Martha Adams recalls reading Leinster's 'First Contact' when it first appeared in ASF Magazine; and later on, she enjoyed G.O. Smith's Haywire Queen stories. She retired at age 65 in 1996 and naturally gravitated to full-time participation in writing and in space settlements work. Her Web site is www.mhada.info, where she posts concerning space settlements issues.

Lisa Adler-Golden—While Lisa is familiar with many popular fandoms, she mostly cribs her information from fandom drama (shipwars, plagiarism, and all that jazz). If you ever wanted to know the origin of the phrase "My hed iz pastede on yay" or "But what are your thoughts on yaoi," she can give you all the TL;DR details.

Dawn Albright has been involved in different genre arts for many years—sculpting art dolls, costuming, and writing, to name a few. She started an email discussion list for making art dolls in 1996, which now lives at www.dollmaking.org. She is now working on an internet magazine devoted to genre art and the fannish community at http://www.polutexni.com.

Thomas A. Amoroso has practiced emergency medicine for about 15 years, most of it in the Boston area at several of the local academic centers. He's been reading/watching science fiction for a lot longer than that, although he came to fandom later in life than he cares to admit. He has too many formal degrees, which aren't particularly interesting, and a fair amount of informal education picked up along with it, which is likely more interesting.

Inanna Arthen is the author of Mortal Touch, the first in The Vampires of New England Series (http://vampiresofnewengland.com). Book 2, The Longer the Fall, will be released in 2009. Inanna is a member of Broad Universe and New England Horror Writers, and is a contributing writer for Blogcritics.org. She is an expert on vampire folklore, fiction and fact, and runs By Light Unseen Media (http://bylightunseenmedia.com), an independent press dedicated to publishing vampire fiction and non-fiction.

Catherine Asaro's fiction blends adventure, science, and strong characterization. Her latest fantasy is THE NIGHT BIRD, and her most recent science fiction novel is THE RUBY DICE. In May 2009, Baen will release DIAMOND STAR, her novel about a rock star in the future, and in April, Starflight Music will release the CD Diamond Star, a rock opera based on the book by Catherine and the rock band, Point Valid.

Lisa A Ashtonshton is a costumer feeling a bit schizophrenic these days, also being a mother of adult children, a beader, a hunter, a Physician Assistant, a fiber artist, and just generally not having enough time or coffee to accomplish her long list of costume and creative goals. Her last Arisia costumes were "Behold Winter" (2008), and "Mary Gothins-Perfectly Evil" (2007). She currently lives in Maryland. Find her during the con and offer a relaxing cup of…whatever.

Richard B. Auffrey

John Bacon has ben involved in LARPS since 1986, and tabletop for far longer. As one of the primary designers of the NERO rules system, John has run close to 50 events, and played in more than he can count. On the tabletop side he has written with John Wick, Eric Boyd, and others. In the last few years John has branched out into Second Life where he can usually be found hanging out on one of his sims.

Debra Fran Baker has been in fandom for over 19 years, but has been a fan since birth. Her interests include cooking, knitting, fanfiction and explaining just what she does on weekends. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, her books, her knives and her yarn.

Steve Balzac is the president of 7 Steps Ahead, a consulting firm specializing in increasing individual, team, and organizational performance. He was the founder of the MIT Assassins' Guild and the Society for Interactive Literature West and recently created a Pandemic Flu simulation for the US National Capitol Region. He has spoken at several conferences and appeared on panels on computer game design. He can be reached at www.7stepsahead.com.

Becky Baron

Howard G Beatman—I have been interested in comic books since 1960, SF since 1966, and genre conventions since 1973. I have attended (at least part of) all Arisias since their inception. This is the fourth Arisia to which I have brought my college-age nephew—the next generation is well in hand!

Adrianne Brennan is a romantic dark fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi author who stumbled into her love of writing at the age of ten when she wrote a sci-fi comedy for a writing assignment. An avid reader, Adrianne has been influenced by many authors such as Madeleine L'Engle, Roger Zelazny, Laurell K. Hamilton, Neil Gaiman, and Alan Moore. She resides in Boston, Massachusetts with two cats and a car she has named "the TARDIS." People often tell her it looks bigger on the inside.

Misty Pendragon is a true fangirl at heart, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will never die. She is currently working on writing fanfiction, and her first novel.

Kristina Finan—After years of trying to find clothing to fit my 5'10" frame I started making my own clothes and then costumes using standard patterns and altering them to fit me and my designs. Soon after I was asked to make costumes for re-enactors, wedding gowns from photos and outfits for others with strange taste. Other projects include outfits for my own Babylon 5 wedding party and a First Holy Communion dress for Halloween, for my size 56 husband. But I am still looking for a challenge…

Michael Bonet—I have a BA in English and Creative Writing and spent a few years after college as a theatrical carpenter. Now I have an exciting career doing odd jobs like videographer. I currently live in New Paltz with my amazing girlfriend. My friend and I began designing games after unsuccessfully trying to play Mordheim. We now have several self-published games. Our company is titled after our flagship game: Ninja vs Pirates. We have a semi-regular podcast about games and game design of the same name.

