Author Profiles
Ohio has a rich literary heritage as well as some wonderful contemporary authors. Learn more about them here! You can sort by various categories and see who has participated in our annual book festival by using the category search on the left, or search by keyword (including partial author names) by using the search field on the right.
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Jonathan Blunk
JONATHAN BLUNK is the author of James Wright: A Life in Poetry, the authorized biography of the poet published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in October 2017. Blunk assisted with editing Wright’s selected letters, A Wild Perfection (FSG, 2005). His essay on the poetry of Jean Valentine is included in This-World Company, the collection of critical writing devoted to her work published by the University of Michigan Press in 2012.…
Read MoreJONATHAN BLUNK is the author of James Wright: A Life in Poetry, the authorized biography of the poet published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in October 2017. Blunk assisted with editing Wright’s selected letters, A Wild Perfection (FSG, 2005). His essay on the poetry of Jean Valentine is included in This-World Company, the collection of critical writing devoted to her work published by the University of Michigan Press in 2012.
At the time of James Wright’s death in 1980, Blunk had already begun writing a thesis at Cornell University on the poet’s translations from the Spanish. In 1990, to honor the publication of Wright’s Complete Poems, Above the River (FSG and Wesleyan University Press), Blunk began recording interviews for an audio documentary on the poet’s life and work. His research for James Wright: A Life in Poetry draws on more than 300 hours of interviews and archival source recordings that capture both Wright and the memories and reflections of his friends, family members, students, and colleagues, including some of the most prominent writers in the country.
Keturah Bobo
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio with family roots in Detroit, MI, Keturah was home-schooled from an early age by her mother who encouraged her passion for art at the early age of two. She decided to become a full-time artist after graduating from Columbus College of Art and Design in 2006. Keturah has always been inspired by her community and especially the beauty of natural hair. Her work uplifts and shines light on those who are far too often underrepresented. Learn more at her website: https://www.keturahariel.com
Chelsea Bobulski
Chelsea Bobulski is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in history, although she spent more of her class time writing stories than she should probably admit. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio, but now resides in northwest Ohio with her husband, two children, and one very emotive German Shepherd/Lab mix. Autumn is her favorite time of the year, thanks to college football, falling leaves, cozy fireplaces, and the countdown to the most magical holiday of them all: Christmas. She is the author of the All I Want for Christmas series, as well as The Wood (2017) and Remember Me (2019).
Rob Boley
Rob E. Boley grew up in Enon, Ohio, a little town with a big Indian mound. He later earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He’s the author of THE SCARY TALES series of dark fantasy novels featuring mash-ups of classic fairy tale characters and horror monsters. His fiction has appeared in several markets, including A cappella Zoo, Pseudopod, Clackamas Literary Review, and Best New Werewolf Tales. His stories have won Best in Show in the Sinclair Community College Creative Writing Contest and the Dayton Daily News/Antioch Writers’ Workshop Short Story Contest. In 2016, he founded Howling Unicorn Press with his wife, Megan Hart. He lives with Megan and his daughter in Dayton, where he works for his alma mater. Each morning and most nights, he enjoys making blank pages darker. You can get to know him better by visiting his website at http://www.robboley.com.
Oris Regina Bond
Jane Bond
Jane Bond always wanted to write. But after earning a degree in Journalism from Ohio University, her life took another direction. As a single mom with two small daughters, she started law school in 1973 earning a law degree from the University of Akron in 1976. She started practicing law at a desk in the reception area of an Akron law firm at a time when women were uncommon and unwelcome as lawyers.…
Read MoreJane Bond always wanted to write. But after earning a degree in Journalism from Ohio University, her life took another direction. As a single mom with two small daughters, she started law school in 1973 earning a law degree from the University of Akron in 1976. She started practicing law at a desk in the reception area of an Akron law firm at a time when women were uncommon and unwelcome as lawyers.
Then came the opportunity to become a Summit County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. That led to an offer to become the first General Counsel to the Summit County Executive. This involved her in settling a federal lawsuit on jail overcrowding and helping to plan a new county jail. With that experience in jail planning, she was offered a job in Cleveland as corporate legal counsel and criminal justice planner for The Voinovich Companies. The work took her into jails and prisons all over the United States.
She decided serving in the courts could have a greater impact than planning. She sought and received an appointment as Municipal Judge in the City of Akron. After two years as a municipal judge, she was appointed to the Common Pleas Court in Summit County. Now in an elected office with a six-year term, she was required to run for election after her appointment. She won and then was re-elected to two more terms, retiring in 2007 after eighteen years on the bench.
During her service as judge, she presided over thousands of criminal and civil cases. One of her most challenging experiences had been presiding over a complex series of criminal cases that collectively became known as “The Escort Case.” She drew on the facts of that case to write this compelling true story of the criminal justice system gone awry and the struggle to finally do justice.
Dr. Helen Bond
Dr. Helen Bond is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Howard University. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from The Ohio State University, a Master’s in Communication from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Tech. Dr. Bond has published widely including articles in the Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide, International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, Journal of Transformative Education, Handbook of Research on Culturally Aware Technology, and the Weekly Journal of Higher Education published by the Association of Indian Universities. She also published chapters in the following books: Pathways to the Holocaust and the award winning Evoking Genocide chosen as the “Outstanding Academic Title” for 2010 by Choice Magazine, the leading journal of librarians around the English-speaking world. She grew up on a farm in Ohio, but now lives outside the Washington DC metro area.
Lindsay Bonilla
Lindsay Bonilla is a professional storyteller and children’s book author from North Canton, Ohio. She lives with her husband, two wild and creative kids, and her dog, Blitzen. While earning her Bachelor’s degree in theatre and religion at Northwestern University, she fell in love with folktales and world travel. Lindsay has performed interactive theatre, shared stories and taught workshops all over the world. Her picture books include THE STORYTELLER, THE NOTE WHO FACED THE MUSIC, I LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEARTS, and POLAR BEAR ISLAND. When she’s not writing or performing, Lindsay loves to run, travel, eat spicy foods and brainstorm book ideas with her family. Learn more at http://www.lindsaybonilla.com
Louise Borden
Armani Borden
Born in Detroit and raised in Ohio, Armani Borden is a graduate of Bowling Green State University. She received a bachelor’s degree in film production, loves action and comedy films, and books and music are her life. She listens, sings, and plays music every day. Borden grew up playing by herself in her room, which helped her develop such a big and vivid imagination.