Authors List View Shelly Tygielski SHELLY TYGIELSKI is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, speaker, and activist. She founded the global grassroots organization Pandemic of Love, which was featured on CNN’s Heroes, and is the co-host and executive producer of the television series All Hands on Deck. Tygielski is also the author of Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the World. Her latest book is How We Ended Racism: Realizing a New Possibility in One Generation (Sounds True), co-authored with Justin Michael Williams. Thrity Umrigar THRITY UMRIGAR is the bestselling author of nine previous books, which include Honor: A Novel, a Reese's Book Club Pick, as well as a memoir and three picture books. Her work has been published in more than 15 countries and in several languages. A former journalist, she has contributed to The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Cleveland's Plain Dealer, and other newspapers. She is a recipient of the Nieman Fellowship to Harvard University, and the winner of a Cleveland Arts Prize, the Seth Rosenberg Prize, and a Lambda Literary Award. She is currently a distinguished university professor of English at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Luis Alberto Urrea A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his landmark work of nonfiction The Devil’s Highway: A True Story, now in its 34th paperback printing, LUIS ALBERTO URREA is the author of numerous other works of nonfiction, poetry, and fiction, including the national bestsellers The Hummingbird’s Daughter: A Novel and The House of Broken Angels, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. A recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters award, among other honors, Urrea lives outside Chicago and teaches at the University of Illinois Chicago. John Vaillant JOHN VAILLANT’s acclaimed, award-winning nonfiction books, The Golden Spruce and The Tiger, were national bestsellers. His debut novel, The Jaguar’s Children, was a finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. He has received the Governor General’s Literary Award, British Columbia’s National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize, and the Pearson Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. He has written for, among others, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The Walrus. He lives in Vancouver. José Ignacio Valenzuela A JOSÉ IGNACIO VALENZUELA todos le dicen Chascas porque en Chile, su país de origen, se le llama así al cabello desordenado como el suyo. Escribe muchas historias de suspenso, policiacas y hasta románticas en libros, programas de televisión, obras de teatro y también películas. Este año presenta en la Feria Cuando nadie te ve (Ediciones B, 2023), un thriller en el que varias familias intentan mantener una imagen perfecta, pero cuando nadie las está mirando aparecen la ambición, el egoísmo, el odio, el deseo y la muerte. Ricardo Vasconcelos, PH.D. RICARDO VASCONCELOS, PH.D., is a professor of Portuguese and Brazilian literature and culture, as well as the Portuguese language. His areas of research and teaching include 19th- to 21st-century Luso-Brazilian poetry and prose; representations of national identity in Luso-Brazilian cinema and music; textual scholarship; the use of multimedia in foreign language learning; and program development. He is the author of Campo de relâmpagos – Leituras do excesso na poesia de Luís Miguel Nava, among other publications. He is currently researching on topics of Luso-Brazilian modernism, anthologies of 20th-century poetry, and the redescription of Portuguese national identity in a time of financial crisis. Lourdes Vázquez Fugas, el nuevo libro de la escritora puertorriqueña LOURDES VÁZQUEZ, (Ediciones Furtivas, 2023), es una colección de textos diversos, con temas en forma de viñetas, narraciones, poemas, aforismos, etc. Ofrece un recorrido vívido de su herencia, con vulnerabilidad y conexión hacia sentimientos tan importantes como la familia, el amor, la salud; así como otros más oscuros, como la muerte, el dolor, la enfermedad, la decadencia y la pérdida de la vida. Vázquez también reflexiona sobre el mundo y el apego humano a la memoria y la nostalgia. Fugas nos invita a reflexionar a través de su mirada sensible y profunda. Ana Veciana-Suarez ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ is a recipient of a CINTAS Fellowship and an Individual Artist Fellowship Award from the state of Florida for fiction writing. A syndicated columnist, her commentary has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, and various newspapers and websites. She lives in Miami. Abraham Verghese ABRAHAM VERGHESE is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the author of the National Book Critics Circle Award finalist My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story, the New York