OUT NOW! Warble by Alicia Rebecca Myers - 2024 Birdy Poetry Prize Winner

We are overjoyed to announce the release of the 
2024 Birdy Poetry Prize winner, 
Warble by Alicia Rebecca Myers

OUT NOW!
ORDER HERE!

About the Book:

The poems in Alicia Rebecca Myers’s debut collection explore a fascination with the phenomena within and beyond a person—whether becoming a mother or observing a sea turtle migration. The language is rich with metaphor but conversational and direct, with a compelling balance between prose and lineated poems. Myers finds in the everyday, in oxidized pesto and a crepe paper streamer, new ways of expressing shared experiences. She captures the full range of human emotion—sadness, grief, humor, and overarching love—as the poems process taking care of one aging parent in the wake of losing the other. Warble also contextualizes what it means to be a daughter and a mother in modern-day America by offering snapshots of pop culture and the wider American experience, from Love Is Blind to gun violence. This is a book that asks of us, “In a lifetime, what do we keep, and what do we release? What sings on beyond our time, and how are we immortalized by that music?” 

About the Author:

Alicia Rebecca Myers is a poet and essayist who holds an MFA in Poetry from NYU, where she was a Goldwater Writing Fellow. Her writing has appeared in publications that include Best New Poets, Creative Nonfiction, FIELD, River Styx, Gulf Coast, SWWIM, december, Rattle, and The Rumpus. Her chapbook of poems, My Seaborgium (Brain Mill Press, 2016), was selected as a winner of the inaugural Mineral Point Chapbook Series, and she has been the recipient of a Kimmel Harding Nelson residency for poetry and a Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference nonfiction scholarship. Warble is her first full-length book.

 

A Comment from Our 2024 Birdy Poetry Prize Judge:

Warble encompasses the poetry of connection to the life force, weaving and unraveling immersions into grief and birth, presence and yearning, mother love and father loss, blossom and flight. These poems are compelling, brave, intimate, and, most of all, unafraid of telling the truth. I found that once I started reading them, I couldn’t stop, and I was called back to re-read many stunning dives into the tender and fierce edges of life, such as the complex compassion in “Addling,” the daring energy in “Open Water,” and the breathless love of “You Ask Me to Tell You the Story.” The title itself—Warble—speaks to that in-between state (as well as a bird) of being alive, trilling through each poem. 

I picked this collection because of how deeply the poet wrote from what Edward Hirsch calls “the poetry of affection,” the poetry that connect us to our innate and vulnerable humanness. This quality is so vital when it comes to working with the fragments of brokenness, despair, and horror around us to craft a life, sustain a community, and behold the living earth with wonder and courage.

—Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, 2024 Birdy Poetry Prize Judge, Poet Laureate of Kansas (2009-2013), author of How Time Moves: New & Selected Poems

Our Next Open Reading Period: February 1 - March 15, 2025

 

Next Open Reading Period: February 1 – March 15, 2025  What are we looking for? Fiction: We are open to full-length novels or collections of short stories. While we will consider manuscripts of any length, a minimum of 50,000 words is recommended for fiction submissions. Any genre will be considered, but we are especially interested in stories that take place in the Midwest and/or follow themes or characters that have a strong Midwest connection. Nonfiction: We are most interested in publishing full-length memoirs, true stories of growing up, lives lived, in the Midwest. While we will consider manuscripts of any length, a minimum of 50,000 words is recommended for memoir submissions. We are looking for memoir writers who draw us in with story, who can make us feel the experience of living in a particular time or place. Other types of nonfiction with a strong Midwestern appeal will also be considered. If you have a complete manuscript that you feel is a fit for Meadowlark, send it along! Poetry: Full-length poetry manuscripts (55 page minimum) will be considered. Poems may be previously published in journals and/or anthologies, but not in full-length, single-author volumes. For our Open Reading poetry collecions, we welcome manuscripts with a mix of poetry and prose. Read the Guidelines Before Submitting

Remembering Ronda Miller, Meadowlark Poet

In December, we received the sad news that Ronda Miller, Meadowlark poet (among many other Kansas literary titles), passed away. Ronda was a wonderful poet and her book, MoonStain, was the very first Meadowlark book of poetry. She dedicated her life to serving her various communities, offering guidance and assistance to those in need. She is, and will continue to be, deeply missed. We are grateful that her spirit may continue on in the words and memories she left us. 

Ronda coordinated the annual Celebration of William Stafford poetry reading event. This upcoming February, the event will be held as a remembrance for both Ronda and William Stafford. We invite you to join us February 1, 1-4 p.m. 

