From working as a personal chef and caterer to becoming a cookbook author, Bill Abruzzo has devoted much of his life to mastering Italian cooking. He maintains “Recipes and Ramblings,” a website and food blog dedicated to Italian cuisine, Italian specialty food items, culinary travel to Italy, and farm-to-table Italian dishes. Abruzzo gives cooking lessons for small groups out of his Virginia home and caters local, intimate events. He locally sells his own line of specialty Italian foods, called il Giardinetto Bello, which he uses in his personal kitchen and catering business.
Abruzzo graduated from the University of Miami School of Law and worked at a general law practice before pursuing his passion for food full-time. Growing up in an Italian-American household, he learned how to prepare several Italian dishes early in his life and inherited many foods and traditions from his parents and grandparents. Over the past thirty years, he has traveled back and forth to Italy in order to connect the dots between the foods and traditions he grew up with and the regions of Italy where they originated.
Born in New Jersey, Abruzzo operates a small farm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia with his wife. There, he grows organic herbs, hay, and Italian varietal vegetables.
Abruzzo sells his products and classes on www.RecipesandRamblings.com.
Inspired by his childhood adventures roaming the bayous of Southern Louisiana, Ryan Adam became an author and screenwriter. His writing draws on his extensive knowledge of Louisiana culture, which he acquired growing up in the heart of Cajun country and working as a concierge in New Orleans. A lover of books since he was a child, Adam hopes to educate others about Cajun traditions and practices through his work. He has published several short stories in Delgado Community College’s award-winning literary magazine, Images. He frequently dabbles in Southern and Cajun-ized verse, and he enjoys putting a fun spin on classic tales.
Adam was a semifinalist at the 2006 Writers Network Screenplay and Fiction Competition in Los Angeles and pursues his love of movies by working as a film-production assistant. Two of his screenplays were also reviewed by the Disney Studios Writers Fellowship program. Aside from screenplays and children’s literature, he also writes horror stories.
Adam enjoys researching the history and customs of his Cajun heritage and has also studied children’s literature and French and German literature for several years. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Contemporary cartographers, astrologists, mechanics, and engineers are indebted to one eighteenth-century scientist, George Adams (1704-72). Commissioned by the king of England as “Mathematical Instrument-Maker to the King,” George Adams was given the resources to make strides and publish his findings, enabling advancements in many scientific fields.
The royal court's interest in physics developed, in part, as a military tactic. Conducting a detailed geographical land survey allowed them to subdue the Scottish clans and gain control of the highlands. But Adams' instruments and expertise amassed more than land. George Adams is thought to be the predecessor of two significant globe-making pioneers, John Senex and James Ferguson. He created models of the solar system, mechanical pulleys, the hydraulic screw, and a compound engine.
George Adams' sons, George Adams, Jr. (1750-95) and Dudley Adams (1762-1830), continued the family business as instrument and globe makers in London; and the Adams' expertise and practical applications are still used today.
From his Essays on Electricity to An Essay on the Use of Celestial and Terrestrial Globes, Adams' observations continue to intrigue and inspire.
Michelle Adams was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and lived there until she traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, during her college years. Her immediate love of South Carolina's Lowcountry propelled her to transfer from the University of Wisconsin to the College of Charleston. While pursuing her studies, she worked as a tour guide at Calhoun Mansion and Boone Hall, giving her the perfect opportunity to delve into the history of Lowcountry plantation life.
Adams completed her bachelor's degree in history and began a career in customer and public relations. She worked in various venues including the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department and the South Carolina State Museum. Besides working on a number of historical research projects, she works as the membership manager of the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston. Adams lives with her husband and two children in Summerville, South Carolina.
The alluring mystique of the Cajun lifestyle has captivated people worldwide since Justin Wilson published The Justin Wilson Cookbook with Pelican in 1965. The very word conjures images of a far-away locale where the musical beat is infectious and dinner is more than just sustenance. But just what does it mean to be Cajun and why is it so alluring?
Charley Addison can tell you. He served twenty-five globetrotting years in the navy, taking a two-year break while attending Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He has cooked gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice in over forty countries, so when he boasts that Cajun cooking is the best, he knows of what he speaks.
At the impressionable age of nine, Charley, an authentic Cajun from Thibodaux, Louisiana, learned to cook cornbread from his grandmother's instruction. As a teenager, Charley gained entrée into some of New Orleans' most notable restaurants through the back door—as an egg salesman. Balancing a case of freshly harvested country eggs on each shoulder, he walked down Bourbon Street and into the kitchens of many hallowed French Quarter eateries.
Today he's known as Crazy Charley, a moniker he lifted from a character named Oscar who befriended him in his youth. Oscar, known around town as the “crazy Cajun,” would spin tall tales for the youngster, captivating his imagination. Charley's own flair for folklore matches his talent for Cajun cooking. He has appeared on numerous cooking shows, but nothing beats catching him live at festivals around the country, spinning his stories and displaying his line of Cajun sauces.
Charley Addison, a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana, resides with his wife, Ruth, in Placerville, California. A father of six, Charley is retired from the navy and enjoys a second career as a Cajun chef. He and Ruth have coauthored Cooking with Crazy Charley IV: Cajun and Creole Cuisine. In this cookbook, the pair weave tantalizing family recipes with cultural tales, some taller than others, to convey the wit, humor, and flavor of a community that likes its coffee strong and its food stronger.
Twins John and Tony Alberti have always had a strong connection to food and family. They grew up in a traditional Italian family in Manchester, UK, with deep family roots in the Garfagnana region of Tuscany in Italy. They learned to cook their delicious Italian recipes from their parents and Nonna.
These charismatic twins, also known as The Italian Stallions, got their start as cast members on the British reality dating show Love Island. They are TV celebrities who are popular guests in the UK and the US, including on the The Today Show on NBC and Hallmark Friends & Family. The Alberti twins host a successful YouTube cooking channel and a food, fashion, and lifestyle blog.
In their debut cookbook, these sexy siblings make cooking fun and accessible to everyone. Fusing food and fashion, they love sharing the Italian lifestyle.
Born near London in 1930, Brian Alderson decided as a child that he wanted to play professional cricket for England. But this ambition was “thwarted,” he says, first when he fell over and broke his elbow, and second when the Blitz divided him from his coach, the “tyrannical Miss ‘Swinney’ Swinburne.”
He finished school in Yorkshire, where he now lives, and went on to study German and philosophy at Exeter University. Since neither of these subjects lent itself to any “intelligible career,” Alderson entered into the book trade. After what he calls “an all-too-close encounter with the fledgling Robert Maxwell,” Mr. Alderson soon found himself involved with children's books, and they have been the main focus of his attention for nearly forty years.
Working initially for a specialist bookseller in outer London, Alderson later graduated to writing and lecturing about children's books. He got involved in editing a series of historical texts, in revamping the “Color Fairy Books” of Andrew Lang, and in lecturing on children's literature at what is now the University of North London. He ultimately managed to use his German skills in a number of translations such as Grimm's Popular Folk Tales but says his “philosophical endeavors have been only dimly reflected” in his continuing work in children's book bibliography and children's book reviews at The Times of London.
Alderson came to write about Ezra Jack Keats largely out of a long-standing association with the University of Southern Mississippi where he is an adjunct professor. When the University took possession of Keats' working archive in 1985, he found himself working on a catalog of the collection and a study of the artist at the request of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation itself.
His background in printing and the art of the picture book, experience with children and storytelling, as well as his sense of the universality of the greatest children's books made Brian Alderson a particularly good candidate for the task at hand.
According to Alderson, his years spent with the Keats' papers have been “both an education and a joy,” but even so, perhaps not as great a joy as playing cricket for England would have been.
She has written extensively on free press/fair trial concerns and serves as cohost of Writers’ Forum, a weekly thirty-minute author interview program heard on WRBH-88.3FM/wrbh.org where she has interviewed more than one hundred writers including Wally Lamb, Kathryn Stockett, John Berendt, and just about every writer who lives or spends time in New Orleans.
Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker Alfeld, also known as “Jamlady,†grew up in a commercial-nursery/greenhouse family in Accord, New York. Her early interest in horticulture and cooking were a tremendous influence on her later innovations in canning.
Alfeld is dedicated to educating home cooks on how to can safely. Her creativity and extensive research has led her to assemble innovative recipes. Jamlady's methods dispel the mysterious aura around home canning and debunk the myth that canning is only for those with extensive leisure time.
Alfeld began her post-secondary education by earning a B.A. in art from the State University of New York. She went on to teach elementary school art and spent much of her free time studying plants. She returned to her formal education, earning a M.A. in theoretical and applied design and a M.F.A. in art and textile chemistry from Northern Illinois University. She also completed advanced coursework in the fields of education, administration, and school law.
After twenty years of teaching art, science, and consumer education to elementary, high-school, college, and special-needs students, Alfeld retired from the classroom. She explored her entrepreneurial side as she ran a thirteen-acre organic farm and opened a farmers' market in Crystal Lake, Illinois. During this time, she completed the school of instruction in food processing prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration.
Alfeld then founded her company, Cook, Seal, and Process: Purveyors of Fine Preserves and Condiments, and began marketing Jamlady products. She later authored The Jamlady Cookbook, a resource cookbook for the canner, gardener, gourmet chef, and health-conscious person. The book features more than four hundred recipes for jellies, jams, preserves, butters, and other homemade products. Most recently, Alfred wrote Pickles to Relish, an encyclopedic cookbook with an ethnobotanical approach to cooking, canning, and living.
Alfeld is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and is the founder of the Donald L. Schoonmaker Scholarship Fund. She is a judge at the annual International Pickle Festival in Rosendale, New York, and is a contributing editor and columnist for Fruit Gardener magazine. Her column, “Jamming with Jamlady,†can be found in each issue. Alfeld is also a reader for Corwin Press, an education publisher.
She also works as an advocate for special-needs children and divides her time between Crystal Lake, Illinois; Accord, New York; and Chokoloskee Island, Florida. Her two children, Tim and Kim Alfeld, are actively involved in her business operation.
Salima Alikhan's mother often read to her daughter the dark imaginative tales of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm, as well as allegories from the Koran and the tales in The Arabian Nights. These stories helped her imagination develop to include all things enchanted and grotesque.
After high school, Alikhan moved to France for a winter and traveled throughout Germany. When she came back to the United States she enrolled in college with the intention of becoming a child psychologist. However, she soon realized her passion was in writing and illustration and left college to pursue a full-time career in graphic arts. Three years later, she provided artwork for her first picture book, Pieces of Another World, which won Kahani magazine's 2006 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers. She collaborated with the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, Georgia, to turn her award-winning artwork into a planetarium show.
Alikhan has worked as an English tutor in Rennes, France, at a shelter in Virginia for abused and neglected animals, and as a teacher. She has taught art at Georgetown Montessori School in Washington, D.C., Harmonia School of Music and Art in Alexandria, Virginia, and Reston Montessori School in Reston, Virginia. She loves to encourage her students' interest in the arts.
Alikhan is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and has created covers and interior illustrations for Kahani magazine and Confetti magazine. When not drawing, she enjoys biking, hiking, and traveling. Alikhan works as an illustrator in Austin, Texas.
A fourth-generation butcher from Damascus, Syria, Joey Allaham is the founder and owner of Prime Hospitality Group. He created and owns the Prime Grill, Solo, Prime KO, and Prime Butcher Baker restaurants. Despite a lack of extensive formal training, Allaham has proved himself successful in the New York market through his innovative ideas and savvy business skills.
After learning all about the meat business from his grandfather, Allaham moved to the United States in 1993, bringing his expertise with him. Replacing dreams of law school with a desire to transform the public’s perception of kosher dining, Allaham started a wholesale business for caterers in Brooklyn, New York, before founding his restaurant group. Aside from being a restaurateur, Allaham has been involved in several international real-estate projects, lectured at Yeshiva University’s Syms School of Business, and planned cooking demonstrations at the De Gustibus Cooking School at Macys.
He lives with his wife, Lauren, in New York.
Chef Allen cofounded the Ballymaloe Cooking School in Cork, Ireland. Now retired, he was a teacher and manager of the school where he also received some of his training. He is considered an expert in the area of bread-making and shares this knowledge in his first book, The Ballymaloe Bread Book.
His book covers a variety of bread recipes but doesn't stop there. He includes basic principles and useful techniques for bread-making, so at-home bakers can experiment and expand their repertoire with confidence.
Ireland's own Darina Allen has been mastering the culinary arts for years. She is the founder of Ballymaloe Cooking School, located in East Cork, Ireland, where she also teaches classes. Known as Ireland's most famous cooking show host for her Simply Delicious series, Allen lectures and travels extensively throughout the world. She is also known for her extensive herb, vegetable, and fruit garden, which is located at the school and is also open to the public.
Mrs. Allen is a member of the International Association of Cooking Professionals, Euro-Toques, Irish Food Writers Guild of Foodwriters in Britain, and the Consumer Foods and Ingredients Board of An Bord Bia. She is also on the board of the Organic Center and was recently appointed to the Food and Safety Board of Ireland. She has won several awards, including the Gilbeys of Ireland Gold Medal of Excellence in 1991 and the Veuve Clicquot Irish Businesswoman of the Year Award in 2001.
Allen has written two cookbooks, including the 2003 James Beard Foundation Award nominee, Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cooking School Cookbook , and A Simply Delicious Irish Christmas , both available from Pelican. She is also the author of Irish Traditional Cooking, which won the Langhe Ceretto prize in 1996, and A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Nancy Kelly Allen worked as a social worker and middle-school social studies teacher before becoming a primary-school librarian. She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and biology from Cumberland College and two master's degrees in elementary education and library science from Morehead State University and the University of Kentucky, respectively.
Allen fell in love with children's books as a graduate student, and after ten years of perseverance, she published her first picture book in 1999. As she put it, “I am continually surprised that up-town editors understand the writing of this up-holler Kentuckian.”
She has written articles for Book Links, the Good Apple, Back Home in Kentucky, M Magazine, Kudzu, and Children's Book Insider and short stories for the Cup of Comfort books. She received a writing grant from the Kentucky Foundation of Women. She is a member of several organizations, including the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association, Society of Children's Books and Writers and Illustrators, Appalachian Authors Guild, Writers of the North Fork, and Art of the Mountains.
Allen lives in the same log cabin in which she grew up in Hazard, Kentucky. She resides with her husband, Larry, and two assistant writers, miniature schnauzers Jazi and Roxi.
When she wrote The Night Thief, Valerie Allen was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was a member of the Southwest Writers Workshop. She has since moved and written various articles for children's magazines. One of her stories was published in Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul and reprinted in Woman's World.
When the night thief creeps into town one night, Nedra is the only one who spies him lassoing the moon with his magic rope, plucking out each twinkling star, grabbing the edge of the night sky, and tucking them all into his black bag. But when Nedra tries to tell the townspeople that she knows what has happened, no one believes her except her grandfather. Taking his advice, she decides to find the night thief and the stolen night. With colorful illustrations by Patrick Soper, The Night Thief tells a delightful story that is both mystery and fantasy.
Ms. Allen now resides in South Florida, where she is at work on a mainstream novel. She enjoys making stained-glass windows, shopping, and, of course, reading.
Born in Northborough, Massachusetts, on September 5, 1830, William Francis Allen was the son of a Unitarian minister. After graduating from Harvard College in 1851, he left America in 1854 to study in Europe at Göttingen, Berlin, and Rome. He finally returned to Boston in 1856.
