Bio- Publications
- Résumé
- Sample Work
- Blog
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Flickr
- Instagram
- Contact
-
Bio
I'm Casey Francis. I was born in the wilds of Lyons, Nebraska, but currently live in Quincy, Illinois. I work for the Center for Rural Affairs and freelance graphic design, writing, and communications work. I coach some cartwheels too.I've received degrees from Quincy University and New Mexico Highlands University. I have published or work forthcoming in Boston Literary Magazine, Midwestern Gothic, Moonshot Magazine and the Blog for Rural America. To see a more complete listing of my other published work, visit the publications section of this website.Also, if you’re so inclined, check out a my contributor spotlight on the Midwestern Gothic website! My work can be found in the pages of issue 2, 4, and 7.My dog has a blog too, Cora Does.
-
Publications
Fiction:
"Keep the Lights On." Midwestern Gothic. Fall 2012, Issue 7 (nostalgia theme). Print.
“Rabbit Test.” Midwestern Gothic. Summer 2011, Issue 2. Print.
“A Good One with Her Name in It.” Grey Sparrow. Spring 2011, Issue 8. Web and Print.
*Voted best New Literary Journal of the year by the Council of Editors of Learned Journals at the Modern Languages Association Conference in 2011.Poetry:
"Ode to My Nebraska." Midwestern Gothic. Spring 2014, Issue 13. Print. Forthcoming.
"Why I Grabbed the Tire Iron." Midwestern Gothic. Winter 2012, Issue 4. Print.
"Waiting Out Winter." Yes, Poetry. December 2011. Web.
“Cornhusk Theory.” A Prairie Review. Spring-Summer 2011. Web.
“A Midwest Landscape.” A Prairie Review. Spring-Summer 2011. Web.
“This Town is Nearly Dead.” Moonshot Magazine. Summer 2010, Issue 2. Print.
“Peeping.” Red River Review. August 2010. Web.
“A Summer Evening Walk.” Verse Wisconsin. Print.
“Moving Home.” Verse Wisconsin. Print.
“From a Sinclair Dinosaur.” Boston Literary Magazine. Winter 2010-11. Web and Print.
“Ted Kooser’s First Snow.” Riverrun. Quincy University, 2009. Print.
“With Each of My Summers.” Riverrun. Quincy University, 2009. Print.
Nonfiction:
"The Poets Tangled in My Sheets." Go Read Your Lunch. Alternating Current Arts Co-Op, 8 August 2013. Web.
"Living, Loving, and Working for an Even Better Rural America." Center for Rural Affairs, 10 February 2013. Web.
"It's D(tv) Day: Could Rural Get Its TV Back?" The Blog for Rural America. Center for Rural Affairs, 12 June 2009. Web.
*Click here to read more writing done for the Center for Rural Affairs.
"Review of Flood Song." Picayune. New Mexico Highlands University, 2010. Print.
Photography:
“Truck Outside Lyons, Nebraska.” Midwestern Gothic. February 2011. Web.
“Building Near Chenoa, Illinois.” Midwestern Gothic. February 2011. Web.
“A Front Porch in Quincy, Illinois.” Midwestern Gothic. February 2011. Web.
Press:
“Contributor Spotlight.” Midwestern Gothic. January 2013. Web.
-
Info
- Writer, Communications Associate, and Tumbling & Gymnastics CoachSports | Greater St. Louis Area, USSummary
What I Do:
I work to empower rural communities as a Communications and Design Associate by assisting the nonprofit Center for Rural Affairs in shaping ideas and molding content for the web, social media, and print. This all started when my hometown, Lyons, Nebraska, had a heated discussion about whether or not to tear down the old opera house. Somebody at the Center read my letter to the editor about saving the historic building in the local paper. Unfortunately, the opera house was torn down, but the Center contacted me and soon after I began working on behalf of rural communities—a cause I believe in deeply.I also coach gymnastics to people ages 18 months to adult. I lead the marketing and communication efforts for this small business located in Quincy, Illinois. We instruct over 800 students each week in gymnastics, tumbling, and cheerleading.
