Meet K.L. Barron

K.L. Barron, an extraordinary woman who touched my heart. From the moment I met her, I immediately felt a connection; it felt like I had known her all my life. So it is my honor to share this artist with you.

She said, “To mind our Earth is a shared space, a sacred place that connects us all. We are formed, informed, and at the mercy of nature. I like to explore relationships between nature and people on the page through the written landscape of words and images.” The place is always prominent in both her poetry and prose. Her prize-winning fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction in notable publications include New Letters, The Bennington Review, Little Balkans Review, terrain.org, ChickenBones(Library of Congress), and various anthologies. She has taught writing and literature at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, for nearly twenty years and lives and writes in the Flint Hills.

“Thirst", her debut novel, is set on the edge of the Sahara in one of the most desolate places on Earth. Sea Crow Press released it in November. Characters include a visible and invisible mixture of characters from the nomads to the desert landscape, which drives and dominates everything and everyone. The high contrast dominating landscape shines a light and captures the nomads’ endangered traditional culture on a written page before it completely disappears. Similar to the Native American culture.

The novel is about love, personal and cultural identity, and what it takes to survive in a brutal landscape. It is a blend of memory, research, and imagination. She hopes to honor the Tuaregs, who’ve survived on the margin for their entire lives. And that it honors the reader. Pick up your copy at Round Table Books in Topeka, KS, or your favorite independent bookstore. (Also sold at Amazon or Barnes and Noble)

Note:  Proceeds from every book go to Rain for the Sahel and Sahara. They have partnered with rural and nomadic people in Niger for access to education and opportunity. Be on the lookout for her next novel and check out her website for more information on her website: www.thirstklbarron.com.