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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Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall is an author and children’s book editor. She received a BA in English/creative writing from Miami University in Ohio. She’s a former book reviewer for the Ohioana Quarterly and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. When not writing, Andrea can be found crafting, baking, and reading. Raised in Ohio, Andrea currently lives in Chicago.
Blaine Paxton Hall
Blaine Paxton Hall was born in Cambridge, Ohio and grew up in Chicago and Woodstock, IL. He is the author of Hestia’s House, a literary memoir with the overarching theme of home.
Including historical photos, his memoir documents his growing up in the Woodstock Children’s Home–which had a historical connection to Orson Welles.
But the challenges of being abandoned by his parents and having to provide for all his college education could not have prepared him for the existential struggles of his medical, surgical, legal and social gender transition in 1983 at age 31. He was the first to transition in NC, going his trajectory, where he’s lived since July 1981. See hestiashouse.com.
His childhood and early adulthood experiences gave rise to his developing keen intuition into the suffering of others; and he became a highly accomplished trailblazer, not only in his life, but also in his medical career. He is the Founder of the American Academy of Nephrology PAs (May 1997) and the Founder of the Duke Adult Gender Medicine Clinic (Jan 3, 2018). See: https://pahx.org/bios/hall-blaine-paxton/
Upon concluding his clinical and teaching activities at Duke University Health System, he founded The School of Athens, an adult academy which, in the classical liberal arts tradition, provides educational experiences to inspire lifelong learning in the pursuit of the most noble ideas, artistic and intellectual accomplishments of mankind. See: theschoolofathens.net
The theme of home has been pervasive throughout Hall’s life. In December 2020, Ohio became the second-to-the-last state in the Union to allow one to amend the gender marker on one’s birth certificate. Working through Probate Court in Guernsey County, Ohio, Mr. Hall was finally able to obtain his amended birth certificate in December 2021. He framed his coveted, new birth certificate in white, to signify innocence, rebirth and hope. And he displays it right next to his original, handwritten, Cambridge Ohio, 1952 birth certificate. He is equally proud of both.
Jennifer Hambrick
A poet hailed for her “brilliant” imagery, “masterful” craftsmanship, and “uniquely musical voice,” Jennifer Hambrick is a seven-time Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and the author of four poetry collections: a silence or two (Red Moon Press), In the High Weeds (NFSPS Press), winner of the Stevens Prize from the National Federation of State Poetry Societies; Joyride (Red Moon Press), winner of the Marianne Bluger Book Award; and Unscathed (NightBallet Press). Hambrick was featured by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser in American Life in Poetry, has appeared as featured poet with Rattle editor Tim Green on the livestream Rattlecast and was guest poet on the monthly virtual gathering A Conversation with Jimmy Pappas and Friends. Her poems appear in Rattle, The Columbia Review, The American Journal of Poetry, Santa Clara Review, Maryland Literary Review, San Pedro River Review, POEM, Modern Haiku, NOON: journal of the short poem, Contemporary Haibun Online, and in dozens of other literary journals and invited anthologies. Hambrick continually seeks to dismantle the boundaries between artforms and has often been featured in interdisciplinary collaborations, including with the world-renowned new music string quartet ETHEL; the Pulitzer Prize-nominated composer Mark Lomax, II; the VIVO Music Festival; the acclaimed visual artist Evangelia Philippidis; and the noted poet and literary critic Richard Gilbert, among others. A frequent recipient of poetry commissions, Hambrick served as poet laureate for the 75th-anniversary season (2022-23) of the world-class Chamber Music Columbus concert series and for the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra (Worthington) and was appointed the inaugural artist-in-residence at Bryn Du Mansion (Granville, Ohio). As program chair for the Haiku North America 2023 biennial meeting in Cincinnati, Hambrick attracted hundreds of poets from around the country and the world to Ohio. An Ohio Arts Council Teaching Artist, Hambrick is also an in-demand presence at readings, workshops, performances, and other public events throughout Ohio. Hambrick’s work has been honored with the Sheila-Na-Gig Press Poetry Prize, First Prize in the Haiku Society of America’s Haibun Award Competition, First Prize in the Martin Lucas Haiku Award Competition (U.K.), four first place awards and a Special Award in the inaugural (2024) Heliosparrow Haiku Frontier Awards for avant-garde haiku and short poetry, and many others. A classical musician, public radio broadcaster, multimedia producer, and cultural journalist, Jennifer Hambrick is a proud Columbus native and Worthington resident. jenniferhambrick.com
Eileen Hammond
Eileen Curley Hammond is an author who left a successful marketing career in the insurance industry. When she retired early, she pursued her first love, writing. And when deciding what to write about, there was only one choice for her, murder mysteries, because she was and is a big fan of Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew) and Agatha Christie (Miss. Marple/Hercule Poirot). Eileen lives in Ohio with her husband and two adorable cats. She also has a pond with assorted koi and minnows that is heavily protected from predatory herons in the area. Eileen and her husband love traveling, especially to national parks, and spending time with family and friends. Learn more at: https://www.eileencurleyhammond.com/
Anietra Hamper
Anietra Hamper is an award-winning published travel writer and photographer and owner of ThreeWordPress.
