About Our Writers

Susan Atwood and Tom Whalen, have lived and worked in Maine since 1985, raising their three sons and living the Maine experience. Before owning the motor inn, Susan, a medical assistant, worked at Franklin Memorial Hospital and Tom spent over 30 years in institutional food service. Tom enjoys painting in watercolor and oil, while Susan enjoys her perennial/shrub gardens and photographing the scenic beauty of Wilton and Franklin County. They have a saying they like to quote to people from away, “There is more to Maine, than lobsters and lighthouses, and it is called Western Maine!” Now, they would like to retire and spend more time traveling and visiting their grandchildren.

Christine Ward Baptista graduated from U Mass Dartmouth in 1994 with a degree in professional writing. She has been published in the New Bedford Standard Times, the Cape Cod Times, the Providence Journal, Vim and Vigor and several literary journals. For the past 20-plus years, she has worked researching and teaching health, nutrition and fitness. When she’s not working, she enjoys reading, hiking, birdwatching, kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing, riding her bike, or simply contemplating her next WCM article.

Adelyn Bell is a graduate of Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, where she concentrated her studies on creativity and well-being. She is an avid musician, dancer, and writer, and has performed in various productions throughout the state. She loves dessert, summer in Maine, and spending time with her husband and two daughters, Isana and Constanze.

James Bell is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, and has served as chef at such esteemed restaurants as The Cafe at Pat’s, and Ri Ra in Portland, Maine, and The Hearth and Candle in Jeffersonville, Vermont. Currently, he is the Campus Director of Resident Dining at Avita of Stroudwater, and Stroudwater Lodge in Westbrook, and is committed to providing residents and families with nutritious, scratch prepared meals that foster wellness and community. He resides in New Gloucester with his wife and two daughters, Isana and Constanze.

William Clunie spent a lifetime in the outdoors, most recently as a Registered Maine Master Guide, nature photographer, and outdoor writer. He was awarded the New England Outdoor Writer’s Association (NEOWA) Dick Cronin Award for 2017 “Member of the Year”. Previous to this he worked in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and continues to help his fellow veterans by working with Operation ReBoot Outdoors, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans heal through hunting and fishing. He can be found most days hunting, fishing, or kayaking in the mountains of Western Maine with his lovely wife, Nancy, and their gorgeous Hungarian Pointer (Vizsla), Ginger.

Maine native Dennis Creaser is a local jeweler, artist, musician, author, gem miner, business owner, husband, and father (in no particular order of importance) with a passion for treasure hunting and adventure. He is a graduate of the University of Maine (Jazz) and Arizona State University (Fine Art) and lists his hobbies and interests as local history, trout fishing, self-reliance and bringing creations to light.

Barbara Daigle has been a quilter for many years. She has created many costumes and quilts for her six grandkids, and loves to share her knowledge with others. She is a certified instructor for Sue Pelland Rulers, licensed by Martha Pullen to teach Beginner Sewing and Serging, and an Education Center for Westalee Rulers. She loves to teach and create in all aspects of sewing at her quilt shop, Sew Orchid Design on Main Street in Norway.

Brett and Susan Damm. Brett started guiding anglers in the Rangeley area in 1999. He and Sue have owned the Rangeley Region Sport Shop since 2010. They both tie flies for the shop, and enjoy the history of the store and the region.

Ron Fournier is the Recreational Safety Supervisor and Search and Rescue Liaison for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He served as Director for both Bryant Pond and Greenland Point 4-H Camps for 15 years, and continues to guide hunting, fishing, and recreation trips in Western Maine.

Kelsey Goldsmith is a frequent contributor to this magazine, often devising an alluring roadtrip or culinary adventure, which mirror her personal joys. The mom of two young daughters, Kelsey was raised in Oxford County and now lives in the Portland area.

Michalene Hague is an unretired high school English teacher/department head. Talking, writing, dancing, two granddaughters, friends, staff and students keep her heart engaged and spirit moving. Inspiration comes from everywhere and nowhere, from people, the Oxford Hills, the Mountain Poets Society and late springs raking leaves out of her tiny part of Thompson Lake.

Kim Hamlin is a fiber artist, designer and dancer living in Western Maine.  She  knits, crochets, spins, sews, quilts, needle felts, weaves, gardens, dances, thinks and dreams, and tries to do at least three of these on a daily basis.  Kim co-owns Fiber & Vine, a spacious and creative fiber shop that also specializes in wine, located on Main Street in Norway.

Sarah Carter-Hill grew up in western Maine, and is proud to call this neck of the woods her home. She lives with her husband, Jesse, and two children, Fern and Gus, on the family farm on which she was raised. She spends her days playing in the dirt (some call it farming), knitting, skiing, baking and reading to her children. Photo by Emily Delemater.

UCLA alumnus Judith Hayes spent over 20 years in broadcast journalism, and 16 years in book and magazine editing. Her love of photography has always been paired with her writing. Currently she writes travel articles for travel and photography websites and magazines. Growing up in Maine has provided a never-ending inspiration.

Renee Igo is a sheep farmer, writer, and educator. She has a small licensed dairy and farmstead in Hartford, and works part-time for the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy in Norway. Renee holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College, with a focus in nonfiction writing.

David R. Jones lived for many years in Australia, but has been a West Coast Maine summer person since the 1960s. He now lives full time in Bethel, and teaches history for the University of Maine at Augusta, at the South Paris and Rumford centers.

Shellie Leger is native to Maine and holds an MFA in fiction writing from Stonecoast. She is the author of Lonely Specks, The Treadwell Place and Back KIngdom Road House. Currently, she is working on a fourth novel, and teaching World Literature and College Writing. She lives in West Paris.