Under the employment of the Freedmens Aid Commission, Allen began to work on St. Helena Island in South Carolina in November 1863. Four years later, in 1867, Allen was appointed chair of ancient languages and history at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He later changed his position at this university to chair of Latin language and Roman history. During his tenure, he pioneered a new way of teaching history. His method used a topical system of study and a reading of original sources.
Allen was a prolific writer. His contributions to classical literature chiefly consist of schoolbooks.
The Slave Songs of the United States provides directions for singing and musical scores to accurately preserve the original intonations and rhythms of slave songs. Also discussed are the intricacies of the language and variations of pronunciation. In preserving these songs, the authors were preserving an integral part of the nation's history.
William Francis Allen died on December 9, 1889.
Nicole Allin discovered her talent for drawing as a child. Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, she and her family moved to the United States, where she continued to grow as an artist. She is experienced in creating art for children’s books and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Allin received a degree in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003 before attending the Savannah College of Art and Design for her master’s degree, which she received in 2005.
From her home in Alexandria, Virginia, Allin works full-time as a graphic designer and illustrator. When she’s not drawing, she loves knitting and exploring museums.
Berthe Amoss has written and illustrated twenty-four picture books and four young-adult novels. For fourteen years she taught childrens literature at Tulane University. She also wrote a column on childrens books for the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
A New Orleans native, Amoss is a graduate of Newcomb College, where she studied art and English literature. She holds a masters degree in English and art from Tulane University. With her husband, a shipping executive, and their six sons, she has lived and studied art in Germany, Belgium, and Hawaii. She and her husband now divide their time between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pass Christian, Mississippi, where they have rebuilt their home that was lost in Hurricane Katrina.
Reared in the Mississippi Delta, Rick Anderson believes there is some “magic” in the South, and it is where he fell in love with art, starting his lifelong journey of creation. He displays his contemporary realist style, combining abstract forms with realistic images, in numerous galleries. His favorite media are acrylic, watercolor, and pencil, which he often mixes to create landscapes and other pieces. Although his gallery works are at times wildly imaginative, Anderson prefers to use realistic illustrations in the children's books that he illustrates.
Anderson considers himself a literacy advocate. As a professional speaker, he conducts illustrator school visits throughout the southeast, teaching students the processes of creating a book and illustrating. Anderson is often a featured speaker at reading conventions, children's book festivals and fairs, and other literacy events. He also conducts group art classes, demonstration lectures, and teacher in-service workshops such as “The Positive Role the Arts Play in No Child Left Behind.” He serves as juror for art exhibitions of all ages.
Anderson earned a master's degree in art education from Delta State University and began his teaching career at Coleman Junior High School in Greenville, Mississippi. After twenty-five years as an art teacher, he retired from the classroom to continue his professional art career. Anderson has won over 150 awards in local, regional, and national exhibitions throughout the United States. He takes part in the Mississippi Roster Programs, which feature professional artists who work with educators and the community to establish art programs. Anderson is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Southern Breeze Region and the International Reading Association. He lives in Clinton, Mississippi, with his wife, Merrie.
Dan Anderson is a former newswriter, photographer, features writer, and columnist. A seasoned news professional, he has more than seven years' experience covering a diverse array of Oklahoma's regional events, from high-profile crime to politics and general interest topics. He has been honored with multiple awards from the Associated Press in the Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition. In 2001, he placed third for graphics and illustration as well as spot news reporting and also received an honorable mention for investigative reporting. In 2003, he placed first for the spot news photo division. Anderson was awarded the Oklahoma Press Association Annual Award in 2004, placing first in the newswriting event category.
Anderson studied business at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Oklahoma. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, he studied history from Tulsa Community College. Before his journalistic career, Mr. Anderson served as a private security firm director, reserve police officer, private investigator, and remodeling contractor. He has also been a Methodist lay youth director and home-improvement salesman. Reluctant to call himself an expert on any topic, Anderson sums up his wide-ranging career with the comment, “I always learned and I was never bored.”
While he considers reporting to be one of the most rewarding careers he has experienced, Anderson has moved on and now resides in Katy, Texas, with his wife, Julie. He finds time for reading, photography, hiking, trekking, golfing, and swimming. He continues to write about historical characters of the Old West.
Ray Anthony has dedicated his life to helping people improve their business potential. With a repertoire of more than eight hundred presentations on topics like effective speaking techniques, finance, sales skills, and motivation, Anthony has traveled throughout the United States and abroad to spread his knowledge.
Anthony perfected his selling skills through intensive schooling and work experience, earning a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in economics. He also spent many years as a senior-level trainer in the sales training department of Digital Equipment Corporation and as a salesperson for two major computer firms.
He shares his years of experience in the book Super Sales Formula, in which he explains how to easily earn greater sales by merely improving listening skills. Anthony is the president of his own training and consulting firm, Anthony Innovation, and is author of several business books.
Graphic designer Harvey Appelbaum is a New Yorker through and through. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he majored in advertising design at the prestigious Pratt Institute. At age twenty-two, Appelbaum founded Graphic House, a design studio in Boston.
When he was drafted into the military, the US Army and Air Force used Appelbaum’s talents in design to create recruitment posters and brochures. He returned to New York as a civilian, where he opened a new design studio, creating corporate logos, book jackets, record covers, and brochures. Appelbaum designed book covers for both Kurt Vonnegut and Hannah Arendt and worked on ad campaigns for many companies, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Absolut Vodka.
Although Appelbaum has lived in the Big Apple for most of his life, he still enjoys exploring the lesser-known sites and scenes of the lively city. In his free time, he combines his passion for art and design with his adventurous spirit by traveling around the city to find new and exciting art museums, galleries, and shows. Appelbaum lives in Manhattan with his wife.
Eric Appleman is the founder of the Web site Democracy in Action: The Race for the White House, which provides a framework for citizens to follow the presidential campaign. He is a lifelong political enthusiast, and he has worked at the White House as a news photoanalyst.
He is the author of several political CD-ROMs, including 1996's Vote America, of which he was a writer and designer. He also self-published the Field Guide to the 1992 Presidential Campaign. Appleman explores the current election through editorial cartoons in The Race for the 2008 Democratic Nomination and The Race for the 2008 Republican Nomination.
Appleman has a bachelor's degree in political communications from George Washington University. An avid runner, he has completed eight marathons. He lives in Washington D.C.
A passionate historian with a lifelong interest in history, Alan H. Archambault worked as a military-museum curator for more than thirty-five years at Fort Meade in Maryland and Fort Lewis in Washington. After his successful career at the army museums, he was chosen to serve as the supervisory museum curator for fourteen army museums in Washington, DC. Throughout his years as a curator, Archambault worked as a freelance illustrator by providing artwork for numerous publications and creating hundreds of exhibits, most of which were related to military history.
Dedicated to preserving and learning from the past, Archambault uses his history background and vivid imagination to create artwork that encourages viewers to better appreciate and understand their own heritage. He has given lectures for the Historic Fort Steilacoom Association, and radio and television programs have interviewed him about the Civil War. He is a member of the Company of Military Historians and the Friends of the Fort Lewis Military Museum.
After serving in the United States Army, Archambault graduated from Rhode Island College with a bachelor’s degree in fine art. During his collegiate career, he was commissioned by several publications and museums to provide artwork and research for bicentennial publications and exhibits. Since his retirement from federal service, Archambault enjoys wildlife, hiking with his dogs, and visiting historic sites. He lives in Lakewood, Washington.
Diane C. Arkins began her career as a freelance writer at the age of nineteen by publishing feature articles in Seventeen, Co-Ed, and Woman's Day magazines. In 1988, her work began to appear in the Chicago Sun-Times. After earning a BS in journalism from Northern Illinois University, she continued her writing endeavors by publishing magazine and newspaper stories while employed full time at the offices of the Australian Consulate-General in Chicago.
Arkins' “Home Truths” humor column appeared in the Homelife real estate section of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1988 through 2000. Her work has appeared on the Op-Ed pages of numerous major daily newspapers, including a stint as a regular contributor to USA Today. Arkins has written for Country Living, Victoria, Family Circle, Brides, Country Collectibles, Country Home, Better Homes & Gardens, Woman's World, Antiques & Collecting Magazine, and a wide variety of other publications.
Arkins has a passion for animals, gardening, and collecting vintage images, early illustrated postcards, and holiday memorabilia. She resides in Illinois.
In 1998, after nearly a quarter of a century as an award-winning news correspondent for CBS News, Rob Armstrong retired so that he could teach, write, and golf.
Armstrong spent the last decade of his career as the network's senior radio correspondent in Washington, where he covered Congress, the White House, and national politics. He reported on four presidential election campaigns and covered nine nominating conventions. His assignments also took him to forty-nine states, as well as to countless countries around the world. He covered the peace processes in Ireland and the Middle East, and reported on international summitry in Washington, London, Paris, Brussels, Rome, and Moscow.
In addition to his reporting for CBS News, Armstrong has also contributed articles to the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the American Review of Journalism. His golf and travel articles in particular have appeared in Washington Golf Monthly and on the CBS Web page.
Armstrong's passion for golf is insatiable. In fact, his annual golfing trips to the Emerald Isle led him to write his first book, Golfing in Ireland: The Most Complete Guide for Adventurous Golfers, also published by Pelican. Living and working in the Washington, D.C., area for many years gave Armstrong the knowledge necessary to write his most recent book, Golfing the Virginias.
When not hitting the links, Armstrong divides his time between writing about golf and travel and teaching broadcast journalism at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where he makes his home.
Jim Arnold is perhaps the incarnation of the modern Renaissance man. He combines a good-humored enthusiasm for wine with a lifetime of experience in areas ranging from lumber to computer technology to philosophy. His own experience as first a novice and then a frequent visitor to wine clubs brought about Wine Clubs of Sonoma County, a collaboration with Ingrid Larnis and an informative resource on membership for wine lovers of all varieties.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1951, Arnold served in the U.S. Marine Corps during Vietnam. Inspired to go back to college, he was awarded a merit-based scholarship to the University of California at Santa Cruz and graduated with a degree in modern society and social thought. Regrettably unable to land a career as a Social Thoughtist, Arnold explored other options, working as a lumberjack, boilermaker, computer programmer, and technical writer. He has published numerous technical articles and manuals, marketing articles, short pieces in magazines and newspapers, a play, two poems, and a short story.
Arnold has three children and lives in Sonoma County, California, where he is a member of the Camp Meeker Volunteer Fire Department and has made a diligent study of the abundant wine culture.
H. J. Arrington has been involved in education since she began tutoring at the age of fifteen. She particularly enjoys sharing the joy of literature and language. An accomplished storyteller and dramatic reader, Arrington says her books “evolved from the telling of one of my favorite and most requested tales.” She has been a storytelling committee member on the National Council of Teachers of English since 1997 and provides workshops and lectures on storytelling, integrated language arts, and effective instructional strategies.
Arrington received her BS in elementary education from Virginia State University, MA in reading education from Ohio State University, and PhD in instructional research and development from Purdue University. She is an associate professor of education at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia. Previously, she served as academic dean at Paul D. Camp Community College in Franklin, Virginia, as well as a literacy coordinator with Newport News Public Schools. She is a member of the International Reading Association, National Middle School Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and Kentucky Reading Association.
Arrington frequently makes national, state, and local presentations in the areas of storytelling. In her free time, she enjoys storytelling, reading, and playing with her miniature pinscher, Bear.
A native of California, Stanley Clisby Arthur spent several years as a journalist as well as a war correspondent in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. Arthur arrived in Louisiana in 1915 and came to view it as his adopted home, dedicating much of his life to documenting its customs, culture, and history.
According to the introduction to Walking Tours of Old New Orleans, Arthur's greatest talent lay in his "ability to delve into neglected historical sources and give life to the facts within." Walking Tours of Old New Orleans offers insights and facts about the city of New Orleans and its history. Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em relates the recipes and histories behind 139 New Orleans concoctions. Old Families of Louisiana details the histories and genealogies of prominent New Orleans families who settled in the city prior to American possession.
Arthur was the head of the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Department for many years. His love of the outdoors is reflected in his novel about naturalist John Audubon, titled Audubon: An Intimate Life of the American Woodsman. During the Great Depression, Arthur was appointed regional director of the Survey of Federal Archives. This allowed him to delve even more deeply into the history of New Orleans and Louisiana, and he published several more historical works. Stanley Clisby Arthur died in 1963 at the age of eighty-eight.
Bob Artley (1917-2011) was born in Hampton, Iowa, on the family farm established by his grandfather in 1877.
Artley began drawing as a boy and was encouraged by his parents, teachers, and the Des Moines Register and Tribune’s great cartoonist, Ding Darling. He attended country schools through the eighth grade. After graduating from high school, he attended Grinnell College and studied art until he was drafted into the US army in 1941. While serving in the Armed Forces he met and married a WAC medical technician, Virginia (Ginny) Moore.
After the war, the young couple returned to the farm, built a house, and farmed with Bob’s father for a few years. Bob then enrolled at the University of Iowa, where he studied art and graduated in 1951.
Artley’s career as an editorial cartoonist began with the Des Moines Tribune and continued at the Worthington (Minnesota) Daily Globe, where he launched his syndicated cartoon series, Memories of a Former Kid, which was the genesis for his first book.
In addition to his cartooning, Artley also worked in advertising. He and his wife published two weekly newspapers and operated their own print shop while raising four very active children. Two years after Ginny’s death in 1993, Artley married his second wife, Margaret. Before his passing, they divided their time between a home in Winter Haven, Florida, and his ancestral home in Hampton, Iowa.
What began as a young girl's dreams have culminated into a full-fledged career for author Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin. Early in life, her aptitude for art was discovered and fostered by her parents, Bernard and Bernice Ashkanazi. As she developed her artistic skills, she practiced another of her passions—cooking, especially cooking creatively for special diets. Bernard Ashkanazi had many severe food allergies, and his daughter constantly adapted recipes for him.
This proved particularly difficult when attempting to keep dishes kosher, however.
Years later, she realized that others of her faith would surely benefit from a collection of recipes that were low in fat and cholesterol but remained kosher.
Choosing to focus on Passover, the author developed a collection of recipes that became her first book, Passover Lite Kosher Cookbook. The book was an instant success with both customers and critics. Women's Circle wrote, "Timesaving tips make Passover cooking easier with recipes you will want to use year-round."
Year-round recipes were just what she had in mind for Festivals of Lite Kosher Cookbook. It expands the concept of low-fat, low-cholesterol kosher cooking to all of the Jewish holidays and draws on the cuisines of Jews from around the world. In her research, she interviewed and worked with cooks from Russia, Italy, Israel, Morocco, and South Africa, among others.
Throughout Mrs. Ashkanazi-Hankin's life, her love for art has kept pace with her love of cooking. She even combines the two in her cookbooks—for each, she has created all of the artwork, including the striking, vibrant covers.
Clarence Ashley is a former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency who was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1957 and a master of science in the same field in 1964.
