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Kansas Airport Has A Short Story Dispenser

I like to travel but I’m not a very good packer. Admittedly, I usually forget something and end up having to buy it at the airport or my final destination….

Airport travelers

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

I like to travel but I'm not a very good packer. Admittedly, I usually forget something and end up having to buy it at the airport or my final destination. That's usually not a big deal. However, the one thing I hate to leave behind before a trip to the airport is whatever I happen to be reading at the time. If I'm in the middle of a book and forget to pack it, I might as well cancel the trip and go back home. Obviously, I don't; that would be crazy. So then I have to find something else to read before I get on the plane.

Flying without something to read is unthinkable to me. It used to be that I could count on finding a magazine on the plane, but that's not always the case now. Since the pandemic, the presence of those in-flight magazines has been hit or miss. Therefore, I have to pick up some reading material at an airport bookshop or newsstand. But if I'm ever flying out of the airport in Wichita, Kansas, I'd have another option: the short story dispenser.

According to the Wichita Public Library, Wichita became one of four cities to receive Short Édition short story dispensers thanks to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 2018. The dispensers print out short stories from three categories: Short Édition Stories, Children's Stories, and Local Stories. That last category allows for local writers to submit their original works. The stories are also categorized based on reading time: 1 minute, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes.

The short story dispensers occasionally rotate around Wichita and, as of December 1, 2022, one of them is stationed at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. What a great idea, especially in that location. Now, forgetful travelers like me can have something to read, at least during takeoff. And while it looks like a vending machine, from the video below, it appears that the stories are free.

10 of Sheri’s Favorite Books to Enjoy Reading

Ready to enjoy some relaxing time by falling deep into some great books? Sheri, from the Bob & Sheri show, is sharing with you some of her favorite books to read. Enjoy a late-night read or whenever you have some downtime with some of these great books. We may not be completely stuck in the house like before, but it is always good to enjoy a good read. Enjoy this list of some of Sheri's favorite books and share with us which ones become your favorites!

A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeir

The Outlander Series by Dian Gabaldon

Dune by Frank Herbert

Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.