Times Notable Book The Tennis Partner: A Doctor’s Story of Friendship and Loss, and the bestselling Cutting for Stone: A Novel. Verghese has received five honorary degrees and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He lives and practices medicine in Stanford, California, where he is the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor and vice chair of the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His latest book is The Covenant of Water: A Novel (Grove Press). Caitlin Villacrusis Caitlin Villacrusis (she/they) is an aspiring Filipina American poet, a passionate photojournalist, and a self-confessed pessimist. A communication arts major and junior at a South Florida arts school, she is a Miami Book Fair Speak Up Student Ambassador and 2022 poetry mentee, and has participated in the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop, the Ellipsis Writing Online Workshops, and the BreakBread Literacy Project Literary Apprenticeship. She is an avid fan of New York School poets, 1980s movies and music, Greek myths, and Marvel movies. You can find her on Instagram at @catrose2022. Gastón Virkel GASTÓN VIRKEL es guionista, escritor y editor. Estudió publicidad y psicología en Argentina, su país de origen. Ha guionado y dirigido la película independiente De rodillas. Publicó Cuentos atravesados (SEd 2017) y la nouvelle Maldito Lasticön (SEd 2019). Sus textos aparecieron en numerosas antologías. Es parte del consejo editorial de Suburbano Ediciones en los Estados Unidos. Trabaja en una productora como Head of Development donde desarrolla documentales, series y películas. En días soleados se define simplemente como un storyteller para no dejar plataforma alguna fuera de sus posibilidades. Presenta en la Feria Neurosis Miami (SEd, 2023), una aventura desaforada de drogas, mezcal y erotismo. Una novela ácida y burlona ubicada en Miami, la ciudad menos literaria del mundo pero meca de las reinvenciones. Dr. Solanges Vivens DR. SOLANGES VIVENS, a visionary in health care entrepreneurship for more than 40 years, has transitioned her focus to media, forming Vivens Media Group and launching a motivational podcast series. Born in Haiti, Vivens climbed the nursing ladder, establishing Vital Management Team, Long Term Care, Inc. in 1988, dedicated to quality in health care. She holds degrees from Long Island University and Georgetown University, and a doctoral degree in humane letters from Voorhees College. A renowned lecturer and author, she’s contributed to numerous publications and institutions. In 2001, she was named one of the 50 Most Influential Minority Business Persons in America. She’s also the founder, CEO, and president of Centres D'Etudes Classique de Meyer Fund, USA, aiding more than 300 children annually in Haiti since 2005. A believer in education and overcoming challenges, Vivens stands as an emblem of resilience and ambition, encouraging others to surmount their obstacles and reach their aspirations. Frantz Voltaire Born in Haiti, FRANTZ VOLTAIRE is an esteemed historian, academic, filmmaker, and advocate for Afro-Caribbean and Black Canadian heritage, embodying the role of “passeur,” or transmitter of heritage. Experiencing oppression under Jean-Claude Duvalier, he relocated to Montreal in the 1970s, continuing his extensive academic pursuits and earning master’s degrees in political science and international relations. Montreal became the foundation for his efforts to preserve Afro-Caribbean culture, leading the CIDIHCA, an institution likened to a “little Smithsonian Institute for Haitians in Canada.” Voltaire, awarded the Order of Montreal and a medal from Quebec’s National Assembly, merges Afro-Canadian history with Canada's broader narrative. His impactful filmography and significant literary works, including Black Power in Haiti, extend his reach. Co-founding the Montreal Human Rights Film Festival and contributing to diverse advisory boards illustrate his commitment to community and rights advocacy. Author Sarah Martinez chronicled Voltaire's monumental contributions in Un étranger de l'intérieur, recognizing his continuous fight “for the dignity of people.” Cleo Wade CLEO WADE is a New York Times bestselling author and poet whose work explores the beauty, hope, and the power and practice of love within ourselves and our communities. Her books include Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life, Where to Begin: A Small Book about Your Power to Create Big Change, and What the Road Said. She is from New Orleans and currently lives in California with her partner, Simon, and their two daughters, Memphis and Bayou. Julie Marie Wade JULIE MARIE WADE is a member of the creative writing faculty at Florida International University in Miami. A winner of the Marie Alexander Poetry Series and the Lambda Literary Award for lesbian memoir, her collections of poetry and prose include Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures, Small Fires: Essays, Postage Due: Poems & Prose Poems, When I Was Straight, Same-Sexy Marriage: A Novella in Poems, Just an Ordinary Woman Breathing, and Skirted. Her collaborative titles include The Unrhymables: Collaborations in Prose, written with Denise Duhamel, and Telephone: Essays in Two Voices, written with Brenda Miller. Wade makes her home in Dania Beach, Florida, with her spouse, Angie Griffin, and their two cats. Her newest projects are Fugue: An Aural History (New Michigan Press) and Otherwise: Essays (Autumn House Press), selected by Lia Purpura for the 2022 Autumn House Press Nonfiction Book Prize. Lena Waithe LENA WAITHE – actor, producer, Emmy-winning writer, and founder of her own media empire, Hillman Grad – continues to lead the cultural revolution in Hollywood with creativity, diversity, and charisma. She expertly taps into emerging societal trends with a sharp wit, speaking to myriad experiences from her unique perspective while spotlighting underrepresented voices and challenging audiences to think outside conventional norms. Her comprehensive slate of work boasts projects at Warner Bros., Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Universal, Focus, HBO, HBO Max, and Showtime, and includes BET’s Twenties – a semi-autobiographical series she wrote and executive produced that was praised for being the first primetime series starring a masculine-presenting queer woman of color in a lead role. Waithe currently serves as executive producer of the critically acclaimed series The Chi, a relevant, timely, and distinctive coming-of-age story that follows six interrelated characters in Chicago’s South Side. Gregory Wallance GREGORY WALLANCE is a lawyer and writer who lives in New York. He is the author of Papa's Game, which received a nonfiction nomination for an Edgar Allan Poe Award; America's Soul in the Balance: The Holocaust, FDR's State Department, and the Moral Disgrace of an American Aristocracy; The Woman Who Fought an Empire: Sarah Aaronsohn and Her Nili Spy Ring; and the historical novel Two Men Before the Storm: Arba Crane's Recollection of the Supreme Court Case that Started the Civil War. Wallance has written op-eds for The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, C-SPAN, and the Today show. He is currently a contributor to The Hill. Jeannette Walls JEANNETTE WALLS graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than eight years. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Silver Star: A Novel, and Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel, which was named one of the 10 best books of 2009 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Walls lives in rural Virginia with her husband, the writer John Taylor. Lisa Carmen Wang LISA CARMEN WANG is the founder of Bad Bitch Empire, a global community platform building unapologetic worth and wealth for women. She is a former Olympic-level, four-time USA National Champion and USA Hall of Fame gymnast, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, international speaker, certified executive coach, and host of the Bad Bitch Empire podcast. She is also an executive board member of Fast Company and has been recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, Red Bull Hero of the Year, and an Entrepreneur Magazine 100 Most Powerful Women. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Business Insider, USA Today, Nasdaq, CNN, and many more. Wang started her career as a hedge fund analyst and is a graduate of Yale University. Evan Wang EVAN WANG is the youth poet laureate of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Kerry Washington KERRY WASHINGTON is an Emmy-winning, SAG, and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director, and producer who received widespread recognition for her role as Olivia Pope on ABC’s hit drama Scandal. In 2016 Washington launched her production company Simpson Street, whose projects include HBO’s Confirmation, Netflix’s American Son, Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, the Emmy award-winning ABC special Live in Front of a Studio Audience, and the documentary film The Fight. She is also a lifelong activist and founder of Influence Change (IC21), an initiative that partners with nonprofits to increase voter turnout, and a member of a coalition working to found The Roybal School, aiming to drive change across the entertainment industry for students from underserved communities. For her efforts, Washington was honored as one of Time magazine’s 2022 Women of The Year. LaToya Watkins LATOYA WATKINS’ debut novel, Perish, was published to great acclaim in 2022. Her writing has appeared in A Public Space, The Sun, McSweeney’s, and the Kenyon Review, among other publications. She has received grants, scholarships, and fellowships from the Camargo Foundation, MacDowell, Yaddo, and