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Stanley Kusunoki

Stanley Kusunoki is the author of five collections of poetry: 180 Days—Reflections and Observations of a Teacher, Items in the News, Shelter in Place—Poems...
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Amina Baha

Amina Baha is a Minneapolis-based operations leader, nonprofit founder, and lifelong student of Afghan history and culture. A first-generation Afghan refugee who came to...
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Sandra Hisakuni

Sandra Hisakuni is a writer, poet, and English language teacher who has lived and taught in Japan, China, and the United States. She is...
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Marique Moss

Marique Moss is an Afro Indigenous (Hidatsa and African American) author, poet, educator, and herbalist from Minneapolis, MN. An enrolled citizen of the Mandan,...
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Mary Quirk

As a freelance writer since 1997, Mary Quirk has authored book chapters, news and feature articles, and educational materials for healthcare professionals and people...
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John Rust

John Rust is a Minnesota wilderness writer, photographer, conservation advocate, and author of Exploring Wilderness: From Heart-Racing Adventure to Tranquility. Drawing on decades of...
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Derek Francis

Derek Francis is a lifelong Twin Cities resident and educator with more than 15 years of experience. He began as a high school counselor,...
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Renee Gilmore

Renee Gilmore is the author of Wayfinding: A Memoir. She is a neurodivergent multi-genre writer, essayist, and poet, and she fearlessly explores the illusion...
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Peg Guilfoyle

Writer and speaker Peg Guilfoyle’s latest book is An Eye for Joy: Noticing the Good World Everywhere. She is the originator and writer of...
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Damone Bester

Damone Bester is a two-time award-winning author whose debut novel Mendel received both a BookFest Award and a Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Fiction....

Colleen Baldrica

Inspired by the teachings of her Native American grandmother, Colleen Baldrica began her spiritual journey as a child. The wisdom of these teachings guided her while earning both a Masters degree in School Counseling and a Ph.D. in The Philosophy of Education as well as becoming an award-winning author, presenter, and teacher. The mission of…
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Christine Bauer

Christine Bauer’s book Those Three Words: A Birth Mother’s Story of Choice, Chance, and Motherhood chronicles her journey of experiencing an unplanned pregnancy at age 18, the agonizing decision she needed to make, and its impact on her life. Bauer majored in Mass Communications at Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota and has had a…
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Marion Dane Bauer

Marion Dane Bauer has published over 100 books, ranging from board books and picture books through early readers, both fiction and nonfiction, books on writing, middle-grade, and young-adult novels. She is the editor of the ground-breaking collection of gay-and-lesbian-themed short stories, Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence. She was one of the founders…
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Nicole Belle-Isle

Nicole Belle-Isle was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She has a Master of Education degree and is a licensed teacher in special education as well as in reading. She has been working in the education field since 2001, has worked with children of all ages, and currently works at a high school in St.…
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Ryan Berg

Ryan Berg is a writer, activist, and teaching artist at the Shipman Agency’s Work Room. His debut book, No House to Call My Home: Love, Family and Other Transgressions, won the 2016 Minnesota Book Award for General Nonfiction, the 2016 NCCD Media for a Just Society Award, and was listed as a Top 10 LGBTQ…
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Damone Bester

Damone Bester is a two-time award-winning author whose debut novel Mendel received both a BookFest Award and a Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Fiction. His highly anticipated sequel, Blue Smoke Rises, releases in 2026. Known for bold storytelling that blends emotional depth with social insight, Bester teaches writers how to develop authentic voice, build compelling…
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Sara Biren

Sara Biren is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is a content and social media manager for a Minneapolis marketing firm and offers freelance editing and copywriting services. She lives northwest of Minneapolis with her husband and their two children.…
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Peter Bognanni

Peter Bognanni is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His debut novel, The House of Tomorrow, won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for first fiction and the ALA Alex Award and was adapted into a feature film. His second novel, Things I’m Seeing Without You, was a Minnesota Book Award finalist. He teaches…
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A.J. Briscoe

A.J. Briscoe is an author, entrepreneur, and founder of the non-profit community literacy initiative “To Succeed You Must Read.” His mission is to assist in raising the literacy levels in underserved communities. Briscoe has established strategic partnerships with various schools, businesses, and community pillars in an effort to impact the lives of our young people…
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Mary Casanova

Once a can’t-sit-still reader, Mary Casanova now writes stories that matter and books readers can’t put down. She is the author of numerous award-winning books, from picture books (One-Dog Canoe) to books and book-inspired movies for American Girl (Grace); from middle grade adventure novels (Wolf Shadows and The Klipfish Code) as well as historical fiction…
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