Instructors
Nina Alvarez is a poet and fiction writer. She is also a freelance fiction editor with experience editing, developing, and submitting fiction manuscripts for clients in the genres of romance suspense, chick lit, YA fiction, spiritual allegory, and middle grade childrens books. Nina has worked widely in publishing, as a professional art marketing blogger, website marketing content writer, ghostblogger, and copyeditor. She has taught college-level composition and literature and has a master’s degree in English from the University at Albany ‘03.
Angela Cannon-Crothers is an environmental educator, author and writer with degrees in the sciences and education. She publishes articles on nature and parenting as well as short stories. Her fiction has appeared in Stone Canoe and LadyBug and her true stories have appeared in the anthologies; A Mile In Her Boots: Women Who Work in the Wild (Solas Hous, 2006) and The Ultimate Bird Lover (2010). She is the author of the The Wildcrafter (a novel), Grape Pie Season (a children’s story), and is the recipient of several poetry awards. She loves teaching others about the science—and magic—of the natural world.
Charles Coté has studied with some of the best poets and poetry teachers in the country, and brings a wealth of experience to the Writers & Books classroom on poetic craft. Publication credits include: The Cortland Review, Upstreet, Boston Literary Magazine, ByLine, Connecticut River Review, Free Lunch, HazMat Review, and Lake Affect Magazine, and a recent chapbook, Flying for the Window (Finishing Line Press, 2008), elegies about his son’s illness and death. He is a clinical social worker in private practice and lives with his wife and two sons in Brighton, NY.
Barbara Ciambor is the Outreach Librarian at the Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC). Her current activities include promotion and training for RRLC programs and services including the CLIC-on-Health Outreach to Unaffiliated Health Professionals project, WorldCat and NOVELNY.
Alfred Geier received his BA at St. John’s College, an MA in Political Science at the University of Chicago, and his Ph.D. in Classics at Johns Hopkins University. He teaches the classics (Homer, Sophocles, Plato) at UR. His recent book is, Plato’s Erotic Thought: The Tree of the Unknown.
Maria Gillard is a singer songwriter who has taught creative journaling and songwriting at Writers and Books, Omega Institute, Gell Center and held workshops on her own for several years. She teaches and directs the ever popular “Create a Radio Show “ for kids at Summerwrite, here at Writers and Books. She has published three recordings of original music, has toured throughout the northeast as a folksinger/songwriter and teaches music at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua.
Lois Gresh is the New York Times best-selling author (6 times), Publishers Weekly best-selling paperback author, and Publishers Weekly best-selling paperback children’s author of 27 books and 45 short stories. Her books have been published in approximately 20 languages. Current books include weird SF vampire novel Blood and Ice (Jan 2011, Elder Signs Press), SFFH short story collection Eldritch Evolutions (March 2011, Chaosium), weird SF novel Deadly Dimensions (2011, Arkham House), an untitled volume from St. Martin’s Press (2012); and editor of SFFH anthology Arkham Nightmares (2013, Arkham House). Lois has received Bram Stoker Award, Nebula Award, Theodore Sturgeon Award, and International Horror Guild Award nominations for her work. Lois is on the web at loisgresh.blogspot.com and htwww.loisgresh.com.
Holly Howell operated a Cooking School in East Rochester, where she coordinated and ran culinary programs with chefs from all over the world. She has a BS in food marketing from RIT, and teaches wine and food pairing classes for Wegmans Food Markets, several Finger Lakes Wineries, RIT, UR, the New York Wine & Culinary Center, and her parents own cooking school “The Seasonal Kitchen.” She is a member of the American Wine Society, Women for Winesense, and the American Institute of Wine and Food. She writes bi-weekly wine columns for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle newspaper, and monthly articles for Mountain Home Magazine in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Holly is a CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) through the Society of Wine Educators; a CS (Certified Sommelier) through the Master Court of Sommeliers in England; and is currently pursuing her diploma through the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust).
Steven Huff is the author of two full books of poetry, most recently More Daring Escapes (Red Hen Press 2008) and a story collection A Pig in Paris (Big Pencil Press 2008). The director of adult education and programming at Writers & Books, he teaches writing at RIT and in the Solstice MFA Program in Creative Writing at Pine Manor College. His fiction has won a Pushcart Prize and has been short-listed for the O. Henry Award; his poetry has been read by Garrison Keillor on The Writers Almanac and chosen by Ted Kooser for American Life in Poetry.
