'The Bards of Moon City' features 11 local writers, benefits Ozarks Literacy Council

A new collaborative anthology highlighting "the good, the bad, the banal and the expectational of life in Springfield" exhibits the work of local writers, while giving back to the broader community.

Released on Monday, "The Bards of Moon City: An Anthology of Poetry" features 60 poems from 11 Springfield writers. The paperback book is available for $15 and all of the proceeds benefit the Ozarks Literacy Council.

Through a grant provided by the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame, the Ozarks Literacy Council was able to fund the publication of "The Bards of Moon City." Established in 1968, the Ozarks Literacy Council promotes literacy throughout southwest Missouri.

"The Bards of Moon City" is available for purchase at Bookmarx and Waverly House Gifts & Gallery. The Ozark Literary Council will also ship copies of the book for an additional $3. Folks interested in having a book mailed to them should email info@ozarksliteracy.org.

Former Springfield Mayor Bob Stephens is the force behind "The Bards of Moon City," the name of the book and also the name of a loose group of Springfield poets.

In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, Stephens partnered with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to host several poetry readings throughout April 2022 that benefited the Ozarks Literacy Council.

Again this year, Stephens and the CFO worked together to host 17 poetry readings in April at various establishments like library branches, breweries and farmers markets. Simultaneously, the Ozarks Literacy Council hosted poetry writing contests that ran during April the last two years.

The name of the book was decided by Rex Ybañez, one of the book's 11 featured poets. Ybañez said he was inspired by the tradition of storytelling, specifically "bards and troubadours going to taverns, playing their songs" in the Middle Ages.

As the local poetry community has grown, Stephens felt it only natural to publish a culmination of works from poets who have been actively involved in poetry readings and the contests over the last two years.

Loren Broaddus

With a deep connection to the sport of baseball, Loren Broaddus' five poems in "The Bards of Moon City" were originally published in his poetry collection, "Joe DiMaggio Moves Like Liquid Light."

"The main theme of it is, the goal in baseball is to make it home and so many of the poems have to deal with getting home, in whatever way that means," Broaddus told the News-Leader.

Broaddus is an instructor at Greenwood Laboratory School on Missouri State University's campus, previously a history teacher at Kickapoo High School.

Ethan Bryan

Also a baseball fan, Ethan Bryan enjoys documenting the history of Springfield's community through his writing.

One of Bryan's six poems in the book, "Wild West," retells the story of the Hickok-Tutt shootout that occurred at Park Central Square in 1865. Bryan said when he finds himself downtown, he is drawn to the plaques that display where David Tutt and Wild Bill Hickok stood during their fight, which is what inspired him to write the poem.

Another one of Bryan's poems, "Thank you, David Harrison," is written from the perspective of a reader finishing an enthralling book.

"It's supposed to help the reader remember what it's like to be completely engrossed in reading a good book and the emotional experience one has as they're drawn to the page of the narrative," Bryan told the News-Leader. "You get that feeling of accomplishment when you finish it, but also that melancholy feeling of, 'Ah man, I still want to be engaged in this world and reading this book.'"

Chris Burros

Being able to uniquely approach real-life experiences with a splash of humor is important to Chris Burros, a student at Missouri State University.

"Life can be tough for people. I like to write poems that both remind people they are not alone in their struggles and that can also bring a smile to their face," Burros told the News-Leader.

One of Burros' five poems featured in the book, "The Definition of Analog" is a combination of perspectives about both the nature of life and nature of artificial intelligence, alongside binary numbers, making for a stark contrast between analog and digital processing.

Gemma Campanini

With a love of writing since age seven, Gemma Campanini enjoys exploring connection, whether that be between people or people and their surroundings.

Of her four poems featured in "The Bards of Moon City," Campanini's focus on gnat stuck in a glass of water, her appreciation for a philosopher and love for someone near her, and the human-actualization of an acorn.

When she's not busy writing, Campanini is the organizer of the "Oh Snap Poetry" open mic series at the Lake of the Ozarks, the monthly "Show Me Poetry" poetry slam and the "Free-Voice" poetry workshop series in Springfield.

