John Gurda is a Milwaukee-born writer and historian who has been studying his hometown since 1972. He is the author of twenty-three books, including the best-selling The Making of Milwaukee and its geographic companion, Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods.

Ron Davis is a retired English teacher, freelance writer, columnist and author of “Shiny Side Up” and “Rubber Side Down,” two books about the improbable inclination to travel on two wheels.

Jill Sisson Quinn is the author of “Sign Here if You Exist and Other Essays.” Her work has appeared in Ecotone, OnEarth, Orion, and many other magazines. She teaches writing at Mid-State Technical College and lives in Scandinavia.

Wendy Lutzke is the museum educator at the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc.

Mike Paulus is the online editor for Volume One Magazine in Eau Claire, where he’s been writing his “The Rear End” column for over a decade. 

June Melby is a poet, performer, and the author of “My Family and Other Hazards,” a memoir about growing up on a 1950’s era miniature golf course in Waupaca, WI.  She lives in a log cabin in the woods.

Erik Lorenzsonn is a writer based in Madison, Wisconsin. His work has been featured in Poughkeepsie Journal, the Capital Times, the Progressive Magazine and Wisconsin Public Radio.