About James River Writers

Advisory Board

Samuel M. Bemiss is Managing Director of Ewing Bemiss & Co., a private investment banking firm based in Richmond. Sam is a Director of the People of America Foundation, a Trustee of Elk Hill Farm and of Camp Pasquaney, a member of the Corporation of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a member of the Board of Governors of St. Christopher's School. He is a graduate of Yale University, and received a juris doctor and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Virginia. He lives in Richmond with his wife, Elsie, an interior designer and amateur architect specializing in the renovation and rehabilitation of older homes, and their four children.

Clay McLeod Chapman is the creator of the Pumpkin Pie Show, a rigorous storytelling session backed by its own live soundtrack. He is the author of rest area, a collection of short stories, and miss corpus, a novel – both published by Hyperion.

Thom Didato is the publisher and founding editor of the award-winning online literary and arts magazine failbetter (www.failbetter.com). He has published stories in many literary journals and is the co-editor the widely used classroom text, The Fiction Gallery (Bloomsbury USA). The former Program Manager at The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, Thom currently serves as the Graduate Programs Coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Phaedra Hise is a founding co-chair of the James River Writers. As a journalist, her work has been anthologized and has appeared in national publications including Glamour, Salon, Forbes ASAP, Popular Mechanics, Ladies' Home Journal, Prevention and Smithsonian Air & Space. She is a former Staff Writer for Inc., and currently a Contributor to Fortune Small Business. She has written four books, most recently Pilot Error: Anatomy of a Plane Crash, called "a compelling page-turner" by the Boston Globe. She has given radio commentary and interviews, appeared on national television, and speaks regularly at conferences and universities.

Caroline Kettlewell, is editor of the JRW e-newsletter Get Your Word On and is the author of two critically praised non-fiction books: the memoir Skin Game (St. Martin’s, 1999), and Electric Dreams (Carroll & Graf, 2004). Called "a can't-miss true story reminiscent of the movie Breaking Away," in a Publishers Weekly starred review, Electric Dreams has been optioned for feature film by Participant Productions (Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, North Country, Murderball). Kettlewell is a freelance writer and regular contributor of travel, adventure, and other stories to the Washington Post, and her work has appeared in two anthologies. She maintains a blog, Welcome to the Hinterlands, dedicated to narrative nonfiction.

A Richmond native, Dean King (deanhking.com) is the award-winning author of the forthcoming Unbound: The True Story of the Women Who Walked 4,000 Miles with Mao (Little, Brown, 2009) and eight other books, including Skeletons on the Zahara, a national bestseller and Salon.com top-ten book of the year, and Patrick O'Brian: A Life, a Daily Telegraph book of the year. While researching Skeletons, King crossed Western Sahara on camels and in Land Rovers. The book is the subject of a two-hour History Channel special documentary and is currently being developed as a feature film by IFC of London. King’s writing has appeared in Esquire, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventure, and the New York Times. A founding member of JRW, he also serves on the board of the Library of Virginia Foundation.

Tom Robbins is the author of eight books, the latest being Wild Ducks Flying Backward (Random House, 2005), a collection of his short writings. He was the keynote speaker at the first James River Writers Conference (then called a Festival) in October, 2003.

Sandra Treadway is the new Librarian of Virginia. Formerly the Library's deputy director, and before that the head of the Library's publishing division, she was involved in creating the Library’s Literary Awards program, which is now flourishing as it approaches its tenth anniversary. Sandy holds a doctoral degree in American history from the University of Virginia and has published a number of articles on Virginia and southern women’s history topics. She is a coeditor of the multivolume Dictionary of Virginia Biography and author of Women of Mark: A History of the Woman’s Club of Richmond, 1894-1994 (Library of Virginia, 1995). She also serves on the editorial advisory board of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ online reference work, Encyclopedia Virginia.

Board of Directors

Bill Blume is a fantasy writer whose short stories have been published in Spinetingler Magazine.  He is the creator of the online comic strip “The Wildcat’s Lair.”  He’s also chair of the organizing committee for the 2007 James River Writers Conference and is a member of the “Ten Page Club.”  Bill earned a BA in Journalism from University of South Carolina and worked as a news producer for WTVR-TV in Richmond until 2001. blog: wildcatslair.blogspot.com

Whitney Cardozo

Susann Cokal is the author of two critically praised novels, Mirabilis and Breath and Bones, and of short stories that have appeared in numerous journals. She holds two PhD's: one from Berkeley in comparative literature, and one from Binghamton University in creative writing, and she has published critical work on writers such as Jeanette Winterson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Georges Bataille. She also reviews fiction for The New York Times Book Review. She moved to Richmond in 2004 to teach creative writing and contemporary literature at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Constance Costas is editor of skirt! magazine's Richmond edition. A former staff writer for Self magazine, she has also covered health, fitness, medical, and parenting topics for Redbook, Health, Fitness, Shape, Ladies Home Journal, Working Woman, and Harper's Bazaar. Her essays have appeared in skirt!, where she has also been a contributing editor and columnist.

