Cheri Ause
In 2010, Cheri and her husband moved from Salt Lake City to Gualala, where she writes poetry and short fiction. After spending most of her adult life teaching teenagers the finer points of literature, grammar, and composition, she now luxuriates in the opportunity to write for herself. In April, she was a featured poet at the 2011 Whale and Jazz Festival’s Poetry and Jazz event. She won the First Place Prize for the 2011 Gualala Arts Short Story Contest, and won Third Place in the 2012 Gualala Arts Poetry Contest. Her writing appears both online and in print publications. Learn more about Cheri and her publishing at
http://www.cheriause.blogspot.com
http://www.cheriause.blogspot.com
John Bear
Author or co-author of about 35 books with major publishers (Random House, McGraw-Hill, Harcourt, Time-Life, Ten Speed, etc.) and a few self-published ones, on computers, cookery, effective complaining, higher education, the bestseller phenomenon, communication, humor, shopping, and Mendocino. John and Marina have been married for more than 47 years, lived in Mendocino for ten years in the '70s-'80s, and are presently dividing their time between Berkeley and Fort Bragg. After more than 40 nonfiction books, together or singly, they are working on their first novel.
Henrietta Bensussen
Henri/etta Bensussen has published poems and stories in various journals and anthologies, including Blue Mesa Review, Eclipse, and Sinister Wisdom. She writes humorous short stories from a feminist viewpoint that often explore sexual issues rather than tragedy and death. She leaves those themes for her poetry. Her most recent publication was in Bridges: A Jewish Feminist Journal. She developed proofreading skills from working 18 years at Stanford University Press. Her waking hours are taken up with writing, gardening, birding, baking muffins, and volunteering at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and other organizations.Recently published:
- "A Talk by Dr. Walt," "Raccoon Nights," Beach Towns," and "Winter Migration,"
- Mendocino Arts Magazine (Spring/Summer 2013), "White Camellia," Amphigoric Sauce Factory (May 2013), and
- "Doughnuts, or The Dogs that Howled at Midnight" published in the anthology "Wolf Craft," Ron Koppelberger, ed.(2013)
Tony Camarda
Tony Camarda has been writing, producing, and performing live theatre for almost 20 years. He's been seen dancing, fighting, making sweet love to tympanis, and having Socratic dialogues with a seething animus in the world's first Percussive Opera. He was your morally ambiguous Ringmaster and daredevil in the Mendocino born Flynn Creek Circus. He can currently be seen on the silver screen as the dastardly villain in the feature-length silent film “Love in the Age of Corruption”.
Standing in Gorda is Tony's first book. It is a moment in interesting times, captured at both a glacial and manic pace. Readers are averaging 1700 laughs and 4 good solid cries on the first reading.
Standing in Gorda is Tony's first book. It is a moment in interesting times, captured at both a glacial and manic pace. Readers are averaging 1700 laughs and 4 good solid cries on the first reading.
Alena Deerwater
A spiritual counselor and teacher, Alena’s medium is writing. She’s currently working on her book, Writing Down the Dreams: a guide to working with dreams to access and experience your calling. Alena began teaching journal-writing and practicing dreamwork over 20 years ago. She has a Masters from the Institute of Imaginal Studies. By 50, she had accumulated over 126 journals, overflowing with dreams, stories, writing riffs, and kvetching. She has written a YA novel, poetry, short stories, and has a memoir in progress. She’s exploring beyond her spiral-bound notebooks by blogging and writing for Exterminating Angel Press.
Molly Dwyer
Molly’s debut novel, Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein, was nominated for the 2009 Northern California Book Award in Fiction; was Winner of the 2008 Independent Publishers Book of the Year Award, and the 2008 Indie Book Award for Historical Fiction. Molly teaches Critical Thinking at Mendocino College and runs private critique groups. Her second novel, The Appassionata, is set in 19th century Paris, and her third novel, Point of Departure, she describes as a “paranormal cosmological romance that’s sort of sci-fi and sort of autobiographical.”
