Ken Lassman is the author of Wild Douglas County and Seasons and Cycles: Rhythms of Life in the Kansas River Basin, and numerous essays on the prairie, bioregionalism, and living close to the land. A fifth-generation Kansan, he and his wife, poet and writer Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, recently completed a 35-plus year journey to protect 130 acres of prairie and emerging woodlands through a conservation easement with the Kansas Land Trust. Ken is an occupational therapist with Minds Matter, and he leads frequent nature walks, and through Kaw Valley Almanac he has shared weekly observations of the natural world for decades. Read Ken's recent interview with a remnant prairie, "My interview with the prairie."

Beyond What Meets the Eye with Valarie Turner

Be honest, did you grow up thinking disability had a “look”? Did you know that of the estimated 1.3 billion people in the world who have a disability, around 80% of those people have a disability that is not immediately apparent? Create counter-narratives to change the mainstream stereotypes of what it “looks” like to be disabled. Learn five ways to validate and support teammates with hidden disabilities. 

Valarie Turner: Valarie was born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) an inheritable peripheral neuropathy that includes many motor and/or sensory neuropathies, axonopathies, myelopathies, and neuronopathies. Additionally, she’s an Ischemic stroke survivor. A US Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program Ambassador and Librarian, Valarie’s strengths present themselves through encouraging others, lifting them up, and reminding them that they are valued, loved, and seen. She didn’t choose her disabilities; however, she chooses to live a joyful life. 

Stories from the Body with Lewis Mehl-Madrona and Barbara Mainguy

How often do we listen to the stories our bodies have to tell? In this workshop, we will explore how to gather stories from parts of our bodies – the painful knee, the restricted hip, the angry diverticulosis, and the petulant lower back, for example. We will illustrate using poetry for self-work and dialogic practice for working with others. We explore how to get the person’s own metaphors for the problem they’re experiencing for getting well.

Barbara Mainguy and Lewis Mehl-Madrona: Barbara Mainguy, MA, LCSW (’10 Concordia University; ’17 University of Maine) and Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD (’75 Stanford University; ’80 Psychological Studies Institute) have been studying and using narrative techniques for years. They co-wrote Remapping Your Mind: The Neuroscience of Self-Transformation through Story. Barbara works with Wabanaki Health and Wellness in Bangor, Maine, which serves the 5 Indigenous tribes of Maine. She and Lewis also have a private practice in Orono, Maine. https://www.coyote-institute.org/

Turning Inwards: Imaginal Medicine and the Body with Lisa Avnet

The soul’s vehicle – your physical body - communicates using the right brained language of art – feelings, images, and memories. This workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn and apply the healing skill of developing the body’s Felt Sense, a well established somatic approach to connecting with the wisdom of the body, based on the work of Dr. Eugene Gendlin.  

Lisa Avnet: A lifelong writer and past TLA presenter, Lisa is a dedicated healing arts professional with over thirty years in the field. For the past six years, she’s been a featured healing energy practitioner at Canyon Ranch Lenox, a world renowned wellness resort.  She offers daily experiential presentations there as well as programming at CR special events.

Look Again: Our Stories in a Picture with Amy Gross

Visual arts can be a centerpiece to facilitate conversation and connection. At first glance, they seem to be neutral sources seen through the artist's lens. However, when we look again, we can discover parts of our own stories and gain insight into our connection with others. Using images of museum pieces from the K-State Beach Museum of Art, we will have space to look, listen, write, and discuss with others in the workshop.  

Amy Gross is a facilitator, story catcher and story teller. After a career in leadership development, she was given the unexpected gift of a professional pause and practiced simply being and not constantly doing. She rediscovered her hidden dream of writing and her passion for guiding others to discover their own spark and to chase their dreams of “someday.” A Nebraska native, she earned her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Kansas State University. somedaynow.net, somedaynow.substack.com 

Register

TLA AWARDS (Winners announced at the conference)

MINI: Such A Pretty Picture: My Journey From Victim to Survivor with Andrea Leeb

Writing my memoir gave me a stronger voice and the courage to advocate for others. As a survivor of incest, physical and emotional abuse, I experienced a childhood filled with profound betrayals. Reading excerpts from my memoir, Such a Pretty Picture, I will share my journey from victim to survivor. This presentation explores the transformative power of storytelling and how it can empower all of us, even those who have survived the most pervasive abuse. 

Andrea Leeb is a writer and survivor advocate from Venice Beach, California. She has an MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars, and her work has been published in numerous literary journals including Litro Magazine, the Potomac Review, Text, Power and Telling Magazine, and HerStry. Previously, Andrea worked as an attorney and as a registered nurse. Her memoir, Such a Pretty Picture will be published by She Writes Press/distributed by Simon & Schuster on Oct. 14, 2025. https://andrealeebauthor.com

KEYNOTE: Kim Addonizio: "Hope, Uncertainty, and Creativity: Some Notes on Living and Writing”: A talk and reading

In this keynote, I'll be exploring the intersections of hope, uncertainty, and creativity through poetry, reflection, and existential questions. I'll share some perspectives from poets and thinkers, and talk about the challenges and revelations of the creative life. I'll conclude with a word/music performance featuring guitarist Danny Caron.