During his military service at Vandenberg Air Force base, Mr. Ashley was part of the team that launched the first-ever strategic missile launched by an operational crew anywhere in the world. He later worked on the development of the Atlas Missile, one of the first ICBM missiles placed into service by the US Air Force during the Cold War, and worked for General Electric on the development and manufacture of the components of the Minute Man missile program. He was also part of the Polaris Missile program at Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. Ashley then took a career turn and accepted a position as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, assessing Soviet strategic missile capabilities of the (then) USSR and preparing national intelligence estimates. At the CIA, he also contributed to the creation of procedures and techniques for evaluating the capabilities of alternative collection systems, designed to provide a foundation for resource allocation decisions.
Mr. Ashley became interested in being in business for himself and left the military-industrial complex for a small commercial real estate firm in McLean, Virginia. It was there that he met George Kisevalter and formed a friendship that lasted twenty-four years, until Kisevalter's death in 1997. Though Mr. Ashley has published poetry in national publications, his first book, CIA SpyMaster, is an outgrowth of his friendship with the CIA's most decorated case officer.
Currently, Mr. Ashley is the owner and principal broker of a commercial real-estate firm in northern Virginia and is an active member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. He lives in Great Falls, Virginia, with his wife.
As a journalist, Tom Aswell reported the news of Louisiana for more than twenty-five years. His interest in the broadcasting field was piqued while working at his hometown newspaper. The experience served as a learning tool, one that propelled him into his career as a journalist. He has since worked as a reporter and editor for multiple Louisiana newspapers, including the Baton Rouge Advocate, Ruston Daily Leader, and Monroe News-Star. In addition, Aswell’s writes a political blog called LouisianaVoice, which was named by the Washington Post as one of the top 100 political blogs in the nation.
Aswell has always had a passion for music, particularly music native to the South. Working part-time as a radio disc jockey during college ignited his zeal for music. Utilizing the vast music selection afforded a disc jockey at a radio station, Aswell educated himself on the origins, histories, and legends associated with the many genres of Southern music.
Aswell graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1970 with a B.A. in journalism. After his discharge from the United States Air Force, he owned and coached a semi-pro baseball team, worked for a telephone company, taught defensive driving classes, and has worked for the State of Louisiana, Office of Risk Management. As a hobby, he worked as a stand-up comedian for the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Baton Rouge and was named the funniest person in Louisiana in 1992. He lives with his wife, Betty, in Denham Springs, Louisiana. They have three daughters, who reside within seven miles of their home, and six grandchildren.
"Sue's life has moved from tragic to magic. Her inspiring tale and insights will help you do the same and more."
—Mark Victor Hansen
co-author, Chicken Soup for the Soul
For many years, Sue Augustine lived with fears of inadequacy. When she did something well, she attributed it to luck. Her feelings of inadequacy led to her victimization in an abusive relationship. Only after she achieved balance in her life—mentally, physically, spiritually—was she able to turn these insecurities into strengths. She also was able to develop a personal strategy for excellence.
Today, Sue Augustine is internationally known, with more than twenty years of experience in the business world, including eight years as a motivational speaker. She believes that self-motivation is the key to business and personal success. Her innovative approach combines practical success principles with humor and insight.
Her satisfied customers include IBM Canada, State Farm Insurance, Nissan Canada, Princess Cruise Lines, Nielson Media Research, Marriott Hotels, Life Underwriters Association, and Century 21 Real Estate.
Also a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows, Ms. Augustine has traveled to the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, and throughout Canada and the United States. She is currently owner and president of Sue Augustine Seminars, a seminar and workshop company. The story of Sue Augustine's personal tragedies and triumphs is featured in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series. With Wings, There Are No Barriers: A Woman's Guide to a Life of Magnificent Possibilities is Ms. Augustine's first book.
Through life experiences, the author has encountered many roadblocks, and she has found that the best way around them is simply to fly over them. Indeed, when flying, a woman avoids such hurdles altogether—all you need to fly are your wings.
"Wings" is an acronym for Worth, Insight, Nurturing, Goals, and Strategies. With these "wings," life is full of magnificent possibilities.
Ashleigh Austin's first book was inspired by her own collection of vintage postcards. As a Louisiana native now living in the Ozarks, she sought out cards that not only reminded her of home, but that also recorded local landmarks that have disappeared. "I am so grateful to all those early postcard photographers and publishers for having the foresight to capture pieces of history," she says.
Ms. Austin was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her family later left the city, moving across Lake Pontchartrain to St. Tammany Parish when the author was nine years old. She graduated from Slidell High School and attended Southeastern Louisiana University as an English major.
Ms. Austin continues to explore and celebrate her Southern heritage through her writing and through her historical and genealogical research. Her Web site www.ashleighaustin.com features many examples of her work. She is also an accomplished singer.
Ashleigh Austin currently lives in Springfield, Missouri.
Author and illustrator Nancy Backus devotes her time to learning as much about New Orleans and surrounding areas of Louisiana as possible.
Originally from Kentucky, Backus received a BA degree from the Newcomb College of Tulane University and an MA in English teaching from the University of New Orleans. She has taught others how to teach grammar, writing, and literature for most of her adult life.
Backus lives in New Orleans.
Elizabeth Baker has always had a knack for helping others. Throughout her educational career, she has worked toward learning how to better help people. She has an associate's degree in psychology, a bachelor of science degree in church administration with a minor in counseling, a master of arts degree in counseling with a minor in bible, and a doctor of religion and society degree.
Not only has Ms. Baker worked as a counselor, she has also shared her wisdom through her writing. She has written several self-help and devotional books and has delivered seminars throughout the country for other therapists as well as the public.
A member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, she currently resides in Plano, Texas, where she continues to offer individual and family therapy. She is interested in writing, collecting books, and visiting public gardens.
Alison Balance is a zoologist and a producer/director for Natural History New Zealand, and was producer of the episode The Arid Heart, about Asia's deserts, in the Wild Asia series. This involved several filming trips in the climatic extremes of the Gobi and Thar deserts and the Rann of Kutch. For her film, To Save the Kakapo, Alison and her crew spent four years filming one of the world's rarest birds, working on some of New Zealand's rugged offshore islands. Alison's first book, Hoki, the story of a kakapo, was a finalist in the 1998 New Zealand Children's Book Awards and she is also the author of a series of educational books about habitats.
Many travel writers try to specialize in a particular area. That is not the case for Jack and Winnie Baldwin. While their latest book is a guide to weekend getaways, they write freelance travel articles for a number of newspapers and magazines that feature a variety of subjects.
Having traveled through most of North America and Western Europe since their retirement in the early 1980s, the Baldwins have compiled information on everything from dinosaur parks to haunted houses. Their personal research has built up numerous story ideas that appear throughout the country. The variety of their articles has garnered them publishing credits from such newspapers as the Dallas Morning News, the San Antonio Express, and the Denver Post, and magazines such as Good Reading, Trip and Tour, and Senior.
Their love of travel began when the two postmasters from Bernice, Louisiana, visited their son who was living in England at the time. After seeing many fine bed-and-breakfast guesthouses in Scotland and England, they came home to write about the unique lodgings of their own state.
They have since retired, but they continue to write. Their travel expertise has on occasion gotten them freelance work--they inspect hotels for travel agents that send tourists to Louisiana. The Baldwins are also involved in several alumni, professional, and travel associations, including the national Trust for Historic Preservation and the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association.
When Tilda Balsley began teaching elementary school, the abundance of fabulous picture books grabbed her attention and she decided to write one herself. Since then she has enjoyed much success in the field. She has published numerous titles and gained much recognition for her work.
Balsley earned a BA in English literature and composition from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She earned a Master of Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Balsley has taught students at both the elementary and high-school levels. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators and holds a Published and Listed membership.
Raised in a military family, Balsley lived in three different countries and six different states as a child. She has spent the majority of her adult life in her husband’s hometown of Reidsville, North Carolina. She and her husband raised two sons there.
Betsy Barber Bancroft is a distinguished author of poetry whose work incorporates the tumultuous emotions of life with the beauty of nature and the importance of family. She has been honored by the Education Department of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and by Northwestern State University of Louisiana, where her works are housed in the Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library. Her book of poetry Wild Honeysuckle won the Printing Industries of America Award of Excellence in Printing and Design upon its first publication.
A bout with typhoid fever in her early childhood contributed greatly to the depth of feeling in her work. Mrs. Bancroft's affinity for nature dates back to her experiences growing up on her grandparent's acreage and her love of the Alabama countryside. Having learned the importance of family early in life, Mrs. Bancroft never let her work get in the way of spending time with her children and husband. She stayed active in her community as well by becoming a member of multiple groups, including the National League of American Pen Women. She served as an officer of such groups as the Women's Committee of 100 for Birmingham, the Alabama Writers' Conclave, and the Alabama State Poetry Society. She is also a fifteen-year member of the board of directors for the Bluff Park Art Association.
Mrs. Bancroft spent three years at Howard College, now Samford University, studying English. She first sold her poetry at the Bluff Park Art Show, and she has been sharing her love of poetry through speaking, radio, and television opportunities ever since. Writing poetry and spending time with her family are what Mrs. Bancroft enjoys most. She is the grandmother of seven and the great-grandmother of two. Native to Birmingham, Alabama, and having lived in various places throughout the state, Mrs. Bancroft is once again proud to call Birmingham home.
As one of the leading authorities on Halloween, Lesley Bannatyne supplied the Halloween article found in World Book Encyclopedia and is Halloween advisor to the Vampire Empire.
Bannatyne has shared her knowledge of the holiday on television specials for Nickelodeon and the History Channel (“The Haunted History of Halloween”). She has contributed to such publications as the Boston Globe, and Christian Science Monitor. Her diverse speaking venues range from the Halloween Convergence in New Orleans to the St. Louis Art Museum.
Bannatyne was born and raised in Connecticut. After high school, she continued her education by attending Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. She graduated as both a Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. During this time she loved the theatre and even wrote an original musical. She is cofounder of the Studebaker Theater (1978) and Invisible Cities Group (1990).
Bannatyne worked for many years as a freelance writer and journalist. During her research on Halloween, she became an active member of a pagan organization in order to better understand the customs, history, and celebrations.
Lesley Bannatyne, named one of “Boston's 100 Interesting Women” by Boston Women's Journal, is the communication coordinator for the music department at Harvard University. She resides in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Gary Duehr, and daughter, Maggie Bay.
Lois Elmer Bannon has long been an advocate for restoration and preservation of historic pieces, whether they be houses or smaller forms of art. She was active in restoring Magnolia Mound and presenting its history to visitors. She has prepared museum exhibits of James John Audubon's prints and published numerous articles on his work. Ms. Bannon did a large part of the early planning for the State Houses of Louisiana exhibit at Louisiana's Old State Capitol Center for Political and Governmental History. In gratitude for Ms. Bannon's work, and in honor of her accomplishments, the exhibit was dedicated to her.
Magnolia Mound, situated on a ridge overlooking the Mississippi River, stands as Baton Rouge's most notable eighteenth-century structure. Magnolia Mound: A Louisiana River Plantation traces the origin and development of this splendid, Creole raised cottage, providing an intimate look at plantation life and the economic system that supported it. The book was researched and written under the direction of the Magnolia Mound Board of Trustees, and in 1985, it was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from the American Association for State and Local History.
Handbook of Audubon Prints is a complete, concise guide to the bird and animal prints created by naturalist and artist John James Audubon more than a century ago. The book was created to fill a special need for serious collectors of Audubon prints, as well as for those who simply want to become more knowledgeable about the man and his works. A price list of Audubon prints, including the Imperial Folio Edition and the Havell and Bien editions, is included in the handbook. The authors also provide answers to many questions concerning Audubon's work, such as sizes of individual prints, numbers, watermarks, dates printed, printing methods, and background artists.
A former resident of Baton Rouge, Lois Elmer Bannon now lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
During her twenty-six years in the United States Air Force, Cassie B. Barlow earned the rank of lieutenant colonel, and she is one of a handful of women who has commanded at multiple levels of the Air Force. Over the years, Barlow led thousands of her fellow troops on both national and international levels. She is also a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists, the Academy of Management, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Air Force Association, and the Miami Valley Military Affairs Association.
Barlow earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Georgetown University and went on to receive multiple master’s degrees in clinical psychology, national security policy and strategy, and air power strategy from Chapman University, National Defense University, and the Air Command and Staff College, respectively. She also has a PhD in industrial psychology from Rice University.
After retiring from the military, Barlow began work as the executive director at the Center for Workforce Development at Wright State University. In her spare time, she plays sports and serves her community through non-profit boards. Barlow lives in Beavercreek, Ohio, with her family.
Margaret Anne Barnes, author and journalist, was born in Coweta County, Georgia, and now lives in Atlanta. She attended Georgia College with Flannery O'Connor and studied journalism at the University of Georgia.
She was awarded the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Special Award by the Mystery Writers of America for her novel, Murder in Coweta County . Based on a true story, the novel concerns the 1948 murder of Wilson Turner, a tenant farmer in rural Georgia. The investigation brought "lord" John Wallace, a powerful land baron, to justice with a conviction that set legal precedents. The book was later produced as a CBS television movie (available on VHS and DVD) that starred Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith.
Due to its merit as an outstanding fact-crime study, Margaret Anne Barnes' book has been used in sociology and criminal-law courses at universities throughout the United States.
Peggy Barnes' latest cookbook can best be described as a gourmet's guide to healthy eating. The travel influence in her work comes from years of writing articles about restaurants she and her husband have visited during their many travels by sea, land, and air.
One of the most remarkable experiences in their travels was a tour of the Caribbean. They accumulated more than 20,000 miles under the keel of Anemone.
"We sold our house, bought a 53-foot sailboat, and made plans to sail around the world. We started in the Caribbean islands and finding it a remarkably divergent area, we never left. We kept two logs—one nautical, one gastronomic. We charted restaurants, from sophisticated bistros to seaside fish shacks, as the hull pointed down the archipelago of cuisines, from the Bahamas to South America. My journal entries read like a food and wine lover's travel guide."
—Peggy Barnes
After returning home, she began freelance writing for national magazines and newspapers. Her food and travel articles have since appeared in Caribbean Travel and Life, American Business Woman, Chile Pepper, and Endless Vacations, to name a few. Currently she is the food editor and restaurant critic for Dayton Monthly Magazine.
Her professional cooking affiliations have also earned her significant credits as well. She has recently been inducted into the prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals. In addition, she is a member of the American Institute of Wine and Food and the Wine Taster's Guild.
She continues to write from her home in Dayton, Ohio. She and her husband still travel often. However, she says their destinations are less exotic these days, as they prefer to visit children and grandchildren instead of island getaways.
These four friends from Point Clear, Alabama, spend a lot of their time traveling, each trying to find the most "hidden gems" in an area. For example, these ladies were able to find places with unusual qualities, such as the smallest police station on the North Carolina coast (which happens to be in a phone booth), a place where you can attend a mullet toss, and the history of the only U.S. mail water route in the country. These women have a knack for finding the places less traveled.
Judy Barnes, born in Memphis, Tennessee, attended Memphis State University as well as several other universities. She is married to Dr. Roy J. Barnes, and they have seven children between them. She is driven by her desire to write guidebooks covering all of the wonderful places she has been.
Jolane Edwards grew up in Mobile, Alabama, where she graduated from the University of Alabama. She married Jack Edwards in 1954, and they have two children together. She enjoys painting, sculpture, writing, and volunteer work.
Carolyn Lee Goodloe has spent her life in Alabama. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor of science degree in textiles and a minor in journalism. She is married to James William Goodloe, Jr., and they have three children together. She is interested in working with regional leadership programs, gardening, and reading.
