AKA my college professor, Ken Yohn. Prepare to be flattered, professor.

From 2007 to 2010, I had the absolute pleasure of attending McPherson College, a small liberal arts school in the middle of Kansas.
Without McPherson, I simply wouldn’t have written this book. Here’s why.
I was a transfer from a JuCo, and came in mid-year. Spring of 2007 my goal was to get as many pre-recs out of the way so I could focus on my major: communication/PR. One of those required courses was a 100 level history course.
I was completely enraptured. That professor’s name was Gary Entz, and his intense and story-telling way of teaching history was unlike anything I had taken in my social studies classes in the past. I wanted more. At the end of that first semester, I declared a second major: history.
Then I met Ken Yohn. The most chill, understanding, engaging, kind, and worldly man. He told me that my idea for my undergraduate history thesis was a great idea. Of course it was, it was about 18th century female pirates.
He encouraged me, helped me hone my craft, helped me get resources that seemed out of reach, like 1750s documents held in Harvard’s library, and told me my quirky histories were worth pursuing.
Without the history professors at McPherson, I would not have gone on to get my master’s at Wichita State, and my undying love of unusual tales in the past would never have been explored.
It was only natural when I began researching THE RHINO KEEPER that I asked Ken to be a beta reader. He is a maritime expert, speaks Dutch, and has been to the Netherlands many times. He not only read and helped and clarified the histories, he also went to Amsterdam and while there, explored a Dutch East Indiaman and came back with a flash drive full of videos and photos.
Of course we had to go to get pho at our favorite restaurant to celebrate. And when THE RHINO KEEPER was published, Ken gifted me a VOC coin. I just love this guy so much. I remember on graduation day in 2010, he told me “This is a sad day for me. I’m going to miss you.”
The best part of that is this: We’re still friends. And without him, you wouldn’t be reading the book.
I wanted to honor him, and so I named Andrea’s professor, Paul Hahn, in a very similar manner to Ken Yohn.


Paul’s description: (which was the audiobook’s audition, so I basically have it memorized!)
She knocked on the professor’s door. It was covered in inclusivity and safe space posters and a giant sticker of a pirate ship. There was no answer. Andrea slid to the floor, tried to stop her anxious habit of rubbing her fingertips together, and sipped what was let of her coffee. She pulled up the picture of the document again, zooming in on the rhino.
Footsteps sounded near the stairs, and Andrea hopped up, eager to make a good first impression. A pair of black Chuck Taylors rounded the corner. She smiled, thinking, check this guy out. He wore loose-fitting jeans, the hem damp from puddles, a puffy red jacket, brown knitted mittens, a rainbow scarf, shoulder-length blonde hair, thick glasses, and a gray newsboy cap. He automatically made Andrea happy.
A few tidbits:
In a version of the forthcoming THE PORCELAIN MENAGERIE, Andrea’s story continued. While that was scrapped early on by me, it did include a cute love story between Paul Hahn and Andrea’s mom. So you can hang on to that.
Ken and Paul share a love of maritime history and rare, strange tidbits. This kind of history is very important and deserves to be taught. Take the history classes, friends!
One of my major regrets Andrea gets to live out. I never got to travel abroad for school, but Ken leads a group of students nearly every year to Europe. College kids, take the opportunity. If you can, ask for help financially for it. The colleges want you to have these special times. You won’t regret it.
What do you think? Did I do a good job honoring my favorite, Ken Yohn? :)
What! 18th century female pirates! I want a copy! I'm featuring pirates in an upcoming work. Did not know we shared and interest in pirates. As a college professor, I can tell you that tribute to your prof will forever mean so much to him. Such a great idea, and this is such a super background story, too. Kudos.
I have known Ken Yohn for over 20 years. Every word you say is true and more. Open minded, scholarly, empathetic, kind, funny and great company. He also knows the laws of Cricket and the qualities of craft beer!