Emily MacCabe is an Outdoor Educator at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Emily grew up in Rockport, Maine, and went on to study Environmental Science at Unity College. She enjoys spending time outdoors, and strives to provide opportunity and inspiration for others to join her. She now lives in Wilton with her husband and two black labs.

Victoria Mares is a lifetime writer, journalist and playwright, as well as an artist in fiber and mixed media. She is also a musician, playing the violin since 4th grade. She has worked and lived in Maine for over 30 years. She is a graduate of Michigan State University in political science, with a certificate in electronic journalism from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She has written and reported for New York news media, as well as in Maine. Writing, making art, exploring life and places in her “hometown of  Western Maine,” and spending time with her family are interwoven into her everyday life.

Aranka Matolcsy is a Hungarian-American, native Mainer who developed a deep love and admiration for Hungarian culture over more than a dozen trips to her father’s homeland to stay with her Hungarian sister Ildikó. When she is not writing, photographing or graphic designing, she is advocating for people with Down syndrome as mom to an amazing 11-year old young man, and member of the board of the Maine Down Syndrome Network.

Lisa Moore self-publishes poetry every five years, most recently The Green Bean Incident and other poems (2020). A freelance writer, she pens materials for educational publishers. An avid reader, she spends many a day with and many a dollar on books. Lisa shares life with two sons, three granddaughters, two dogs, and a scientist, and lives on the Crooked River in Harrison, Maine.

Rijah Newel is a multi-talented artist and Licensed Massage Therapist, who lives and works in Norway. Rijah received a BA in Liberal Arts from Goddard College, with a special interest in dance as a healing art, and performance for social change. You can find her frolicking around in giant theatrical puppets, dancing under a full moon, riding with gypsies in a cardboard car, or juggling the life of a performance artist, writer, mother, dancer, painter, body worker and so much more! Rijah is multi-faceted, and most enjoys dancing on the edge, and exploring the possibilities of magic.

Currently teaching Culinary Arts at Oxford Hills Technical School, Erik Person has been in the restaurant industry since he was fourteen. After graduating from the University of Maine, Orono, he found his way to Oxford Hills, where he helped remodel and design the kitchen, and infuence the menu and dining at Cafe Nomad. When not teaching or behind the line, he can be found in the mountains, on a lake, or pedaling along the back roads.

Special needs teacher/psychologist, from which his novel, Ceremony of Innocence, was derived, Timothy Victor Richardson’s poetry impressed some of 20th century’s finest poets, and inspired multiple films of visual poetry.

Drew and Margaret Lindsey Sanborn recently retired to Bridgton from the academic worlds of New England liberal arts colleges. Now they joyfully spend their time photographing, writing, weaving, drawing, and enjoying the arts of all kinds. They are looking forward to attending as many summer performing arts experiences as possible.

David Sanderson writing draws mostly from his interest in local history, and includes a series of biographies done as part of the Norway Arts Festival and articles for local publications. He lives in Waterford at the 1854 Sanderson family homestead, where he is retired but fully employed with various preoccupations, including history,fiddle music, writing and performing occasionally as Civil War humorist Artemus Ward.

Brendan Schauffler has called
Western Maine home for the last 15 years, and spent that time getting to know the mountains, lakes, people and places of this remarkable region. He lives in Norway with his wife and children, works as a community health professional, and spends his free time hiking, DJing, reading, and
collecting trivial facts about the animal kingdom.

A.M. Sheehan is a journalist, newspaper editor and former theater teacher, currently living in Norway.

A professional writer for half a century, Toni Seger is the author of ‘The Telefax Trilogy,’ available at Amazon. An award winning filmmaker, her plays have been produced in California, Canada, London, New York City and Maine. NYC Review: “I was impressed overall at playwright Toni Seger’s ability to dabble in the surreal and the ironic, as in the three short one acts we saw that night, and the straight-forward realism of ‘Rope of Sands.’”

Norma Smith is a Chef and Culinary Arts instructor at Oxford Hills Technical School. She grew up in Norway, Maine and graduated from Oxford Hills High School. She  attended SMVTI in South Portland, and earned her degree in Culinary Arts. She is married, with two sons and a dog. She enjoys gardening and spending time at their family camp.

Johanna (Jo) Sorrell lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where she writes, draws, makes pictures, and can
often be found chasing after her kid, dog,
and husband.

Born and raised in the Oxford Hills, Corey Sumner is a graduate of the Central Maine Community College culinary arts program. He’s been a chef at Maurice Restaurant in South Paris since 1989, and purchased the restaurant in 2000. He’s married, and has 3 children. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, fishing, and spending time with family.

Deborah Sutton is a communications consultant and freelance writer who has worked extensively with non-profit arts and music groups. Born and raised in Toronto, she lived in Montreal for a decade, and has called Kingfield home for the past 17 years. She lives there with her son, two dogs and two cats. An active volunteer in the community, she is a passionate supporter of music and the arts, champions local musical traditions, and promotes young people’s involvement with music.

Scott Vlaun is a writer, photographer, and permaculture designer. His photography has recently been featured in two major publications: The Organic Seed Grower, and The Seed Garden. As the Executive Director of the Center for an Ecology Based Economy in Norway, he has recently shifted his focus from documenting the organic seed and agriculture movement to raising awareness about climate change and resource depletion, and engaging his local community in developing practical, ecological solutions to the challenges ahead. Scott lives in Otisfield were he enjoys growing and sharing food with his family and friends.