Laurel L. Wilson is no stranger to travel, having moved around a lot in her lifetime. She is the mother of four grown children and has worked for charities. A freelance writer, she enjoys photography, needlework, walking, and reading.
Charles Kelly Barrow became interested in the War Between the States after hearing stories about his ancestors. His desire was to research and write about black Confederates in order to educate people about an aspect of Southern history that has long been overlooked by historians. By enlightening people about this type of Confederate involvement, he hopes to prevent critics from attacking the Southern heritage. It is a legacy shared by all Southerners, regardless of their skin color.
Barrow first became active with the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 1989. At that time he was a historian for the Georgia division, a position he still holds today. He has served the Georgia and Tennessee divisions of the SCV as a commander, councilman, historian in chief, and chairman for their National Awards Committee. In 1996, he was chosen as the Georgia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans' Confederate of the Year. He also received the United Daughters of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal in 2001.
Mr. Barrow is the author of Black Confederates, also published by Pelican, and Sons of Confederate Veterans, Georgia Division: The First One Hundred Years 1896-1996 A Short History. A former platoon sergeant, Barrow has also held the positions of state representative legislative aide and cotton quality classer. Currently he serves on the Shorter College Board of Trustees and is a commissioner for the Georgia Civil War Commission, a vice president for the Pike County Historical Society, and a commander for the Army of Tennessee Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Barrow received his B.S. in social science from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. While in attendance, he also served as senior senator for the Student Government Association and president of the Eta Pi Sigma history club. Barrow concentrated his efforts in history and military science for his B.S. but pursued a broad field for his M.A. in social studies and education at Piedmont College in Piedmont, Georgia. He received his Ed.S. in administration and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.
Charles Barrow resides in Griffin, Georgia. He is an eighth-grade social science teacher and high-school soccer coach. He has enjoyed being a debate coach, track coach, head soccer coach, and football kicking coach.
As the sun comes over the hills of Southern California, Beverly Bass dons her running shoes for her daily trek through the island of Coronado. Depending upon her route, she may pass by what has always been the town's landmark, a vast and elegant resort stretching along the crystalline sands of the Coronado seaside. It is the Hotel del Coronado, and it is more than a magnificent landmark to Beverly Bass.
For twelve years, Bass was the food and beverage director and senior vice president at the famed resort. The job was the pinnacle of her twenty-year career in hotel food services which also included positions at San Diego's Half Moon Inn and the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel. Now retired from the Del, Bass has turned her creativity and experience toward other endeavors, including the writing of The Hotel del Coronado Cookbook. As exciting as the writing project may be as it comes to publication, Bass will tell you that there is a purpose to her book other than just sampling some the hotel's excellent menus.
"My main personal interest is entertaining, with special emphasis on theme parties. Most of my time is spent creating and developing new recipes in my recently remodeled kitchen which has been turned into a demonstration kitchen equipped with all the modern conveniences. Since Coronado is a party city, it has been easy to attract hundreds of guests in small groups to enjoy theme dinner parties."
Her themed celebrations have included the Del's Centennial Dinner, birthday parties for celebrities, and special occasions focusing on holidays. Bass takes a comprehensive approach to entertaining, going beyond just the menu. She holds every detail to the theme, from invitations and decorations to the attire of the guests.
Keeping up with her profession is not just an exercise in creating elegant and delectable dinners. She is also a member of The American Institute of Food and Wine and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Among her other memberships, she is active in the Coronado and San Diego community through the Coronado Women's Club, the Crown Garden Club of Coronado, and The Charter 100, a selective organization of women business and professional leaders from all over the country.
When she is not hosting parties or demonstrating new recipes in her kitchen, this California native will enter an occasional 10K race. If she is feeling really ambitious, you might see her in a half-marathon, as long as it doesn't interrupt her weekly tennis game with her husband.
David F. Bastian has more than forty years’ experience in flood control, navigation, dredging, and water-resource-related activities, most with the US Army Corps of Engineers. His career has included work in both practical research and project implementation, including fifteen years as a hydraulic engineer for the Corps’ Waterways Experiment Station.
The author of more than thirty technical reports and papers, Bastian has also made many presentations to national and international professional organizations. He served as a consultant to the Republic of Panama and the State of Florida, a liaison to the Panama Canal Commission, Suez Canal Authority, and Columbian government, and negotiated engineering contracts in Japan.
Bastian served twice in the USACE HQ Civil Works Directorate as the assistant director of civil works, central region, and was the technical director of the tri-national Commission for the Study of Alternatives to the Panama Canal. He concluded his career with the Corps of Engineers as deputy chief of staff with broad oversight of USACE HQ functions, including budget and union issues.
In 2006, Bastian began working as a consultant in the New Orleans District Corps of Engineers’ office, contributing to various projects concerning the rehabilitation and rebuilding of New Orleans hurricane defenses, coastal restoration, and protection of southeast Louisiana against hurricane surges. Bastian continues to serve as a consultant in this capacity.
Bryan Batt’s family founded and ran the iconic amusement park Pontchartrain Beach. After Hurricane Katrina, Batt organized, hosted, and performed at events and fundraisers across the country for disaster relief efforts. Hearing stories and memories of Pontchartrain Beach from natives of the Gulf South inspired him to celebrate his family’s business in a book.
A native New Orleanian, Batt is an actor, designer, and civil activist. He has won numerous awards, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his work on Mad Men, OUT Magazine’s Artist of the Year, and the Big Easy Entertainer of the Year award. Batt and his partner own and operate Hazelnut, a fine gift and home accessories shop in New Orleans. In addition, he serves on the boards of NO AIDS Task Force and Le Petit Theátre du Vieux Carré.
Batt earned his bachelor of arts from Tulane University and lives with his partner in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is his third book.
An experienced psychiatric nurse with extensive and varied training as a writer, John R. Batty turned his keen investigative eye to the circumstances inside hospitals and care facilities during Hurricane Katrina. As part of his master’s practicum in 2006, Batty interviewed the nursing staff at Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans about their experiences during and after the storm. Combining the staff’s heroic stories with his own research, Batty was able to evaluate and share his knowledge of the evacuation of patients and the administration of medical care during disasters. He and his colleague Gail Tumulty presented their findings at the 2007 International American Nurses Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Batty was born in New Orleans and lived in Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi before returning to the New Orleans area. He received a master’ of science in nursing and healthcare system management from Loyola University New Orleans. Out of six thousand applicants, he was one of fifty-four nurses selected for the Greater New Orleans Health Service Corps Grant due to his service during Hurricane Katrina.
A culinary professional with decades of experience in interior design, Grace Bauer has a passion for West Coast flavor. She earned her culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena in 2007. She is a member of the James Beard Society and the California Restaurant Association. Bauers culinary expertise has been featured in Kit Wohls New Orleans Classic Seafood.
The artistry that Bauer brings to the kitchen was developed from years of work as a designer. She earned a degree in interior design and started her own commercial design firm, Bauer Interiors, Inc., in New Orleans, Louisiana. She became a member of the International Interior Design Association and the Institute of Business Design, earning a spot in Whos Who in Interior Design.
On top of her work as a designer, Bauer gained experience in both the restaurant and catering industries during her years in New Orleans. She divides her time and talents between the two cities, as she manages her design firm in the south and hones her culinary skills in the west. Bauer resides in Los Angeles with her family.
According to Dr. James R. Baugh, the key to successful relationships is knowing what to change about ourselves and how to change our unwanted behaviors. Baugh, a psychologist with twenty-six years of clinical experience, is an expert on conflict management and relationships. His latest book helps us recognize the six hidden motives that weaken our ability to succeed and provides us with a model showing us how to act on our good intentions.
Presently in private practice, Dr. Baugh teaches, consults, and conducts twenty to thirty seminars each year. His previous books include Solution Training: Overcoming Blocks in Problem Solving, Recovering from Addictions: Guided Steps through the Healing Process, How to Lose the Farm and Cope with It, and The Baugh Relationship Index.
Dr. Baugh earned his bachelor of science degree and master of science degree in psychology from North Texas State College. He earned his doctorate of philosophy in clinical psychology from Louisiana State University. Dr. Baugh is a member of numerous psychological and psychotherapy associations throughout Louisiana and Mississippi and has served on the Board of Psychological Examiners. He lives in Jackson, Mississippi.
Harold Baumgarten was drafted at eighteen years old, and his first assignment was with the 116th Infantry Regiment/29th Infantry Division. On the morning of June 6, 1944, Baumgarten landed in front of the Vierville draw at the Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach. In the hours that followed, he was wounded four times as he worked his way up the bluffs at Omaha Beach. While on a stretcher awaiting evacuation, Baumgarten was wounded a fifth time, a nearly fatal wound. As one of the few survivors of this momentous day in history, he wrote his autobiography so that the brave young men who lost their lives on Omaha Beach would always be remembered. In this survivor's story, we see firsthand the tenacity of a man who pushed ahead until finally he made it off that beach to tell his story.
After the war, the multidecorated veteran received a bachelor of arts degree from New York University and a master's and medical doctorate from the University of Miami. Dr. Baumgarten is a renowned speaker and internationally recognized historian who has written several books on D-Day and whose story has been featured in forty other books on the D-Day invasion.Dr. Baumgarten's exploits have been reported in People, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, and various other newspapers throughout the United States. He has also been featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition and by Tom Brokaw on NBC. Besides his countless television appearances that include interviews on CNN, CBS, The History Channel, and networks in France, Austria, and Germany, he was a guest speaker at The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans in June 2000.
Ken Beck has been a features and entertainment writer for The Tennesean newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, for four decades. Beck was also the author of “Ask Ken Beck,” an entertainment question-and-answer column in The Tennesean in which he answered more than twelve thousand questions about TV, film, and music. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Harding University. A seasoned writer and journalist, Beck has authored and co-authored more than twenty titles, ranging from cookbooks to trivia titles with a pop culture flavor. The father of two grown children, Beck and his wife live in the country near Watertown, Tennessee.
KEN BECK
Ken Beck has been a features and entertainment writer for The Tennesean newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, for three decades. Beck was also the author of “Ask Ken Beck,” an entertainment question-and-answer column in The Tennesean in which he answered more than twelve thousand questions about TV, film, and music. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Harding University. A seasoned writer and journalist, Beck has authored and co-authored more than twenty titles, ranging from cookbooks to trivia titles with a pop culture flavor. The father of two grown sons, Beck and his wife live in the country near Watertown, Tennessee.
JIM CLARK
Jim Clark is a freelance writer who has served as the editor of “The Bullet” newsletter and associate editor for Card Collectors Digest. He was the recipient of the 1987 IABC Gold Quill Award for Excellence in the News Releases category. Clark has written and cowritten nearly thirty books and trading card series, and he has authored 250 promotional pieces airing on the TV Land cable channel.
Clark earned a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and has experience working in public relations and promotions for Opryland USA, Holder Kennedy and Co., and as the vice president of Schnitzer Communications Marketing Group. Clark lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Mary.
Together, Ken Beck and Jim Clark have written dozens of books and have sold two million copies of their titles, with Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook having sold more than 900,000 copies. Walking On: A Daughter's Journey with Legendary Sheriff Buford Pusser is their first collaboration with Dwana Pusser.
Some people's true calling in life is obvious even at a young age. This was the case for Missouri-born Ronald Beights. Beights always had a love for art. Throughout his life he continued to draw, aspiring to have a syndicated comic strip. During college, he found himself drawing and helping to write a nationally syndicated comic strip for children with the Chicago Sun-Times. This was the first of many opportunities for him to use his unique artistic abilities.
After attending the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Ronald Beights drew and sold a number of magazine cartoons. He served in the United States Army as an illustrator for Fifth Army Training Aids at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for two years. He continued his artistic career by working as an art director and production manager for Edward F. Ruder Associates, an advertising and public relations firm.
Since 1979, Beights has been a successful freelance artist/illustrator, serving many well-known clients such as Southern Bell, Great American Life, and Rexall. Mr. Beights enjoys hunting, fishing, and collecting Indian artifacts. He also enjoys participating in historical reenactments and playing in an old-time music band called the "Booneslick Strings." He is a member of the James-Younger Gang, the State Historical Society of Missouri, and Friends of the James Farm.
Ronald Beights is currently living in St. Louis, Missouri, where he continues to practice his calling in life: art.
After earning his Ph.D in English and receiving Harvard's prestigious Marquardt Humanities Award, Arthur H. Bell became a professor of English and the director of the business writing program at California State University, Fullerton. Since then, his academic career has focused on both the study of English literature and the study of business communication. Bell has taught and conducted research at the University of Southern California, Georgetown University, and currently serves as director of communication programs at the University of San Francisco's Masagung School of Management.
Bell is the author of more than twenty successful books in the field of business communication, including Winning with Difficult People and Extraviewing: Innovative Ways to Hire the Best. He and his wife, Dayle Smith Bell, Ph.D, maintain a consulting practice in communication and management areas in Belvedere, California. Bell is the father of three whose hobbies include specialized carpentry and jazz piano.
Guglielomo Bigi Benajá was born in Milan, one of Europe's most creative and historic cities, in 1928. He later moved to Sienna where he discovered the beauty of illuminated manuscripts and took an interest in how they are created. Inspired by this art, he took a course in illuminations offered by a restorer at the Pinacoteca Nazionale of Sienna.
In his own unique art, Benajá combined the illuminations with the Hebrew alphabet, which developed in the late second millennium BCE. Drawing ideas from the Kabala, he depicted ancient Hebrew letters adorned with ornate flowers, fruits, and gold and silver, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden.
When Peter Beney began his career as a photographer in the early 1950s, the profession and its craft were quite developed in most respects, excepting the art of color photography. Over the next four decades, color would have a significant impact on photography, and Beney was one of its premier craftsmen.
Beney began experimenting with color photography in 1954, which, at the time, was relatively uncommon. The processes were crude, intricate, and difficult to manage. Beney soon realized color’s importance in this field and devoted himself to learning about different color techniques in order to perfect his craft. Even in his early days as a travel photographer, he used color when others would not risk bringing the delicate process outside of the studio and into an uncontrolled climate.
The photos he has taken during his forty-year career stand as a great contribution to his trade. He worked on commercial and travel shoots through the sixties and later switched completely to travel photography. His travels took him to many places around the globe, and his works appeared in more than 100 books produced by Colour Library in England.
In the eighties, Beney formed his own stock library of more than twenty thousand photographs in Roswell, Georgia, and turned his lens to publishing. He was the chief photographer for the “bid books” for Atlanta’s successful pitch to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
Drawing has been Carol Benioff's love since childhood. A native San Franciscan, she studied photography and painting at the California College of Arts and Crafts. For thirteen years (1967-80) she studied drawing with artist Ronald Chase in San Francisco, and she also studied intaglio printing and copper etching privately. Most recently, she has taken coursework in writing and publishing for children at Mills College in Oakland, California, where she currently resides.
Ms. Benioff's illustrations have appeared in magazines, books, software, and packaging. Her select list of clients includes Washington Post Magazine, Scenario, Parenting, Oxford America, The Atlantic Monthly, Time, and Utne Reader. Prior to illustrating Preacher's Night Before Christmas, she illustrated The Christmas Thingamajig, a picture book published in 2002 by Dutton Children's Books.