MINI: When Beverly Met Barack with Oyah! Beverly Reed Scott

An experiential living memoir of Oyah! Beverly Reed Scott’s behind the scenes role in helping elect President Barack Obama while raising 5 kids on the south side of Chicago. Oyah!’s performance weaves this powerful tale with images, video, storytelling and poetry illustrating the synchronicity and power of trusting one’s own intuition.

Oyah! Beverly Reed Scott is a dedicated soothsayer and wisdom teacher with over twenty years of study and practice. Aligning with the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, Sun, and planets, they weave mythology and spiritual insight into transformative teachings. Offering sessions by private invitation or recommendation only, Oyah! fosters deep reflection, clarity, and alignment. Committed to truth, love, and justice, their work inspires personal growth, ancestral connection, and a deeper understanding of life’s sacred cycles.

Register

PANEL: Launching Our Right Livelihood Stories: A Panel on the Possibilities with Elaine McMilian (panelist and moderator) and panelists Kathryn Lorenzen, Scott Youmans, and Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

One of the keys to putting our creative and community projects in motion is getting out of our own way. While we all have external obstacles to navigate, what’s most in our power to change are the stories we tell ourselves about worth, livelihood, and possibilities. We will share some of our stories and discoveries about working through internal obstacles to cultivate the courage, clarity, and inner resources to put the work that calls — whether for livelihood, art, service, or purpose — into motion. We will discuss practice, research, seeking help, networking, processes, motivation, and positive self talk.

Elaine McMilian began singing solos at age five. Born in Independence, Missouri, she pursued music and writing throughout her school years, achieving a BA in English. Elaine worked in graphic arts and advertising while performing in several bands and hosting a songwriter showcase. She produced two albums of original music, and in 2024 published a chapbook of poetry. McMilian has two sons with spouses, seven grandchildren, and lives with her husband in Kansas City.

Scott Youmans, MA, TLA, is a past board member of the TLA Network and graduated from the TLA program at Goddard College (see his full bio below).

Kathryn Lorenzen is a songwriter, poet, and career and livelihood coach. With an earlier career in copywriting and marketing communications, she is now a career coach to writers and creatives (see her full bio below)

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg is the past poet laureate of Kansas, the founder of Transformative Language Arts, and the author or editor of over 20 books, most recently, The Magic Eye: A Story of Saving a Life and Place in the Age of Anxiety (see her full bio above).

Putting Our Grandmothers on the Page: Poetry, Prose & Persona with Kelly DuMar

This writing generative workshop will explore the theme of the grandmothers we are descended from, the grandmothers we are, or  grandmothers who have influenced us through fairy tale and myth. Using personal photos, objects, and memory, you will write drafts of poetry, prose, or monologue. We’ll write to break generational silences, explore feelings about “grandmother” and express the complex influences of grandmothers on our lives. Revision will be explored for those who are developing specific projects. 

Kelly DuMar is a poet, playwright and workshop facilitator. She's the author of four poetry collections, and her poems are published in a variety of literary journals. Her plays have been produced around the US. Kelly has been teaching creative writing for four decades, including the International Women’s Writing Guild and the Transformative Language Arts Network. Kelly produces the Featured Open Mic for the Journal of Expressive Writing. She’s a certified psychodramatist who leads support groups for psychologists in war zones. kellydumar.com

Touching Wild: An embodied, ecosentient collaboration with poetry with Tracie Nichols

Touching Wild is an experiential workshop encouraging you to think in the cadence of birdsong and creek murmur. It’s an invitation to use the power of words to explore the space, the ecotone, between we humans conditioned to think of ourselves as separate from nature and the ecosystems our bodies remember as home.

Tracie Nichols is a Transformative Language Artist, poet, and facilitator. With a background in Transformative Learning and Change, she has designed and facilitated hundreds of virtual and in-person workshops for people seeking personal transformation. Her poems have appeared in Rogue Agent, Text Power Telling, kerning, The Weight of Motherhood Anthology, and were included in the “Resistance and Resilience” exhibit at the Eclipse Center for Creative Community. You can connect with her through her website, tracienichols.com, or her Substack Breathing Space.

The Essence of Lemon, Herbs, and Writing with Anna Gall

The Essence of Lemon, Herbs, and Writing workshop will be two-fold: a recipe demonstration and writing of a block-out poem. The culinary arts will be used to create lemon-herb tea bread. Participation is encouraged with tastings at the end. During the writing portion, participants will learn what a block-out poem is and write their own while using a document of choice. All will be given an opportunity to share their poem during the bread tasting.