Jill Kress Karn earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University and her doctoral degree in English from the University of Rochester. She is the author of The Figure of Consciousness: William James, Henry James, and Edith Wharton (Routledge 2002). Currently, she teaches American Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Rochester. She lives in Avon, NY with her husband and three children.
Stephen Lewandowski has published ten small books of poetry, and his poems and essays have appeared in regional and national environmental and literary journals and anthologies. His chapbook of poems, O Lucky One was published by Foothills Publishing of Kanona, NY in 2010. His work is either forthcoming or recently published in Bellowing Ark, The Scream, Hanging Loose, The Kerf, House Organ, and Blueline.
Debra Eileen Lewis holds a B.A. from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a major in “The Arts and Education.” Through this interdisciplinary major, Debra explored the role of creativity in human growth and development and in education, focusing specifically on creative writing. Debra’s first love is fiction and she is currently working on her first young adult novel. She is also a writer of picture books, poetry and non-fiction, and has worked in journalism. Besides being a writer, Debra is a licensed massage therapist, a photographer, a painter, a dancer, and a gardener.
Karen Lee Lewis is an experienced Teaching Artist, and Teacher Consultant, for various non-profit arts in education organizations throughout Western New York. One of her projects was the subject of a documentary film, and it aired on PBS in 2009. Karen has completed fellowships with Canada’s Banff Centre, and with the Western New York Writing Project at Canisius College (an affiliate of the National Writing Project). Karen’s poetry, short fiction, features, interviews and photography have been widely published, most recently in Buffalo Spree, Teachers & Writers magazine, a Nature Conservancy newsletter, and the anthology Voices from the Herd. Her poem “Even if” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Slipstream Press. Her full-length poetry collection is entitled “What I Would Not Unravel” (Writers Den Books).
Wendy Low is a poet with many performances to her credit as well as poems and stories published in HazMat Review, Desperate Acts, Napalm Health Spa, and Breaking the Silence. She has 20+ years of experience in making creative writing enjoyable and important to beginning writers. Low edited hundreds of anthologies as the former Director of Community Outreach and Youth Education at W&B, and is active in two writers’ feedback circles. She is currently a freelance editor and teacher.
Len Messineo earned his MFA from Wichita State University and his MA in playwriting and directing from St. Louis University. He has published fiction in Shenandoah, The Sun, Tennessee Review, Rosebud, Midwest Quarterly, and many others. His short stories have twice been nominated for inclusion in the Pushcart Prize Stories, and one of his plays was selected for Geva Theatre’s Regional Playwrights Festival. Len has been teaching at W&B for many years.
Miriam Grace Monfredo lives in western New York State, the scene of her critically acclaimed Seneca Falls Historical Mystery Series. Historian and former librarian, Monfredo’s first novel, Seneca Falls Inheritance, Agatha nominated for Best First Mystery Novel 1992. She has written eight more novels that focus on the history of America and the evolution of women and minority rights. Her most recent book, Children of Cain, is the last volume of a Civil War trilogy set in Washington D.C. and Virginia, during the Union’s 1862 Peninsula Campaign. Monfredo’s Brothers of Cain was awarded the 2001 Herodotus as the year’s Best Historical Mystery. She is the recipient of the 2000 Career Achievement Award for Historical Mystery Writing by Romantic Times. Her second book, North Star Conspiracy, was chosen for the statewide 2002 “Alaska Reads A Book” program; it was also chosen by the Alaska Association of School Librarians for the 2002-03 “Battle of the Books” motivational reading program . North Star Conspiracy was also chosen for the 2005 Brookline Reads The Same Book in Massachusetts, and by the Central New York Reads Consortium for 2005-2006.
Pilar Nadal has been making prints for 15 years. She has studied art, design and education in New York, Boston, North Carolina, and Italy. Pilar currently teaches art in Canandaigua, NY and runs Pressto!, a letterpress art and design studio.
Martin Naparsteck has taught business writing, creative writing, literature, and journalism at 10 colleges in three states. He has published creative non-fiction and fiction in Mississippi Review, North American Review, The Writer, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and dozens of other publications. He has published two novels and, most recently, a collection of short stories, Saying Things (Lake Affect). Martin currently teaches at W&B and is a book reviewer for the Salt Lake Tribune. A film based on his short story “The 9:13” was featured at last year’s High Falls Film Festival.