Her work has been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco, at colleges and galleries throughout California, as well as in Quito, Ecuador. In 1995, she was awarded a Communications Award of Excellence for Illustration and the James D. Phelan Award in printmaking. The following year, in 1996, she was selected for a fellowship in printmaking at the Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California.
In addition to her work as an artist, Ms. Benioff holds workshops on mixed media printmaking and digital art and printing. In 2006, she was a featured speaker at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco. Her ongoing experiment of combining printmaking, drawing, painting, and digital image is evident in all of her work.
Raised in the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, Bill Bennett has been living in Savannah on and off since 1999. He graduated with a degree in film and video from the Savannah College of Art and Design and has worked for clients such as Microsoft and Starbucks as a freelance camera operator and editor. He travels and shoots for several television networks, including NBC, TBS, and National Geographic. Since his return to Savannah, he has been focusing his attention on architectural photography.
Ann Benoit lives, loves, photographs, writes, and most importantly eats in New Orleans. With so much fun available, she rarely sleeps in New Orleans! A full-time book packager with an expertise in culinary books, she pursues her serious avocations of writing, food, and photography.
For twenty-five years, Benoit has worked as the “secret weapon” of many a New Orleans writer, providing services as a ghost writer, editor, book designer, and food photographer. She is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, and her works have appeared in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Gambit, Amelie G, and SEVEN. In addition to her commercial and editorial work, Benoit’s fine-art photography has been exhibited at the PhotoNOLA photography festival and the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Benoit is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Culinary Federation, and the James Beard Foundation. Combining her many talents, Benoit’s unique and engaging culinary works serve up both history and culture—with a soupçon of fun! Always breaking new ground with her innovative work, she coined the term “American Ethnic” and has crafted musical menus, providing New Orleans-themed accompaniments from classical to jazz that go beyond typical wine pairings.
Former assistant attorney general for the State of Louisiana, Benoit is also the former chief of the antitrust and business litigation section of the Louisiana Department of Justice, former executive director of the Plaquemines Community C.A.R.E. Center, and former chief of the family law division of the Pro Bono Project of New Orleans. She is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Southeastern Louisiana University, and Mount Carmel Academy.
Emmy award-winning television producer Bill Berlin is a professor of political science at Montclair State University in New Jersey and a host of Carpe Diem, the university television show. Throughout his career, Berlin has written extensively on such topics as education, health care, housing, and corporate finance. His clients include New Jersey Medicine, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, presidents of major corporations and universities, and former New Jersey governor James Florio. Such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Christian Science Monitor have featured his work.
Berlin works as the senior producer as well as the writer for Caucus: New Jersey, an Emmy award-winning PBS public affairs series. Through his television experience, he has had opportunities to interview an array of guests, including a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and broadcast journalist Jack Ford.
Berlin earned his bachelors degree in political science and English from Brooklyn College and his masters degree in Latin American politics from George Washington University. He earned his doctorate from Rutgers University, where he received an award for best dissertation for his focus on the political thought of Jewish immigrants. A proud father of three and grandfather of eight, he lives with his wife, Susan, in New Jersey.
Susan Isakoff Berlin is a New Jersey certified educator, social worker, and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. She works as a private practitioner specializing in bereavement and loss, separation and divorce, depression and anxiety, trauma and abuse, womens issues, and stages of development. Her writing on these topics has appeared in local and national newspapers, including the New York Times.
Berlin worked for the Central New Jersey Jewish Home for the Aged and for Jewish Family Services as a social worker. She taught in synagogue preschool programs and public elementary schools in addition to serving as a director of a Jewish community center. A member of the National Association of Social Workers, she spends a week each summer as the on-site therapist for Camp Haze, a summer camp for children who lost parents or loved ones on September 11, 2001.
Berlin earned her bachelors degree in education from Brooklyn College and her masters degree in social work from Rutgers University. She also completed her post graduate training at the Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy of New Jersey. A travel enthusiast and proud mother and grandmother, she lives with her husband in New Jersey.
A former president of the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, Robert Lewis Berman continues to serve as a member of that congregation and of Temple Beth El in Lexington, Mississippi. He has also served as president of the 350-member Rotary Club of Jackson and as the district governor of Rotary International.
After earning his B.B.A. from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, he went on to serve as first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Tenth Infantry Division as a platoon leader and company executive officer of a rifle company. Upon honorable discharge, he was accepted to Harvard's business school where he obtained his M.B.A.
In addition to his successful writing career, Berman is the president of Berman Enterprises, a real estate developer located in Rockville, Maryland. He entered the real estate business after serving nine years as the vice president and director of corporate development at Lewis Grocer Company and Sunflower Food Stores, in Indianola, Mississippi.
In honor of his second book, A House of David in the Land of Jesus, the town of Lexington proclaimed a “Robert Lewis Berman Day.” Originally from Mississippi, Berman resides with his wife, Sondra, in Boca Raton, Florida. Now retired, he enjoys spending time with his family.
Born and raised above the Mason-Dixon line, Robert Bernardini fell in love with the South when he first transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee. The climate and the traditions of this region suited him just fine, and he realized that he wanted to make it his home. He has lived in the South ever since.
He first worked as an environmental engineer for the state of South Carolina from June 1983 to January 1990, and then pursued his doctorate degree in biomedical sciences at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. He also has a degree in nutritional science from the American College of Health Sciences, in Austin, Texas.
Bob enjoys most sports, especially golf, as well as photography, gardening, and reading and discussing philosophy. His favorite quote is "when all else fails, follow direction" because he believes that life can be easy if you simply pay attention. His interest in song writing led him to co-write a record album based on his first book, A Southern Time Christmas with Nashville songwriter Don Vinson. One song, "Ain't That What Christmas Is About?" made it to number five on the Cashbox Magazine Christmas Song Chart in 1990, and another song, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Our Town," reached number eight nationwide in 1992 on the independent radio station charts nationwide.
Above all a writer, Bob has published articles in The Synchronicity Quarterly, Health Living Magazine, and The Charlottesville Observer. He has also written an unpublished novel entitled "The Wind." His writing relates to his eclectic life-style in that he draws from many fields and philosophies to explore, question, and learn.
A member of the American Society of Nutritional and Dietary Consultants, Mr. Bernardini is currently a self-employed marketing consultant, free-lance writer, and entrepreneur. He now makes his home in Amherst, Virginia.
“John Besh, owner of Restaurant August and the hottest young chef in town, has turned down offers from New York and Florida to stay. He sees a New Orleans rebuilt by the people who live here, not by the politicians who make the headlines and hog the television cameras.”
—Robert Novak in Townhall.com
Acclaimed chef John Besh grew up hunting and fishing in southern Louisiana, learning the essentials of Louisiana's rich culinary traditions at an early age. Besh is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked at prestigious establishments such as Maxim's in New York, the Windsor Court's Grill Room in New Orleans, and the Cinnamon Tree in Baltimore. His love of classical cooking led him to a small town bordering Germany, France, and Switzerland, where he spent an apprenticeship at the Michelin-starred Romantik Hotel Spielweg, under the direction of famed German chef Karl-Josef Fuchs.
After returning to New Orleans, Besh opened Graham's as Kevin Graham's chef de cuisine and later held the same title at the renowned La Provence restaurant. These restaurants collected accolades under his direction, including a four-star rating by The Mobil Restaurant Guide, four diamonds by the American Automobile Association, and five beans by Gregory Roberts of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. As executive chef for Artesia, he was named one of Food and Wine magazine's Top 10 Best New Chefs of 1999, and New Orleans Magazine honored him as Best New Chef of 1998.
Besh opened Restaurant August in New Orleans' Warehouse District in 2001. It was named Best New Restaurant by New Orleans Magazine and listed in Gourmet magazine's 2003 Guide to America's Best Restaurants.
Restaurant August was one of the first restaurants to open after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, and Chef Besh has been actively involved in efforts locally and nationally to raise funds for hurricane victims.
Known as the “Queen of Cajun Cooking,” Marcelle Bienvenu is an accomplished chef and writer. Her articles and recipes have been featured in a multitude of publications, including Louisiana Cookin' magazine and CityLife, and she regularly contributes a column to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. She worked as a contributing editor for magazines and newspapers such as Food and Wine, Southern Living, Redbook, and the New York Times, and her diverse culinary skills are captured in her many cookbooks. Showcasing her talents in the kitchen, Bienvenu began teaching a course at the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in January 2009.
Bienvenu began her culinary adventure with the help of Ella Brennan, an owner of the award-winning Commander's Palace, a historic New Orleans restaurant built in 1880. Brennan taught Bienvenu about the restaurant business, and with encouragement from her mentor, Bienvenu struck out on her own, opening the Chez Marcelle restaurant in 1981. After her restaurant closed in 1984, she became the manager of Oak Alley Plantation, a restaurant and bed and breakfast operation located in Vacherie, Louisiana. Later, she worked as the manager of the Lafayette Town House, a private club in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1992, Bienvenu was approached with the opportunity to work with Emeril Lagasse, creating recipes for a number of his books. During her years with him, they developed four cookbooks, and she continued to hone her skills in the kitchen.
Bienvenu attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and in 1967 earned a bachelor of arts degree in history and English. She also has a Louisiana Master Gardener™ certificate from the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center. She resides in St. Martinville, Louisiana, with her husband.
Randy Bishop is an avid scholar of the War Between the States and an advocate for preservation and restoration of historic battlefields. He has authored several books on the subject and contributed articles for publications such as the Civil War Courier and Country Discoveries.
Bishop is a history teacher at Middleton High School and an adjunct for Jackson State Community College. A six-time recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award, Bishop was recognized in Who's Who Among America's Teachers and serves as the president of his local elementary and high-school parent-teacher organization.
He earned a bachelor of science in management marketing from Union University and a master of education from the University of Memphis. A member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Bishop is also involved with several preservation groups, including Civil War Preservation Trust, Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, and Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Association.
When not teaching or working with historic sites, Bishop serves on the Middleton Library Board and the Hardeman County Library Board. He also collects historic relics and enjoys traveling with his family. Bishop and his family live in Middleton, Tennessee.
A career consultant and business teacher, Joseph Bisignano has devoted much of his life to helping others find financial security. A graduate of State University of New York at Oswego with a master of science degree in vocational education, he has always had a passion for educating people. His degree gave him the knowledge to investigate financial security further and enabled him to translate that information in a way that everyone can understand.
He is a proud member of the National Educational Association of New York. He has also been awarded the prestigious American Foundryman Award for achievement. Life's Little Financial Instruction Book is his first book.
Currently, Joseph Bisignano lives in Liverpool, New York, with his wife and two children.
A member of the Illinois Principal's Association and the American Federation of School Administrators, Mr. Blazek has received awards for outstanding leadership and parental involvement. Prior to his work as an educator, he was a commodities trader, ran as a candidate for alderman, and served on ancillary boards for Dominican University as well as the board of directors for two mental health associations.
Mr. Blazek was born and raised in Chicago, where he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in educational leadership at Loyola University. He earned his master of arts in educational administration from Dominican University and his bachelor of arts in political science from Loyola University.Mr. Blazek is certified to teach in both Illinois and Mississippi, where he enjoys playing golf and tennis at his vacation home in Diamondhead.
Sarah Kirwan Blazek has her finger on the pulse of all things Irish. That is not surprising, considering that she was born in County Wexford, Ireland, and retains dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States.
It is also not surprising that many aspects of the books are autobiographical. In the books, the main family consists of the mother, father, and their eleven "T'ank Gods," or children. She, herself, is the third child and the first girl in a family of eleven. Of course, Mrs. Blazek's mother referred to the children as her "T'ank Gods." Ould Neddy, the donkey in the stories, is based on a childhood pet.
Growing up, Mrs. Blazek and her family loved reading and memorizing poetry. Known as "The Little Poet" at Fern's National School, she has grown up to write lyrical, fanciful books for children. But she has not grown up completely; after all, she does believe in leprechauns and Santa Claus.
Sarah Kirwan Blazek teaches at Sacred Heart Academy/Hardey Preparatory School for Boys and makes her home in Chicago, Illinois.
Victor and Tom Block are a father-son writing team.
Victor Block is a veteran travel writer and has contributed to numerous publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Travel and Leisure, and The Washington Times. Recently, Victor was appointed contributing writer in charge of the travel magazine of The Washington Times.
Presently, Victor Block resides in Washington DC and is a freelance travel writer.
Like father, like son, Tom Block is an accomplished freelance writer and contributes articles to publications, including AAA Today, AAA World, Connecticut Traveler, Los Angeles Times, Ford Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Worchester Telegram.
Residing in Poughkeepsie, NY, Tom Block is a full-time student at Vassar College where he is completing his B.A. degree in English.
Victor and Tom Block are a father-son writing team.
Victor Block is a veteran travel writer and has contributed to numerous publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Travel and Leisure, and The Washington Times. Recently, Victor was appointed contributing writer in charge of the travel magazine of The Washington Times.
Presently, Victor Block resides in Washington DC and is a freelance travel writer.
Like father, like son, Tom Block is an accomplished freelance writer and contributes articles to publications, including AAA Today, AAA World, Connecticut Traveler, Los Angeles Times, Ford Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Worchester Telegram.
Residing in Poughkeepsie, NY, Tom Block is a full-time student at Vassar College where he is completing his B.A. degree in English.
Victor and Tom Block are a father-son writing team.
Victor Block is a veteran travel writer and has contributed to numerous publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Travel and Leisure, and The Washington Times. Recently, Victor was appointed contributing writer in charge of the travel magazine of The Washington Times.
Presently, Victor Block resides in Washington DC and is a freelance travel writer.
Like father, like son, Tom Block is an accomplished freelance writer and contributes articles to publications, including AAA Today, AAA World, Connecticut Traveler, Los Angeles Times, Ford Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Worchester Telegram.
Residing in Poughkeepsie, NY, Tom Block is a full-time student at Vassar College where he is completing his B.A. degree in English.
Having grown up on army bases around the world, Gary L. Bloomfield is no stranger to the life of a soldier. He gained first-hand experience after graduating from Stuttgart American High School in Germany in 1970, as he was drafted two years later and served two tours with the United States Army.
Bloomfield is the author, co-author, and editor of numerous books about WWII, including the Benjamin Franklin award-winning book Duty, Honor, Victory: America’s Athletes in World War II. He has appeared on CNN, the History Channel, and various radio programs.
Bloomfield resides in Belton, Missouri, with his high school sweetheart, Anita.
After receiving his B.S. in history from the University of South Alabama, Civil War enthusiast Russell W. Blount, Jr., taught the subject at the high-school level. His affinity for history is apparent by his involvement in such organizations as the Civil War Preservation Trust, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the Historic Mobile Preservation Society.
Blount is the senior vice president of Surety Land Title, Inc., the Gulf Coasts premier title company, offering title insurance and real-estate closing services in Alabama and Florida. He serves on the board of directors for the YMCA Moorer Branch and the Kiwanis Club of Fort Conde, both based in Mobile.
In addition to his involvement in historical organizations, Blount is a member of Dixie Land Title Association, Spring Hill Baptist Church, and the University of Alabama National Alumni Association. When not researching the Civil War, Blount enjoys reading, writing, and playing racquetball. He resides in Mobile, Alabama, with his wife.
Deborah Blumenthal believes that “the best writing comes from the heart as much as the mind.” Evidence of this can be seen in any of the adult, young adult, and children's books she has produced. Writing children's books always provides its own special obstacles. Blumenthal revels in challenging herself by economizing the usage of speech and space limitations children's books require. She also stresses that “picture books have their own special language.”