Below is Ronda's official obituary, originally published in The Lawrence Times: 

11/3/1952 – 12/9/2024

Ronda Jae Miller passed into the next life on December 9th, 2024. She was born in Fort Collins, Colorado on November 3rd, 1952, the youngest child of Gerald and Peggy Wiggins. After the death of her mother at age three, she was raised by her maternal Grandparents Leonard and Helen Miller on the high plains of Cheyenne County, Kansas. She was shaped greatly by the tragic early loss of her mother but found enjoyment in her childhood reading, riding horses, running track, and exploring the expansive beauty of western Kansas around their family farm with her siblings and cousins.

Upon graduating from Saint Francis High School in 1970, Ronda settled in Lawrence, Kansas, and quickly found her place in a community she admired for its diversity and freedom of thought. She attended the University of Kansas, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and completed postgraduate coursework in Human Development/Family Life. Over the years she worked as a union organizer, restaurateur at The Casbah, commercial fashion model, police officer, and early childhood educator for 30 years, retiring in 2018.

Ronda was married twice, to Joseph Goodman in 1978, and to Dimitry Shreders in 1987. With Dimitry, she welcomed her two beloved children into the world, a son Scott in 1988 and a daughter Apollonia in 1991. She was also the loving stepmother of Dimitry’s two older sons, Sasha and Nick.

Later in life, she rekindled a passion for words, beginning a prolific 15-year stretch of writing and sharing poetry, often traveling across the state to participate in events with the Kansas Authors Club. She was the author of five published books, a contributor to many others, and was working on a memoir. During the final three years of her life, she taught creative writing to incarcerated people. She advocated for countless organizations and causes, hosting many events. Ronda profoundly impacted the local writing community and left a lasting legacy of poetry. She believed that her purpose in life was to connect with others through the transformative power of the written word. She would often state, “It isn’t about my life, it is about allowing myself to meet the poems I am meant to write.”

She is survived by two children, Scott Shreders (Anna) of Michigan, and daughter Apollonia Racca (Gabriel) of California; two step-sons, Alexander “Sasha” Shreders of Massachusetts, and Nicholas Shreders (Julie) of Massachusetts; four siblings: sister Jena Acors (Vernon) of Virginia, brother Scott Wiggins of Colorado, half-sister Vanessa Ostrom of North Carolina, and half-brother Calvin Wiggins of Arizona. Ronda also leaves behind many loving cousins, nieces and nephews, step-siblings, in-laws, many incredible friends, and her sweet rescue dog Patience.

Ronda was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, half-brother Andrew Wiggins, niece Sorrel Wiggins, many beloved uncles and aunts, cousins, friends, and the father of her children, Dimitry Shreders.

A Celebration of Life ceremony is planned for March 15th, 2025, from 1-4pm at Maceli's (1031 New Hampshire) in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, with interment in St Francis, Kansas. Donations in her honor are accepted at The Transformative Language Arts Network, The Lawrence Humane Society, and The Kansas Land Trust.

Meadowlark Press Celebrates 10th Anniversary!

 

You're invited to join Kansas-based Meadowlark Press for our 10th anniversary celebration event! Meadowlark Press was established in Emporia in 2014 and publishes novels, memoirs, children's books, poetry, and more. Meadowlark has published over 70 titles, many of which have won awards! Meadowlark focuses on Kansas and midwestern authors, though its poetry spans coast to coast. The event will give guests a chance to learn more about Meadowlark, meet the publisher and authors, play games and win raffle prizes, enjoy refreshments, and take advantage of our book sale. The special event will take place from 2-4 p.m., December 15th, at the Emporia Public Library. Please be a part of making this 10th anniversary celebration something extra special!

USING WORDS TO HEAL: I’ve Been Fighting This War Within Myself Makes the HPPR Summer Reading List

Antonio Sanchez-Day’s posthumous poetry collection with Meadowlark Press, I’ve Been Fighting This War Within Myself, made it to the High Plains Public Radio Summer Reading List. Meadowlark’s own Emilie Moll explains why readers should choose the newly awarded Kansas Notable book to read in 2024.

Read the article here or listen to the audio at HPPR’s Radio Reader’s Book Club series!

I’m Emilie Moll, editorial assistant for Meadowlark Press, for the High Plains Public Radio Summer Reading List. Our small, independent press specializes in stories from the Midwest, and today I'll be talking about a Meadowlark Book, I’ve Been Fighting This War Within Myself, by Antonio Sanchez-Day.

    Antonio was a poet from Lawrence, KS who lived from 1974 to 2021. In his poetry, he shares his culture, the pain of rejection, the peace of belonging, the anguish of his regrets, and many lived experiences of serving two prison sentences and the events that led him there, all written in captivating verse. Published posthumously, this second poetry collection carries on Antonio’s legacy of using words to express and to heal.