Aimee Bouchard is a bi, poly, kinky, geeky, hippie, girly sort of girl. As a solo attorney practicing in Western Mass she focuses on domestic relations and child welfare, and has published on same sex estate planning. Her interests include protecting and creating rights for polyamorous relationships, the legalities of kink and BDSM, and GLBT rights. Aimee lives in Springfield where she is on the board of the Western Mass Power Exchange, is an avid geocacher, and lives in a large poly, co-housing home.

John Bowker has published short science fiction and fantasy in multiple markets including On Spec, Andromeda Spaceways, Sybil's Garage, and the "Sex in the System" anthology. A graduate of the 2003 Odyssey Writers Workshop, he is an MFA candidate at Emerson College and an Associate fiction editor at the online journal Ideomancer.

Bridget Joyce Boyle has held many positions from div. head up to gopher at many cons. She instructed Computer Literacy and Graphics Programs. She avidly supports sexual orientation equality for all people. As a transplanted Philadelphian, she makes her home in Merrimack, NH. With her husband Alex Latzko, she fights the graying of fandom the old fashion way by reproduction resulting in Aileen(4) and Saoirse(2) and Caoimhe, (2). She is always sleep deprived.

Anna R Bradley is an avid LARPer, SCAdian and all around geek. She has been involved with the running of Intercon, the all-LARP New England convention for many years, and has been both playing LAPRs and writing them fro even longer. She is also involved in table-top RP as well as all sorts of Medieval Recreation.

Nat Budin

Nomi S. Burstein is a technical writer, freelance editor, and answerer of questions. She and her husband, Michael A. Burstein, live in Brookline, MA. Nomi has her own home in cyberspace at www.asknomi.com, from which she runs her sideline business, AskNomi. Her quest for answers nets her knowledge of both the mundane and the obscure. Nomi also has a home on LiveJournal, under the handle gnomi.

Michael A Burstein. Burstein won the 1997 Campbell Award. His Hugo and Nebula nominated short fiction has been collected in "I Remember the Future." He and wife Nomi live in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he is a Library Trustee and Town Meeting Member. He has two physics degrees, and attended Clarion. See http://www.mabfan.com.

Liz Cademy Pfeffer—Professional Polymath: fields include disaster preparedness, domestic architecture, family management, financial analysis, gifted education, knitting design, martial arts, t-shirt design (as Cartesian Bear)… the list goes on. This year—woodworking! Specialization is for insects

D. Cameron CalkinsCameron Calkins has been active in sci-fi/fantasy fandom since 1980. He has been exhibiting at conventions on the east coast since the late 1980's, and has a small number publishing credits including book covers Circlet Press and a cover for HolQeD, the Klingon Language Institute News Letter, as well at won many awards. He speaks on a variety of topics.

Vonnie Carts-Powell is the author of the popular science book, "The Science of Heroes" (to be published by Berkeley Press, Summer 2008), and well over 1000 articles about science and technology. She is also an SF/F fan and a Morris dancer. She prefers pirates to ninjas: the pirates tend to smell worse, but at least they have rum.

Jeffrey A Carver

Hugh Casey has served as Vice President and President of The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, Vice Chair for Philcon 2002, and Chairman of Philcon 2003. Since then, he has been gibbering in a corner, eating flys and spiders that come by. He is also the founder of Parents Basement Productions. They have currently released two films: "Teddy's Big Escape" and "Young Geeks In Love". Both can be viewed online at YouTube.com. You can visit Hugh's blog, http://hughcasey.livejournal.com.

Mary Catelli is a short-story writer whose work has appeared in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Weird Tales, Sword and Sorceress anthologies, and the Warrior Wisewoman anthology. She holds down a day job as a computer programmer and is working on several novels.

Jeanne Cavelos was a senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell, where she ran the SF/F/H programs and won the World Fantasy Award. Jeanne left publishing to write. Her seven books include the best-selling Passing of the Techno-Mages trilogy, The Science of Star Wars, and The Science of the X-Files. Her work has twice been nominated for the Stoker Award. Jeanne is director of Odyssey, a summer workshop for writers of SF/F/H held in Manchester, NH. (www.jeannecavelos.com)

Dr. Amy Chused is an avid reader of SF & F, both professionally published and web-based fanfiction. She is currently doing research in clinical informatics at Columbia University, while seeing patients part time. In a previous life, she was a unix sysadmin, before abandoning that trade for medical school.

Stephanie Clarkson has been told that she's a good writer by Rob Sawyer, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Fritz Leiber, but has never done a damn thing with it. She works at Pandemonium Books in Central Square, an oddly beloved discount department store, and as a freelance web developer. She's working on a cookbook, and is currently in tryouts for The Next Food Network Star (though the status of that will change before you read this). She likes cheese. Mmm. Cheese.