When Blumenthal was a young girl, she enjoyed visiting her grandparents' house and discussing family history over dinner. Now, a full-time writer, she likes to encourage children to use words and pictures to remember family history and express their feelings.
Blumenthal says she never thought of writing as a career until she married a reporter. Now she is an award-winning journalist herself, as well as a nutritionist. Although most of her work is written for adults, her continuous enjoyment in studying literature inspired her to write children's books.
Her children's book Aunt Claire's Yellow Beehive Hair, now available from Pelican Publishing, was chosen as a Book Sense 76 winner. Another one of her titles, Don't Let the Peas Touch, was also chosen as a Book Sense 76 winner and was a Book of the Month Club alternate.
Blumenthal has been a regular contributor to The New York Times and is a home design columnist for Long Island Newsday. Presently, her focus is dedicated to her books, but she occasionally still writes for newspapers. Blumenthal received her B.A. from Hunter College and her M.A. in nutrition from New York University. She lives in New York, New York.
If Al Bohl had followed the direction that aptitude tests had pointed him in, he would have become a funeral director. He, however, felt that his professional career lay in a more artistic direction. After briefly flirting with a career in music, he finally settled on illustration and design.
Since earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal and fine arts in 1984 from Louisiana State University, Shreveport, Bohl has enjoyed a prolific free-lance career. Among other things, he has designed covers for and written or illustrated nearly fifty books, including his "kid safe" futuristic superhero, Zaanan.
Having returned to Louisiana State University, Shreveport, Bohl currently teaches cartooning classes for all ages there through the Continuing Education Department. He is also the cofounder and president of the Ark-La-Tex Cartoonist Society.An avid reader and movie buff, Bohl also enjoys collecting Roy Rogers and Charlie Chaplin memorabilia.
A freelance writer and lover of children’s literature, Laura Boldin-Fournier has had her work featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers. She has been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator since 2006.
Boldin-Fournier received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in library science from C.W. Post College. She worked as an elementary-school teacher and a librarian for many years in Dix Hills, New York.
She lives in North Palm Beach, Florida, where she loves to read and discover unusual trivia about animals, history, and science.
Born into a large family, James Bollich grew up on a rice farm near Eunice, Louisiana. He credits his disciplined farm upbringing and the patience and endurance he learned during the Depression era as reasons for his survival during World War II.
He graduated from St. Edmund High School in Eunice and studied engineering at the University of Southern Louisiana for three semesters before joining the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was stationed in the Philippines when war broke out with Japan and, before the surrender in April 1942, was named warrant officer, a promotion Bollich knew nothing of until he read newspaper clippings about it decades later.
One of the few survivors of the Japanese torture and imprisonment, he wrote about his experiences in Bataan Death March: A Soldier's Story. The book reveals the U.S. troops' three years of hardship, including starvation, pneumonia, and torture. It is a story that many people are unaware of, because the government requested that the ex-POWs not tell their story when they returned.
After the war, the author continued his education at University of Southwestern Louisiana and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to do geological research at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is an active member of the Acadiana Writers Guild, and he has traveled to more than thirty countries. Bollich was most recently awarded the Daughters of the Revolution Medal of Honor, which recognizes a United States citizen who has shown outstanding leadership, trustworthiness, service, and patriotism.
A retired geologist, Bollich is a life member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and a member of the 27th Bombardment Squadron. A father of two and grandfather of five, he lives with his wife, Celia, in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Author Jim Bolus is also the Kentucky Derby Curator at the Kentucky Derby Museum, located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. A former sportswriter for The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) and The Louisville Times, Bolus has attended more than thirty-five runnings of the Kentucky Derby and is the authority on the subject.
The author of six previous books on the Derby: Run for the Roses, Kentucky Derby: The Chance of a Lifetime (in collaboration with a co-author), Derby Fever, Kentucky Derby Stories, Remembering the Derby, and Derby Dreams, Bolus also self-published a booklet dealing with names of Kentucky Derby winners, What's in a Name, and wrote the text for Royal Blood: Fifty Years of Classic Thoroughbreds.
He has written more than 175 magazine articles on horse racing, many of them dealing with the Derby, and he has edited more than thirty racing magazines.
As for further kudos and credits:
• Bolus is the only four-time winner of the turf writing contest sponsored by the Ocala-Marion County, Florida, Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.
• With colleague Billy Reed, he won both the National Headliners Club Award for investigative reporting and the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for general reporting for a series of 1972 stories investigating the Kentucky Thoroughbred industry.
• He has had two horse racing articles appear in the Best Short Stories series of books:"Diary of a Triple Crown Winner" and "The Great Redeemer's Companions," the latter about the worst horses ever to run in the Kentucky Derby.
• In his June 10, 1992, review of the University Press of Kentucky's The Kentucky Encyclopedia for the St. Matthews, Kentucky's The New Voice, Earl Cox wrote, "The finest writing and reporting in the book on any subject is turned in by Jim Bolus on thoroughbred racing subjects: Kentucky Derby, Keeneland, Churchill Downs and the racing industry."
• Because Kentucky's increasing involvement with Japan can't be ignored, he has attended two runnings of the Japan Cup and one of the Japan Derby, and, Kentucky Derby Stories has been published in Japanese.
He is also the author of a condensed history of Keeneland, The Golden Years, as well as co-author of four editions of the Breeders' Cup Biography Book (1988-1991).
Born in Michigan, Jennifer Hill Booker grew up in Florida, attended college in Oklahoma, and has lived in Europe, but it’s the South that has her heart. Booker has a bachelor of arts degree in organizational communication from the University of Tulsa, an associate’s degree in applied science-culinary arts from Oklahoma State University, and a cuisine de base certificate from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. She is the executive chef and owner of Your Resident Gourmet, LLC, a personal chef and catering company.
A former culinary instructor for Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta and a culinary arts program director for the Grayson Technical Program at Grayson High School, Booker is qualified to write about proper cooking techniques, flavor combinations, and food pairings. She teaches culinary technique classes at Williams-Sonoma, is a contributing columnist for Basil Magazine, and serves as the host of the magazine’s radio show. She has written articles and recipes for Jezebel, Atlanta Social Season, Vegetarian Times, Our Town Magazine, UrbanSocialites, Southern Seasons Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, SOLO Woman, Sister2Sister Magazine, and Points North Atlanta.
In order to keep her culinary skills sharp, she serves as the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show’s executive celebrity chef for cooking personalities Paula Deen and the Neelys. She has made guest appearances at Chef Joe Randall’s Cooking School and the Chefs of the World: A Taste of Fame annual event. She also volunteers her time and resources to the Africa’s Children’s Fund. Booker lives in Lilburn, Georgia, where she feels right at home.
The small town of Pascagoula, Mississippi, is known for its duck-decoy manufacturing. Those who have lived here, including Joe Bosco, are no strangers to its history and development. Born in Pascagoula, Bosco has always enjoyed the sport of hunting and fishing. He quickly became intrigued with duck decoys, and before long, he was collecting these interesting items.
Mr. Bosco researched the history and current status of duck-decoy manufacturing, specifically the wooden decoys that are no longer in production. He searched newspaper articles and old catalogs and interviewed former employees and surviving relatives. After gathering a great deal of information, he decided to compile the information into a book in which he describes all of the key factors and manufacturing firms involved with the decoys, while providing a helpful guide for today's collectors.
Currently living in Moss Point, Mississippi, Bosco continues to enjoy hunting, fishing, and collecting Pascagoula decoys. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Spring Hill College and a business degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is also a member of Ducks Unlimited.
Whether working as a medical photographer or as a photojournalist, Judi Bottoni captures the heart of her subjects and brings them to life with her own unique vision. Her career spans several decades and includes numerous accomplishments, such as having photographs published in Time magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and People magazine, as well as in international publications. She is often seen wandering the streets of New Orleans, studying the city and capturing moments that weave the brilliance of daytime fanfare with the luminescence of evening parades and pageantry.
Bottoni received an associate degree at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and took courses at the Art Institute of Minneapolis. She has participated in local, national, and international seminars, including continuing education programs offered by esteemed National Geographic photographer Sam Abell.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Bottoni has called New Orleans home for more than two decades.
Currently residing in New Orleans, Louisiana, freelancer Garry Boulard writes about the ripe political, educational, and economic life of the city and the state for many major newspapers. In the Pelican State, one can hardly mention politics without uttering the name Huey P. Long in the same breath. In the course of familiarizing himself with his new hometown, Boulard was surprised when he learned of Long's attack on New Orleans. He discovered that of the multitude of tomes written about the Kingfish, none offered an in-depth analysis of the siege. Boulard seized the opportunity. In the course of his investigation, he located and interviewed more than two dozen people involved with Long and his siege of New Orleans.
While writing his book, Boulard relied heavily on his more than twenty years of experience as an investigative journalist. His articles appear regularly in the Los Angeles Times, the Times-Picayune, and the Christian Science Monitor. Boulard has made a name for himself in scholarly publications as well. Such respected periodicals as the Journal of Southern History, the Journal of Ethnic Studies, and American Quarterly have published his reviews and essays.
This versatile writer focuses his attention on one other medium: books. Boulard is the author of "Just a Gigolo": The Life and Times of Louis Prima, which examines another character with strong ties to New Orleans. He has contributed to The St. James Guide to Biography and the Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections. The two areas of biography and politics meld perfectly in Huey Long Invades New Orleans: The Siege of a City, 1934-36, which has been called "a brilliant history written with the verve and style most authors can only envy." It is his first book published by Pelican.
Walter J. Boyne, an inductee into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, is one of the worlds foremost authorities on aviation history. Both the National Aviation Club and the Air Force Association recognized him with Lifetime Achievement awards in aviation. A former director of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, he serves as the chairman of the board for the National Aeronautic Association. Boyne founded the magazine Air & Space as well as the Wingspan Television Channel (now the Military Channel) and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, C-SPAN, and the History Channel, among others.
Recognized for his works in non-fiction and fiction, Boynes books have appeared on the New York Times best-sellers list in both categories. He is the recipient of both Best Fiction Book and Best Non-Fiction Book awarded by the Aviation/Space Writers Association. Other recognition for his writing includes a New York Public Library Prize. In addition to writing more than fifty books, he has contributed entries on aviation for such encyclopedias as Encyclopedia Britannica and Encarta.
Boyne earned his BSBA from the University of California at Berkley and his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. Salem International University in West Virginia awarded him an honorary doctorate in aerospace sciences. A retired Air Force colonel with twenty-three years of service, he lives with his wife in Ashburn, Virginia.
From 1969 to 1981, Jeanine Bozeman was a school social worker in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, the Gentilly area, and New Orleans East, where she provided consultation for K-12 students, families, and teachers. She then began work at First Baptist Church in Chalmette, Louisiana, and Parkview Baptist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Bozeman attended the University of Montevallo, where she received her BA in English and history. In 1969, she earned an MRE in psychology and counseling from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and went on to earn her MSW in clinical social work from Tulane University. She returned to the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1984 to earn her PhD.
Dr. Bozeman is currently a senior professor of social work at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has served as chair of the seminary’s division of Christian education ministries. She specializes in teaching and research involving loss and grief, marriage and family, communication, divorce, and ministry. She is regularly involved with many community activities, including teaching workshops, speaking at churches around the South, and leading various seminars on learning how to cope with and relate to others.
In her spare time, Dr. Bozeman enjoys tennis, jogging, fishing and canoeing, traveling, and reading. She currently lives in Covington, Louisiana.
A native of Illinois, William R. Bradle followed his career to the Lone Star State, where he quickly became fascinated with local history, particularly with Texas's war for independence. A financial expert, Bradle boasts a twenty-five-year career in corporate, personal, and international finance and has worked with such companies as The Quaker Oats Company, Alcon Laboratories, LSG Sky Chefs, and Dresser Industries. With the merger of Dresser Industries and the Halliburton Company in 1999, he was named the vice-president and treasurer of Halliburton, but declined the position to explore other business opportunities. He now owns his own investment company, Bradle Investments.
Bradle has served as the chief financial officer of the American IronHorse Motorcycle Company, the second-largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the United States. He has also worked as an investment banker, financed warehouses overseas, renovated low-income housing, and published articles in Old News and 356 Registry. He is the webmaster of Ask Uncle Bill, a personal finance Web site for college students.
Bradle was born in 1950 and earned a B.A. in modern European history and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He had the unique opportunity to spend a year of his undergraduate studies in Austria at the University of Vienna and returned to school mid-career to attend the prestigious Senior Executive Program at Stanford University.
The proud father of two, Bradle lives with his wife, Sue, in Weatherford, Texas. Apart from the history of Texas, his interests include golf, swimming, international travel, Porsche restoration, and volunteering at his local church.
Michael R. Bradley is a well-known Civil War expert and author of many books on the Civil War and Tennessee. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Escort and Staff is his first book with Pelican Publishing Company.
Mr. Bradley was inspired to write a book about General Forrest's staff when he stumbled upon a copy of the unpublished minutes of the meetings of the Escort Veterans Association in his hometown of Tullahoma, Tennessee. Once he began his research, he received input and assistance from local historians and members of Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy camps, who shared their information about family members who were escort veterans.
Since 1970, Mr. Bradley has taught history at Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, his bachelor of divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and both his master's degree and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.
He has been a fellow with the National Endowment for the Humanities, has received a U.S. Airforce Legacy Grant for Historical Research, and was also a National Science Foundation Fellow. In 1994, he was awarded the Jefferson Davis Medal in Southern History. He is a member of the Southern Historical Association, the American Society of Church History, the American Association of University Professors, the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, and the Society for Military History.
Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Mr. Bradley now lives in Tullahoma, Tennessee, with his wife, Martha, who is director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church.
When he was just a ten-year-old boy fascinated by Acadiana history, Jim Bradshaw created a neighborhood newspaper so that he could explore his heritage. This small but ambitious endeavor eventually led to a journalism career spanning more than forty years. He got his first job, as police reporter at the Lafayette Advertiser, in 1967, became assistant city editor in 1970, and city editor in 1971. In 1976, Bradshaw was appointed managing editor of the Morning Star, the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, and remained there for a few years before returning to the Advertiser in the 1980s. During his tenure as a journalist, Bradshaw also authored four books, each delving into different aspects of Southern Louisiana history. Even in retirement, he continues to marry his twin loves of history and culture with his popular column C’est Vrai and regular contributions to America’s Civil War magazine.
Bradshaw studied English, journalism, and history at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he was also editor of The Vermilion, the campus newspaper. He was recognized by Phi Alpha Theta national history honor society for “conspicuous attainment and scholarship in the field of history” and has also been named as one of South Louisiana’s “Living Legends” by the Acadian Museum.
Bradshaw lives in the historic town of Washington in St. Landry Parish, where he is president of the Steamboat City Association, serves as a volunteer administrator of the Historic Washington Cultural District, and publishes a monthly newsletter called In and Out About Washington.
Cherif Brahmi has impressed diners and restaurateurs alike, working as chef de cuisine and executive chef in several top-rated kitchens throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The executive chef and co-owner of Dallas rise restaurant, Brahmi makes beautiful French fare approachable and fun, focusing the menu on savory and sweet souffls, artisanal cheeses, and classic favorites from France.
