You may have been wondering why I have not been posting on this blog. I’m still among the living, still the director of the library, but my writing time is now being spent on writing a book. Dr. William Wolfgang and I have signed a contract with Arcadia Publishing to write, The Hidden History of Kinsley. It will focus on Kinsley’s fascinating history of being a cultural center for the arts from 1900-1925. Our working title was actually “Wild, Woolly and Well-Read”. It will be published next year.

I also had the opportunity to write an essay for Literary Landscapes in Kansas: From the Ground to the Airwaves . This project, a collaboration between The New Territory Magazine and High Plains Public Radio, was funded by Humanities Kansas. When you visit the site you will find ten short essays written by Kansans about literary sites around the state.

My essay is about Nellie Maxey’s arrival in Edwards County in 1886 and the Edwards County Sod House Museum. I reflect on my own arrival one hundred years later and the enjoyment I get from discovering local history.

Starting next week, adbridged versions of the articles, recorded by the authors, will begin airing on HPPR at 6:45am, 8:45am, 4:44pm and 6:44pm CT. If you are outside the coverage area, you will be able to access them at https://www.hppr.org/

I hope this post inspires you to read the essays and perhaps visit the sites highlighte in them. I know you would enjoy a visit to the Sod House Museum in Kinsley or a drive through the sand hills where Nellie and I both made our homes. If you would like to read more about Nellie Maxey Wilson (Sally Frame’s grandmother) visit Blog #75