Artist Bios for In-School Programs

Cecelia Hagen has poems in a variety of journals and websites, including Poet & Critic, Northwest Review, Caffeine Destiny, Pedestal, and Natural Bridge. Her work has won awards from Literary Arts and the journal Passager. She has taught writing at the UO’s Super Summer program and for YWA, as well as at Willamette University. Currently she teaches memoir writing to adults, occasional classes for YWA, including its Teen Outdoor Camp, and the Writers in Lane County Schools program.

Nina Kiriki Hoffman has sold more than two hundred stories and a number of novels. Her works have been finalists for the Nebula, World Fantasy, Mythopoeic, Sturgeon, and Endeavour awards. A STIR OF BONES, a young adult fantasy novel, made the American Library Association list of books for the teen reader, and the New York Public Library list of books for teens. Nina lives in Oregon and has cats.  Nina also works with YWA's After-School Writing Workshops and Teen Outdoor Writing Camp.

Louisa Lindsay-Sprouse, the founding director of Young Writers Association, shares literature based curricula developed for YWA programs.  Called a visionary in arts education, she has received numerous awards for significant contributions to the cultural life of the community. Louisa has provided literary arts explorations, as both leisure time enrichment and vital learning in classrooms, for teacher groups parent groups, and intergenerational groups. Her interdisciplinary material is taught at the University of Oregon School of Education/Arts & Administration to teachers in training. Experienced in addressing educational standards, Louisa has aligned curriculum to benchmarks in Oregon’s arts standards for Oregon Public Education Network and for Lane Education Service District. Louisa developed, facilitated and taught in both interdisciplinary and creative writing projects with youth for over 20 years. She produced the Glitterary Word Festival, a literary arts festival for youth & their families,  published youth, and produced a poetry spot of mixed age writers for public radio. Louisa performs as a storyteller and has produced many theatre pieces combining poetry and dance. She is a storyteller/poet who simply finds pleasure in sharing her love for words, imagination and the adventure of learning.

Patricia Marshall is a journalist and the editor of the award-winning publication, Forest Magazine, which was in print until last spring and now can be found on-line. Her writing focuses on the environmental and social issues in the Northwest. She received an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College in Baltimore, and is working on a nonfiction book about Burley Design Cooperative, which she started during her graduate program. She has extensive experience with middle and high school children through volunteer activities with three daughters, now in college. She has taught for YWA's Writers in Lane County Schools and  Teen Outdoor Camp. She is executive Director of Wordcrafters of Eugene.

Carter McKenzie has been teaching creative writing workshops, labs, residencies and small group mentorships through Young Writers Association since 2005. Her poems have appeared in a number of publications, including Raising Our Voices: an anthology of Oregon poets against the war, Dona Nobis Pacem: Grant Us Peace, The Whistling Fire and in the anthology What the River Brings. Carter is the author of Naming Departure, a chapbook of poetry published by Traprock Books and Out of Refusal published by Airlie Press.
In addition to teaching, editing and writing, Carter performs songs in the Scottish Gaelic language with Kitchen Ceilidh.

 Eularee Smith is the Executive Director for Upstart Crow Studios, writing original scripts and music for youth theatre productions. Her monthly column appears in several Oregon newspapers. Her freelance experience includes writing feature articles for magazines, newspapers, blogs and public relations.  Eularee has led script writing intensives for YWA's Teen Outdoor Camp.

Kelly Terwilliger, poet and storyteller inspires and intrigues kids throughout Eugene and beyond. Gaze upon her hats and be amazed. Listen to her tales and be transported. Kelly is a professional teller and writer of stories. She has been telling stories in classrooms and libraries and at community events for the past eight years, and is a member of the National Storytelling Network. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature and is a published poet and children's writer. One of her stories has been made into a picture book and a second is due to be published soon. Other stories have appeared in Spider Magazine, and her poems have appeared in many literary magazines. She has also recently published a collection of poems, and meets regularly with local poets to work on new ones. Kelly also works with YWA's YES! YEA! Days and Writers in Lane County Schools.

Yvonne Young is a retired elementary teacher and a professional storyteller extraordinaire.  Her love of language and writing will inspire your students to tell and write stories.  Yvonne's DVD Two Goats on a Bridge: Stories to Promote Peace and Protect the Planet recently won a Storytelling World Honor Award. Yvonne also works with YWA's YES! YEA! Days and has taught through Lane Arts Council and Umpqua Valley Arts Association