The Company We Keep
MARY CLEARY
Author’s Focus: Writing for childrenMARY CLEARY is an illustrator and author creating picture books that spark joy, curiosity and discovery. With inviting palettes and soothing strokes, she combines traditional watercolor with digital collage to tell stories with delight, insight and emotional range. Mary studied art history and teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Chinese at Shaanxi Teacher’s University in China, and graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design. As an award-winning educator, she has read thousands of picture books with hundreds of children. A member of the SCBWI, she writes and illustrates picture books, board books and poetry. Mary lives in Massachusetts with her spouse, children, and a dog.
ROBIN STOREY DUNN
Author’s Focus: Writing for adultsROBIN STOREY DUNN was born to a German immigrant family in a small West Texas town. She left home at sixteen, queer, punk, and feral, and was rescued by an all-Black spiritualist church. She lived communally with the congregation for ten years, trying and failing to become a saint. Ultimately, she was delivered from fundamentalism to a pragmatic understanding of the importance of the soul of kindness. Today, she lives between Austin and New York City, where she works as a hospice nurse. Her debut novel tells a story that carries readers across juxtaposed cultures of white and Black, punk and gospel, queer identity and religious extremism.
JOHN EBBERT
Author’s Focus: Writing for children and YAJOHN EBBERT is an author-illustrator with a passion for seeing the world through fresh eyes. With work that spans childhood—from 6 months to 16 years, picture books to novels—John considers what children make of the world around them. He insists on showing that most challenges are best met by remaining creative. John has more than 20 years of experience designing and building environments for children in New York City's fabulous toy and book stores. He is an exhibiting artist with an MFA in Painting from Pratt Institute. He is an active member of SCBWI Eastern New York and The Hudson Valley Writers Workshop. John lives with his family in a log home a couple of hours north of New York City