Chef Brahmi received his culinary training in France and apprenticed under some of the greatest French cooks of our time, including the Troisgros brothers, Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, Pierre Laporte, Gilbert Drouelle, and Jean LaFont. After moving to the United States, he was motivated to introduce the people of Dallas to his favorite French flavors.
Brahmi is active in the culinary community of Dallas. He has contributed his cooking skills to such events as Savor Dallas, the Les Dames dEscoffier Dallas Chapter Annual Raiser Grazer, and the CityArts Celebration in the Dallas Arts District. Brahmi resides in Dallas.
Robert Brantley graduated from University of Georgia with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and Jan Brantley (1952-2008) graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign with a bachelor of fine arts in painting. She later went on to gain her master's degree in photography.
Although Mr. Brantley's first ambition was writing, he gained a strong appreciation for both photography and architecture. In May of 2000, he served as a judge for the American Society of Media Photographers Save Our Cemeteries 11th Annual Cemeteryscape exhibit. His photographs can be seen in such publications as French Quarter Manual, An Architect's Guide to New Orleans' Vieux Carre, Elle, How Buildings Learn, and Architectural Record.
Mrs. Brantley was a proud member of the New Orleans/Gulf South chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers and was chief photographer for The Historic New Orleans Collection. She received several honors in her career, including the Certificate of Merit from Time Life Books, the Purchase Award from Pan American Life Art Collection, and an honorable mention in the Central Louisiana Art Association Annual Exhibition. Her photographs can be seen in such publications as Louisiana Cultural VistasMagazine, Southern Comfort: The Garden District of New Orleans, and The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly.
Katy Bratun has illustrated more than thirty picture books. She creates artwork in both a whimsical and realistic way, using mostly traditional mediums, including watercolors, acrylics, colored pencils, and pastels. Her goal is to create images that are wonderful places for children to go. Bratun gives two explanations for her interest in illustrating Josh's Halloween Pumpkin: fall is her favorite season, and she simply fell in love with Kathryn Lay's story and setting.
Born in Ogden, Utah, Bratun grew up in New Mexico and began to draw as soon as she could hold a crayon. As a child, she drew with wild abandon on every surface she could find—most of the time, the walls of her family's apartment. She also created narrative pictures involving birds, bears, and fish in jackets and hats. Bratun's taste in subject matter has not changed. She has kept her child soul and now shares the characters of her past by illustrating children's picture books. In her spare time, she and some of her friends make crazy projects, applying paint, clay, or glued items to any surface they can find as a remembrance of her childhood.
Bratun received a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University of New Mexico. After working as a flight attendant, she moved to Salem, Massachusetts, and studied illustration and business at the Art Institute of Boston. Bratun's art has appeared in picture books as well as in advertisements and on greeting cards, puzzles, posters, museum banners, stickers, kids' craft projects, and game boards. She makes school and library appearances where she enjoys talking about the creation of picture books with children, whom she considers budding artists full of creativity. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and belongs to the Picture Book Artists Association. Katy Bratun is a picture book illustrator and writer, working from her studio in Salem, Massachusetts.
Born and raised in Cut Off, Louisiana, Alexis J. Braud came to love the stories of the land that surrounded her. Although she traveled for a brief time and tried different jobs, she realized that her calling to be an artist—and her inspiration to achieve it—lay at home with her roots. With her illustrations, Braud seeks to find and celebrate aspects of Southern culture that make Louisiana unique. Her stories look to the characters and eternal mystery of the bayous, swamps, and fens that she calls home.
Braud attended Nicholls State University, where she received a BA in visual art with a focus on painting and sculpture. She has also worked as a high school English teacher and an art teacher.
An artist and mother first, Braud is also a compulsive crafter, enthusiastic home cook, student of her Cajun culture, and hopeful farmer. She lives outside of Hammond, Louisiana, with her husband and children.
Mark Brazil holds a Ph.D. in behavioral ecology, and is currently Professor of Biodiversity and Conservation at Gakken University, Hokkaido, Japan. Since 1998, he has written on a wide range of natural history topics in his "Wild Watch" column in the Japan Times newspaper. He is also a columnist for Insight Japan magazine, and his articles have been published in a large number of magazines in the U.S. and abroad, including Bird, BirdWatch, National Geographic, Outdoors Illustrated, and Woman's Own.
Tommy Joe Breaux has been making people laugh with his Cajun stories almost all his life. "I learned a lot of anecdotes from my GranPa Gilbear when I was little," says Tommy Joe. "He would talk about the crazy people who lived in his hometown, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Now, telling stories is a way of keeping my granpa alive."
Tommy Joe got his big break when a radio station broadcast live from the auto parts store where he worked. He started entertaining the disc jockeys and they put him on the air. Thus began a career of live and recorded performances that has produced five audiotapes and one videotape, in addition to the Cajun Humor from the Heart book and accompanying audiotape, his first project with Pelican. Tommy Joe also appeared on TNN's "Nashville Now" and his humor has been in Country America magazine four times.
The stories in Cajun Humor from the Heart are family oriented and "garonteed" to tickle the ribs of anyone, whether or not they are familiar with the Cajun people.
Currently a resident of Biloxi, Mississippi, Tommy Joe gives live performances in the area and records his stories for WVMI-AM in Biloxi, Mississippi. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Elks. He is also Chairman of Fundraising for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Multiple Sclerosis Society, having been diagnosed with the disease in 1986. A portion of the proceeds from Cajun Humor from the Heart will go to that organization for direct patient care.
With eight books to his credit and numerous magazine articles, Carl W. Breihan is destined to become as legendary as the renegades of the Wild West he writes about. A noted author of biographies of Wild West outlaws, Breihan has researched and chronicled the lives of many of the greats, including the ever-famed and ever-feared Frank and Jesse James. His most recent work, Ride the Razor's Edge, is the only biography of Cole and Jim Younger that relies upon their own correspondence and is authorized by the family of these nineteenth-century gunslingers.
Breihan is a councilman in St. Louis County, Missouri, where he has lived all his life. A meticulous historical researcher, this former deputy sheriff has pursued the story of the Younger brothers for years through in-depth research and firsthand interviews with their relatives, as well as the families of Frank and Jesse James. He was highly instrumental in providing evidence to dispute the claim by J. Frank Dalton, another notorious rider of those days, that he was actually Jesse James.
Breihan is a recognized authority on Missouri's outlaws, especially the lives of the Youngers and the Jameses. Ride the Razor's Edge is the ideal stage for his talents as he follows the Younger brothers from their secret life as guerrillas in the Civil War under the leadership of the illustrious and elusive William Quantrill, to their days alongside of Frank and Jesse James, to their fateful capture after an unsuccessful bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota.
The importance of Breihan's research on Western and outlaw lore cannot be overemphasized. He has uncovered evidence that focuses on the total historical impact of the Youngers, describing their roles as heroes rather than spotlighting only their criminal actions.
A native of Wales, Terry Breverton is proud of his Welsh ancestry and is actively trying to encourage a resurgence of interest in the Welsh heritage, particularly in younger audiences. Breverton's quest to re-introduce his heritage to not only tourists, but a new generation of Welsh, has prompted him to write a variety of books on everything from important Welsh men and women in history to an encyclopedia on the Welsh from a Welsh point of view.
Mr. Breverton first became interested in pirates while visiting West Wales. There he found a plaque commemorating the birthplace of Black Bart Roberts, considered the most successful pirate of all time. The pirate became the subject of his book Black Bart Roberts: The Greatest Pirate of Them All and sparked his interest for writing on piracy and buccaneers.
In Black Bart Roberts Mr. Breverton presents the true story of a pirate unlike the normal drunken, womanizing, smooth talking swashbucklers seen in the movies. Black Bart Roberts was a teetotaling Christian who was introduced to life at sea at the age of thirteen, and by the age of forty was forced into piracy. Called the “Black Captain” for his dark looks, Black Bart successfully took over four hundred ships and almost brought transatlantic shipping to a standstill. The Pirate Dictionary delves into the nautical language and expressions developed by pirate crews. This book explains the meaning behind such colloquialisms as “hit the deck,” which have been integrated into common-day language. Admiral Henry Morgan: King of the Buccaneers tells the story of this brilliant military tactician and strategist through his greatest conquests and battles.
Mr. Breverton resides in the Vale of Glamorgan and currently lectures at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff Business School in marketing and management. He studied at Manchester, Birmingham, and Lancaster, and had a career in business in consultancy and marketing in multinational companies before returning to the world of academia.
Recently Mr. Breverton was awarded a Helm Fellowship at the University of Indiana. He is the only Welsh author to have more than one book named Wales Book of the Month by the Welsh Books Council.
Known for her watercolor paintings of New Orleans, Jane Brewster is a freelance illustrator who has worked with a wide variety of media. Although she has been drawing her entire life, Brewster began illustrating about twenty years ago.
Brewster grew up in the historic French Quarter, which is the heart of New Orleans. She earned a B.A. in graphic design and illustration from the University of Oregon, and while in college, she won an award at a New Orleans Art Association event. She returned to Louisiana in 2002 and lives in Metairie with her husband, Randy, along with a family of dogs and cats. Aside from illustrating, Brewster enjoys reading, listening to music, and appreciating nature.
Bridy is the recipient of numerous awards from the Art Directors Club and the Visual Communications Society of Pittsburgh. An avid sports fan and music aficionado, he lives with his wife, Lorraine, in Pittsburgh, where he is a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators.
Billy Martin, known professionally as Poppy Z. Brite, is celebrated for his popular contributions to the horror genre. A fixture of the New Orleans arts scene, he has said that growing up in the American South “shaped him as a writer,” citing authors like Truman Capote and William Faulkner as influences.
Brite grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He left the university in order to pursue a career in writing and was first published at the age of eighteen. His first novel was met with critical acclaim; since then, he has published several novels and contributed short stories to a number of horror-fiction anthologies.
Brite has been awarded several honors, including the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the James Tiptree Jr. Award. Gambit Weekly named him the second-most popular local author based on a 2009 readers’ poll. Brite has also written successfully outside of the horror genre and, after a decade-long hiatus, resurfaced with a new short story in the fall of 2016. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, with his partner, local artist Grey Cross.
Eric Brock, a graduate of Centenary College of Louisiana, has spent years documenting, collecting, and writing about Shreveport, which, until the 1980s, was the second-largest city in Louisiana.
As a lifelong resident of Shreveport, Louisiana, Brock has written numerous magazine and newspaper articles about his hometown. Due to his extensive knowledge of Shreveport and Louisiana, Brock also serves as a consulting social and architectural historian. Historic preservation is very important to Brock. He has therefore served as a past and present board member for such organizations as the Historic Preservation of Shreveport, the Louisiana Preservation Alliance, the Highland Area Partnership of Shreveport, and the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society of Shreveport.
Eric Brock's Shreveport is a collection of vignettes on the city's history. This wonderful book follows Shreveport's evolution from a trading post to a port town, and from the Confederate capital of the state to the present bustling modern city. During his time writing for the Shreveport Journal, Brock received many letters and phone calls requesting that he compile such a work. Eric Brock's Shreveport is his response.
Among Brooke’s many awards and achievements are the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Historical Museum of South Florida, two Graham Foundation Grants, and the National Honor Award for photography from the American Institute of Architects, which is the highest award given in the field of architectural photography.
His outstanding work is included in several prestigious collections, such as the Embassy of Italy, American Institute of Architects, and United States Embassy in Rome, as well as in several personal collections. His work has also been featured in many publications, including Architectural Digest.
Brooke is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture, where he teaches architectural photography and composition. He is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and a Fellow of the Albright Institute in Jerusalem. Brooke lives in Miami, Florida with his son, Miles.
Marla Brooks is a Los Angeles-based writer whose love of old-fashioned comfort food was encouraged by growing up in the family that ran Slobod's Delicatessen in Philadelphia in the '30s and '40s.
Her first book with Pelican, How to Cook Like a Jewish Grandmother, is a project near and dear to her heart. The recipes in the book are her way of handing down family memories to future generations. There's probably not a person alive who doesn't salivate at the recollection of a favorite childhood meal. Family recipes handed down through the generations change very little in the process because we savor those childhood memories.
Though there might be an occasional low-fat or low-calorie recipe in her book, Ms. Brooks explains why she chose recipes full of items that people are steering away from for everyday cooking. "Our approach to cooking and eating has changed a great deal in recent years. We've become a more health-conscious society and try to eat right. Cooking trends come and go, and it's become nearly impossible to keep up with all the new dietary data that will enable us to live healthy lives well into our golden years. In spite of it all, we eat. How to Cook Like a Jewish Grandmother is for those folks who want to enjoy a good, old-fashioned meal."
Ms. Brooks grew up in Hollywood, California, and attended the famous Hollywood High School. Her lifelong connections to the entertainment industry led to a career as a freelance writer for the magazine Inside Hollywood, Los Angeles Magazine, and others. She also wrote a monthly feature for Cat Fancy magazine on celebrity pets and is the author of two celebrity cookbooks.
In addition to his lifetime of work as an editorial cartoonist, Charles Brooks has had another rewarding long-time career: that of editor of Pelican's Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year Series. This landmark series, begun in 1972, showcases the work of editorial cartoonists from the United States and Canada.
Throughout his life, Brooks has not only seen history unfold before his eyes, but he also has recorded it for posterity in his cartoons. So, too, do the editorial cartoonists that he chooses to appear in each edition of Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year. The cartoons, inevitably more famous than the cartoonists themselves, become a part of the history that they capture.
Charles Brooks is past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and was a cartoonist for the Birmingham (Ala.) News for thirty-eight years. He has been the recipient of thirteen Freedom Foundation awards, a national VFW award, two Vigilante Patriot awards, and a Sigma Delta Chi award for editorial cartooning.
Brooks' cartoons appear in more than eighty books, including textbooks on political science, economics, and history, as well as encyclopedias and yearbooks. His original cartoons are on display in the archives of many libraries.
John Broven fell in love with the music of the Louisiana bayou from across the ocean. He has been an ardent fan and collector of rock ’n’ roll since his boyhood days in East Sussex, England, where he jammed along to the hits of Huey Smith and Fats Domino.
Broven is a respected expert on the rock ’n’ roll era, lending his knowledge to BBC Radio and NPR to discuss genres from swamp pop to blues. He served as a consultant at Ace Records in England and was the co-editor of the British magazine Blues Unlimited. He then co-founded Juke Blues Magazine, where he published articles on blues, R&B, gospel, soul, zydeco, and jazz, demonstrating his own range of musical prowess and the diversity of Louisiana’s culture. Broven has contributed many music-history articles to periodicals and has written essays for numerous record releases, popularizing Louisiana swamp music throughout the world.
Broven has been inducted as an honorary member in the Louisiana Music Commission and is a member of the Louisiana Hall of Fame. He is still rocking from his home in Long Island, New York.
A freelance editor and author, Tricia Brown was born and raised in Kankakee County, Illinois. In 1978, she relocated to Fairbanks, Alaska, where she lived and worked for more than two decades. She received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1983 and has since served as the features editor at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Daily News and the editor in chief of Alaska magazine. She served as the events coordinator for Anchorage Youth for Christ in addition to working as a graphic artist for the Alaska Sea Grant program.
In 1996, Brown earned a M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Alaska Anchorage and began working as a full-time writer and editor for a number of publishers, including Discovery Channel/Insight Guides and WHERE: Alaska & Yukon magazine. In 1999, Brown began working full-time as the acquisitions editor with Alaska Northwest Books, an imprint of the Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, in Portland, Oregon.