Background:
I grew up in northeast Nebraska where I trained as a gymnast, read as much as I could, and developed a real love for my little town. I attended college in Illinois, where I majored in English and minored in studio art. Later, I found myself in New Mexico earning a master’s degree in English.Current Status:
I’m now living in Illinois again, coaching gymnastics, and working remotely for a nonprofit on rural related issues in communications. I’m always open and looking for new challenges and meaningful opportunities.Looking for a flexible contributor who invests deeply? Contact me.
caseywfrancis@gmail.com or 402.369.4030
Experience- May 2008 - PresentCommunications & Design Associate / Center for Rural Affairs
Strategize, collaborate, and design visual and written communication materials to accurately reflect the Center’s mission and position on various topics. Duties include creating content campaigns, writing and editing of web and newsletter content, website maintenance, social media account management (Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, etc.), the layout of four different newsletters, the design of various direct mailings, and the development and implementation of various identity standards. Increased the organization's Facebook likes from 100 to 4,600+ since 2008.
- Aug 2004 - PresentAssistant Tumbling Team Coach, Communications Manager / Gem City Gymnastics & Tumbling, LLC.
Instruct group classes and private lessons in recreational and competitive gymnastics, tumbling, all-star cheerleading and motor skill development courses. Students range in ages from 18 months to adult. Develop communications materials, including a new website, blog posts, social media content, and monthly promotional materials. Increased Facebook likes by 25% in a six month period.
- Aug 2011 - May 2012Adjunct English Instructor / Quincy University
Developed and taught material adhering to department reading and writing standards. This included emphasis on critical reading, thesis development, and the use of MLA standards.
- Aug 2009 - May 2011Graduate Student, Instructor and Writing Tutor / New Mexico Highlands University
Independently taught material designed to improve critical reading, writing, grammar skills, thesis development, and the use of MLA standards. Gathered data and analyzed for departmental evaluation of composition program effectiveness.
Courses Taught:
English 112 – Composition II (Spring 2011)
English 111 – Composition I (Spring 2010)
English 100 – College Reading and Writing (Fall 2010) - Aug 2006 - May 2008Resident Assistant / Quincy University
Education-
2009 - 2011New Mexico Highlands UniversityMA in English, Emphasis in Creative Writing
Activities: Graduate Assistant, Writing Tutor, Editor and Reader of Picayune Magazine -
2004 - 2008Quincy UniversityBA in English, Minor in Studio Art
Activities: English Club, Sigma Tau Delta, The Falcon (student newspaper), Annual Fund telemarketer, Delta Tau Delta -
2000 - 2004Lyons-Decatur Northeast High School
Additional Information-
Websites:
-
Interests:Nonprofit communications, advocacy, rural living, photography, Crossfit, poetry, contemporary literature
-
Sample Work of Casey Francis
-
Posts
#SmallBizSay #RaiseTheWage - it boosts consumer demand & helps #smallbiz & the #economy. Tell Congress to act now: http://thndr.it/1uTr9m7
Another post from my dog’s blog, Cora Does.
Cora does friends.
Find friends that do your version of weird whether it’s an obsession with succulent plants, screen printing t-shirts with awesomely irrelevant sayings, or singing 80s tunes at high volume like me and my pal, Casey.
The key to friendship is finding people that love you and your brand of weird even when you doubt yourself and your own oddness.I fucking love Roxane Gay. She’s always so generous to her readers and fellow writers.
Be sure to check out her novel, An Untamed State, and her essay collection, Bad Feminist. Also, just Google her or see her list of writings available online. You won’t be disappointed.
I have books to give away—duplicates, galleys, etcetera. Some of these may be lightly worn.
If you want a book, e-mail (roxane at roxanegay.com) me the title AND your mailing address. Seriously, do send your address the first time. US Residents only. Refresh this page often to see what remains….
Dog fashion advice!
Okay, okay. I know these sunglasses totally don’t work for me, but I posted them for a good reason. That reason is this week’s fashion tip:
Take a Risk!
