Tom Smith
Dr. Smith is a retired educator who served 33 years in Avoyelles Parish as a teacher of English and social studies, assistant principal at three schools, principal at two schools, and in the district office as a grant writer and English/social studies resource teacher. He was an adjunct for Northwestern State University, Louisiana State University at Alexandria, Macomb Community College, University of Phoenix, and Baker College. He worked as a full-time faculty member at Baker College of Auburn Hills (MI). In retirement he is the independent author of 13 books and is a grant writing consultant. He holds a BA from ULM, a MEd from LSU, a MA from LSU, and a PhD from UNO.
Marian Nevill
Marian Nevill, a native Alexandrian, started writing after retirement and has authored three books: Do You Believe In Magic?, Land Of The Giants, and Leo’s War. She belongs to two writing groups and is just now trying her hand at playwriting and poetry. She is also a member of the Cenla Authors' Club, and was named Author of the Month at the Rapides Parish Library in October 2023. Marian and her husband, Robert (also known as Sonny), reside in the Prospect Community of Grant Parish and have two living children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Sallie K. Hollis
Sallie K. Hollis, who was born in Monroe, Louisiana and lived there for eighteen years, moved to Alexandria, Louisiana in 1974, and currently resides there. She was a student at LSUA from 1979 to1980 and is a 1983 graduate of Northwestern State University where she earned a degree in Secondary Education and specialized in social studies and English. Sallie spent her career advocating for minors and is now the proud author of “A Louisiana Woman”, a compilation of her best poems, which is now available in electronic and paperback form from Amazon.
Chester Mealer
Chester is a people watcher, and he sometimes dabbles in the art of writing. He is currently working on a book of really bad short stories, volume I. He hopes to complete his work sometime before his demise. It is his belief, at least for the moment, that you should never fight to write; it is either there or it is not. Trust me on this; write to please yourself; not those who give you kudos or those who shoot your story out of the sky so only small burnt pieces are left. Keep driving forward by putting pen to paper.
Gene Sterling
F. E. Sterling (FES) was drawn to archeology because studies in that field were able to link our current age to some bygone historical era about which we have imperfect knowledge. Even though only tattered remnants of The Dead Sea Scrolls remain, Sterling was impressed by how scholars were able to extrapolate from those scraps and supporting resources the “most probable” words that were in the original text. Sterling likes poems that do the same, and he hopes they will tell or imply a story that provides the “most probable” text for the personal voids in the greater story of a reader’s life.
Sudha Pillarisetti
Sudha Pillarisetti is a retired pathologist with 45 years of experience in a variety medical settings, including academic institutions and community hospitals and VA. He trained at PGIMER Chandigarh, earning accolades for his research and merit. In the USA he pursued training and teaching at Cleveland Clinic, University of Champagne Urbana and University of South Florida. Sudha and his wife of 46 years reside in Alexandria, Louisiana. Sudha has a passion for teaching and has contributed greatly to patient care and laboratory quality control, leading to multiple accreditations. Sudha developed software applications for lab management. After retirement, he pursued writing, fiction and non-fiction. His fiction includes ‘Tiger Wallah & River Wallah’, a third ‘Bus Wallah’ is in prep. Sudha’s non-fiction ‘Me? Biopsy? OMG!!!’ is for non-medical individuals faced with a biopsy or just curious.
‘Non Fiction is an expression of knowledge, fiction of imagination, and poetry of the heart.
Shelly Jinks Johnson
Shelley Jinks Johnson is a poet, author, and performer from Alexandria, Louisiana. Founder of Poetry AEX, co-founder of the Bad Gnus Poets writing group, and a 2022 Bread Loaf Writer's Conference contributor she has committed herself to building community through poetry. Her writing grapples with themes of death, acceptance, self-discovery, and how to find meaning in life after loss. Her first collection of poetry Pretty Little Widow was published May 2023 and her chapbook Our Lady of Perpetual Loss, to be released by Finishing Line Press May 2025. Shelleyjinksjohnson.com
Kate Adams
Kate Adams is an LSUA alumni. She has had nonfiction short stories and poetry collections published 4 separate times in the National Best-Selling Book Series "Chicken Soup for the Soul." She was voted as one of Louisiana's Best Emerging Poets for 2 consecutive years through ZPublishing House. She has now written and produced 5 different theatrical One-Act Plays, through Spectral Sisters play-writing competition for 3 years in a row now, and tends to enjoy both drama and comedy in equal measures.
Allison Powell
Allison Powell is a married student with double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice at Louisiana Christian University. She has often wondered about writing a biography but for now she wants to stick to writing poetry, which she has loved doing since early childhood.. She uses rhyme in her poems because the challenge of rhyming and making sense are a part of her writing process.
Faith Tupper
Faith Tupper, who has been a teacher in Rapides Parish for eleven years, attended Louisiana State University at Alexandria where she earned her Bachelors of Arts in English with a minor in Secondary Education. She was also a member of student government as well as Sigma Tau Delta. In 2014, she was awarded the Belfer Award for Educators given by the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. In 2015, she was named the Alexandria Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year. In 2016, she was a recipient of the Golden Apple Award and named Teacher of the Year for Rapides High School. She earned her Masters in Educational Leadership from Northwestern State University in 2017 and was a member of the Louisiana Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi. In 2019, she began teaching at her alma mater Pineville High School, where she currently teaches. She was a top 5 finalist for Teacher of the Year in 2022 and 2023, and she serves as a Task Force Team Member for Rapides Parish School Board. Faith spends her spare time taking trips, attending kids' ball games or finding adventure in the backyard with her family.