Randee Dawn has been a senior editor at The Hollywood Reporter and an entertainment journalist for the last 20 years. She has had short fiction published online in "3AM Magazine" and podcast via "Well-Told Tales" and will publish "Law & Order SVU: The Unofficial Companion" in 2009. She lives in New York with her cairn terrier Ciara, and this is her first Arisia, so please be gentle.

Jerome C Conner has been attending Cons since 1983 and working in them almost as long. He's a media fan, awarding Costumer, Comic book collector, and former and current head of a number of Fannish groups. Fan run Cons hold a special place in his heart, he met his fiancee has well as his ex-wife at Conventions. He likes to think that he's knowledgable, but he knows that he is opinionated, just ask him.

John H Costello—Wrote SF as "J. L. Hanna" published articles and translations of Russian SF in Locus. Brought out Erle Cox's Australian Lost Race novel, "Out of the Silence" and Verrill's "Bridge of Light." Will be bringing out a collection of Murray Leinster's early non-SF some time in this winter… His MA paper was on "The Obsidian Hydation Dating of 18 East African Sites." With this background it is only natural that he now works retail. His website is http://www.FossickerBooks.com.

Susan Hanniford Crowley, a member of SFWA and an Associate Editor for Space and Time magazine, is best known for her fantasy short stories that have appeared in anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley: "Ladyknight" in Spells of Wonder, "Piper" in Sword & Sorceress IX, "Cecropia" in Sword & Sorceress XV, and "Heartleaf" in MZBFM F11 '91. Her sf story, "She Came to Sing" will be appearing in Beyond Centauri magazine in January 2009. She is currently working on a series of novels.

Ken Crowley

Laurel Cunningham-Hill is a Master costumer, wife to Richard and Mom to Zachary. She Is a chef, cabbie,housekeeper,landscaper,handyman,doctor,psycologist,zoo keeper,maid,plumber,personal dresser,tutor, party planner, caterer, and artist. In her copious spare time she builds elaborate sets in the house and front lawn for Halloween.

John D'Agosta

Charlene Taylor D'Alessio has been illustrating in the Fantasy & Science Fiction genre for over 25 years. She is known for her exquisite painted Ties, humorous fantasy paintings of Cats, Dragons, Owls, & Hamsters and miniature astronomical work. Her latest published piece is "Merlin's Dilemma" published as a puzzle. She is also working on children's book illustrations. Charlene also does Portrait commissions. Her artwork is at most Science Fiction Con. Artshows.

David D'Antonio

Ibrahim Dahlstrom-Hakki—Slash is a freelance game and toy designer living and working in Western Massachusetts. His lifelong passion for games as well as his recently completed PhD in Cognitive Psychology have inspired him to dedicate his time to designing games and toys that are not only fun but that give players the oppurtunity to experience a different perspective.

A film veteran for over 30 years, Garen Daly has been an exhibitor, TV reviewer, radio host, NPR analyst and a few other things along the way. He also produces the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival (www.BostonSci-Fi.com). Garen lives in New Hampshire where he still gets a kick out of seeing meteorites flash through the crisp nights.

Solomon Davidoff liked Boston fandom so much, he married Arisia's '01 Conchair. He teaches Social Sciences, Humanities, English (insert discipline here), & Communications courses for various Boston area colleges and universities, serves as Librarian for Malden's Cong. Beth Israel, and serves on the Journal of Popular Culture Studies Editorial/Advisory Board. If not teaching, editing, consulting, or writing, he unpacks books, herds cats, and dreams of having time for pleasure reading once more.

T Christopher Davis—I started into the fannish lifestyle in the late eighties as an avid Sci-Fi and Fantasy reader and Gamer. I am an amateur writer and aspiring RPG game designer. I was one of the founding members of OGC gaming convention and I was the Convention Chairman of Another Anime Convention both based in New Hampshire. I have been going to conventions since college, and it was in college that I discovered Anime and became a fan of that as well.

Susan de Guardiola is best-known for her role as a masquerade emcee at various Lunacons, Arisias, Philcons, and worldcons. Otherwise, she can generally be found in musty library stacks researching historic social dance, which she teaches at workshops and dance events across the United States. Susan blogs about dance history at Capering and Kickery (www.kickery.com) and everything else at Rixosous (www.rixosous.com). In her spare time, she works in medical education.

Keith R. A. DeCandido—Author of 35 novels, plus short stories, comic books, novellas, eBooks, and nonfiction, mostly in various tie-in universes: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI, Doctor Who, Farscape, Resident Evil, Serenity, Star Trek, StarCraft, Supernatural, World of Warcraft, etc. He's also an editor, a musician, and a blogger. Find out less at DeCandido.net or kradical.livejournal.com.

Daniel P Dern. Dern (www.dern.com) is a freelance technology writer, and a very amateur magician. This past year he's been writing "Dern Grim Children's Short Bedtime Stories intended to be Morally Instructive to the Listener and Cathartically Therapeutic for the Reader." His science fiction stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies includng Analog, F&SF, World of IF, and New Dimensions.

