https://metrocoffeehutch.com, Hutchinson, as part of “A unique evening of poetry, music, and art.” Annika is a member of the KAC, District 6.

Allison Bomgardner

Allison Bomgardner, senior high school student, states: “My interest in writing stems from sixth grade when I found that I had a knack for descriptions and my teacher recommended creative writing to me. I’ve been writing ever since. My favorite genres to write in are fiction and poetry. For fiction, the subcategories are fantasy, science-fiction, and real-life. For poetry, I mainly write free-verse. My goal is to become a published author.”

Iris Reese (photo unavailable), high school senior states: “I like most genres but when I write it is usually more mystery sci-fi if it’s a short story, and I do write a lot of poetry. I originally started with poetry and had every intent on publishing a book of poems. I hope to one day still do that. The poems I originally wrote were in place of journal entries because I was so bad at ‘normal’ journaling. The poems helped me a lot and still do, but recently I have started short stories or little excerpts. Most of what I write has a lot of personal meaning so it always helps to get it out on paper. I almost always have a notepad on me or at least a pen so I can write down ideas that come to me. I enjoy it so much and do it a lot so I guess that would make me pretty passionate about it. Haha. Other than writing I am a runner, I do track and cross-country. A lot of the times my running is time to think and process what to write next. So it’s excellent for writers block. I am also very passionate about gardening and plants. My room tends to be fairly green all year round.”

Dylan Kohls

Dylan Kohls, freshman at Hutchinson Community College http://www.hutchcc.edu, worked long and hard on his senior high school project. He said it fits under the Young Adult and Sci-fi genres. The premise of the novel sounds well-developed. “The setting is that of Kansas in the year 2200, a hundred years after the world was inflicted by an illness that breaks down the body and turns the skeleton metallic.” Kohl said the adventure in the unsettled world has “Emme and Alex, two teens who meet by chance . . . mistakenly taken across the state by a mysterious group. So they must make their way back, along the way they encounter other travelers, towns, and both of them grow to find their place in the world around them.”

Dylan’s father teaches creative writing at the high school level. I wonder how much he’s influenced Dylan’s career choice. The younger Kohl states: “. . . I have a major interest in writing as a career and plan on becoming an English teacher in the future.”

Editor Tabitha Barr

Tabitha Barr, sophomore at Hutchinson Community College, is studying media communications with film and journalism. She’s Editor in Chief of the college’s The Hutchinson Collegian http://collegianweb.com, a part-time programmer and writer for Eagle Communications online newspaper, HutchPost.com https://hutchpost.com.

Film festival star, Tabitha Barr

While Barr currently works in journalism, she considers a future in journalism and/or film. Last month her short film, “Train Tracks,” showed at the 2019 Doc Sunback Film Festival http://www.docsunbackfilmfest.com.

Tabitha’s passion for journalism started in her high school creative writing class. It really sparked when she got to write for the Hutchinson News https://www.hutchnews.com her senior year.

She found her niche in writing as she took hold of her feministic ideals and ran with it. Barr wrote a weekly opinion column called, “The Women’s Corner” that focused on topics that affect women in today’s society. She is a proud feminist and wants to change the world, where women will be equal to men in every aspect of life.

Tabitha enjoys writing empowering and information pieces but also dabbles in poetry in her free time.

The upcoming meeting, held at Hutchinson Community College Parker Student Union, Classroom #10, begins at 1:30 p.m.  It’s free and open to the public. Bring a friend.

Questions? Contact Jim Potter at jim@copintheclassroom.com or 620-899-3144.

Until next time, happy writing and reading!

The Kansas Authors Club http://www.kansasauthors.org is a statewide organization that encourages and supports great writing. It’s divided into seven districts. In Hutchinson, Reno County, (part of District 6) we have monthly meetings at Hutchinson Community College. http://www.hutchcc.edu You’re invited. Questions? Contact Jim Potter, jim@copintheclassroom.com

 

 

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Comments

  1. Anna Bertholf says

    So very excited to learn about KAC! I look forward to being able to meet you all soon.

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Yes, I’ll get to meet a talented poet, for sure!

      Reply
  2. Natalee says

    It’s very encouraging to hear and see these young people with goals and vision and focus.. thanks for this write-up…!:)

    Reply
    • Jim Potter says

      Thanks, Natalee. Hope to see you at the meeting. I’m really looking forward to it.

      Reply

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Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

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Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a… Read more “Larry Kruckman, anthropologist”

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I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental… Read more “Morgan Penner”

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centers on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to… Read more “Sean McArdle, Winchester, England”

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller… Read more “Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist”

Diana Dester

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Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters… Read more “John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement”

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

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