A Common Sense Reading Series

A Common Sense Reading Series, which ran from 2011 to 2025, featured nearly 100 readings showcasing over 270 poets and writers. Founded to connect emerging and student writers—especially those at the Kansas City Art Institute—with mid-career and nationally recognized authors, the series highlighted Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, Guggenheim and Pew Fellows, and contributors to The New Yorker, Poetry Magazine, and Harpers, among others.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the series shifted to a virtual format, with events recorded and archived online. This change led to a hybrid model in later years, combining in-person and remote readings to improve accessibility and attract a wider range of voices. In 2021, the series partnered with Race Project KC to host a virtual event featuring poets Nate Marshall and Kaveh Akbar, demonstrating its evolving collaborative approach. Over its 15-year run, A Common Sense Reading Series remained dedicated to literary mentorship, accessibility, and community-building, establishing itself as an important part of Kansas City's cultural landscape and beyond.

A Common Sense Reading Series Archives

A Common Sense Reading: Suzanne Frischkorn & Nathan Hoks

01:10:03

A Common Sense Reading: Suzanne Frischkorn & Nathan Hoks

01:09:52

A Common Sense Reading: Ariel Francisco & Sarah Minor

01:12:54

A Common Sense Reading: Ryan Eckes & R/B Mertz

Common Sense Readers 2011–2025

DANIEL KHALASTCHI ZACH SAVICH MARIE DOUGHERTY ANNE BOYER MITCHELL HUGH KIRKWOOD NICK DEMSKE ADAM FELL MATTHEW GUENETTE SHANNA COMPTON PETER DAVIS SANDRA SIMONDS JUSTIN MARKS EMILY PETTIT SAMPSON STARKWEATHER PAIGE TAGGART CHRIS TONELLI TIMOTHY BRADFORD GRANT MATTHEW JENKINS STACY KIDD BAYARD GODSAVE GEORGE MCCORMICK ANNIE RAAB JIM MCCRARY DAVID OHLE KATIE TWISS HADARA BAR-NADAV ELIZABETH CLARK WESSEL JOHN GALLAHER MARY AUSTIN SPEAKER BRANDON BROWN CHRIS MARTIN MEGAN KAMINSKI JUDY ROITMAN JENNIFER ZIEGLER JESSICA BARAN PHIL ESTES DAN MAGERS ADAM CLAY ADA LIMÓN MICHAEL ROBINS HEATHER CHRISTLE MATT HART BEN HERSEY JOE AGUILAR TEAL WILSON PATRICIA LOCKWOOD BRIDGET LOWE CLANCY MARTIN TJ JARRETT SCOTT GARSON GINA MYERS ANTHONY HURLBURT MEGAN KAMINSKI LESLEY WHEELER MARY MARGARET ALVARADO NICO ALVARADO AMELIA MCKNIGHT KATE GREENSTREET ZACH HABER CASEY HANNAN KATHRYN L PRINGLE DANIEL BORZUTZKY TED KRITIKOS SUZANNE SCANLON C.S. CARRIER JESSI WILSON ADAM BERIS CARA LEFEBVRE BRUCE COVEY TYLER GOBBLE MEGAN KAMINSKI TROY JAMES WEAVER MIKE YOUNG MARCUS MYERS LEAH SEWELL RICH SMITH RIVKA CLIFTON KIT ROBINSON CRISTA SIGLIN NATHAN HOKS VICTORIA MEYERS ROGER REEVES SOMMER BROWNING NOAH ELI GORDON CHRISTINE NEACOLE KANOWNIK JOSEPH