Jim Daab has been involved in professional theatre for over 30 years. A member of AEA and AFTRA, Jim also has a Theatre/Dance degree from Southern Illinois University, graduating with honors. As a performer, Jim has worked at theaters throughout the country, toured nationally as Oscar the Grouch with Sesame St. Live!, and had the honor of participating in a special holiday performance for President Reagan's staff in the East Room of the White House. He has directed and choreographed productions on both the educational and professional levels, including industrial shows for such clients as Watkins Products, Cargill, and Red Baron Pizza. Jim's introduction to mystery theatre began in Minneapolis where he lived and performed for 15 years. He and his wife, Laura moved to Richmond 12 years ago where they own and operate Mystery Dinner Playhouse - Washington D.C., Richmond, Williamsburg & Virginia Beach. Jim has written 32 plays for his theatres since moving to Richmond, and is now in the process of working on his 33th.

Lee Gimpel covers business, technology and the intersection thereof for such publications as Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc., Worth and BusinessWeek SmallBiz. In addition, he writes a regular biz-and-tech column for the in-flight magazine Go. His articles about culture, lifestyle, travel and history have appeared in such publications as Budget Travel, Executive Traveler, Best Life, Las Vegas, Men's Journal and The Washington Post. His first book, Fighting Wars, Planning for Peace, recounts the life of Gen. George C. Marshall and the Marshall Plan. He is currently working on a book about his travels through emergent India. He serves as Treasurer of James River Writers.

Valley Haggard, a freelance writer and editor in the Richmond area, has been Style Weekly's book editor since October 2004. She has also worked at Waffle House, on a dude ranch and a cruise ship, as a button maker and a stained-glass maker's assistant. She has a three-year old son, a husband, a dog, a cat, three fish and a Beetle. She is at work on her first novel. Visit her bookish blog at www.valleyhaggard.blogspot.com.

Robyn E. Hill is an attorney specializing in tax-exempt organizations, estate planning, and charitable giving. Before moving to Virginia, Robyn lived in Seattle, Washington with her husband and two sons. She received a bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctorate from Washington & Lee University. Robyn has been actively involved with numerous tax-exempt charitable and educational organizations in Washington and in Virginia.

Emyl Jenkins wrote a dozen non-fiction books, a monthly column for Art & Antiques, a syndicated antiques column, and countless magazine articles before turning her hand to fiction. But when she did, she followed the advice often heard: Write what you know about. Her first novel, Stealing With Style (Algonquin, June 2005), follows a Virginia antiques appraiser as she uncovers the greed and duplicity that heirlooms and cultural icons can inspire among thieves, antiques professionals, and just nice people. Stealing With Style received a starred review from Booklist, was a Mystery Guild Book Club selection, has been translated into Japanese and Korean, and is available in large print.

Kelly Justice

Jon Kukla aims to present first-rate historical scholarship to a general readership. His recent books, Mr. Jefferson's Women (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007) and A Wilderness So Immense: The Louisiana Purchase and the Destiny of America (Alfred A. Knopf, 2003), were selections of the History Book Club and the Book of the Month Club. Born in Wisconsin, Kukla was graduated from Carthage College and took his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. From 2000 to 2007 he was executive director of Red Hill -- The Patrick Henry National Memorial in Charlotte County, Virginia. He now lives and writes in Richmond, where he is working on a fresh narrative of the American Revolution.

Mark G. Lazenby is executive communications director at Dominion Resources, a $26 billion national energy company. Mark has directed company programs in the U.S., Latin America and Great Britain. Publications and speeches written by him or under his direction have won national awards and been used in university classrooms and professional writing seminars. Prior to his service at Dominion, Mark was a journalist for United Press International and for dailies in North Carolina and Virginia.

Mary Beth McIntire has served as executive director of the Library of Virginia Foundation since 2003. McIntire directs all aspects of the Foundation including development, oversight of the Foundation’s endowment, and special events like the annual Library of Virginia’s Literary Awards Celebration. McIntire came to the Library from United Way of Greater Richmond where she served for four years as assistant vice president. She holds an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA from James Madison University. In addition to the James River Writers board, she serves on the board of Aylett County Day School, the Partnership Council -- Center for Nonprofit Excellence, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is a member of the Virginia Planned Giving Society. The Library of Virginia Foundation reaches out to both adults and children in bringing to life Virginia’s literature, culture, and history through enjoyable and interactive reading, writing, and arts programs; exhibitions; and publications.