You’ll never know what looks good on you unless you take the time to experiment a little. This means don’t default to what’s comfortable this summer branch out. Find a new color, a new style. If you usually rock a collar, try on a harness. See what happens.
You never know what you might discover. You might have a whole bad ass bitch fashionista thing going for you. Every dog park needs a bad ass bitch fashionista or two!
I love this food poem, “Making Love in the Kitchen” by Gary J. Whitehead. It hangs on my fridge and I enjoy annoying my girlfriend by neglecting whatever cooking duty I might be attempting to read the poem aloud.Whitehead is the guy in the black and white photo. His poem I mention is from the March 10, 2014, issue of The New Yorker, page 58. Follow this link to read more from Gary J. Whitehead in the pages of The New Yorker or better yet visit his website, GaryJWhitehead.com. Buy his book, support some art, and be cool.
Check out the reprint of my essay, “The Poets Tangled in My Sheets.” It first appeared here in Go Read Your Lunch.
You have to love this response by Honey Maid. The company ran a commercial featuring several non-traditional couples that ranged from the tattooed to interracial to homosexual. The company got some heat, but most of the response was positive. Honey Maid responded in a video to the negative comments anyway. It’s awesome to see a company operate with such heart. It’s advertising at its finest.
I first read about this in a Mashable article by Brian Koerber.
I’m so excited to have a poem included in Issue 13 of Midwestern Gothic! It comes out on April 1!
Look for my poem “Ode to My Nebraska” in the upcoming Spring 2014 Issue of Midwestern Gothic! I’ve published a couple of pieces there before. Pick up any of their last twelve issues and you’re bound to find something you love, especially if you’ve got an interest in the Midwest.
The highlight of my 2014 so far has been getting February Athlete of the Month from QTown CrossFit. Check out my Q&A.
I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I used Internet Explore, but I sure do love this “growing up in the 90s” commercial that’s been created for the newest version.
Check out the latest video from Cheeks McGee.
Visit his website for his new Christmas album and to read more about him, where he’s described as:
"A native of Northeast Missouri and graduating with a music education degree from a private liberal arts college Cheeks juggles his time educating the youth of america teaching instrumental music at a Missouri HS by day and performing music by night!! During the summers Cheeks spends 3 months on the road touring relentlessly from coast to coast bringing his fun-loving personality and one man show to the masses."
Check out my post on Medium about visiting Iowa’s Largest Fry Pan in Brandon, Iowa. A quick excerpt is below.
Even with the untimely holiday sign dangling from the handle and the haphazard signage, Iowa’s Largest Frying Pan marks the attempt of one overlooked small town to have a voice.My holiday season officially kicked off with a little Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt perfoming a duet of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
This is just a random drawing I did of a slightly creepy, mustache wearing dude. I named him Dwayne. Maybe I’ll do some other poor drawings of other creepy dudes.
This essay by Colin Nissan on McSweeny’s puts me in the mood for fall and Thanksgiving.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get my hands on some fucking gourds and arrange them in a horn-shaped basket on my dining room table. That shit is going to look so seasonal.
Check out my essay “The Poets Tangled in My Sheets” and read some other great work on the Go Read Your Lunch blog.
I decide to wasted a bit of my day this morning because I had too much time on my hands. The video above is a part of that effort. It’s a little film thing I made using an app called McLaren’s Workshop. (I love moving pictures.) The app is made by the National Film Board of Canada. Thanks, Canada! I owe you one.
Dispatches is one of favorite lit website features. The Common describes Dispatches as “short evocations of particular places.” So stop on over and read some. I particuarly have enjoyed Roxane Gay’s Dispatch on Metropolis, Illinois.- Essay accepted for publication
Yay! My essay “The Poets Tangled in My Sheets” has been accepted by Go Read Your Lunch, which is published by Alternating Current Arts Co-Op. Check out their website here: alternatingcurrentarts.blogspot.com.