Lee Ann Price
Lee Ann Price was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana and raised in Winnfield. She currently lives in Daejeon, South Korea. Her poetry explores themes of grief, decay, liminal spaces, and the natural landscapes of Louisiana. She is an MFA candidate in poetry at Western Colorado University, where her thesis is directed by Dr. Julie Kane.
Gloria Williams Hern
Gloria Williams Hern says, “I like poetry because it’s the essence of truth.” She grew up in Greenwood at the edge of Shreveport, graduated from LA Tech in Ruston, and began teaching the next morning. While living in Waco, Texas, where her husband received his doctorate, she taught first black student to be enrolled in the McLennan County School. She and her students were famous enough to make the six and ten news in Central Texas. Hearn moved to CENLA when her husband joined the faculty of Louisiana College in Pineville after completing his work at Baylor.
Hearn, who is a firm believer in the importance of the arts in education, has spent a lifetime writing poetry and directing plays for school children. She has also served in many organizations, including NCATE (National Council for Teacher Education) and the Southern Association for Accreditation of Schools and Colleges. Her commitment to service eventually led to her being invited to the White House as a guest. She has published a book of poetry, written two books for children, and written one book for teacher education.
Billy K. Craig
Billy K. Craig was born in 1951. He is lifelong resident of Rapides Parish living between Pineville and Kolin. He started writing poetry and songs around the age of 15. He dabbled in art, painting, and drawing and ended up detailing steel (drafting structural steel for commercial buildings). He attended LSUA, but didn’t graduate.
His current influences are Billy Collins, Kay Ryan, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Charles Butkowski and The Night Heron Barks online poetry journal. His older influences are Emily Bronte, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Percy Bysshe Shelly, and Robert Frost.
Bonnie White
Bonnie White is an aspiring poet with a passion for weaving words into emotion. Inspired by everyday moments, nature, and personal experiences, she explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Bonnie enjoys experimenting with different poetic forms and sharing her work to connect with others. When not writing, she can be found in the kitchen or in the classroom, always seeking new inspiration.
Bob Bussey
Bob Bussey: Husband, father, grandfather, cyclist, semi-retired attorney, yoga novice, TRX addict, hurricane survivor, poet. Searching for truths. Nature observer. Gardener. Deer feeder. I have been practicing law in Alexandria since 1986. While I am semi-retired, it seems that my clients just will not leave me alone. I like to get up to watch the sun rise with a warm cup of coffee, and no distractions. Just me, my coffee, and the sunrise. That to me is the best way to start most every day.
Alecia Lewis
Alecia Lewis has worked her magic on stage, and behind the scenes, for various local theater groups including City Park Players, The Unusual Suspects, Spectral Sisters, and LSUA’s Empty Space Players. She has participated in open mic nights throughout Louisiana. She is also a published poet with her works being featured online on LSUA’s 2023 Verbatim website and in print on the pages of Mythulu Magazine, Jongleur (in the 90’s) and the Bayou Blues and Red Clay Poetry Anthology. She was January 2025’s featured poet in 318 Central digital magazine. She is grateful and blessed for all the inspiration, guidance, and support that she receives.
Jeanni Ritchie
Jeanni Ritchie is an inspirational blogger and speaker from Central Louisiana. She is a travel writer and community journalist.
Spring Wester
Spring Wester, a veteran English teacher, seeks more joy through noticing and listening. Her faith, family, curious students, and two good pups provide all that’s meaningful. She would never refuse a good cup of coffee.
Abby Taylor
Abby Taylor is a passionate poet and storyteller, known for her evocative and deeply personal writings. Her work explores the raw, emotional dimensions of the human experience, often centered around themes of vulnerability, connection, and introspection. With a natural ability to turn pain into art, Abby’s poetry resonates with readers seeking authenticity and truth. Drawing inspiration from life's complexities, she crafts pieces that reflect both the beauty and harshness of reality. Abby's voice is one of sincerity, offering a profound sense of relatability and emotional depth in every line she writes.
Mary F. Striegel
Mary F. Striegel is a retired National Park Service researcher, poet, and artist. From an early age, she has pursued answers to the question "why?" through observation in science, poetry, and art. Her poems frequently explore physical, spiritual, or political themes. Over her career, Mary contributed significantly to the preservation and understanding of cultural and historical sites. Also, her artistic works reflect her deep connection with nature and her quest for knowledge and meaning. In the 1990s, Mary’s writing career included stints as part of the Los Angeles Poetry Ensemble where she performed her poems in coffee houses, bookstores, and venues throughout Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Franciso, Albuquerque, and Taos. She has published in Hard Row To Hoe, and Verbatim. Additionally, she produced a poetry video entitled Under the Surface of Childhood, which competed in poetry video competitions in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
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