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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Thomas Crowl
Thomas Crowl is an avocational historian who has published two previous books, Murder of a Journalist (published by Kent State University Press) and Opdycke’s Tigers in the Civil War. His articles have appeared in Timeline, Echoes, History Magazine, and the Central States Archaeological Journal.
Dan Cryer
Dan Cryer, a former book critic at Newsday and Pulitzer Prize finalist, is the author of “Being Alive and Having to Die: The Spiritual Odyssey of Forrest Church.” He has contributed to “The Salon.Com Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Authors” and “Good Roots: Writers Reflect on Growing Up in Ohio,” and to many publications, including The New Republic, Salon, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Plain Dealer, and The Boston Globe. A graduate of The College of Wooster, he earned a PhD in U.S. history at the University of Minnesota.
Michael Cunningham
Michael Cunningham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1952 and grew up in La Cañada, California. He received his B.A. in English Literature from Stanford University and his M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. His novel A Home at the End of the World was published in 1990 to wide acclaim. Flesh and Blood, another novel, followed in 1995. He received the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for his novel, The Hours. He has written one nonfiction book, Land’s End: A Walk Through Provincetown. He is the author of Specimen Days, and By Nightfall which has been optioned for the movies. His most recent novel is The Snow Queen and a story collection, A Wild Swan and Other Tales, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, was released by FSG in 2015. His most recent novel, Day, is a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, A Best Book of the Year from NPR, Harper’s Bazaar, Chicago Public Library, Lit Hub, Paste, and Kirkus Reviews.
Namara L. Dafney
Namara L. Dafney is a professional Executive Business Coach who works with non-profits and the private sector to promote organizational transformation. She is the author of Habits From The Inside Out: A Holistic Perspective.
In her book, Namara uses insights from St. Augustine, Aristotle, and other sage scholars, along with the Bible’s timeless wisdom, and coaching to create a uniquely novel and relevant voice on habits. The book speaks about how to create good habits and change or let go of unhealthy ones.
With a Masters of Arts in Professional Practice in Coaching from Middlesex University in London, England, Namara authored her thesis on: The Impact of Coaching on Habit Development for Sustained Change. She has also written business blogs and delivers impactful presentations about habits for business, community, and educational settings. Namara is also a contributing writer to Leadership Narratives: Reflective Journeys of Sales Professionals (Routledge, publication date January 2024).
Namara L. Dafney is a lifelong learner and on any given day, she can be found reading an enjoyable book, autobiography is one of her favorites. Along with reading, she loves spending time with family and friends, scrapbooking, and challenging herself with new skills such as juggling.
Signe Damron
Signe Damron is a poet, short story writer, publisher, speaker, and coach based in Columbus, Ohio. Her commitment to storytelling inspired her to establish her own publishing company, Signe-ture Publishing, where she released her debut book, “French Door to Foyer.” In recognition of her work, she was awarded the GCAC Artist Grant in June 2024.
In addition to her literary expertise, Signe has spent 20 years working in various business sectors, with a particular focus on the real estate industry. Throughout her career, she has successfully navigated the complexities of the business world, leveraging her skills to foster growth and innovation.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Signe is deeply committed to community service. For 19 years, she has dedicated her time as a coach and fundraiser for the Columbus Schools Special Olympics. Through her volunteer work, she has played a vital role in empowering athletes, fostering inclusivity, and supporting essential programs that make a difference in the lives of many. Signe’s diverse experiences in both business and volunteer work have allowed her to cultivate meaningful connections and build a strong network of relationships. She continues to use her skills and expertise to inspire others, whether through the written word, business leadership.
Check out her website: https://www.signe-ture.com/
Casey Daniels
Casey Daniels once applied for a job as a tour guide in a Cleveland cemetery. She didn’t get the job, but she did get the idea for the heroine in her popular Pepper Martin mystery series. Pepper works at a historic cemetery and solves mysteries for the ghosts there. In addition, Casey has a new series, the Button Box mysteries, written as Kylie Logan.…
Read MoreCasey Daniels once applied for a job as a tour guide in a Cleveland cemetery. She didn’t get the job, but she did get the idea for the heroine in her popular Pepper Martin mystery series. Pepper works at a historic cemetery and solves mysteries for the ghosts there. In addition, Casey has a new series, the Button Box mysteries, written as Kylie Logan. Casey has also written both historical and contemporary romances as well as books for young adults and one children’s book. She lives in the Cleveland area and teaches fiction writing classes at the Brecksville Center for the Arts. She is a frequent presenter at workshops nationwide.
Mark Darden
Mark Darden, aka Madison Square Darden, is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and is a 2012 graduate of The Ohio State University. Now residing in Columbus, Ohio, Mark is a sports and travel enthusiast who has attended many sports events and has visited cities across the world. His favorite teams are the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Some of his favorite places to visit are Washington, D.C., Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles. You can follow Mark on his blog, buckeyemuscle.com, as well as on social media @buckeyemuscle.
Karin Cecile Davidson
Karin Cecile Davidson is the author of the novel Sybelia Drive (Braddock Avenue Books, 2020). Her story collection The Geography of First Kisses was awarded the 2022 Acacia Fiction Prize and is forthcoming from Kallisto Gaia Press in 2023. Her stories have appeared in Five Points, Story, The Massachusetts Review, Colorado Review, Passages North, Post Road, The Los Angeles Review, and elsewhere. Her awards include an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, the Waasmode Short Fiction Prize, the Orlando Prize for Short Fiction, a Peter Taylor Fellowship, and residencies at the Fine Arts Work Center, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and The Studios of Key West. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, she now lives in Columbus, Ohio. https://www.karinceciledavidson.com/
Kathleen Davies
Kathleen Davies earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University and taught English and Women’s & Gender Studies for many years before retiring to write full time. In addition to her memoir, Sacred Groves, she has published shorter creative nonfiction in literary journals such as Imitation Fruit, Ray’s Road Review, and South Loop Review.…
Read MoreKathleen Davies earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University and taught English and Women’s & Gender Studies for many years before retiring to write full time. In addition to her memoir, Sacred Groves, she has published shorter creative nonfiction in literary journals such as Imitation Fruit, Ray’s Road Review, and South Loop Review. Kathleen is also an award-winning visual artist, who has exhibited her photography and mixed media locally. For the Sacred Groves project, she traveled to over fifty cemeteries all over Ohio and beyond taking thousands of photographs, some of which are included in the book. Originally from Gallipolis, she now lives in Columbus with her husband, Lynn Slimmer, also an artist and a musician.
Visit Kathleen at https://www.kathleendaviesauthors.com