Sherrie Page Najarian is a freelance writer, essayist and registered nurse. Her essays have appeared in such publications as Richmond Magazine, Skirt!, Virginia Adversaria and various Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Additionally she has written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Far West-End Press and numerous professional nursing journals. Sherrie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Yale University. She works as a school nurse at St. Catherine's. Sherrie recently completed her first novel, a YA, which she hopes to publish soon.

Virginia Pye (Co-Chair) is a fiction writer and poet. Her stories and poems have appeared in The North American Review, Streetlight, Perogi Press and other literary magazines. In 2005, she completed a novel set in West Philadelphia, which a literary agent is currently trying to place with a publisher. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York and a BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Virginia has taught writing and literature at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania. She moved to Richmond seven years ago with her husband, VMFA Modern & Contemporary Art Curator John Ravenal, and their two children.

David L. Robbins was born in Richmond and received his undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from the College of William & Mary, where he currently teaches as writer-in-residence. He has published eight novels, including his most recent, The Betrayal Game, released in February 2008. He is a founding co-chairman of the James River Writers. At present, David is at work on his ninth book, a novel set in the Philippines during World War II. David's website can be found at davidlrobbins.com.

Cynthia Robinson

Carol Roper, owner of Literati Design, has over 20 years of experience in professional graphic design and art direction. She has received many design awards, including PRSA Gold Award, Arc Award, Nicholson Awards, CASE Grand Award, PICA, PIVA and Gold Award from the National Council for Community Foundations. Carol is currently revising her first book, a metaphysical mystery. She also writes stories about flying with her fiancé in his Grumman Tiger, and had her first story published in September 2007 in Aviator's Guide magazine.

Kirk Schroder

Patty Smith

Poet Ron Smith is Writer-in-Residence at St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of two books of poems, Running Again in Hollywood Cemetery (University Presses of Florida) and Moon Road (forthcoming from L.S.U. Press). He has been awarded a number of prizes, including the $10,000 Carole Weinstein Prize in Poetry, the Theodore Roethke Prize in Poetry, and the Guy Owen Poetry Prize. He is the regular poetry reviewer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch; his reviews and articles have appeared in The Kenyon Review, San Francisco Review of Books, Georgia Review, and many other periodicals and reference works.

In lieu of a law degree, Jason Tesauro pursued wine school and his affection for Viognier. By day, he serves as marketing director for Barboursville Vineyards. By night, Tesauro is coauthor of The MODERN GENTLEMAN: A Guide to Essential Manners, Savvy & Vice (Ten Speed Press, 2002) and The MODERN LOVER: A Playbook for Suitors, Spouses & Ringless Carousers (Ten Speed Press, 2004). He pens a wine & spirits column for The Sunday Paper (Atlanta, GA) and Richmond magazine, as well as manners/dating/sex/relationships columns for Maxim, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan, and Match.com. As a media spokesman, Tesauro has partnered with Johnnie Walker Blue, Orient-Express, and The Ritz-Carlton, where he currently leads The Modern Gentleman seminar series in Tysons Corner, VA. With his wife and two tots astride, Tesauro is presently scribbling his first novel ... with chubby crayons.

Logan Ward, a freelance writer for more than a dozen years, is a contributing editor for Popular Mechanics, Cottage Living, New Old House and Southern Accents, where he covers mainly architecture, design and technology. He has written for many other publications, including National Geographic Adventure, the New York Times, Popular Science and House Beautiful. His book, See You in a Hundred Years: Four seasons in forgotten America (BenBella, 2007), is the story of his family's quest to become turn-of-the-century dirt farmers in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Logan lives in Staunton with his wife and two children. For more information, visit www.loganward.com.

Irene Ziegler has had recurring roles or guest starred in many notable TV series and films including Dawson’s Creek, Runaway Jury, Premonition, and Nights In Rodanthe. As a voice-over artist, she has recorded books on tape; narrated the documentary film, Word and Deed; and provided the voice for GRTC's talking buses. Irene founded Virginia Arts & Letters LIVE in 2002, co-produced by James River Writers and Barksdale Theatre, which brings together Virginia actors reading short stories by Virginia writers, accompanied by Virginia musicians. Irene Ziegler's collection of linked short stories, Rules of the Lake, was tapped by the New York City Public Library as a Best Book. Irene has also co-edited The Ultimate Audition Book series, five collections of monologues for actors culled from literature, movies, and plays.

Administrative Director

Anne Westrick has been a teacher, paralegal, college administrator, and volunteer for organizations from Odyssey of the Mind to the Reading Olympics, the READ Center, and the Girl Scouts. She has written a novel for children, and re-written it, and is still re-writing it, and has also written for Boys' Quest magazine. Anne is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Divinity School and lives in Mechanicsville with her husband and four children.