Mario di Giacomo has been a lifelong fan of science fiction, fantasy, and anime. In recent years, he has turned his borderline-obsessive sights on all things Steampunk, and is writing a book on the subject.

Ricky Dick

Karen Dick

Samantha Dings—Long time Arisia attendee, has actually been working the convention for the past few years as well. A member of the GoH Liaison Staff for Arisia '09. Also one of the Moderators at the Doctor Who Forum.

Andrew V Disbrow

Robert Disbrow

Michael Dlott graduated from Suffolk Law School with a double major in rules lawyering and muchkeneering. He runs mainly Whitewolf and D&D tabletop games. He is most well known for his gigantic D&D convention games, but he has gone up a level this year and is presenting an Old School Vampire Larp.

Kludge has run the Arisia film program since 2000. You never actually see him at the con because he is hidden behind a wall of projectors, but he really does attend.

Debra Doyle was born in Florida and educated in Florida, Texas, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania—the last at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate in Old English literature. In Philadelphia, she met and married her collaborator, James D. Macdonald. They now live in Colebrook, New Hampshire, where they write science fiction and fantasy for children, teenagers, and adults. Their most recent novel, LAND OF MIST AND SNOW, came out from Eos in December 2006.

Michelle Driscoll, a pervy pansexual pagan-leaning polyamorist, is a bit more nerd than geek. She facilitates a Polyamory/BDSM discussion group and has served on the Board for the BDSM organization The Society in Hartford, CT. A former Women's Studies and English adjunct professor, Michelle now does HR for a natural foods co-op and lives in Western MA in a large poly co-housing home. She is said to have an evil twin in Barfleet named Barbie Q. Saucy.

Jan Dumas has a BS in Industrial Technology—Occupational Health & Safety Mgt., & a second in Human Resource Mgt. Have a question about the minute history of Massachusetts, talk to Jan as she is on the of few member of Arisia with townie blood, and a true Bostonian. Better known, by her LJ name Fibro witch she once had a zine, tries to write fiction, likes to blog, and can fit you for a respirator. She has severe food allergies, so lets not send her to the hospital, we like her.

Mary McConnell Dumas moved from California in 2003, and discovered Arisia in 2004. She began coordinating the Volunteers Lounge in 2006. In addition to her love for Arisia, she ran the media convention CauldronCon 2005, worked United Fan Con 2005–7, and New England Fan Experience 2008. She has been a anime fan since her sister was in Japan in the 1980s, and realizing her dream of hosting an anime program has been her greatest enjoyment this year. She is also assisting in the Events area for Arisia'09.

Jill Eastlake is proud to be the first person to have chaired both an Arisia and a Boskone. She's been around since 1969 as a member of the Newton South SF Club. Jill chaired or co-chaired 2 Boskones and a Costume-Con. She has been a DH at 2 Worldcons, and Treasurer for 1 Worldcon. At Arisias she was Events DH in 1994, Art Show Director in 2005, Masquerade Director in 2007, and Assistant Chair in 2008.

Thomas Easton—Long-time SF writer Tom Easton recently retired from his 30-year gig as the Analog book columnist. He holds a PhD in theoretical biology from the U. Chicago and teaches at Thomas College in Waterville, ME. His latest books are Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Science, Technology, & Society (McGraw-Hill, 8th ed. rev, 2009), Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Environmental Issues (McGraw-Hill, 13th ed. rev, 2009), and Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Energy $ Society (McGraw-Hill, 1st ed., 2009).

Genevieve Iseult Eldredge grew up in a wild, untouched place that fostered her imagination. She began writing at 10 years; but growing up, was disheartened that the imagination she had been praised for as a child became viewed as frivolous and immature. After many years of pretending to pursue a "normal" career, she is penning her own epic high fantasy. Her most recent erotica publications are "Taken," featured in Blood Surrender; and "Enslaved" featured in the ebook Like Crimson Droplets.

Jennie Faries is a graphic designer for Baen Books, creating book jackets, CDs, catalogs, and other items to promote Baen's titles. She also worked, and still consults, in marketing and design for companies in the technology field. She is also a master costumer who has been competing for over 15 years. She holds a masters degree in theatrical costume and lighting design and started workig withTechnoFandom at Arisia 2. For fun she also peforms with a bellydance troupe.

Alex Feinman

Tony Finan has been a long term fan, working various cons and events from gopher to con chair. He proudly ran the Philcon video track for almost 20 years. His first love is media, especially British science fiction and Asian Horror. Tony's other pursuits involve a life long passion for gaming of various flavors and Celtic music.

The Wombat, aka jan howard finder, has been reading SF for more than 60 years & active in SF circles for about 30. He chaired 6 events & working on the 7th: ALBACON 08. He has been a GoH at a number of cons including CONFRANCISCO, the 1993 Worldcon. He participates in, judged & MC's masquerades, a superb auctioneer & gives the best backrubs. He has been published & has published. He has divers interests, a budding film career & visited Middle-earth. He is a neat guy. Buy him a Pepsi!

