Schaefer, Laura

Laura Schaefer is the author of The Teashop Girls (Simon & Schuster,  2008), a novel for young readers set in Madison, Wisconsin. She got her start as a contributor to the University of Wisconsin’s student paper The Daily Cardinal as its book reviewer and literature page editor. Laura went on Read more…

Simone, Kai

Kai has been a performing artist for over 15 years, she holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater Directing and Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she also studied Kinesiology and Movement.   She has been a featured storyteller at the Taste of Chicago, African Festival of Read more…

Birmingham, Robert

Robert A. Birmingham served as Wisconsin State Archaeologist between 1989 and 2004 and is the author of many articles and publications in Wisconsin archaeology and history. He now teaches anthropology at UW- Waukesha and writes from his home in Madision, Wisconsin. He is the co-author of the award winning books Indian Read more…

Kasparek, Jonathan

Jonathan Kasparek earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of  Wisconsin-Madison in 2003 and has written several books and articles on Wisconsin history.  A work based on his dissertation, Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette won first place in the political science category at the 2006 Read more…

Kring, Sandra

Sandra Kring lives in central Wisconsin.  Her debut novel, Carry Me Home, was a Book Sense Notable Pick and a 2005 Midwest Booksellers Choice Award nominee.  The Book of Bright Ideas was Target’s Bookmarked pick for the summer of ’06, and named to the New York Public Library’s Books for Read more…

Macken, JoAnn Early

JoAnn Early Macken’s newest picture books are Waiting Out the Storm (Candlewick Press, 2010) and Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move (Holiday House, 2008). Baby Says, “Moo!” will be published by Disney-Hyperion Books in spring 2011.  JoAnn has also written an assortment of poems, several articles for writers, and Read more…

Kokoris, Jim

Jim Kokoris is the author of three novels, The Rich Part of Life, Sister North and the recently  released The Pursuit of Other Interests,  He is also a humorist. More than a dozen of his essays have appeared in The Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine and The Chicago Tribune Op/Ed page.  Read more…

Tromblay, Peggy

Peggy Tromblay’s children’s writing includes everything from picture books to novels. Her award-winning work has appeared in various children’s magazines, Writer’s Digest, and The Institute of Children’s Literature’s anthology on revision.  Children’s Writer newsletter describes her work as a “great example of humor.”  When Peggy’s not writing for kids, she’s Read more…

Keefe, Chris

There are things which Chris Keefe hates more than bios, though he is hard pressed to think of any now.  Chris’ two alien parents crash landed in Madison in the 1950’s, Chris was born 15 or so years later after his parents finally hit upon the right concoction to grow Read more…