Past Writers-In-Residence
Patti Fitchett is a funeral director, and a celebrant of unique memorial services, funerals and memorial events. Patti is an accomplished public speaker and actress who brings her down to earth and approachable demeanor to the difficult topic of death and dying. She is also the author of Matters of Life & Death, a monthly column in the Kenosha News, in which she shares her experiences, both poignant and humorous, about working with people who grieve. You can find some of her writing on Facebook at Grief Blossoms. She hopes that sharing her stories and hearing yours will help to demystify conversations about death and funeral service for families, communities and organizations.
Winter/Spring Writer-In-Residence
Julie Nondorf
Julie Nondorf is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, a former English teacher, and a lifelong resident of Racine. She likes letters—especially when they get together to form words, the color purple, and life on the southwest side with her husband and son. When she grows up, she wants to be a writer and a crazy cat lady. You can learn more about her antics on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Fall 2017 Writer-In-Residence
Emily Vakos
Emily Vakos was born and raised in Racine and is proud to call it home. She primarily works in the sci-fi and contemporary fantasy genres. Her work has appeared in Lamplight Magazine and Quantum Fairy Tales.
Summer 2017 Writer-In-Residence
Elkid Alvarez Maldonado
Elkid was born in Puerto Rico and was raised in Racine, WI. She studied English at Andrews University and since moving back to her hometown, has become more involved in the writing community.
She is an administrator for the local writers’ workshop which happens every Thursday from 6pm-8pm at the Launch Box Business Resource Center (Lakeside Lower Level of the Gateway Technical College Racine Building – 1001 S. Main St. Suite R109, Racine, WI 53403).
She is also the data coordinator for the BONK! Performance Series, and hosts the Racine Literacy Council’s book club. Her writing has been featured in Things Are Not What They Appear and “The Review and Herald.”
Follow her blog: The THInk Well
Winter 2017 Writer-In-Residence
Peg Rousar-Thompson
Mrs. Rousar-Thompson believes writing can fix most of the world’s problems.
She’s spent countless hours organizing writing groups in her community, volunteering as a Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), planning writing retreats and teaching creativity classes. She serves as editor for Left of the Lake Magazine and is currently working to establish them as a small press.
Follow her blog at writingbehindthesofa.wordpress.com