Minnesota

WRITERS

DIRECTORY

Featured Writers

Liz Heinecke

Liz Heinecke thrives at the intersection of science and the arts. With an undergraduate degree in art, a master’s degree in bacteriology, and 10 years of laboratory research, Heinecke shares her love of science regularly on television, on social media, and in print. Her book, Ecology for Kids: Science Experiments…

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Nate Patrin

Nate Patrin is a St. Paul resident and cultural critic specializing in popular music. Since the late 1990s, his work has appeared in sites and publications including Pitchfork, Stereogum, Spin, Red Bull Music Academy, The Shfl, and City Pages. He is the author of two books: Bring That Beat Back:…

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John Rosengren

John Rosengren is a freelance journalist and Pulitzer nominee who’s written for The Atlantic, GQ, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, and The Washington Post Magazine, among others. He’s authored 10 books, including Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes, the definitive biography of the Jewish Hall of Famer, and the novel…

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Erin Sharkey

Erin Sharkey is a writer, arts and abolition organizer, cultural worker, and film producer based in Minneapolis. She is the editor of A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars. Sharkey is a founding coop member of the Fields at Rootsprings, a retreat and respite space in central Minnesota, and co-founder, with Junauda…

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Paul Bogard

Paul Bogard is the author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His most recent works include Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World, the coffee table book To Know a Starry Night, and the…

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Scott Dikkers

Scott Dikkers founded TheOnion.com and co-wrote its bestselling books. Widely regarded as one of the most influential pioneers in comedy, his visionary leadership at The Onion, his groundbreaking comic strip Jim’s Journal, and his multiple top-10 comedy podcasts have earned him millions of fans all over the world. Rolling Stone named him one of its…

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Keenan Jones

Keenan Jones, an author in Plymouth, Minnesota, grew up in Gary, Indiana and south suburban Chicago. Coming from a family of educators, pastors, athletes, and musicians, he shifted to education after a college basketball injury, working as an elementary teacher before returning to writing. Jones believes literacy can inspire youth to dream and achieve greatness,…

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Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Thomas Kingsley Troupe is the author of the Furry & Flo series along with over 300 other fiction and non-fiction books for kids. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading, playing video games, and investigating haunted places with the Twin Cities Paranormal Society. Otherwise, he’s probably taking a nap or something. He lives in Woodbury,…

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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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Karen E. Cooper

Karen E. Cooper is the author of When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls. Cooper has discovered the rowdy, forgotten past at Minnehaha Falls, decades when every kind of shenanigans flourished at the Falls. The book, her first, won the 2023 Emilie Buchwald Award for Minnesota Nonfiction and was a finalist…

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John Noltner

A gifted storyteller, John Noltner has worked on four continents, gathering stories of human courage, grace, and resilience. He has produced projects for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. He is the founder of A Peace of My Mind, a multimedia arts project that uses portraits and personal stories to bridge divides and…

The Minnesota Writers Directory is a project of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. The Library of Congress designated The Friends as Minnesota’s Center in 2012, and in that role The Friends promotes reading, literacy, and libraries throughout Minnesota. Learn more >>

How To Get Listed on the Directory

Thanks for your interest! If you live in Minnesota and you meet the Directory Eligibility Criteria, you can apply to be listed. (Before applying, read the Eligibility Criteria.) We will contact you after we’ve reviewed your application.

Criteria for all applicants

  • You must live and work in Minnesota. If you live in Minnesota for part of the year, outline your availability in your application.
  • You must provide an email address for your profile. (This will not be listed on the website, but it will be used to create a unique contact form linked to your email address.)
  • Your county will be listed in the directory. (Street addresses will not be listed.)
  • You must meet the Eligibility Criteria (before applying, read the Eligibility Criteria to see if you are eligible for listing).
  • You will be accepted at the discretion of the Minnesota Center for the Book.