Before we can own anything, we need to know who we are and where we want to go.
____________________________
Helen Raica-Klotz is a writer and teacher. Her short story collection, Superior Stories, was the 2025 winner of the Michigan Writers Chapbook Contest and selected as an 2025 Upper Peninsula Notable Book. Her essays, non-fiction, and fiction have appeared in over 30 literary publications, including The MacGuffin, Porcupine Literary, The Great Lakes Review, and MER; two of these pieces were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Helen teaches composition and literature courses at Saginaw Valley State University. She’s also taught writing at a regional prison, a homeless shelter, an alternative high school, and other places where she can find people with stories to tell.
Rae Chesny is a visionary Zora Neale Hurston scholar, interdisciplinary storyteller, and cultural practitioner working at the intersection of literature, culture, and enterprise. As the inaugural Director of Programs for the Zora Neale Hurston Trust, Chesny curated and led the Zora Neale Hurston Summit, a landmark global convening honoring Hurston’s legacy. She is the founder of Lit & Co. Consulting Group, where she guides traditionally and independently published authors, legacy bearers, and institutional stakeholders through her signature Anansi Ecosystem™ to achieve long-term sustainability and lasting impact. Chesny is the author of Zora’s Garden, a nationally recognized speaker, and a cultural steward.
