Join us for a conversation with Tim Bascom, author of "The Boundless Game: Soccer Stories from Across the Street to Around the World." Bascom delves into the world of soccer, exploring how the sport transcends borders, connects communities and shapes our shared human experience. Hear the stories behind his writing, learn about his journey as an author and discover the cultural and personal insights that shaped the book. Gain a deeper insight into the themes and explore his reflections on the sport that unites millions worldwide. Bascom will be in conversation with Dr. Shannon Jackson, Professor and Chair of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A Q&A and book signing will follow. Books will be available for purchase from Rainy Day Books.
You can also meet Bascom at one of the book discussions we are hosting. Free copies of the book are available to participants.
- Online Book Discussion - May 11, 6-7 p.m.
- Book Discussion with Tim Bascom at Central Resource Library - May 13, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Bios
Tim Bascom, who spent half his childhood in East Africa, has served as Director of the Kansas Book Festival and, before that, as Director of Creative Writing at Waldorf University, Iowa. His books include The Boundless Game (nonfiction from University Press of Kansas, 2026), Continental Drift (fiction from Main Street Rag, 2025), Climbing Lessons (essays from Light Messages Press, 2020), Running to the Fire (memoir from University of Iowa Press, 2015), Chameleon Days (memoir from Houghton Mifflin, 2006), plus an earlier collection of essays from InterVarsity Press and a novel from New Day Press, Philippines. His writing has been chosen for the Bakeless Literary Prize in Nonfiction, recognized as a Finalist for the IndieFab Memoir of the Year, awarded editor’s prizes at The Missouri Review and Florida Review, and selected for the anthologies Best American Travel Writing and Best Creative Nonfiction. He lives, now, in Topeka, Kansas.
Dr. Shannon M. Jackson is an anthropologist and Professor/Chair of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her work focuses on urban life, infrastructure, and the cultural politics of the body—especially how systems like sanitation shape dignity, citizenship, and belonging. In her research in Cape Town, she examined the politics of waste and sanitation in the post-apartheid city. Her work explores how struggles over toilets—heighten around events like the FIFA World Cup—became flashpoints for debates about inequality, human rights, and urban citizenship. Jackson's scholarship bridges anthropology, urban studies, and cultural theory, revealing how something as seemingly mundane as human waste can be a powerful site of political resistance and social meaning.
Accommodations
For inquiries about accessibility and accommodations, please contact us at ask@jocolibrary.org or 913-826-4600 at least two weeks before the event.