With Plainspoken approach, University Press of Kansas pursues regional audience — and writers
University Press of Kansas editor Alec Loganbill worked with broadcasting legend Bill Kurtis on his new book, "Whirlwind." The two attended an event at Maceli's in Lawrence this month. (Jeffery Burkhead)
The University Press of Kansas has built a distinguished reputation over the past eight decades as a publisher of scholarly works and books of interest to Sunflower State residents.
It has also worked closely with Kansas Reflector authors. Founding opinion editor C.J. Janovy wrote the definitive book about LGBTQ+ activism in Kansas, “No Place Like Home,” while Sunday columnist Max McCoy contributed “Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River.” Both writers have thought and felt deeply about this state, and I’m honored to join their company.
That’s right, my first book through the press will come next year. It will cover Kansas opinion writers of the past and what they have to teach us today. I’ve also signed to write a second book for the press, and that’s where my guest on this week’s Kansas Reflector podcast comes into the picture.
His name is Alec Loganbill, and he’s the editor of a new imprint from UPK called Plainspoken Books.
“We’ve been doing Kansas general interest books for some time, and this is an outgrowth and an evolution of that vision into something bigger,” Loganbill told me. “So Plainspoken Books is is really interested in telling authentic Midwest stories and getting them in front of a national readership. I’m thinking about Midwest politics, environmental issues, cultural stories, history, investigative journalism, anything that really has an authentic Midwest flavor, and is in that sort of nonfiction realm.”
The imprint’s first book, “Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News,” by broadcast news icon Bill Kurtis, came out this month.
“It’s been an absolute treat to work with Bill,” Loganbill said. “He’s an absolute professional and has an excellent story to tell, and has been a very collaborative partner with all of us.”
More is coming. Kansas City author Chris Arnone’s “My Name Was Baby: An Intersex Memoir” will arrive next fall. McCoy will also have a new book, tentatively titled “God’s Misfits.” (Want a preview? You can read his columns on the shocking case here.)
Former Kansas poet laureate and Reflector contributor Huascar Medina has signed up for “Prairie Fool,” described by the press as “a lyrical meditation on politics, class, and culture.”
My contribution will be a volume with the provisional title “In the Shadow of Trump,” examining how Kansas politics has been shaped (and misshapen) throughout the past decade thanks to the influence of a certain president. I’m not interested in writing about Trump, mind you — more how the shockwaves from his persona and politics have changed this state’s formerly sedate politics.
“That trio from the Reflector really speaks to another reason behind why we felt like we could pull this off, and there are really, really incredible writers here in Kansas and in the Midwest,” Loganbill said. “There are award-winning journalists, there are New York Times bestselling authors, there are nationally recognized poets and creative writers. We really have just a lot of literary talent in the Midwest. And so not only did I feel we had the importance of story to build this out, but we had the literary talents to tell those stories, and the Reflector was an obvious first door to knock on.”
When fully up and running, Plainspoken Books should issue about 12 books a year, the editor said. As a whole, UPK publishes about 50 books a year, working out to roughly one a week. Spend some time with their catalogue and prepare to be overwhelmed.
Loganbill still wants to find great writers and manuscripts, too. While many people imagine writing a book one day or another, not many actually sit down to do it, or sit down to do so in collaboration with an editor.
“I’m always looking for projects, for pitches, for ideas, for really any stage,” he said. “If there’s a talented writer with a story to tell, I’d love to talk.”
Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.