Anna Gall: Writer, culinary instructor, and herb gardener Anna Gall provides fun, interactive workshops. Anna's poetry and short stories are published in eMerge, Persimmon Tree, and Flapper Press as well as her poem, “Seashells” is included in the anthology Dairy Hollow Echo. Her first full-length book is a memoir filled with original recipes, poems, and short stories. Publication is forthcoming. Currently, Anna's culinary skills are being used at her community's senior center and meals-on-wheels program in Missouri. https://deannagreensandgardenart.com/

The Power of Words and Music: A Recital of Poetry and Classical Piano Music with Jan and Rick Stanton

Jan and Rick Stanton will present a recital of poetry and classical piano music.  The artists will give a brief historical background of each piece, followed by the reading of an original poem by Jan that helps set the stage for the piece that Rick will then play.  There will be time at the end for audience reactions.  

Since their retirement ten years ago, Jan and Rick Stanton have presented numerous poetry and piano recitals in their home and in community arts presentations.  

Jan Stanton: Jan was a music educator and later a healthcare chaplain.  Since retiring she has been inspired by reading and writing poetry and by taking poetry writing classes.  

Rick Stanton: Rick has performed as piano solo recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with various regional orchestras.  He has taught piano to students of all ages and levels.

Register

Speaking to the Ancestors: Magical Realism and your family story with Amanda Lacson

In this workshop we will explore techniques of the magical realism genre to tell our family histories.  Moments of Magical Realism are often employed in stories to reveal something horrific or absurd or unsayable in the characters’ political landscape. Together we will look at examples of magical realism; the characters and world that make up our family histories; and how these elements can dialogue with each other to tell a fuller story. 

Amanda Faye Lacson is a Filipina-American writer, photographer and historian. Her work, both personal and community-oriented, is centered on exploring how our identities are shaped, how they impact the way we move in the world, and how we write our history. She aims to bring forward voices and histories that have been less-studied through creative nonfiction and playwriting; photography that documents the artistic process at work; and community-based workshops for the family historian. amandafayelacson.com, https://amandafayelacson.substack.com/

Logue Jam: Bringing Narrative Medicine from the Page to the Stage Through Monologue and Dialogue with Derek McCracken

In this interactive session, participants will learn how three core tenets of narrative medicine (attention, representation and affiliation) are represented in contemporary illness and disability drama. Next, we will engage in a series of writing exercises (reflective, generative, and collaborative). Then, using our work as texts, we will explore how intersubjectivity, language, structure, form and flow comprise effective monologues as well as dialogues. Everyone will have a chance to contribute as writers, readers, and/or witnesses.

Derek McCracken is a health equity educator whose research and practice combines multivalent pedagogy and health literacy. He is one of the founders of Narrative Mindworks, the international narrative practices association. At Columbia University, Derek teaches Narrative Medicine Pedagogy and Applied Writing courses in the School of Professional Studies. He earned a BA and MA in English/Creative Writing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and an MS in Narrative Medicine from Columbia. https://narrativemindworks.org/; https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekmccracken/

Welcome to the Apocalypse. We’ll be with you shortly. (or, How to Create when Creating feels Impossible) with Judy Brenneman

How are we meant to do the work we are called to do when upheaval and uncertainty pile onto competing priorities and the constant demands of daily life? How do we create when chaos leaves us feeling hopeless, exhausted, and overwhelmed? In this highly interactive workshop, we’ll explore how to create in the face of what frightens (enrages, baffles, overwhelms) us with curiosity and creativity, compassion and connection.

Judy Fort Brenneman, Greenfire Creative, LLC, is a story meddler, award-winning author and playwright, occasional poet, retreat facilitator, and long-time writing coach with expertise in helping writers who have interesting neurologies. Her work has appeared in everything from museum exhibits to books and stage plays. Judy holds regular conversations with her own and others’ Inner Critics. She’s especially interested in the role of writing, story-making, and creativity in human resilience. https://greenfire-creative.com, https://skysingerpress.com

YSM: Your Story Matter with Clarence Hogan

Everyone has a story!  During this workshop participants will leave with the tools and tenacity to capture, cultivate and communicate their own stories.  The first portion of this workshop will focus on instruction: capturing and cultivating personal stories.  The latter portion of the workshop will focus on interaction: communicating personal stories.

For over 30 years Clarence Hogan has worked in urban spaces advocating for youth and teens.  As a comedian and storyteller he curates community events that create dialogue and build community.  Through his company Living 2 Learn Clarence facilitates educational, social and cultural programs for youth, teens and adults.  As a speaker he has presented at National and Local Conferences; Beyond School Hours, BOOST and National Afterschool Association, Illinois Afterschool Network and Indiana Youth Institute. www.sonnyspeaks.com; www.living2learnasp.org

Register