Her travels take her around the world covering destinations, adventure travel and fishing for regional and national publications including AAA, USAToday, Game & Fish, PlanetWare.com, FIDO Friendly magazine, TourismOhio.com, Columbus Parent Magazine and official Visitor Guides for several counties in Ohio. Anietra’s quick rise in the travel writing industry led to her admission into the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers.
As a Columbus, Ohio native and owner of ThreeWordPress, Anietra writes corporate marketing content for websites, blogs, videos and Apps. She is also an executive speech coach and on-camera talent for corporate videos as well as commercials and television shows.
Before starting her own business, Anietra spent nearly 20 years as a top-rated television news Anchor and Emmy nominated investigative Reporter. Her stories ranged from investigations into the dangers of commercial popcorn flavoring to interviewing presidential candidates to pulling 9G’s in an F-16 fighter jet with the U.S. Thunderbirds.
Anietra has won numerous industry awards for travel writing and television news reporting. She is also a recipient of the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, Jefferson Award and Congressional Award.
Anietra and her dog Sunny live in Gahanna.
Eric Hanna
Eric Hanna, born in Youngstown, Ohio, was a walk on basketball player at the Ohio State University (1994-95, 1996-98) who earned a scholarship for his senior season, making the first start of his entire life in the last game at historic St. John Arena on February 28, 1998. Eric was a two time Academic All-Big Ten selection (1997-98), Fred Taylor Award Winner (1998) and John Havlicek Award Winner (1998). He currently teaches American History at Shanahan Middle School in the Olentangy Local School District where he has earned the Battelle for Kids Celebrate Teaching Distinguished Educator Award in 2013. Eric has been an assistant coach at Capital University (1998-2001, 2002-2009) and at Vassar College (2001-2002). Currently the youth basketball director for the Plain City Area Ball Association, Eric has continuously coached basketball at every level from kindergarten to college since his collegiate playing experience. Eric earned the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal for Non-Fiction Sports Books for his publication of Fight to the End.
Pauletta Hansel
Karen Harper
A lifelong Ohioan, Harper taught English before writing full time. She is a NYTimes bestselling author who has won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She writes both historical novels and contemporary suspense. Karen and her husband make their home in Columbus but love to travel. Her author collection is housed in Rare Books and Manuscripts at The Ohio State University.
Larisa Harper
Larisa Harper has been a higher education professional for more than 25 years with experience and leadership in academic affairs, student services, assessment, accreditation, strategic planning, workforce development, research, policy, and grant writing. Dr. Harper is the Chief Academic Officer for Zane State College in Zanesville.
Dr. Harper enjoys researching historical aspects of her community and participates in executive boards focused on education and history, mental health and recovery services, and cancer awareness. She lives in Zanesville, Ohio with her husband, Aaron. She has one son, A.J. Harper of Fort Wayne, Indiana; two daughters, Cassie Harper, Columbus, Ohio; and Jordee Harper, Zanesville. Learn more at her website: https://larisaharper.wordpress.com/