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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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Charissa Bates

Charissa Bates is an award-winning children’s author, children’s mental health therapist, and speaker who is passionate about helping families find joy through storytelling. She...
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Connie Wanek

Connie Wanek lived for over a quarter century in Duluth, Minnesota. She is the author of 10 books, including Rival Gardens: New and Selected...
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Helen Weil

Helen Weil is a poet, writer, and educator from the Chicago suburbs who loves ghost stories and love stories in equal measure. She studied...
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Vanessa Lee Christensen

Vanessa Lee Christensen graduated with an M.A. in Education & Human Development from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is daughter to...
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Sarah Ghazal Ali

Sarah Ghazal Ali is a Pakistani American writer. She is the author of the poetry collection Theophanies, winner of the GLCA New Writers Award...
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Teresa Peterson

Teresa Peterson (Upper Sioux Community) is author of Perennial Ceremony: Lessons and Gifts from a Dakota Garden. She and her uncle, Super LaBatte co-authored...
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Maren Daniels

Maren Daniels, M.A. Ed., is the author-illustrator of The Elements of Art: An Elementary Teacher’s Guide to Color, Shape, Texture & More. As an...
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Minda Gomez

Minda Gomez lives in Minnesota with her husband and three spunky bilingual kids. Their family has created their own brand of "Mexigringo" as they...
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Deb Mercier

Deb Mercier is the author of multiple books for young readers across a wide span of ages and genres, including choose-your-path mysteries, historical fiction,...

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, supporting graduation success for historically marginalized students. He later served as Manager of Counseling and Executive Director of Equity and School Climate for Minneapolis Public Schools, leading district-wide initiatives including expanding…
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Annette Gagliardi

Annette Gagliardi is a poet whose work has appeared in literary journals in Canada, England, and the US. Her first full-length poetry collection, titled A Short Supply of Viability, was published through The Poetry Box. Gagliardi notices the intricate details of lives lived around her. She notices the dimensions of nature, time, and the human…
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Minda Gomez

Minda Gomez lives in Minnesota with her husband and three spunky bilingual kids. Their family has created their own brand of “Mexigringo” as they blend their Papi’s Mexican culture with their Mami’s Minnesotan culture. Gomez is a teacher of English Learners at a local elementary school. She has taught second grade in Mexico and volunteered…
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Naima Haji

Naima Haji is an author, consultant, family educator, and dedicated advocate for early childhood literacy. She is passionate about bilingual family education and aspires to kindle a similar passion in others, encouraging them to invest in the growth and development of early childhood education within families. Haji lives in in St. Cloud, Minnesota with her…
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Tashia Hart

Tashia Hart is an author, culinary ethnobotanist, artist, photographer, and cook. Her wild foods education started in the field and in the kitchen with a father who fishes, hunts, and harvests; a mom who cherishes plants, and a grandmother who was a career cook and baker. Hart has led foraging expeditions and developed recipes for…
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Carolyn Holbrook

Carolyn Holbrook is a writer, educator, and an advocate for the healing power of the arts. Her memoir, Tell Me Your Names and I Will Testify, won the 2021 Minnesota Book Award for Memoir and Creative Nonfiction. She is co-editor with David Mura of the anthology, We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from…
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Ursula Murray Husted

Ursula Murray Husted is a graphic novelist who received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and BFA from Marshall University. (Photo credit: Bryan Bornmueller)
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Hudda Ibrahim

Hudda Ibrahim graduated from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, majoring in Conflict Resolution and English Literature. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. Her books include From Somalia to Snow, What Color is My Hijab?, and Lula Wants…
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Laura James

Born and raised in Minnesota, Laura James worked in the production and recording departments at the Twin Cities Public Television Station; and after being tasked with creating, writing, and editing a variety of projects, her interest in writing increased. She changed her goal, focused on writing, and eventually fulfilled her dream of becoming an author.…
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Edith Karras

Edith Marie Karras has been taking pictures for more than 30 years and has lived in Minneapolis since 1985. Over the decades she has participated in numerous art fairs and shows and currently is an artist member and board member of Vine Arts Center. Karras uses her photographs to create ceramic tiles, posters, scarves, canvas…
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