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Iowa Debut: ‘Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn’ Vol. 2 to Appear at Monster-themed Van Meter Visitor Festival Sept. 26, 2026!

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Middle West Press LLC, a Johnston, Iowa-based independent micro-press, will debut its latest anthology of corn-fueled horror and humor at the Van Meter Visitor Festival in Van Meter, Iowa Sat., Sept. 26, 2026 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Established in 2013, the Van Meter Visitor Festival annually celebrates all things cryptids—but most notably the 1903 sighting of strange, bat-winged creatures in the coal-mining and railroad town of Van Meter, which at the time had a population of 400. Witnesses at the time said the beasts also shot beams of light from their foreheads. The second volume of Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters , launches on-line Sept. 8, 2026. The book collects nearly 70 short poems and 400-word narratives of mythic beasts that illuminate, celebrate, or challenge stereotypes of Midwestern identity. The festival will be the first time Middle West Press LLC has participated as a vendor in the Van Meter event. The festival tak...
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On Sale September 2026! “Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn, Vol. 2"!

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In an exciting 164-page anthology , more than 60 emerging and established voices of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, horror, and other genres join to deliver fresh visions and explorations regarding the “forgotten” terrain and deep recesses of the American Midwest! “This new volume of monstrous mayhem builds upon the chaos and dark mysteries of the first,’” writes anthology editor Randy Brown. “ King Kong scoops the Loop on an L-Train skateboard! Four kaiju take on the faces of Mount Rushmore! A catfish Siren haunts and hunts the local rivermen! ” The book “Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters, Vol. 2”  collects nearly 70 short poems and 400-word narratives of mythic beasts that illuminate, celebrate, or challenge stereotypes of Midwestern identity. Sections of the new anthology tentatively include: Fiends & Neighbors: Were-hogs and Hodags and Bigfoot, oh my! Towns Without Pity: Giant monsters attack the block, while haunted houses beckon!...
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Press Re-Issues Minnesota Music Man Bio as E-book, Audiobook

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A revealing biography of small-town pride, politics, and community is now re-published in e-book form, with audiobook edition soon to follow. First published in 2019 as a 318-page trade paperback by Nodin Press , Minneapolis, Joy Riggs’s "Crackerjack Bands and Hometown Boosters: The Story of a Minnesota Music Man" tells how Minnesota towns once competed for respect, recognition, and renown by mustering talented bands of youth and other musicians. "We're pleased to extend the potential reach of this important 20th century Midwestern history , told through the life of respected music-educator and community band-organizer G. Oliver Riggs ," says Randy Brown, editor and publisher of Middle West Press LLC. "Now, people can enjoy the original Nodin Press paperback edition, or take the e-book or audiobook on the road." Author Joy Riggs is a freelance essayist and journalist based in Northfield, Minn. She specializes in writing about history, travel, and ...
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Send Micro-stories & Poems for “Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn," Volume 2!

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Middle West Press LLC , an independent micro-publisher based in Central Iowa, has issued a call for human-generated poems and micro-prose (450 words max.) telling fantastic stories of monsters in a 21st century American Midwest. The full title of this project is Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters . This will be the second volume of an on-going series. Published in 2025, the first volume is available for sale via Amazon , Bookshop.org , Barnes & Noble , and other on-line and brick-and-mortar booksellers. Deadline for submissions is Jun. 2, 2026. There is no submissions fee. Contributors will each receive one complimentary digital contributor’s copy. This anthology will published in both print and Kindle e-book formats . Publication is projected for Fall 2026. Submit via Submittable here at this link . This is explicitly a speculative poetry (and related micro-flash-prose) market. We welcome both established artists, and those experime...
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NOW ON SALE! Second Volume of "Our Best War Stories"!

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Editors of Chicago-based non-profit literary journal  Line of Advance  ( www.LineOfAdvance.org ) have announced a new, second volume collecting the  prize-winning prose and poetry  from the annual  Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards ! Launched Nov. 4, 2025  and  collecting prize-winners from 2021-2025 , Volume 2 of  “Our Best War Stories”  is available both as a 340-page trade paperback , and an exclusive  Amazon Kindle e-book .  The new volume also includes  special sections of 60+ writing prompts, prize-winner perspectives on war-writing, and insights into the history of the Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards! Volume 1 remains available, also in print and Kindle e-book  editions. Volume 2 is available in print and Kindle e-book here at this link . Now celebrating its 10th year, the  Wright awards  annually recognize  excellence in prose and poetry by U.S. military service members and...
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NOW ON SALE! "Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn" Anthology!

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In an exciting 148-page anthology,  more than 50 emerging and established voices of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, horror, and other genres  join to deliver  fresh visions and explorations  regarding the  “forgotten” terrain and deep recesses  of the American Midwest! “As people who live and visit here already know,  the American Midwest is more than just ‘Children of the Corn,’”  writes anthology editor Randy Brown. “ Giants still walk our flat and rolling lands, and swim in our deep lakes and rivers.  Ask around any truck stop or diner, and you’ll likely meet or hear-tell of  frog people. Dog men. Wendigo spirits.  Even  our endless, flyover-skies contain ancient and thunderous birds . (Remember that, as you run to your next airport connections!)” The book  Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters  collects more than  70 short poems and 300-word narratives  of mythic beasts th...
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New Volume Collects 60+ Col. Darron L. Wright Award-winning Stories & Poems

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Editors of Chicago-based non-profit literary journal Line of Advance  ( www.LineOfAdvance.org ) have announced a new, second volume collecting the prize-winning prose and poetry from the annual Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards . Launching Nov. 4, 2025 and collecting prize-winners from 2021-2025 , Volume 2 of “Our Best War Stories” will be available both as a 340-page trade paperback, and an exclusive Amazon Kindle e-book . E-book pre-orders are available here at this link . The new volume also includes  special sections of writing prompts, prize-winner insights, and more! Now celebrating its 10th year, the Wright awards annually recognize excellence in prose and poetry by U.S. military service members and veterans . In 2020, contest organizers added categories for immediate family members . Cash prizes of $250, $150, and $100 are now awarded in each of four categories. “The Line of Advance proudly serves as a leading venue for the best of ‘veterans-lit,’ wit...
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