Emily Strelow, author of 'The Wild Birds', was born and raised in Oregon’s Willamette Valley but has lived all over the West and now, the Midwest. For the last decade she combined teaching writing with doing seasonal avian field biology with her husband. While doing field jobs she camped and wrote in remote areas in the desert, mountains and by the ocean. She is a mother to two boys, a naturalist, and writer.

Jacqueline Suskin is the author of 'The Collected', a book of narrative poems paired with found photographs, and 'Go Ahead & Like It', a self-help book that explores the healing power and artistry of positive list making. Known for her multidisciplinary work with a project she calls Poem Store, Suskin composes improvisational poetry for patrons who choose both a topic and a price in exchange for a unique verse. She regularly brings poetry into classrooms around the country and was honored by Michelle Obama at the White House as a Turnaround Artist. Suskin is based in Los Angeles, but considers the entire state of California her home.