    Recently awarded a Kansas Notable title, I’ve Been Fighting This War Within Myself gives a voice to a population whose experiences are deeply personal and, it seems, rarely represented in literature. The book is filled with photocopies of lined loose-leaf paper, marked with poems in Antonio’s handwriting, which reminded me the whole way through the book of how real, and from the not-so distant past all of this was.

    I thought to myself, as I was writing essays in school on lined paper, Antonio was writing lyrical rap songs, sharing how they make, quote-unquote, Jailhouse coffee, and fighting a violent battle with his own inner demons on the same type of paper. This poetry brought me closer to one point two million individuals – Americans incarcerated in the United States prison system, as of 2024. It gave me a reminder I did not know that I needed – that inmates are equally as human as those walking the streets, and are not to be shelved and forgotten, left without a voice after their final sentencing – and Antonio showed me how brave these voices can be.

    This poetry showed me a depth of pain and darkness I had not known before, and with the same wing, brought me back up to the light and taught me resiliency. Antonio seemed to tell me between these pages that, no matter what grave it seems you have found yourself in, you can make it out again.

    The first section of this collection is called, “Hometown: Trying to siphon out the love from the hate”. As I embarked on this journey with Antonio, I got the sense that he did just that with each poem he wrote. To me, it seemed that the venom on these pages was the pain that he wanted to leave behind, and by trapping it on the page, he might’ve walked away lighter. These poems are acts of transformation and reflection. They are breadcrumbs that take you through Antonio’s life. And they immortalize him, his choices, and his unique voice.

    Antonio built a community of writers around himself, both during and after he completed his sentence. It was during his sentence, as a student in the creative writing classes offered at the Douglas County Jail, that he met Brian Daldorph. Brian is a poet, Professor of English at the University of Kansas, and creative writing instructor at the Douglas County Jail, who curated this posthumous collection. Antonio regularly returned to the Douglas County Jail after his sentence, this time as an instructor to these classes. Brian has this to say about his experience with Antonio:

    “You are still with us, Antonio, in these words [...] and in the hearts of those who knew you and loved you for showing us the marvelous transformation you were able to make as you hauled yourself out from the quote, basement’s basement, end quote, to sit with judges and give them good advice, to tell us all how it is possible to move beyond trauma and to appreciate the simple joys of being alive.”

    I’ve Been Fighting This War Within Myself is available wherever you buy books. As a Kansas Notable book, be sure to encourage your loved ones, as well as librarians and teachers to put this on their shelves. Learn more about I’ve Been Fighting This War Within Myself, what we’re doing with the proceeds, and other Meadowlark titles at meadowlarkbookstore.com

    I am Emilie Moll for the High Plains Public Radio Readers Book Club’s Summer Reading List.

A Coming-of-Age Story: Al Ortolani's BULL IN THE RING Makes it to HPPR's Radio Readers Book Club

    As you may have heard, the celebrated Kansas poet and long-time educator Al Ortolani has written his first fiction novel, Bull in the Ring. Over the summer, this honest and edgy coming-of-age story was featured on High Plains Public Radio’s Summer Reading List. Emilie Moll talks about why everyone should meet Danny Prego, the novel’s captivating young protagonist. 

    Read the article here or listen to the audio on HPPR Radio Readers Book Club!

    I’m Emilie Moll, editorial assistant for Meadowlark Press, for the High Plains Public Radio Summer Reading List. Our small, independent press specializes in stories from the Midwest, and today I'll be talking about Bull in the Ring, by Al Ortolani, a Meadowlark Book. This was Al’s first fiction novel, on which I had the honor of working as an editor.

    Bull in the Ring is the introspective, entertaining, and gritty coming of age story for anyone – from the young, reluctant reader looking for a book that says, “to hell with the rules,” to those who might feel a historical sense of familiarity when they pick up this book. In a similar vein to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, this PG-13, lyrical novel by beloved Kansas educator and poet, Al Ortolani, takes you back to small-town Southeast Kansas in the 70s – think picking up a pack of cigarettes for Mom, drinking a cold beer before doing something stupid with your teammates, a football coach finding creative ways to discipline, Coke bottle returns, classic cars, leather boots, and definitely chickens – some are fried and some are still feathered.

    Danny Prego is unlike your typical young protagonist from Kansas. Growing up, many protagonists that I read from Kansas were from a farm or lived life on the Prairie – it never resembled my own midwestern experience. In this book, you get a look at what it’s really like to live under the geographic moniker, “Pullet County,” a location where everyone works at the local chicken factory, and which to this day is the poorest county in the State of Kansas. What struck me was how immediately charmed I was by Danny – his angst dripped from the page with every clever, sarcastic turn of phrase.