KAPLAN PAUL LEGAULT AMIE BARRODALE RAUAN KLASSNIK JENNIFER L. KNOX CODY-ROSE CLEVIDENCE C. VIOLET EATON TOD MARSHALL SARA NICHOLSON ROBERT GANO MICHAEL SIKKEMA JEN TYNES RHIANNON DICKERSON AMISH TRIVEDI JOSHUA EDWARDS TED MATHYS LYNN XU LAUREN HALDEMAN DANIEL KHALASTCHI BLUEBERRY MORNINGSNOW MARC RAHE JESSICA COMOLA TIM EARLEY LESLIE ANN WHEELER BRIAN FOLEY NICK GULIG GENE KWAK SCOTT BEAR DON'T WALK LEWIS FREEDMAN JOE AGUILAR TROY JAMES WEAVER CANDICE WUEHLE SERENA CHOPRA SUEYEUN JULIETTE LEE JOSHUA WARE PHIL ESTES JIM MCCRARY ZOPHIA MCDOUGAL SCOTT ABELS DENNIS ETZEL JR LAURA MADELINE WISEMAN KRYSTAL LANGUELL STEPHANIE ELLIS SCHLAIFER EMILY SKILLINGS SOPHIE KLAHR GLENN NORTH MARK TARDI LAUREN HUNTER ERICA LEWIS IRIS APPELQUIST STEPH FRENCH CRISTA SIGLIN LESLEY WHEELER CYRUS CONSOLE-SOICAN ROBERT FERNANDEZ MARY HICKMAN SIMONE SAVANNAH PAUL HANSON CLARK ROBERT LONG FOREMAN KYLE MCCORD BRETT SALSBURY CHARLOTTE SELEY BRAD VOGLER KRISTI MAXWELL PETER MISHLER RUTH WILLIAMS CAMERON MORSE HILARY PLUM ZACH SAVICH ERIN ADAIR-HODGES MATT MAUCH JENNY MOLBERG JOHN GALLAHER BRIDGET LOWE MARCUS MYERS TRACI BRIMHALL JAMES D'AGOSTINO JOSE FAUS CLAYTON ADAM CLARK JUDITH ROITMAN CHRIS TONELLI DARREN CANADY HYEJUNG KOOK DEREK GRAF KEVIN KILROY MERCEDES LUCERO BEN NICKOL JAMEELAH LANG MIKE YOUNG DANNY CAINE MEGAN KAMINSKI ALICIA MOUNTAIN JERMAINE THOMPSON MIKE KLEINE JOANNA NOVAK JOHN TREFRY CANDICE WUEHLE JACOB SAENZ DAVID WELCH OMARIS Z. ZAMORA AYAH ABDUL-RAUF DIANNELY ANTIGUA CARYL PAGEL CARRIE LORIG JANE WONG AN DUPLAN TIM EARLEY HADARA BAR-NADAV ANDREW FARKAS MARIANNE KUNKEL ROBERT LONG FOREMAN HAI-DANG PHAN STEFANIE WORTMAN BRI CROZIER RYLIE LAWVER PYRINDARIA RILEY MIA ROBBINS MARK LEIDNER JUSTIN MARKS EMILY SPENCER DIANA KHOI NGUYEN NATE MARSHALL KAVEH AKBAR ROBERT BROWN CHELL NAVARRO EMILY PETTIT JASON TEAL KIKI PETROSINO BJ SOLOY EMILY MOONEY RYLIE LAWVER OPAL ROBERTS BACA IZZY CASEY ASHLEY M JONES MADELINE GIRARD SYNDEY ANN SMITH BRANDON SHIMODA SIMONE SAVANNAH CHARLOTTE SAMUELS DANIEL BIEGELSON MEGAN KAMINSKI TIFF DRESSEN JOHN ELIZABETH STINTZI EMILY PÉREZ AMISH TRIVIDI GION DAVIS SOMMER BROWNING SANDRA SIMONDS MAUREEN THORSON JUSTIN MARKS MONA KAREEM KAMDEN HILLIARD JOSEPH BRADSHAW EMILY KENDAL FREY SYLVIA JONES HYEJUNG KOOK JENNY MOLBERG ANNA VQ ROSS JESSE NATHAN GRANT MATTHEW JENKINS HADARA BAR NADAV BRODY PARRISH CRAIG TREY MOODY MARY SILWANCE PRAIRIE MOON DALTON JESSICA CUELLO ARIANA BENSON IAN U LOCKABY EMILY STODDARD ANTHONY ROBINSON MICHELLE TARANSKY HILARY PLUM HUASCAR MEDINA JOHN GALLAHER CASS DONISH ASHA FUTTERMAN NANCY MILLER GOMEZ MITCHELL KING DARA BARROIS/DIXON PETER MISHLER AMIE BARRODALE CLANCY MARTIN RYAN ECKES R/B MERTZ ARIEL FRANCISCO SARAH MINOR NATHAN HOKS SUZANNE FRISHKORN