Fish Fishman AKA Tuna Oddfellow—Magician Fish Fishman, better known as Second Life's Tuna Oddfellow, may be the most highly recognized virtual world artist. His visual jazz got him on America's Got Talent in 2007, and shows at Harvard, BC, Jack the Pelican Presents (acclaimed as one of the hundred most influential galleries in the world), and various local venues. He is now president of Oddfellow Studios, Inc. developing tech for entertainment, medicine and marketing growing out of his virtual euphoric art performance.

Raven (Bill Frankenfield), known as Raven in the film and theater industry, is a professional makeup artist, costumer and Makeup fx artist. His appetite for fan-cons was cultured by Suzanne Lenore (tees) with whom Raven Design Group. Suzanne was best known as Nightfrost and the two of them frequenty appeared as Klingons at conventions. Following Suzanne's death in '07 he opened RAM FX servicing LARPers and costumers including makup and fx supplies, costumes and custom wigs.

Terry Franklin, an activist for libertarian causes, worked on Massachusetts Questions One and Two in the recent election. (Q2 won big time!) He was campaign chairman for fellow geek and fan, Keith McCormic, in his race for the State Senate as well. A writer of science fiction of the "hard" variety—space exploration, biotech, etc.—he also does occasional reporting on science fact for newspapers and magazines.

Ed Fuqua is a Young Adult Librarian as well being a writer, a poet and a swordsman. He spent many years running comic book stores and has qualified for the National Poetry Slam championsips four times. In September and October he can be found at King Richard's Faire in Carver MA.

Ken Gale's writing career started with sales to DC Comics and Warren Publishing in the '70s. He's editor and co-publisher of Dangerous Times and New Frontiers for Evolution Comics, a producer and host for two radio shows on WBAI-FM in NYC: one on the environment and one on comic books. He was a member of the Board of the Celtic League American Branch and a former math textbook writer. His environmental comic book story in Psychosis #2 just came out. www.comicbookradioshow.com

Charles E Gannon—Distinguished Professor of English (St. Bonaventure U.) & Fulbright Senior Specialist (American Lit & Culture). Has had novellas in Analog and the "War World" series. Upcoming fiction: "To Spec" & "Recidivism" in "So It Begins" (military SF antho). Book "Rumors of War and Infernal Machines" won the 2006 ALA Outstanding Text Award. Degrees from Brown, Syracuse, & Fordham. Fulbrights to England, Scotland, Czech Rep, Slovakia, Netherlands. Worked 8 years as scriptwriter/producer in NYC.

Rebecca Garbos

Jaime Garmendia is a member of the ("underground collective" + Weekly Dig) Boston Comics Roundtable (http://www.bostoncomicsroundtable.com/), and has published in their anthology, Inbound. He maintains interests in world mythology, political geography, communications and military technology, and the state of the comics industry. He is a firm believer that some stories are better off told in person, and finds self-referential writing terribly awkward + see the bio in his comic book for more.

Melissa Gavazzi (Mel) Gavazzi is an avid comic book fan, and writes a weekly comic book blog. She is also a writer, and published a book of poems, "Delirium's Child". In the Come Again Players a Rocky Horror shadow cast, she is an actress pre show commitee and promotions committee member. She is the Promotions Assistant for the Pioneer Valley Gamer Collective, a group of volunteers which runs the only community run game store in the country, Worlds Apart Games in Amherst, MA.

Marty Gear is a long time fan who has been enjoying Arisia almost from its inception. He is a costumer (a founder of the International Costumers' Guild), a tech (dragged WorldCons kicking & screaming into the 20th Century), and has been known to M/C masquerades from time to time. When not attending & working on cons he negotiates contracts with the Government.

Greer Gilman's new book, Cloud & Ashes, is forthcoming from Small Beer Press in May 2009. Set in the mythscape of Moonwise, her first novel, it comprises three tales: "Jack Daw's Pack" (Nebula Award finalist), "A Crowd of Bone" (winner of the World Fantasy Award), and the new third part, a whole novel, Unleaving. "Down the Wall" appeared in the WFA-winning anthology Salon Fantastique. Ms. Gilman, a Campbell finalist, will be a Guest of Honor at Readercon 20.

Nikki Gingerelli

Robert Hafner loves speaking in the third person, and only signs up for panels to do exactly that. His megalomania has also driven him to start a web development company (SolunaNet), chair a convention (Pi-Con shoutout goes here), open source his favorite code, and to harass politicians on an almost daily basis.

Steven Hammond believes that open and free sharing of information is the real revolution of this century. He creates software volunteers actively in his community. He tutors people on the Internet at the local library and he serves on his local school board. Steve is a Solar System Ambassador, a volunteer educator for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this role, he bring the excitement, wonder and possibilities of space and space exploration to kids and adults across the state.