Website: http://www.mollydwyer.com/
Website: http://www.mollydwyer.com/
Jan Edwards
Jan Edwards took the bohemian path to writing, winding through theater, sewing, meditation, jewelry, felting, radio and politics. Along the way she dabbled in most styles of prose, and a bit of poetry. She has published non-fiction articles on The Commons, Corporate Personhood and Rights of Nature, has one published novel and a new one seeking an agent. Jan lives on the ridge above Point Arena with husband Bill and dog Hugo. She is also a proud new grandmother. Check out some of her writing at: http://www.peacefuljewelry.com/writer/Jan_Edwards_writer.html
Maureen Eppstein
Maureen Eppstein has published poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Her two most recent poetry collections are Quickening and Rogue Wave at Glass Beach, both published by March Street Press. Her poetry has won many awards and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Website: http://www.maureen-eppstein.com/
Website: http://www.maureen-eppstein.com/
Doug Fortier
In the ’60s, computers provided Doug his first taste of creative expression. Until retirement in 1997, he actively explored computer languages and hardware technology while working in small companies. For five years he developed painting skills and studied visual arts at Mendocino JC. He's been writing since 2006 and has won two awards for short fiction in the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference.
Website: www.dougfortier.com
Website: www.dougfortier.com
Jay Frankston
Raised in Paris, Jay Frankston came to the US in 1942. He practiced law in New York for 20 years. In 1972, he gave up law and New York, and moved to California to become a college instructor. Nationally published, Jay’s books have been condensed in Reader’s Digest and translated into 15 languages. A Christmas Story, a true story, has been read by millions, and included in anthologies from Germany to Korea. El Sereno, his latest novel, is a short epic set in Spain with authentic historical background. It took ten years and two trips to Madrid to complete.
Website: http://wholeloafbooks.mcn.org/christmas/index.htm
Website: http://wholeloafbooks.mcn.org/christmas/index.htm
Stasha Ginsburg
The body holds the stories. Stasha writes from the body and teaches embodied life story writing, monologue & performance. She has been a poet-writer in the schools, storyteller, performer, red nose clown, nourishing soup cook and is mama to a delightfully communicative toddler. Stasha has worked with youth and adults in rural and urban areas in the US, Russia, England, Italy and Mexico. She is author of the coming of age adventure memoir, Girltruth from the Belly (she is currently shopping it around). She received her MA in Transformative Language Arts from Goddard College and her poetry, essays and short stories have been published online, in an academic journal, and upcoming anthology. You can see a performance of her monologue, Becoming Human or visit her website, http://girltruthfromthebelly.wordpress.com.
Mary Ellen Goggin Read Introduction to Relationship Transformation
Mary Ellen Goggin has worked with individuals and businesses for 35 years as a lawyer, mediator, personal coach and educator. She received her J.D. at University of New Hampshire Law School and a Master's Degree at Harvard University. Ms .Goggin is the co-author of Relationship Transformation: Have Your Cake and Eat It Too-A Practical Guide for Couples Who Want To Be Free and Connected. She lives in Northern California with her husband and co-author, Dr. Jerry Duberstein. Go to www.relationshiptransformers.com for more information about coaching, teleseminars, couples retreats, and couples-in-crisis interventions.
Alena Guest
Alena enjoyed early success as a professional actress in television, theatre and film before focusing her full attention on her first love, painting. After receiving formal art training at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, Alena was tutored by well known, abstract expressionist, Judith Hale. Painting seriously for over a decade now, Alena’s signature style has emerged, Her engaging work begins with an acrylic underpainting, teeming with vivid color, Then, using pastel, gold leaf, or ink, she completes her pieces with resonating symbology. Working intuitively, Alena summons images that are universally potent as well as personally powerful.
Gay Jolissaint
“My next great adventure,” says Gay, “is learning the fine craft of writing for publication. I’ve written stories and kept journals over the years, but now I finally have the time to devote to writing what is near and dear to my heart; stories for children.”
