Topeka's homegrown talent is evident in amount of local writers

Hey everyone,

I'm sure you all are aware of all of the local talent this city holds, ranging from artists to musicians to homegrown athletes to writers.

But I want to talk specifically about the writers that have been developed in Topeka and many of them still live in Topeka.

In the past few weeks, I feel like I have been immersed in the world of Topeka writers.

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with Megan Phelps-Roper, who was a member of the Westboro Baptist Church until she left in 2012.

Phelps-Roper launched her book "Unfollow" Oct. 8 in Topeka at Washburn University. The book is a memoir of her journey of growing up in and leaving the church, as well as what occurred in her life after leaving.

While Phelps-Roper no longer lives in Topeka, she's a great example of some of the homegrown talent that has come out of the city.

There are also some big Hollywood names that are working on producing a movie based on Phelps-Roper's life and book, which will be an exciting story to follow.

As you will see in the Food and Fun section this week, I met with and wrote a story about Ruth Maus, another Topekan, who is debuting a book of poems this week.

Maus' book, "Valentine," is 100 pages worth of poetry that is personal, humorous, heartbreaking and witty.

I don't want to spoil too much because I want you to read the story for yourself, but I think the book will resonate with a lot of people, especially a poem titled "Preservative," which Maus wrote about Topeka.

While I was meeting with Maus, her friend Jan Stotts informed me about a local organization called the Kansas Authors Club, which has been around since 1904 and according to Stotts, got its start right here in Topeka.

After learning that small tidbit, I have a better understanding why there seems to be a plethora of writers here.

According to the KAC website, the club offers writers the opportunity to share experiences and problems unique to their profession, "not only to novices but also to authors of national reputation."

The club is open to creative, technical, academic and journalistic writers and it is broken up into seven districts. Stotts happens to be president of District 1, which is located in Topeka.

KAC members have the opportunity to compete in writing contests, submit work to an annual yearbook and attend an annual convention where they participate in workshops and meet other authors from across the state.

I am also working on setting up a time to meet with another local author in the next week, so stay tuned for that.

But to give you a couple more ideas of people who have come out of Topeka, I can name Ben Lerner, whose book "The Topeka School," is out now.

Gwendolyn Brooks, an American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner, is another name that comes to mind in terms of homegrown talent. She was born June 7, 1917, in Topeka.

Marcia Cebulska, an author who recently released a journaling guidebook, is not a Topeka native, but she has been living here since the late '90s, so I'm adding her to the list.

I'm not saying all of these people have been a part of KAC and that the club is vital in developing the local talent, but it is a good stepping stone and way for people to express themselves and workshop their ideas if they choose to do so.

Developing local talent has been an important goal of Momentum 2022, and I think they are on the right track because they are starting with a good base.

There is already so much local talent here and so much of the talent has stuck around, producing content that stays in Topeka, is about Topeka and inevitably shares Topeka with the rest of the world.

As a reader my entire life, it makes me happy to be surrounded by so many writers, in my personal and professional life, and it makes me proud of this city.

I think writers, especially those not nationally known, don't get enough credit for the work they do. It is not an easy feat to write, to make words sound good together and to create something that other people are going to love.

From talking to Maus, I think we share the sentiment that stories — whether they take the shape of a poem, novel or newspaper article — have a mind of their own and go where they want to go.

I love the way words flow together to create sentences, and quotes that are unique in their own way. One of the things I have always loved about journalism is how when I'm interviewing people, they can say a quote and it is just so beautiful.

The way it flows can be magical and it amazes me that someone can just speak something that can have such an impact and they don't even know it.

So to all of you local writers, thank you for giving us something to be proud of and to support. I know your job isn't an easy one.