Robert Eric Shoemaker is a poet, translator, and interdisciplinary artist. Eric is the author of Magical Poetics (Bloomsbury Academic, forthcoming), Ca'Venezia (2021, Partial Press), We Knew No Mortality (2018, Acta Publications), and 30 Days Dry (2015, Thought Collection Publishing). Eric’s...  read

Amy Eaton is a Ragdale alum, the second runner up of the Daisy Pettles Women’s Writing Contest and the second person to receive the Rod Serling Scholarship at her high school in Binghamton NY (because there aren’t a lot of...  read

Scott Whitehair is a storyteller, producer, and teaching artist. He is the producer of This Much Is True, now in its 17th year, the creator of Story Lab Chicago, which has put 900+ new or first time tellers on stage...  read

Mare Swallow is an executive coach, storyteller, and occasional comedian. A lifelong performer, she’s a graduate of the Second City Conservatory. She holds a BA from Northern Illinois University, and an MFA from Goucher College. Please join Mare and our...  read

Bill Savage teaches courses on Chicago history, literature and culture at Northwestern University and the Newberry Library of Chicago. At the Newberry, he co-curated their recent exhibit on Mike Royko, and he also works as an editor at the University...  read

Andrew Huff has been a PR professional, a journalist, the editor and publisher of Gapers Block, a professional blogger for a ghost hunter "reality" show, and host of 20x2 Chicago, a show in which 20 interesting people have two minutes...  read

James Gordon is an award winning actor, author, Poet, and champion storyteller. He has written over 20 books across the genres poetry, children's, and mystery and suspense. James is a member and Facilitator of Artistic Cabal called Act Pack Dark....  read

Michelle Young started telling stories and performing as a stand-up comic right before Covid. Post-pandemic, she has performed at various curated storytelling events throughout Chicagoland. Michelle also co-hosts Do Not Submit, a Storytelling Open Mic at Friendly’s in Berwyn, and...  read

Born and raised in Chicago, Carole Hodorowicz has always loved reading and writing. She went to college at Eastern Illinois University, where she studied journalism and English. Please join Carole and our other fantastic readers on Tuesday, January 7, 2025...  read

Kathryn Kruse is the director of Residency on the Farm, an interdisciplinary artists’ residency program. In February her collection of short stories, To Receive My Services You Must Be Dying and Alone, is debuting from Jackleg Press. Her work has...  read