Don Kirkpatrick Read samples of Don's writing
Both native Californians from Healdsburg, Don and Shirley Kirkpatrick married in 1953 during their senior year at U.C. Berkeley. They accepted teaching positions in Marin County before Don became a school principal in Davis. Don finished his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1971. In 1975 they moved to Mendocino where Don was School Superintendent for fourteen years. Shirley raised three children and taught school in the Fort Bragg School District. After retiring in 1989, Don and Shirley sought positions overseas. Don became Superintendent of the Saudi Arabian International School District in Dhahran and Shirley continued to teach. Both kept journals of their experiences. They wrote home to family and friends and many of their letters were published in local newspapers – especially during the First Gulf War. Letters, journal entries, and personal observations are incorporated in the book Saudi Sojourn, A Dangerous Duty. It tells their story of living in a culture far different from our own. Don and Shirley are now collaborating with Don's sister, Elizabeth, and brother, Bob, on a second book Growing up in Healdsburg. It will be finished for Christmas, 2012.
Karen Lewis
While her first love was poetry, Karen Lewis also writes fiction, essays, and nonfiction for youth. She leads workshops for local K-12 students with California Poets in the Schools, holds an MFA in Creative Writing and occasionally teaches Literature or Creative Writing at the college level. Karen has also edited a number of poetry anthologies for others and is in the midst of creating her own collection.
Jewels Joyce Marcus
Neophyte poet, fiction and personal essay writer. Sardonic, sarcastic, iconoclast
learning the craft in spite of latent adolescent resistance. More will be revealed.
learning the craft in spite of latent adolescent resistance. More will be revealed.
Walt McKeown
Dr. Walt McKeown is a science journalist. He was the on-air weatherman for The Coast radio, KOZT from 1980 to 1989. His television experience includes KSRO, KRCB, and KRON. Dr. McKeown hosted the PBS science series, WeatherWords, and other TV science specials, including one on Halley’s Comet in 1985. In April 2000, Dr. McKeown became the Senior Scientist at the Naval Atlantic Meteorology and Oceanographic Center (NLMOC) in Norfolk, VA. His publications are scientific in nature and include articles in the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technologyand the Bulletin of the American Meteorology Society.
Additional biography: http://www.noaatech2004.noaa.gov/abstracts/ab57_mckeown.html
Additional biography: http://www.noaatech2004.noaa.gov/abstracts/ab57_mckeown.html
Nancy Harris McLelland Read Nancy's writing, "Go Back" + links to published works
Nancy Harris McLelland divides her time between a historic Finnish homestead near Mendocino, California and her high desert retreat in Tuscarora, Nevada. After teaching language arts and literature for twenty-three years at Mendocino College in Ukiah, she finally has time to write; start a small business, Tuscarora Writers Retreats; and launch two literary blogs, WritingfromSpace and Rumination.
McLelland served on the board of directors of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference and was on the initial steering committee to establish the Writers of the Mendocino Coast.
See link: Facebook Tuscarora Writers Retreats
McLelland served on the board of directors of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference and was on the initial steering committee to establish the Writers of the Mendocino Coast.
See link: Facebook Tuscarora Writers Retreats
Ty Moore Read an excerpt of Ty's short story "Awake"
Ty recently moved to Manchester after twenty years living in Reno, NV. He relocated with his partner, Jodi, and their dog, Spud, to continue his role with the federal non-profit Naked Whale Research, a killer whale research organization. In addition to performing duties as board chair and grant writer, Ty is writing literary and science fiction in an effort to fulfill his childhood dream of full time fiction writing. Ty worked in higher education administration for fourteen years, and also teaches college level English and humanities courses. He completed a novel manuscript this summer and has been looking for an agent. Ty's current writing project is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel. He has a writer's blog at http://tjamesmoore.wordpress.com/ and is considering expanding his writing interests to poetry.
