After he graduated from UNC-Charlotte in 1997, Sam Boykin worked as a reporter for Charlotte's alternative weekly Creative Loafing. During his seven years there he won 16 journalism awards, including first place for Enterprise News Reporting and Feature Writing from the NC Press Association. In 2005 he ventured out on his own to write freelance full-time. When he's not embarrassing himself on the tennis court, he enjoys writing about health, travel and outdoor adventure. In addition to NC Signature, he has written for Our State, Salon.com, Car and Driver, Maxim, US Airways, Entrepreneur, Sierra, Charlotte Magazine and The Charlotte Observer. Sam recently moved to Mooresville, NC where he and his wife are in the never-ending process of renovating their turn-of-the-century home.
Jessica "Jess" Clarke, a Virginia native, is a freelance writer and editor based in Asheville. A former longtime newspaper reporter in Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina, she enjoys writing about the environment and arts, health and social issues, people. From ice climbing and scuba diving, visiting a nude resort and digging ramps on a West Virginia mountainside to talking with inmates on Virginia's death row and interviewing suicide survivors, writing has been an excellent continuing-education tool for her. And a great humility helper, reminding her of all she doesn't know. She also writes poetry and hosts a poetry group in Asheville.
Clyde Edgerton, author of eight novels, including Raney, Walking Across Egypt, Where Trouble Sleeps, and Lunch at the Picadilly, and a memoir, Solo: My Adventures in the Air. Edgerton is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Lyndhurst Fellowship, the North Carolina Award for Literature, a Distinguished Alumni Award from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Education Department, and five notable book awards from The New York Times.
Ann is not a native of North Carolina but if you ask her where home is the answer would be Greensboro. She came to attend UNCG and in addition to earning an English degree, she fell in love with the south and the piedmont area. Ann considers herself one of Greensboro's best unpaid advocates who enjoys the many beautiful parks and indulges in the wonderful selection of independent retail shops and restaurants. She and her husband, Matt Russ, opened their own business, Tate Street Coffee House, in the heart one of the Triad's most eclectic streets well over a decade ago. The interesting and engaging people that have passed through their door have provided inspiration for much of Ann's writing.
Ann travels throughout the state enjoying hiking, cycling, and running the trails and back roads. While the outdoors calls to her, she can just as likely be found taking in the latest art exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art or traveling a few extra miles to catch a live show.
While you can often see Ann slinging coffee down on Tate Street in Greensboro, her love for North Carolina and its people provides her with the enthusiasm to follow her true desire to write.If Kathy Grant Westbrook had had any idea that she wanted to be a freelance writer when she grew up, she probably would have majored in English or journalism in college. As it was, she completed various programs at various schools, in much the same way that she makes her way through an assorted box of chocolates–trying one, enjoying it, still not feeling quite satisfied, and proceeding on to the next. The first degree she pulled from her educational box of chocolates was an A.A.S. in transportation management from Davidson County Community College, which she followed with a B.S. in geology from Campbell University. She then proceeded to complete the course requirements for becoming certified to teach high school science from Pembroke State University, and finally topped it all off with a certificate in communications from Duke University.
As a freelancer, Kathy has written for a number of magazines over the years, including: Our State, New Homes and Ideas, Wildlife in North Carolina, Quilting Today, Carolina Parent, Fifty Plus and–here's one you're probably not expecting–Quarry (the official journal of The Institute of Quarrying Australia). She is genuinely honored and excited to add North Carolina Signature to this eclectic list. She also contributed to the book North Carolina Churches: Portraits of Grace, and served as the lead writer for Adventures: Food, Fun and Fancy in North Carolina's Raleigh and Cary Area and for three editions of the Triangle Guest Guide. Occasionally, just to mix it up a bit, Kathy takes on writing projects uch as training manuals, brochures and website for small businesses.
North Carolina has been home for writer Chris Laney most of his life and while he enjoyed visits to Europe and Africa during his US Navy stint, he's since learned there is no place like NC. A graduate of East Carolina University, Chris loves to meet new and interesting people. Luckily his pursuits of flying, stage performing and photography afford him the opportunity. But it's not all play and no work; the Triad Business Journal recognized Chris for its 40 Leaders under 40 Award–rumor has it he barely squeaked by the age requirement on that one! Chris lives with his wife, Susan, and three sons in Greensboro where he is hard at work on his novel about learning to fly.
