Author: Brooks White

Mikesch Muecke aka polytekton, teaches architecture and interdisciplinary design courses at Iowa State University, and holds two degrees from the University of Florida—a Bachelor of Design with a Major in Architecture, and a Ph.D. in Architectural History and Theory from Princeton University. When not teaching, he edits, designs, and publishes books for Culicidae Press (peer-reviewed since 2005) and for the non-profit publishing houses Hog Press, Musca Press, and Zanzara Press, all located in Ames, Iowa.

Ana McCracken received her Bachelor of Science and MFA in Creative Writing and Environment degrees from Iowa State University. She is currently seeking representation for her thesis, Redacted—A Memoir of Adoption. Her personal essays are published in The California Writers Club Literary Review, the anthologies Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God and The Joy of Adoption, and her poetry in Telepoem Booth®Iowa. She is the founder of the Ames Writers Collective, an organization committed to building and uplifting communities through the art of writing and storytelling, while advancing the literary arts in Ames, Iowa.

Anna Magnusson was adopted from Seoul, Korea and raised in Iowa. She attended high school in Des Moines and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa. Anna serves as the executive director of Able Up Iowa. Anna’s heart is filled with love for people and their stories. She has dedicated her life to a number of nonprofit organizations and causes as a volunteer or employee, which has led to a myriad of unexpected opportunities and adventures–including stepping into the role of a radio producer and host at KHOI 89.1 FM.

Jennifer Drinkwater, a Mississippi native, is an artist, an associate professor of art and visual culture and the community arts specialist for extension and outreach at Iowa State University. Jennifer explores how we bring artwork from the studio into the world, and how art-making can both build and shape community. Jennifer’s also the creator of The What’s Good Project, which celebrates the meaningful stories from where we live through community conversations and painting.

Jennifer Brockpahler is the director of the Ames Community Arts Council. With an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies (music, education, business) and a master’s degree in Community Arts Management, she is thrilled to put her passion for community building, outreach, and creative collaboration to work for the artists of Ames. In addition to her work with the Arts Council, Jen is an administrator with the Critical Materials Institute of the Ames Laboratory.