I love poetry. I love Nebraska. And, so, it’s not so surprising that I love Ted Kooser too.This linked story from NPR got me excited. Minnesota-born composer Maria Schneider and singer Dawn Upshaw teamed up to set some of Kooser’s poems from Winter Morning Walks to music. The results are wonderful.
Click here to read the story and hear some of the resulting collaboration.
The beautiful pattern of the everyday mundane as seen at the Hy-Vee in Quincy, Illinois, on Harrison Street.
A picture from Courtesy Diner following Mardi Gras festivities in Saint Louis this past weekend.
- Gotye is Good People!
Gotye won Record of the Year in a pure moment of awesome at the 2013 Grammy Awards for “Somebody That I Used to Know" featuring Kimbra. Some huge names and hits were up for the award—Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” fun.’s “We Are Young,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” The Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy" and Frank Ocean’s "Thinkin’ Bout You.” But this wasn’t the awesome part, and neither was the fact that Prince gave out the award (though that too was awesome).
The real awesome part was Gotye’s acceptance speech. Humble and gracious, Gotye demonstrated the best way to win an award. He looked at his golden gramophone then said, “I’m a little bit lost for words. To receive an award from the man standing behind us [Prince] here with the cane, I spent many years listening to this man’s music growing up and a big reason I was inspired to make music, thank you.” Most of the time I would think quit kissing ass but he seemed genuine. His last few words expressed a heartfelt sentiment about his love for his craft. Gotye finished up his speech with this:
"I just want to say thanks for everybody who puts great energy into the world making music. I feel unworthy to be up here receiving this, but thank you all musicians and people who listen to music. Cheers."
Isn’t that awesome? Yeah, it is. And, oh, did I mention he won two other Grammy Awards too?
I’ve never been too keen on coffee or morning meditation, but the one constant of my morning routine is Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac. Each morning my computer downloads the podcast and the first five minutes of my day is spent with Garrison first giving a brief literary factoid or informing me that it’s a certain author’s birthday and then he reads a poem. It’s a lovely way to begin the day.
Yesterday’s poem on the Writer’s Almanac was awesome. It made me miss living out west and reminded me of the handful of road trips I’ve made across the Great Plains region. The poem was “Great Plains” by Bruce Willard. It begins: “I could drive for days without fear / of outrunning these patchwork clouds, / bridge lines of cumulus / this way or that towards the horizon.” Read the poem in its entirety here.
Have you seen “Beasts of the Southern Wild”? You should.
I just finished watching “Beasts of the Southern Wild" and loved the movie. It’s a dramatic film with elements of fantasy. The movie is the story of five-year old Hushpuppy and her unhealthy, hot-tempered father, Wink, who live in the Louisiana bayou community of Bathtub. The town is cutoff from the outside world by a levee and a storm approaches.
I can see why it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Quvenzhané Wallis), Best Director (Benh Zeitlin), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar).
-
Tweets
- My favorite new podcast is @Serial from the @ThisAmerLife creators. It's one story told by weekly installments.
- Google Drive, please load faster.
- My Friday night has been a great dog play date. http://t.co/T6QrMrNQUU
- RT @cfra: How much does your state spend on Farm to School? Find out from @USDA here: http://t.co/FM7fR0UDYe #USDAF2S #F2SMonth http://t.co…
- #SmallBizSay #RaiseTheWage - it boosts consumer demand & helps #smallbiz & the #economy. Tell Congress to act now: http://t.co/CZVvHaSLqO
- Yay for the early morning lunar eclipse. It made getting up early less of a burden.
- RT @JennyJohnsonHi5: "Do you have any pumpkin flavored beer?" - white people
- My favorite headline today: 51 turtles found in man's pants at U.S.-Canada border. http://t.co/zVO5EmRDuD
- The only thing better than a homegrown tomato is a homegrown tomato grown by someone else. #yumyum http://t.co/gZiOQR1Ys4
- Temps cooling and plaids emerging from closets means it's time for this classic fall time @mcsweeneys' essay: http://t.co/ueabajR4JF
-
Read
-
Photos
-
Photos