In the course of her career, Brown developed a deep interest in Alaska's Indian and Eskimo populations, and she began travelling by small plane to the remote areas of the state to learn and write about the native communities. Considered an authority on Alaskan history, native cultures, and natural history, Brown frequently travels to Alaska for research and speaking engagements and is currently working with the University of Alaska Anchorage to develop web content for children on Alaskan history and literature.
Brown has won numerous awards, including the 2005 Contribution to Literacy in Alaska Award and the 1995 International Regional Magazine Association Award for Alaska magazine. She has authored more than a dozen books for children and adults, and her children's book Children of the Midnight Sun: Young Native Voices of Alaska received the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Award, Independent Publisher Book Award, and was chosen by Parenting magazine as one of the Best Books of 1999. An avid quilter, Brown is the vice president of the Columbia River Piecemakers Quilt Guild in Oregon and was a featured instructor for a weeklong quilting cruise up Alaska's Inside Passage from Seattle. The mother of two adult daughters and the grandmother of five, Brown resides in Scappoose, Oregon, with her husband.
A writer and former United Methodist minister, Anne Broyles spent her first twenty-one years in Tucson, Arizona, before becoming a seasoned world traveler. Since then, she has trekked around the country and the world and has lived and studied in California, Peru, Mexico, and the UK.
Broyles graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in French and speech. After receiving her MDiv from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, she became a copastor for a United Methodist congregation in Malibu. Her writing career began when she was still a minister, as she wrote magazine articles and numerous books about Christian spirituality. Broyles retired from the ministry in 1999 in order to write full-time; she is the author of more than twenty titles.
Broyles’ picture books have won such awards as a Teachers’ Choice Award and the International Latino Book Award and have gained recognition on the McNaughton List. She is a member of the New England chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In her spare time, Broyles reads whatever she can get her hands on. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.
Bob Bruce is the coauthor and lyricist of more than a dozen original musicals. His plays have been produced on the national and global stage, spanning from Louisiana, California, Florida, and New York all the way to Korea. Some of his titles include Lamoura and the Curse of the Voodoo Queen, Cinderella Battistella, and The Pecan Cracker. Bruce won a Big Easy Award for Best Costume Design for Cinderella Battistella and Big Easy Award for Best Original Play for Silver Scream.
Bruce attended both University of Virginia and University of New Orleans and served in the United States Navy for four years. He was a scenery and costume designer for the New Orleans Recreation Department’s Ty Tracy Theatre for thirty-two years, where he contributed to more than one hundred productions. In addition, he designed and constructed costumes and scenery for Le Petit Theatre, Le Petit’s Children’s Corner, Rivertown Repertory Theatre, Loyola University, Tulane University, the Pitt Theatre, Isidore Newman High School, and Grace Episcopal Church. For his dedication to producing shows of the highest quality, Bruce was honored with the Big Easy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre.
Because Bruce’s father was in the US Coast Guard, Bruce developed a love of travel and has visited all but four states. His passions lie in Broadway musicals, the music of Mahler and Prokofiev, and all things New Orleans. Bruce is a cancer survivor and lives in the Crescent City.
A native of New Orleans, R. Stephanie Bruno is an architectural historian and preservation consultant. Bruno has served as the director of the New Orleans Preservation Resource Centers Operation Comeback and writes a column about New Orleans neighborhoods, houses, residents, and streets for InsideOut, published by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A member of the New Orleans Geological Society and New Orleans Metropolitan Realtors, her honors include two City of New Orleans Golden Hammer Awards for historic preservation, the Louisiana Landmarks Society Media Award, and nomination as one of New Orleans Magazines Women of the Year in 2002.
Bruno earned her B.A. in geology and English from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. A woman of many talents, she has worked in real estate and development as well as in the oil industry as a petroleum geologist and enjoys renovating old homes and gardening. She lives with her two sons in New Orleans, Louisiana, in an Italianate cottage that has been in her family for more than seventy years.
Bill Bryant earned his Ph.D. in art education from Penn State University. His water-color paintings have been exhibited in Louisiana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Bryant leads workshops for art students in such scenic locations as Spain, Italy, England, the Yucatan, and the United States Southwest.
Bryant is a professor of art at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he regularly observes and documents the antics of the hapless armadillo.
Julie Dupré Buckner has been drawing and painting since she was a child. She is the owner of True Colors Studio and a freelance illustrator for JDBuckner Studio. She has completed more than six hundred commercial illustrations and several print advertising projects. A member of the Society of Children’™s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Portrait Society of America, the American Society of Portrait Artists, and the Louisiana Art & Artists’™ Guild, Buckner was the featured artist for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Art Auction. Her illustrations have been displayed at the Irving Art Center Museum in Texas and Children’™s Museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Buckner received a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from Louisiana Tech University and studied art in Italy. She has been honored with numerous awards during her design and illustration career, including an ADDY Award, a national packaging award for Georgie’™s Old Fashioned Nut Cakes, and praise for her work on advertising campaigns for Rolex USA, Mikimoto, and David Yurman. Buckner has also designed several silver-plate ornaments for Lee Michaels and set up their digital camera studio. She was the art director for Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry and staff illustrator for MacDonald Classified Service.
Buckner lives in Plaquemine, Louisiana, with her husband, Harry, and her children, Ben, Miriam, and Melinda.
Though Tim Burns was born on born April 1, 1957, his work ethic belies any notion of an April Fool's prank. A New Orleans native, Burns embraced academia with a passionate zeal, attending Tulane University and receiving a B.A. in economics (1979), an M.B.A. in accounting (1980), and a J.D. (1983). He passed the C.P.A. exam in 1982 while still in law school.
Following graduation from law school in 1983, he worked for the New Orleans boutique corporate and tax law firm Baldwin and Haspel. In 1986, he was recruited by Freeport-McMoRan for their corporate legal department and later became the company's assistant director of State Governmental Affairs. Burns moved to Baton Rouge in 1990 and then to Mandeville in 1993. In 1996, he became a consultant to Freeport-McMoRan and began practicing corporate law again with the law firm of Staines & Eppling in Metairie.
In 2003, Burns ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives and received over 48 percent of the vote in the first primary against four opponents. The second-place finisher subsequently withdrew. While in the legislature, he has distinguished himself in the areas of smart growth and tax reform. Honors bestowed by the American Planning Association point to Burns' efforts to facilitate smart growth. The St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation recognized him for his efforts to retain SCP Pool, a rapidly growing Fortune 500 company headquarters located on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain.
A student of the self-help genre, Burns draws on personal experiences, real-life examples, and observations for Midlife Tune-Up: Six Simple Steps. Recounting events in his life that were tilted out of balance, he shares his “never say die” attitude and the concrete practices that got him through his midlife confusion. His three previously published works are Entrepreneurship.com, Developing a Value Added Consulting Practice, and Break the Curve—The Entrepreneur's Blueprint for Small Business Success.
Burns is currently vice president and general counsel for a New Orleans-area marine transportation company based in Mandeville, Louisiana, and a part-time instructor at Tulane University. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and a frequent seminar presenter. He and his wife, Karen, reside in Mandeville, Louisiana.
Mark Burrows, award-winning singer, composer, and author, is the director of both children’s ministries and fine arts at First United Methodist Church—Fort Worth, Texas. As a two-time finalist for D Magazine’s Best Children’s Entertainer, he has written numerous children’s songs, many of which air on Sirius XM Radio. One of his songs, “Amazon Rock,” was recorded by Nick Records for Dora the Explorer. Seven of his titles have received the Children’s Music Web Award, and his four children’s albums have won a total of nine national awards.
A puppetry enthusiast, Burrows created and directs the Threadbare Theatre puppetry troupe, which has repeatedly performed at libraries, festivals, and the Dallas Museum of Art. He taught music at First United Methodist Church Preschool and Stephen C. Foster Elementary School, where he received the honor of Teacher of the Year. He is a member of Children’s Ministry Forum and Christian Educators Fellowship.
After receiving his BM in music education from Southern Methodist University, Burrows enrolled at Texas Christian University and graduated with a MA in conducting. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Nina, and his daughters, Emma and Grace.
Born in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, John Michael Burton lived in Camp Hill, Alabama, during his early childhood and later moved with his family to the Russell Mill Village, close to the mills where his parents worked. He attended Alexander City Community College in his home state and was later drafted into service during the Vietnam War. Trained to be a dog handler, he fulfilled his service obligations and later chose a truck-driving career.
Gracie's Alabama Volunteers: The History of the Fifty-ninth Alabama Volunteer Regiment details the experiences of the Fifty-ninth Alabama Volunteer Regiment, led by Brig. Gen. Archibald Gracie, Jr. The book traces the regiment's history from its origins as Hilliard's Alabama Legion to its final days as part of the Army of Northern Virginia.
The author's great-great-grandfather, William Tate Burton, was with Gracie's regiment for the entire war, volunteering at the age of twenty-nine. The author himself is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an enthusiastic Civil War reenactor, having appeared in the TNT productions Gettysburg and Andersonville.
Burton frequently speaks to students about both the Civil War and his Native American heritage. He enjoys hiking, watching rodeo, and, of course, Civil War reenacting. Semi-retired, he has three children and two grandchildren and currently resides in Dadeville, Alabama.
Michael Busby's life has been full of excitement and intrigue. The adventure truly began after he earned his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He was a member of the Marine Corps from 1969 to 1977, and during that time he held positions such as supervisor of the Naval Space Surveillance System and engineering manager for Rockwell International.
While employed by the Department of Defense, he had the opportunity to work in over twenty-four countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. He has been involved in some extreme life circumstances while working in those foreign countries. For instance, during the 1979 embassy hostage crisis in Iran, Mr. Busby had to escape an Iranian firing squad.
Mr. Busby has consistently been interested in engineering and avionics, which is why he was able to find joy in researching the 1897 foreign airship sightings. His advanced knowledge of aircrafts, engineering, and the military helped him to closely analyze the various theories about the mysterious aircraft.
Currently living in Plano, Texas, Michael Busby works as an avionics systems test engineer for Lockhead Martin Aeronautics.
Anne Butler has led a life of diversity, with interests ranging from criminology to cooking, homes located from the East to the West Coast, and jobs ranging from plantation owner to writer. A native of New Orleans, Butler received her bachelor's degree from Sweet Briar College in Virginia and graduated from Humboldt State in California with a master's degree in English. Having worked as a journalist, writer, and editor, she has written articles for many publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Country Woman, New Orleans Magazine, and Country Roads. She has also written a number of fiction and nonfiction books based on her numerous interests and lifestyles.
Wishing to share the history of Louisiana and of her own family, Butler operates a bed and breakfast on the Butler Greenwood Plantation, which dates to the 1790s. She claims to now know “just about everything there is to know about the area” and is spreading her knowledge farther through her award-winning children's books, travel books, and cookbooks. Her first cookbook, Audubon Plantation Country Cookbook, named Best New Cookbook of the Year by Louisiana Life magazine, includes history, humor, people, places, vintage photographs, and, of course, delicious recipes to create a wonderful view of life in Audubon plantation country. Butler's companion piece, Bayou Plantation Country Cookbook, offers the same wonderful mix of ingredients for the Louisiana bayou area. Louisiana Life describes her work as “an illustrated gastronomic tour of this area's society, culture, and economics . . . a veritable social history in the guise of a cookbook.”Butler frequently speaks at a number of venues, including schools, churches, book clubs, and civic meetings, to discuss topics such as writing, running a bed and breakfast, historic preservation, and crime. She conducts historic tours combined with book reviews in her home and writing studio. A member of many organizations, such as the Louisiana B&B Association and the West Feliciana Historical Society, Butler has appeared on a number of television news and talk shows, including Court TV with Catherine Crier and the Sally Jesse Raphael Show. She lives in St. Francisville, Louisiana, and has two children, Chase and Stewart.
Ken Butler had been a resident of Shawnee, Oklahoma, since his family moved there in 1929, when Butler was three years old. His grandfather participated in the land run of 1892, and Ken's interest in Oklahoma Indian Territory's outlaws and lawmen developed out of stories he heard about the land run. The result was a lifelong passion for researching and recording such history.
Butler was researching the young, violent Oklahoma outlaw Bert Casey for the quarterly journal of the Oklahoma-based Oklahombres organization. His research took him through old court records, newspaper articles of the day, Texas Ranger records, and personal papers handed down through families. In his findings, Butler came across other outlaws and lawmen who shared a common time frame in making headlines before and after statehood in both Oklahoma and Indian Territory. His fascination with these historic figures and their intertwined histories brought Ken Butler through five years of research and work, resulting in his first book, Oklahoma Renegades: Their Deeds and Misdeeds. In the book, Butler tracks the lives of Oklahoma's lesser-known desperadoes, rather than following history's well-beaten paths of more popular outlaws and lawmen. Butler continues this focus with More Oklahoma Renegades.
Ken Butler was a lifetime member of the National Association for Outlaw and Lawman History and a charter member of the Association for the Preservation of Lawman and Outlaw History of Oklahoma (Oklahombres). He was also a member of the Western Outlaw-Lawman History Association and the Oklahoma Outlaw-Lawman History Association.
Award-winning author Dori Butler grew up in a small family in a small town in southern Minnesota. Without a lot of children to play with, Ms. Butler began writing at a young age to keep herself entertained and, as she says, “never really quit!”
Ms. Butler has never had what she considers a “real” job aside from working in her county library for three years in high school. She began her published career writing for magazines, with stories in Highlights for Children, Children's Digest, and Child Life. She was also a ghostwriter for the popular Sweet Valley Twins Series and continues to ghostwrite for the Boxcar Children Series. She has written numerous children's and middle-school books since, and she has books on the IRA's Children's Choice lists in ten different states.
Butler was inspired to write this book because of her sons' fascination with firefighting when they were little and because of her father-in-law, who is a retired fire marshal. She loves reading, hiking, biking, and board games. She walks four miles, jogs three, or bikes twelve miles every morning but would always rather be writing. She has lived throughout Minnesota and Iowa. She now resides in Coralville, Iowa, with her husband, two sons, and assorted pets.
Michelle Mahl Buuck was born and raised in the Faubourg Marigny section of New Orleans. Her family includes three generations of firefighters; her grandfather and father retired from the New Orleans Fire Department, and her son is a St. Bernard Parish firefighter. This, in addition to her years of community involvement in St. Bernard Parish, gave Buuck the inspiration for her first Pelican publication, The St. Bernard Fire Department in Hurricane Katrina.
Buuck earned an associate's degree in general studies/social sciences from Nunez Community College and worked twenty-two years as a senior project coordinator for M-I SWACO, a global energy services company. For twelve years, she wrote for the Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans, reporting on community news for St. Bernard Parish, which she had made her home.
Buuck was a popular lecturer in the Nunez Community College History Lecture Series and also spoke at local schools, libraries, on PEN-TV, and for various organizations in response to a historical manuscript she completed on the LeBeau Mansion in St. Bernard Parish. Buuck self-published the manuscript, entitled A Forgotten Monument, with the help of the college.
She serves as chairman on the Board of Directors of the Nunez Community College History Lecture Series. Buuck also sits on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Institute of Higher Education, Inc. She is happily married to Ted Buuck, and they are the parents of two children, Caleb and Eden. They reside in Covington, Louisiana.