Charles Hannum

Lee Harrington is an eclectic artist, educator, gender adventurer and published author on sexuality and spiritual experience. A long time geek and proud pervert, his stories make people laugh while showing you that the world can be as serious, sexy, or silly as you make it. Lee's writing, photography and image have appeared in numerous publications (also under his former name, Bridgett Harrington), from PlayBoy to White Wolf. For more, visit www.PassionAndSoul.com

Buzz Harris is a social and economic justice activist and writer (read 'troublemaker'). "The economy exists to serve us; we do not exist to serve it," is a favorite quote. He has been in love with F&SF since stumbling upon Tolkien as a child.

Sara M. Harvey is the author of the SteampunkHorror novella THE CONVENT OF THE PURE, the first book in a trilogy from the Apex Book Company. She is also the author of A YEAR AND A DAY, an urban fantasy about angels living in New York City. Sara is also a costumer and works as an assistant costume designer, an instructor in costume and fashion design, as well as a contributor to costume history textbooks. She lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, Matt, and their dogs, Guinevere and Eowyn.

Jeff Hecht is a free-lance science and technology writer based in Newton, Massachusetts who writes regularly for New Scientist magazine and Laser Focus World on topics from space and lasers to paleontology. His short fiction has appeared in Nature, Analog, Asimov's, Interzone, and elsewhere. His most recent book is Understanding Lasers: An Entry-Level Guide, from IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons. His web site is http://www.jeffhecht.com.

Karl G Heinemann

James T Henderson Jr—A Sci-Fi & Fantasy fan since the age of 6 when his grandmother gave him a copy of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe for Christmas. He is a devout fan of Sci-Fi/Fantasy and is in the process of training the next generation of fans while raising his 6 1/2 year old daughter. Amongst his varied interests are writing sci-fi, fantasy stories, poetry, building & painting Models & Miniatures, Drawing, (He is a certified Cad Operator & Draftsman) LARPs. And studying Military History & Technology.

Evonne Heyning connects people and projects around the world through Amoration, her nonprofit arts in aid team. Evonne works with her husband Brent as Creative Director of Toyshoppe Productions to design new media for stage and screen. As curator, writer and producer she weaves participatory arts communities with interactive developers for art installations, virtual world development and machinima. Evonne has won numerous international awards for her video and social change campaigns.

Woodrow Hill—Tall, Dark, and Overworked, with interests in Technology, the SCA, and Raqs Sharqi ("bellydance") among many diverse activities. Woodrow esp. loves what each reflects about society (main-and sub-cultural), and the politics within. As an African-American Feminist geek, his love/hate relationship with the comics industry is fierce. Residing at the (in)famous Dar al-Asim in Charlotte, NC, he writes for the online bellydance magazine GILDED SERPENT, as well as his dance/politics blog, APOSTATE.

James Hinsey—I'm a life long lover of Science Fiction, Fantasy, books, movies, tv-shows, anime, 80s music, women, root beer, chocolate, Hawaii, Japan and family. I am half-Japanese, a reader, Trekker, Browncoat, Costumer, book-collector, model-maker, videographer, publicator, con-goer, RISFC member, Psi Upsilon brother, RPI alum, former naval officer, brother, son, uncle, husband, and father of two girls. I am SamuraiX47.

Steven Hirsch

Melissa Honig maintains a calendar of sci-fi and fantasy events in New England on her blog, http://nescifievents.org/. She is also the list administrator for the New England Browncoats. She enjoys costuming, weird crafts, and watching old TV shows from her childhood via Netflix.

Michael A Horne—Currently the Manager of the Compleat Strategist (Boston's Best Game Store—ask about our New Location at 957 Commonwealth Avenue, 617–254–1166!) Michael Horne is a former roleplaying games author and film reviewer for AnimeJump.com he lives in Somerville with his gal and his cat.

Wil Howitt is a doctor of computer science and electrical engineering, specializing in physical acoustics and psychoacoustics. He has worked at MIT and BU, developing human auditory system models and speech recognition systems. He also enjoys drumming, dancing, and playing didjeridu and other rhythmic instruments. He teaches Taoist martial arts, rides a black BMW motorcycle, fences with a German longsword, and looks around a lot.

Crystal Huff

Walter H. Hunt is the author of four critically-acclaimed science fiction novels from Tor Books set in the "Dark Wing" universe. His next novel, A Song In Stone, will appear in the fall of this year; it deals with the music encoded in the stones of Rosslyn Chapel and the confluence of polyphony and Gothic architecture, among other things. He is a baseball fan and Freemason, and lives in eastern Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.

Elaine Isaak …dropped out of art school to found Curious Characters, designing original stuffed animals and small-scale sculptures, and to follow her bliss: writing. Author of The Singer's Crown (Eos, 2005), and sequel The Eunuch's Heir (Eos, 2006), she also writes the Lady Blade fantasy fiction column at www.AlienSkinmag.com. She resides in Seacoast New Hampshire, in a town so small, it doesn't have its own post office. Visit www.ElaineIsaak.com to find out why you do not want to be her hero.