Carol Roberts was a member of the San Francisco improv comedy troupe Femprov for three years and the founder/co-director of Between the Lines in New York City. A former standup comic and winner of the San Francisco Cable Car Entertainer of the Year award, she has worked with Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneris, and Paula Poundstone. Carol believes that comedy improv is a good foundation for public speaking, standup comedy, acting, and being able to play as an adult.
Marna Rossi, PhD, is a storyteller and workshop leader who helps young people become more expressive through storytelling, poetry, and drama. In addition to her work at W&B, she has designed and taught programs for the UR’s Girls’ Science, Math and Computer Camp; the Urban League Teen Program; the YMCA; and church youth programs. She has performed with the Storytelling Guild of Rochester. Rossi has also taught child and adolescent development at Nazareth College and RIT.
Evan Rubenstein is a Rochester native who has worked in the film industry in both Los Angeles and New York City. He has worked as a script reader for New Line Cinema. He has had pitch meetings with various companies including New Line Cinema and VH1. Additionally, he has worked on numerous indie productions, such as Money to Burn starring Michael Madsen & David Carradine, and the award winning short, Scratch. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Film from Ithaca College, and a Masters of Science in Multi-Disciplinary Studies from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Leah Ruekberg, storyteller and story midwife, has created dozens of stories the natural way, by telling them into existence. As a Writer-in-Residence she has successfully modeled this process of natural story birthing for almost a decade. Students say, “I like the way you make us work our hardest.” Teachers say, “Students are simply writing more and enjoying it.”
Anais Salibian, M.A., has a private practice in therapeutic bodywork and has been teaching writing since 1989. She has published essays, memoirs, and opinion pieces in Ararat Quarterly, The Sun, Creative Woman, and local newspapers, and appears in the anthology Through the Kitchen Window. She is currently working on a novel. In 2004 she received the Writers & Books Teacher of Adults Award for the Creation and Appreciation of Literature.
Melissa Slocum is a fiction writer. She recently began her second collection of short fiction, as well as a memoir of her childhood vacations to her grandparents’ cottages. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Chatham University and currently teaches at Monroe Community College. Slocum edited for several years before moving into education.
Dick TenEyck’s poetry has appeared in such journals as Snowy Egret, Nimrod, and Poet Lore. His work has received a Pushcart Prize nomination and several prizes in the Chautauqua summer poetry contests. He also twice read in The Genesee Reading Series.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and desktop publisher whose motto is “I can write about anything!” She provides feature, news, and profile articles; all aspects of newsletters (writing, editing, layout, print, and Web production, and training); and proofreading and editing services to publications, non-profits, associations, and companies. She also is a popular speaker on communications topics such as freelancing, editing, and newsletters; a well-know networker; and founder of Communication Central (www.communication-central.com) which provides programs for freelancers.
Jennifer Talty’s most recent books are Rekindled, In Two Weeks, and Dark Waters, all from Wild Rose Press, and written under the name Jenni Holbrook. She holds a BS degree in Business Education form Nazareth College, and has worked in the merchandising/marketing field for the last 10 years.
Almeta Whitis is a highly lauded storyteller/educator whose recent return to Rochester was much anticipated. Her career encompasses work as an actress, writer, singer, dancer, choreographer, storyteller, director, producer, classroom teacher and artist-in-education from elementary through college, public and community television producer/host, and creative and educational consultant. She has traveled widely, spreading and collecting stories from Belize to China. She endeavors to find a common ground place that transcends the divisions and separations that we create in our minds.
Cori A. Winrock is a graduate of Cornell University’s MFA program in poetry where she was awarded the Corson Bishop Prize. Her poems have appeared in (or are waiting in the wings of) Blackbird, Denver Quarterly, Indiana Review, Shenandoah, The American Poetry Journal & others. She was selected as Editor’s Choice for Mid-American Review’s James Wright Poetry Award and as a finalist for The National Poetry Review’s Annie Finch Prize. Her first manuscript was chosen as finalist for the 2010 Academy of American Poets’ Walt Whitman Award. She has just returned to Rochester after spending this past spring as the Emerging Writer Fellow at Kingston University in London, UK.
