Words and Pictures Festival 2020

Brian Tashima was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but it was too warm and sunny for him, so he decided to move to Vancouver, Washington, where he now writes books, plays in a local band, and serves on the Board of Directors for Autism Empowerment.

Christy Peterson has written more than 30 books and articles for children and young adults. Her most recent title, Into the Deep: Science, Technology, and the Quest to Save the Ocean (April 2020, Twenty First Century Books), received a starred review from School Library Journal. Another recent release, Earth Day and the Environmental Movement: Standing Up for Earth (March 2020, Twenty First Century Books), earned a starred review from Kirkus.

Other work includes Cutting-Edge Hubble Telescope Data (Lerner 2019) and Breakthroughs in Stars Research (Lerner 2019), as well as articles “Clam vs. Rock” and “A Bumblebee’s World,” which both appeared in ASK Magazine. Christy has also written exhibit text for “Nanoland,” a museum exhibit for Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and resources for parents and teachers.

David D. Levine is the author of Andre Norton Award winning novel Arabella of Mars (Tor 2016), sequels Arabella and the Battle of Venus (Tor 2017) and Arabella the Traitor of Mars (Tor 2018), and over fifty SF and fantasy stories. His story “Tk’Tk’Tk” won the Hugo, and he has been shortlisted for awards including the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, and Sturgeon. Stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Analog, F&SF, Tor.com, numerous Year’s Best anthologies, and his award-winning collection Space Magic.

Gabi’s debut picture book, Two Dogs on a Trike, illustrated by Robin Rosenthal, released May 19, 2020 from Abrams Appleseed. Her second picture book, Listen, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, is due in spring 2021 from Simon & Schuster/Wiseman. Gabi studied psychology at the University of Washington and creative writing at The University of Texas and is a member of SCBWI. When she’s not writing, she loves taking nature walks, visiting Little Free Libraries, and baking sweet treats. She lives in Corvallis, Oregon with her family.

Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan is a former elementary reading specialist and author of Mrs. McBee Leaves Room 3, I’m Done!, Button and Bundle, and No Party Poopers!. She writes picture books, chapter books and middle-grade fiction. Gretchen grew up as an army brat and global nomad. She settled in Camas, WA and hopes children will find a home in her heartfelt books about community, courage and compassion. When she isn’t writing, Gretchen can be found reading, playing word games, attending plays, hiking, x-country , sewing and baking. Please visit gretchenmclellan.com for information about her books, events and author visits.

Jenn Reese (she/her) writes speculative fiction for readers of all ages. Her middle grade books include A Game of Fox & Squirrels (Henry Holt) and the trilogy beginning with Above World (Candlewick), a finalist for the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.  Jenn’s short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Uncanny, Analog, and the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology Paper Cities, among others. Jenn lives in Portland, Oregon.

Jody J. Little is a third-grade teacher who loves sharing her joy of books and reading with her students. She lives in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon. Her debut middle-grade novel, Mostly the Honest Truth, was a Winter/Spring 2019 Indies Introduce and Indies Next Selection, and a 2020 Oregon Book Award Finalist. Her second novel, Worse Than Weird, is a story set in Portland about discovering the weird in everyone.

Kristin Burchell loves ghost stories and things that cannot be explained, so the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place for her. She is the author of The Witches of Proposal Rock, published by Astrea Press. A selection from her novel Enter Elisabeth won first place in Willamette Writers’ Kay Snow contest. The entire novel can be found at Multnomah County Library’s Overdrive, as can Court of Venom, which won Honorable Mention in the Kay Snow contest. She is the facilitator for SCBWI’s Clark County Write Direction.

Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, LeeAnn Elwood McLennan was always looking for any opportunity to read—under the covers in bed, in the car, and in class using the book-hidden-in-the-textbook trick. When her father introduced her to sci-fi/fantasy through a book of short stories from Astounding Stories, the possibilities in every word captivated her interest and her daydreams involved other worlds, magical powers and time travel. Despite graduating from Clemson University with a degree in English, LeeAnn has spent her career working in computer engineering-related fields.

Lydia K. Valentine is a playwright and poet, director and dramaturg, editor and educator. Through her own writing and the projects to which she contributes under Lyderary Ink, Lydia always seeks to amplify the voices of those who are often stifled, ignored, and marginalized in what has been the accepted narrative of the United States. Lydia’s writing has appeared in online and print publications such as Angels Flight * literary west, The Pitkin Review, and Shout! An Anthology of Resistance Poetry and Short Fiction. Her first poetry collection, Brief Black Candles, is expected in winter 2020 from Not a Pipe Publishing.

After a twenty-plus year career, Rebecca Robinson continues writing in a number of genres - graphic novel, television mini-series, and now, serialized historical fiction podcast. Her latest project draws on personal family history from England during the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Sheela Preuitt is an author of children’s books and a freelance writer for publications with a south Asian slant. In her nonfiction works, she enjoys focusing on STEM/STEAM topics for children. As a fiction picture book writer she finds it immensely gratifying to share inclusive narratives featuring differently-abled kids who simply want to be who they are. Sheela holds a Master's in Science Education and a Master’s in Computer and Information Science. When she is not writing or reading or coding, she can be found hiking in nature trails, cooking mostly-healthy foods, sewing or crocheting utilitarian things.

Stephanie Feldstein is the author of The Animal Lover’s Guide to Changing the World: Practical Advice and Everyday Actions for a More Sustainable, Humane, and Compassionate Planet. She is the Population and Sustainability Director at the Center for Biological Diversity, where she heads a national program that addresses the connection between human population growth, overconsumption, and the wildlife extinction crisis. She created the innovative Take Extinction Off Your Plate campaign, and her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, NPR, Salon, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and more. When she’s not advocating for animals and the environment, she can usually be found writing young adult and middle grade fiction in the company of her rescued dogs and cats named after literary figures.