September L Isdell

Nick Jabour

Michael Kabongo—I'm a strange man. My occupation alone should tell you that. I'm a hockey loving, 4-H leading, psychology & history educated literary agent. I like urban fantasy, dislike paranormal romance, adore good space opera, mil-sf and lean towards books styled and constructed like books from the mid 80's and forward over books from the 40's and backwards and find most of the stuff in the middle very hit or miss.

A Shaman, Witch, Rune Valder Miester, Psychic, Cook, and builder of metaphysical devices. Starwolf draws on a almost encyclopidic knowledge of subjects both mundane and esoteric in order to bring his own unique slant to any subject.

David C Kaplowitz—See previous year's biography.

Alexander S Kay—Alexx Kay is a second-generation SF fan. For the last decade, he has been working as a professional videogame designer. His recent projects include critically-acclaimed "BioShock" for XBox 360 and PC, and the Challenge Room DLC for BioShock PS3. His other interests include comics and storytelling.

Jeff Keller

Elizabeth Kelly is not just one woman, she's three. You can find her strutting her stuff with the Boston Babydolls adding burlesque glitter can glamour all around Boston. You find her in the 16th century, stomping and jingling in medieval India. And you can find her out and about town as a geek, sci fi addict and LARP writer. Wherever you find her, you're sure to be greeted with humor and good spirits as she revels in life, on or off the stage.

Joseph Kesselman has been reading SpecFic at least since third grade. Combining this with musical and sound-tech interests, he joined the local filk organization MASSFILC (www.massfilc.org), after a stint with the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus (www.walkaboutclearwater.org) convinced him that he could sing in public without being declared a national disaster. Joe plays concertina, percussion, keyboards (ie QWERTY), games, and is Arisia'09 Filkado. Comments on this year's filk track very welcome!

Jacqueline Kessler—When not writing about superheroes and the villains who beat the heroes into a bloody mess, Jackie Kessler likes to write about demons. To date, her novels include HELL'S BELLES, THE ROAD TO HELL, and HOTTER THAN HELL. A dystopian superhero novel, BLACK AND WHITE (coauthored with Caitlin Kittredge) will be published in June 2009 by Bantam Spectra. For more about Jackie, visit her website: www.jackiekessler.com.

Daniel M Kimmel—Film critic and author, past president Boston Society of Film Critics. Latest books: essay in "Batman Unauthorized" (BenBella Books), March 2008, and "I'll Have What She's Having" (Ivan R. Dee, Publisher) September 2008. Moderator of long running "Movie Year in Review" panel at Arisia. Essayist for Internet Review of Science Fiction.

Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein—Writer, actor, costumer, musician, dancer, singer, painter, entrepreneur, and professional dilettante. Catt does everything which is artistic, and makes no money. She has been juggling various artistic employments since 1992, including directing a theatre company, operating an illustration studio and retail gallery, costuming commissions, leading and managing a folk band, and publishing fiction. She has not yet had the good sense to give it all up and apply for a job at Walmart.

Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein—Experienced in technical theater, theater management, Ren Faire management, stage combat, acting, singing and photography Ken makes his money as a corporate super hero. No seriously, he's got a super suit and everything… his wife just won't tell him where she hid it.

Rebecca L Kletnieks is your average, garden-variety redheaded fannish veterinarian dancer gamer essayist student of fairy tales and folklore.

Arnis Kletnieks—Physicist, gamer, geek, work at MIT—just another member of the Arisia masses.

Richard Kovalcik

John Kraemer researches the statistical, algebraic, and computational properties of human language as a PhD candidate at MIT. He spends his time trying to do enough work to be successful, get enough exercise to be healthy, and spend enough time with friends to be happy. In the past he has been employed as a high school math teacher, a programmer, and a pizza dude. He sometimes suspects that more people have been to Arisia than he has.

Ellen Kranzer has a science fiction reader for has long as she can remember and a fan ever since she discovered fandom at age 14. Professionally, Ellen works as an IT manager trying to build modern computer applications out of stone knives and bear skins. She is the current treasurer of M.A.S.S. F.I.L.C., a filk club that meets regularly in the "greater Massachusetts" area. When not filking or reading SF, she can be found at SCA events or volunteering with community service organizations.

Alisa Kwitney Sheckley: Alisa Kwitney is a multi-published author of fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels, as well as a former editor at Vertigo/DC Comics. Alisa is also a daughter of the late science fiction writer Robert Sheckley; her fantasy novel, The Better to Hold You, will be published by Ballantine next month under the name Alisa Sheckley.

David Larochelle grew up in the D.C. area but moved up to Cambridge in 2004 where he currently resides. His involvement with fandom began when he joined the William & Mary Science Fiction and Fantasy Club (SKIFFY). He served as Vice President and was named Senator for Life upon gradation. He's an expect in information security and is the coauthor of Splint an Open Source tool for detecting security vulnerabilities in C programs. He currently works for the Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

Toni Lay is a member of the New Jersey-New York Costumers Guild (aka The Sick Pups), and the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), which gives her plenty of opportunity to costume. Toni was Program Director for Costume Con 5, and Historical Masquerade Director for Costume Cons 16 and 22. Her other fannish interests include Star Trek, Stargate, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Britcoms, alternate history novels, Harry Potter, and the Didius Falco and Gordianus mysteries.