    He makes questionable choices. He resents his lot in life. And yet, to see the world through his eyes is to see living in poverty and with alcoholism for what it is. Danny shows you his wounded heart – and you can’t help but ache for him. For me, reading this book was like gaining a little brother, and feeling the emotional depth of his experiences was inevitable due to the intimate nature of its prose. I shared his pride and shame, felt his pangs of jealousy, came to understand his apathy, became a cynic in his world myself, and found myself celebrating each small victory and each strand of hope as it came.

    Al Ortolani approaches his first novel with the heart of a poet, and with the deft skill of a longtime author and educator in language and linguistics.

    Melissa Fite Johnson, author of Green, had this to say about the book.

    “Al Ortolani’s Bull in the Ring manages to conjure other great coming-of-age stories—think Catcher in the Rye, think The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian—while being “in a football conference all on its own.” Danny Prego is an instantly iconic protagonist, masking deep hurt and insecurity with careful bravado and one-liners, with his dad’s boots that make him taller and the dream of a letter jacket that will make him feel like someone. Bull in the Ring is a time capsule of a book that made me nostalgic for an era before I was even born.”

    Bull in the Ring is available for purchase wherever you buy books. Learn more about Bull in the Ring and other Meadowlark titles at meadowlarkbookstore.com.

    I am Emilie Moll for the High Plains Public Radio Reader’s Book Club’s Summer Reading List.

OUT NOW! Witness by Ruth Bardon - 2024 Birdy Poetry Prize Finalist

Meadowlark Press is proud to announce the publication of the 2024 Birdy Poetry Prize Finalist, Witness by Ruth Bardon!

Order Here!

About Witness:
Finalist of the 2024 Birdy Poetry Prize

Ruth Bardon’s debut poetry collection takes you by surprise.  These confident poems—written in succinct, definitive, and easily digestible diction—take specific moments from her early, middle, and later years and turn them into stories that are evocative and mysterious.

About the Author:
Ruth Bardon grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey, and lived in a number of midwestern cities before firmly settling in Durham, North Carolina. She received an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop in 1982 and a PhD in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995. Her poems have appeared in The Southern Review, Boulevard, The Cincinnati Review, New Ohio Review, Salamander, and other journals. She is the author of two chapbooks: Demon Barber (Main Street Rag, 2020) and What You Wish For (Finishing Line Press, 2023). She is also the author of Selected Short Stories of William Dean Howells (Ohio University Press, 1997).

Praise for Witness:
If specificity is indeed universal, then Ruth Bardon’s Witness is a debut poetry collection for us all. Imbued with the rich details of life, these tightly crafted yet generous poems enlarge our days with vision and grace. “I think of how strong I was,” Bardon writes, “slicing through a world / where I couldn’t even breathe, / and claiming it as mine.” These are works of wonder and precision, and whether turning a keen eye toward a solar eclipse, a truck packed with caged chickens, strange new technologies, or her own indelible past, Bardon’s poems implore us to pay attention, to bear witness to the horrors and wild joys of existence.
—Jared Harél, Let Our Bodies Change the Subject

There’s a passion just below the surface of Ruth Bardon’s poems that sometimes rips its way out, as it does in the last lines of “Near the End”: “I just wanted to make my voice / into something jagged and sharp / and to slash somebody with it.” We’re not told exactly what’s going on in this hospital scene, but we sense the extreme emotion of the speaker. The same thing happens at the end of “Typography,” in which the good girl in nursery school misbehaves because after earning only green or yellow lights, she “wanted to know how red would feel.” But, in “Typography,” and in Bardon’s poetry in general, we’re more likely to find emotion expressed “by taking the time / to find the perfect word,” whether the poem is centered on the significant events of family life and stories of birth and death or on stories of hurricanes, floods, and Halley’s Comet. Dividing her poems into three sections—Early Years, Middle Years, Later Years—Bardon is “claiming [life] as mine,” and she claims it for us too, as witnesses.
—Brian Daldorph, Kansas Poems and Words Is a Powerful Thing
 
Witness explores the ways in which the stories that make up families continue to be written in the margins of our personal stories. Bardon’s intuition for narrative is guided by a poetic sensibility that uses images and lyricism to recreate memories and experiences. While time acts as the framework of Witness, its poems speak to the present moment in perceptive ways. Nuanced and inviting, Witness teaches us to see.
—José Angel Araguz, Rotura and Ruin & Want

In Witness, Ruth Bardon’s use of precise spare language and perfect metaphors captures and penetrates the essence of each subject like the stabbing of a squirming bug. It is a monument to modern life, full of understated emotion, excellent and fine. Thank you, Ruth, for giving the world this collection.
—Ruth Maus, Valentine and Puzzled