105 Meadowlark Reader: Beginnings

by Cheryl Unruh, Tracy Million Simmons (Editor)

In Beginnings, the first issue of 105 Meadowlark Reader, 35 authors representing 25 Kansas communities share true stories, essays about the roots we share, the personal stories of individuals embedded in in the Kansas landscape, stories that examine our lives as Kansans and our communities. Current and former Kansans share their true stories, leaving readers eager for the next installment of 105 Meadowlark Reader. Authors in this issue Julie Johnson, Nancy Julien Kopp, Daniel Krause, Sandee Lee, Michael Marks, Don Marler, Ruth Maus, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Julie Nischan, Marci Penner, Jeanette Powers, Jay M. Price, Kevin Rabas, Mark Scheel, Harland Schuster, Julie Sellers, Tyler Robert Sheldon, Lindsey Bartlett, Tim Bascom, Gretchen Cassel Eick, Marie Baum Fletcher, Beth Gulley, Carolyn Hall, Roger Heineken, Alexander Hurla, and Miriam Iwashige. The collection is compiled and edited by Cheryl Unruh, and published by Tracy Million Simmons.

216 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2021

Reviews

[Milo Bitters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I️ read the second edition - the highway centric one. it’s charming to hear kansans’ cherished memories of the landscape bordering I️-70 and other popular (or long-forgotten) roadways in Kansas. Also good to hear appreciation for the Kansas landscape for once.

[Stan Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This inaugural collection of short stories about Kansas is fittingly called "Beginnings." The stories are down-to-earth and evocative, and several resonated with me because I had similar experiences myself.

The voices vary, but the chorus is compelling. The writers love Kansas, and that shows in their literary tapestries.

I look forward to more editions of The Meadowlark Reader. I sense it will become an important chronicle of Kansas life not just for the readers of today, but for future generations as well.