Karen Craigo

For Karen Craigo, Springfield Business Journal reporter, it is exciting to see more enthusiasm around Springfield's literary arts, which she described as "lagging" before the last few years' revival.

Three of Craigo's six poems featured in "The Bards of Moon City" were written while she was at poetry reading nights in April. One for example, "There Are Poets at Q Enoteca," is an ode to folks who walked past the restaurant during a poetry reading, rather than stopping in.

Much of Craigo's writing centers around motherhood, like the poems featured in her book, "No More Milk." She also writes about spiritualism through meditative practice.

Between 2019 and 2021, Craigo served as the Missouri's fifth Poet Laureate.

David Harrison

Serving as Missouri's current Poet Laureate, David Harrison submitted five poems for "The Bards of Moon City."

Harrison's poems in "The Bards of Moon City" range from an account of him discovering a group of beautiful butterflies above a cow patty in "Cow Pie Jewels" to cowboys living in post-Civil War America in "The Bunkhouse."

More: Springfield author David Harrison named Missouri's 7th Poet Laureate through 2025

Harrison was named Missouri's seventh Poet Laureate by Gov. Mike Parson in July. He will serve in the role until 2025. Throughout his 60-plus year career, Harrison has published hundreds of children's book, poems and guided readers.

Dottie Joslyn

Inspired by those around her, nature and her own recovery from mental illness, Dottie Joslyn tackles large topics through her accessible poetry. She's deemed herself the "accessible poet."

"There's so much abstract writing out there ... I write poems for people to maybe get something from that might help them in their lives," Joslyn said.

Joslyn also pulls inspiration from the work of others.

Joslyn's poem, "No One Gives Up Life" was inspired by the poem "Home" by poet Warsan Shire. In "Home," Shire tells the story of refugees searching for a new home and in her adaptation, Joslyn's wrote about recovering from anxiety and depression. In 2018, Joslyn released her book, "Just Show Up," which is largely about her grieving process following the death of her son.

Lora Knight

With over a decade of teaching experience, Lora Knight enjoys writing about daily anomalies and relationships, all through a narrative approach. Making her poetry accessible for all readers is important to Knight, like Joslyn.

"I want everybody to read them and understand them and get something out of them," Knight said. "I think when a lot of people think about poetry, they think about what they learned in school and they think they don't like it. I would like more ... people to realize that contemporary portray isn't like that and that there's a lot they could enjoy."

Knight's six poems in the book range from a cry of love to a wife written from the perspective of a truck driver in, "The Long-Haul Trucker Writes a Lock Poem" to the exploration of different species of fish in the Ozarks in "Truth Is."

Bob Stephens

The spearhead of "The Bards of Moon City" and community poetry readings, Stephens said he's had "so much fun" working on the anthology and would like to pursue more in the future.

Stephens' six poems in the book "run the gamut," he said. One of the poems, "History Trashed," tells the story of Stephens revisiting the farm his grandma lived on when he was a child. Revisiting the farm years later, Stephens found all of the former buildings demolished. Another one of the poems, "The Kitchen Drawer" is an account of the beloved junk drawer.

Stephens served as the mayor of Springfield between 2012 and 2017.

Bon Tindle

A community activist, Bon Tindle often writes stories about the women she meets. Of her six poems featured in "The Bards of Moon City," Tindle depicts two vastly different lifestyles. In "Cafe Queen," Tindle writes about an elderly woman who catches the eye of everyone in a restaurant and on the opposite page, "Homeless" tells the story of a homeless woman whose only request of Tindle was to make sure she died indoors, so the animals wouldn't move her body.

"We have a lot of talent in this area and I'm glad to see it kind of rebound from COVID and regroup," Tindle said of Springfield's literary community.

Rex Ybañez

Rex Ybañez, who helped Stephens oversee this year's poetry readings in April, closes out "The Bards of Moon City" with five poems that align with the themes of existing in liminal phases of life and exploring the unknown.

Ybañez keeps busy working as a volunteer for the "Show Me Poetry" poetry slam competition and managing his own open mic nights, "Poets' Corner" at Green House Coffee + Affogato Bar. During the day, he works as a writer and editor for Drury University.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 'The Bards of Moon City' features 60 poems from 11 Springfield writers