Kansas literature

"Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James traces the foundational and violent role of the axe from prehistoric times to the present. And — yes — the infamous Lizzie Borden case does get a chapter, as do a pair of relatively recent Kansas City murders.

Gay rights activism at the University of Kansas was led in the 1970s by the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front, but it took 10 years and a lawsuit for the student group to gain official recognition. Now, Katherine Rose-Mockry, retired director of KU’s Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity, has pieced that history together.

An important prop from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" is now on temporary display at the Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas.

Kansas artists and cultural organizations would be stripped of state grants if the Kansas Legislature adopts a Senate-approved budget, which entirely eliminates funding the Kansas Arts Commission. The impact would be felt even harder in smaller and rural communities.

While we all hunker down in our present pandemic reality, some High Plains writers have been working hard to secure the future of their Kansas-based…