elsewhere. She lives and teaches in a suburb of Dallas. Her latest book, Holler, Child: Stories (Tiny Reparations Books), has been longlisted for a 2023 National Book Award for Fiction. Ruth P. Watson RUTH P. WATSON is the author of Blackberry Days of Summer: A Novel; An Elderberry Fall; Cranberry Winter: A Novel; and Strawberry Spring. A musical stage play, Blackberry Daze, is based on her debut novel. She is the recipient of the Caversham Fellowship, an artist and writer residency in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where she published Our Secret Bond, her first children’s book, in Zulu. She is a freelance writer and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and has written for Upscale, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and other publications. She is an adjunct professor and project manager and lives with her family in Atlanta. Jennifer Weiss-Wolf JENNIFER WEISS-WOLF is the executive director of strategy and partnerships at Ms. magazine, as well as a regular contributor whose work appears in the 50 Years of Ms. collection. She is also a lawyer, advocate, and frequent writer on issues of gender, feminism, and politics. Her writing and work have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, and Teen Vogue, and on NPR, PBS, and NowThis, among others. Weiss-Wolf is the author of the book Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity and serves as executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law. Kimberly White KIMBERLY WHITE serves as the youth services coordinator for Broward County Libraries Division's community engagement team, a position she has held since 2017. As part of the team, she believes in the power of libraries as an essential part of a vibrant community. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in New London, Connecticut, where she first started to see how vital it was to connect emerging and reluctant readers with the books they truly loved. Upon completion of her master's degree in library science, she worked with an academic imprint of Gale Cengage and discovered the joys of archives and primary source materials. In 2010, she began working as a youth services librarian in suburban and urban public libraries and since then has enjoyed creating connections between libraries, families, and community organizations. Yohuru Williams YOHURU WILLIAMS is a professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of numerous books, including Teaching U.S. History Beyond the Textbook, Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, and Black Freedom Fighter. Williams is the former chief historian of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and appeared in Ken Burns' Jackie Robinson documentary, and was one of the hosts of Sound Smart, the History Channel’s popular YouTube program. His educational videos on civil rights, social movements, and other historic events have garnered more than 1 million views. His latest book, More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), co-written with Michael G. Long, is longlisted for a 2023 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Kidada E. Williams KIDADA E. WILLIAMS is an associate professor of history at Wayne State University and the author of I Saw Death Coming: A History of Terror and Survival in the War Against Reconstruction. Justin Michael Williams JUSTIN MICHAEL WILLIAMS brings people together across divides with a multigenerational message of hope, empowerment, and unity. He is an award-winning speaker, Grammy-nominated recording artist, and the author of Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us. His latest book, How We Ended Racism: Realizing a New Possibility in One Generation (Sounds True), was co-authored with Shelly Tygielski. Chris Wilson CHRIS WILSON is a Baltimore-based visual artist and social justice advocate. Through his work, he investigates societal injustices, human relationships, and public policies. His artwork is collected and displayed internationally. He is also the founder of the Chris Wilson Foundation, which supports social entrepreneurs and prison education, including re-entry and financial literacy for returning citizens, as well as art-related programs. The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose (G.P. Putnam's Sons), co-written with Bret Witter, is his debut book. Leslie Wimmer LESLIE WIMMER co-founded the Open Books and Records record store in 1979 in South Florida and the Open Records recording label in the early '80s. The label released the first singles, EP, and Live at the Button album by Charlie Pickett & the Eggs, and in 1982, the era-defining compilation album The Land That Time Forgot, which featured several important first-wave Florida alternative bands. Posts navigation ← Previous 1 … 14 15 16 17 18 Next →
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