Al Bell \;was discharged from the United States Navy in 1962. He went home to Marin\, County California and moved in with his parents. His mother\, a kind and loving soul\, told Al he had a week to find another place to live. An acquaintance told him there was a place called San Quentin Prison located a short distance away that would hire virtually anyone that was breathing. He applied. The job came with a steady paycheck so Al ended up staying in various Law Enforcement jobs for over thirty years. He has a beautiful and patient wife who has stayed with him through the thin and the thin for over fifty years. They have two stellar children and one daughter who lost her battle with Leukemia. The last twenty years has spent his time losing money as a musician and singer-songwriter and recently has changed professions to that of author. Al is anxious to see how much he can lose doing that. Al Bell will turn eighty years old next September which\, if you do the math\, makes him seventy nine now. It&rsquo\;s hard to believe. He can hardly believe it himself until he tries to get out of bed in the morning.
\nChristina deVillier \;lives in Lostine\, Oregon\, where she gardens\, roots\, writes\, and tries to keep her priorities straight. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers&rsquo\; Workshop and has earned fellowships from Fishtrap\, Tin House\, and the McIntyre Foundation. Her work can be found in \;About Place\, \;Cold Mountain Review\, basalt\, \;and elsewhere. \;Her first book of poems\, \;Long Coordinates\, \;is forthcoming in 2021 from Lynx House Press.
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Kellee Sheehy \;likens her career path to an all you can eat buffet&mdash\;&rdquo\;It&rsquo\;s a little bit of everything you want to try\, but wouldn&rsquo\;t normally put together on one plate.&rdquo\; \; From directing a communications department to managing a bistro in Ireland&mdash\;from selling for a Fortune 500 company to teaching dance and yoga&mdash\;from freelance writing\, to directing youth theater camps\, to running a capital campaign&mdash\;Kellee Sheehy&rsquo\;s diverse background is a full platter of professional experience seasoned with variety&mdash\;her favorite spice of life. \;
\n\nKellee grew up in Louisiana\, which contributed to her appreciation of traditions\, culture\, hospitality and celebrating with good food. \; After graduating with an undergraduate degree from the University of the South in Sewanee\, Tennessee\, Kellee spent a year travelling throughout Europe. Upon her return to the States\, she continued her education at what she refers to as the &ldquo\;jack-of-all trades&rdquo\; school\, following her curiosity in both work and personal endeavors. Kellee went on to receive her &ldquo\;Masters of None&rdquo\; degree at the University of Motherhood and Mistakes\, earning a wild-ride scholarship from her two children\, Hannah Kate and Lachlan. \; A proud alumni of both institutions\, Kellee credits\, Life and Failure\, her two favorite teachers\, for helping her develop competence as a leader\, communicator and creative problem solver.
\n\nKellee&rsquo\;s passion for teaching and helping people led to volunteering her time in a variety of ways. Among other things\, she&rsquo\;s worked with orphans in poverty-stricken areas of South America\, led a Brownie troop\, and co-founded a personal growth organization for women. \; Her hobbies include turning daydreams into a dabbles and dabbles into doing. \;
\n\n&ldquo\;I believe that success\, in every area of life\, is about expressing happiness&mdash\;not attaining it.&rdquo\;
\n\nKellee&rsquo\;s awards include a certificate of appreciation for biting off more than she can chew\, a silver medal for trying again\, a participation trophy for living this life\, and a gold cup for drinking it all in. \; \; \;
\n\nKellee currently works as the Development Director at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph Oregon.
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