A freelance writer, author, and teacher, Rosie Molinary, M.F.A., had earlier careers as a high school teacher, coach, and college administrator. Her poetry and non-fiction have been published in various literary magazines and books including The Circle, Caketrain, Snake Nation Press, Coloring Book, Waking Up American, and Wishing You Well. She has contributed to various magazines and web-sites including Women's Health, Health, Ms., Lifetimetv.com, Our State, Charlotte, Philanthropy Journal, and Lake Norman Magazine, and serves as the editor for Charlotte Medical News. Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina was published by Seal Press in June 2007. In addition to her writing, she teaches creativity, journaling, social justice and writing workshops at various continuing education programs, schools, colleges, and conferences.
In her free time, she runs and bikes when she can't talk herself out of it, obsesses over Carolina Panthers football, and works on social justice issues in her community. She helped found and continues to serve on the board of a non-profit emergency home repair initiative for low income families and is currently creating a women's giving network that will provide scholarships annually to encourage under-resourced young women to pursue further education after high school. Rosie lives in Davidson. You can learn more about her and her work at www.rosiemolinary.com and http://hijasamericanas.wordpress.com.
Freelance writer and cookbook author Debbie Moose of Raleigh believes you should try a bite of everything in life. A lifelong North Carolinian, she wrote for The News & Observer of Raleigh for 15 years. She was food editor at The N&O for about eight years, during which time the food section won numerous national awards.
Her monthly column for The N&O, "Sunday Dinner," has received essay writing awards. Debbie also writes "The Tasteful Garden" for The N&O in collaboration with garden writer Carol Stein. Debbie's work has appeared in Southern Living, Midwest Living, Our State, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution and other publications.
Debbie is the author of two cookbooks, "Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home" and "Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy." She also teaches writing classes. Find out more at www.debbiemoose.com.
Kent Priestley is the author, with Jon Elliston, of North Carolina Curiosities (The Globe Pequot Press, 2007). He lives in Asheville, where he works at the independent weekly newspaper Mountain Xpress.
Kent spends his free time reading, gardening, playing music and meeting the emotional needs of his dog, Russell, and cat, Peachy.
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Kristine Seawell first moved to North Carolina when she went off to college at Appalachian State University -- and she's lived in the Tar Heel state ever since. She recently finished her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at NC State University.
Kristine currently works as a freelancer and copywriter, and she's been writing features for North Carolina Signature for the past year. She and her husband, Mark, live in Cary.
A native of North Carolina, Lori K. Tate is a Tar Heel through and through. In fourth grade she decided that writing was her passion and that journalism would be her path. Twelve years later she graduated from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since then she has worked in an editorial capacity for Charlotte magazine and Today's Charlotte Woman. As the daughter of an entrepreneur, Lori couldn't resist the temptation to start her own freelance writing business so in 2004 she set out to conquer the world with her laptop.
She and her husband, John, live in Cornelius with their lovely tabby cat, Azalea, and are avid fans of music and theatre, as John plays the saxophone and Lori plays the piano, acts, and sings. In the summer of 2007, she had the honor of playing Dolly Levi in Davidson Community Players' award-winning production of Hello, Dolly!
When she's not writing or acting, Lori enjoys running, pilates, reading, and volunteering at Hinds' Feet Farm, a farm in Huntersville dedicated to serving persons with brain injury. When faced with a challenge, she always takes inspiration from the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Daniel Wallace is the author of four novels, Big Fish (1998), Ray in Reverse (2000), The Watermelon King (2003) and Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician (2007). His stories have been published in magazines and anthologies, including The Yale Review, The Massachusetts Review, Shenandoah, and Glimmer Train. Big Fish has been translated into 18 languages and was adapted for film by Tim Burton and John August. Daniel lives in Chapel Hill with his family.
Britta Waller is a freelance writer and an editor at Pace Communications who has lived in Greensboro for ten years. She has interviewed a Moravian cookie baker, an innkeeper catering to traveling dogs, a photographer who takes pictures from the bow of his canoe and North Carolina craftsmen and artists in all media. Born in Ohio, Britta has received regional awards for her writing and warm praise from readers and story subjects. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and studying media and technology at the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill.