Lisa Norman
Journalist/photographer, consummate storyteller, Lisa worked as reporter and sports editor (first woman) for the Fort Bragg Advocate-News andMendocino Beacon. She holds degrees in English and Communications from the University of Pennsylvania. For the last decade she’s edited (and written for) the Real Estate Magazine, 26 stories a year—about Mendocino County. Her projects: memoir, cookbooks, illustrated children’s book, self-help/inspiration, and The Mendocino Review--Mendocino’s first journal of literature, music, and art, acquired in 2010. Go to Yelp for her review as a bodyworker. Google her for published stories, dance/theatre performances, and YouTube appearances (as gourmet and raw food chef).
Katy Pye
Born and raised in a Northern California farming town, being home meant summer camp in the redwoods. An “evolver” (as opposed to dreaded, “late bloomer”,) she sold bearings-belts-and chains to farmers, owned a catering and cooking school business, earned a college degree at 42, and is a wife & mother. A retired Executive Director of a California Resource Conservation District, Katy moved to the Mendocino coast and built one form of environmentalism into another: a debut, YA novel, Elizabeth’s Landing. Launched in April 2013 as an e-book and in paperback, you can find out more at http://katypye.com.
Ginny Rorby
Ginny Rorby holds an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Miami, an MFA in Creative Writing from the Florida International University, and is the author of 4 novels for Young Adults, Dolphin Sky, (Putnam, ’96) and Hurt Go Happy, (Tor Books, ’06) which won the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award (2008 and has also been nominated for six state reading awards. The Outside of a Horse (Dial Penguin,’10) is a Scholastic Book Fair selection, andLost in the River of Grass (Lerner Books ‘11) is a Junior Library Guild selection.
Website: www.ginnyrorby.com
Website: www.ginnyrorby.com
Adrienne Ross
IN THE EYES, IN THE MOUTH
stories by Adrienne Ross
BAIPA winner 2011
IPPY winner 2011
“Exacting in detail and abundant in observation, these stories offer readers the precision and intimacy of Dutch interior paintings. Ross’s loving attention to detail shows us why the smallest events in our lives are often the most memorable. Her voice is fresh, witty, and incisive, and her fictional world is whimsical, melancholy, and utterly familiar.” –Debora Lichtman, former director, Graduate Writing Program, University of San Francisco
Website: http://www.adrienneross.net/
stories by Adrienne Ross
BAIPA winner 2011
IPPY winner 2011
“Exacting in detail and abundant in observation, these stories offer readers the precision and intimacy of Dutch interior paintings. Ross’s loving attention to detail shows us why the smallest events in our lives are often the most memorable. Her voice is fresh, witty, and incisive, and her fictional world is whimsical, melancholy, and utterly familiar.” –Debora Lichtman, former director, Graduate Writing Program, University of San Francisco
Website: http://www.adrienneross.net/
Steve Sapontzis
After studying at Rice University and the University of Paris, Steve received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale in 1971. That same year, he began teaching philosophy at the California State University campus in Hayward and continued to do so until failing vision forced him to retire from teaching in 1997. His philosophical specialties were Ethics, particularly animal rights and moral relativism, 20th century European philosophy, particularly French existentialism, and logic. He published a book on animal rights, Morals, Reason, and Animals, with Temple University Press, edited another on vegetarianism, Food for Thought, The Debate over Eating Meat, for Prometheus Books, and contributed dozens of articles, both academic and popular, to a wide variety of journals and magazines. He co-founded and for a decade co-edited the animal rights journal Between the Species. With his wife, Jeanne Gocker, Steve co-founded and continues to direct Hayward Friends of Animals, a non-sheltering S.P.C.A., which sponsors Second Chance, Helping the Pets of People in Need. Second Chance helps low-income dog owners living on the Mendocino Coast feed, care for, spay or neuter, and get veterinary care for their companion animals. You can check out their website at www.SecondChanceFortBragg.org.
Norma Watkins
Norma Watkins is author of a memoir The Last Resort: Taking the Mississippi Cure, about civil rights, women wronged, good food and bad sex. She has a PhD in English, an M.F.A. in Creative writing, and teaches fiction and memoir at College of the Redwoods.
Website: www.normawatkins.com
Website: www.normawatkins.com