Cathy Leamy is a Boston-based cartoonist and the creator of the autobio/humor minicomic Geraniums and Bacon. She is also a member of the comics collective Boston Comics Roundtable and has published work in the group's anthology, Inbound.

Scott Lefton—I've been making art in metal since 1972, and in wood & glass for over 20 years. About 10 years ago I started working in digital photography and Photoshop too. When not doing art, I'm a freelance mechanical engineer / product designer and registered patent agent.

Bill Levay—Electrical Engineer for 21 years and a further 13 years in the games industry as Producer and Executive Producer at The Avalon Hill Game Company and at Hasbro Interactive/Infogrames/Atari (all the same company). At age eleven I was bitten by the Science Fiction bug when I accidentally cast my eyes on "A Princess of Mars" at the school library, and immediately fell in love with John Carter, Dejah Thoris, and Barsoom. I live in Rockport, MA and am married to the incomparable Trish Wilson.

Benjamin M. Levy—New text for my bio.

Timothy Lewis

Tim Lieder is a writer and a small press publisher. He began Dybbuk Press in the summer of 2005 with the horror anthology collection Teddy Bear Cannibal Massacre. Since then he's published BADASS HORROR, The Big Bow Mystery and God Laughs When You Die by Michael Boatman. On the writing front, he's been published in Whispers of Wickedness. His first novel, Dragon Claw Apocalypse, will be published in 2008 by Simian Publishing.

Gordon Linzner is a writer, editor, story-teller and former publisher and editor emeritus of Space and Time Magazine. He's done cameos in a couple of direct-to-video horror flicks, fronts a band called Saboteur Tiger, and spends a great deal of time as a New York City tour guide.

Adam Lipkin has written reviews for a number of publications, including The Green Man Review and Rambles. He wrote the horror column, "Fear Factor," for Bookslut for two years, and is the animation columnist for SMRT-TV.com. He has published hundreds of horror movie reviews at his own blog, yendi.livejournal.com. Adam lives in the suburbs of Boston with his wife, daughter, and three moderately psychotic felines.

Shira Lipkin writes proto-comic Shayara and experimental story system Wind Tunnel Dreams, among other things. Some of those other things can be found in Electric Velocipede, ChiZine, Lone Star Stories, Polu Texni, and Cabinet des Fees. Her blog is read by a disorienting number of people. Interests include raising kids in fandom, cyberfunded creativity, cyberpunk, golden-age SF, neuroscience, & long walks on the beach.She lives in Boston with her husband, daughter, & the requisite Writer's Cats.

Victoria Lisi

Barry Longyear—Author of "Enemy Mine" and gobs of other books (all in print. Check out www.BarryLongyear.net), only author to win Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Award in same year, guru to hundreds of new writers through his Science-Fiction Writer's Workshop-I and online writing seminar, The Write Stuff. In his trail-blazing cutting-edge SF mystery, "Murder In Parliament Street," he became the only author to put an incontinent mountain gorilla in charge of a homicide investigation.

James D. Macdonald

Bruce Mackenzie is a software and aerospace engineer. He has held positions in the National Space Society, AIAA, Mars Foundation, & Mars Society. He is currently working on the Mars Homestead settlement design for the Mars Foundation, and entrepreneurial ventures. Past work included space elevators and use of rotating space tethers to establish industry on the Moon.

Glenn MacWilliams

David J Manch Manch was born in New England and studied biochemistry at the University of New Hampshire. A former police officer, David now teaches paranormal sciences at several locations. Having researched the supernatural since 1990, David joined New England Paranormal in 2005 and rose to the position of Case Manager with the group. He also works with members of TAPS and recently released his first book, "There Are Ghosts In Our World," now available through Trafford Publishing and Amazon Books

Mark A Mandel—I'm a lifelong fan and a fanfather; also a lifelong folkie, and a filker since the early 90s (thanks to Lois Mangan!), with a rap sheet as long as… uh, I was Arisia filkczar or vice czar a lot till I moved to Philly.

Peter Maranci—Founder and editor of the Interregnum RPG APA, RIP. Winner of a few amateur video prizes at Arisia over the years. Publisher of "Pete's RuneQuest & Roleplaying!" (www.runequest.org/rq.htm), one of the oldest RPG sites online. Long-time Arisia panelist. Sold a story to a semi-pro mag long ago, but it folded before publishing it (or paying for it, unfortunately). Now that I know that the booklet folks actually READ these bios, I guess I should have worked harder on this one. Hi, guys!

Brennan Martin

Michael McAfee lives in Massachusetts, and is a major force in the Boston audio theater scene, having produced The Fantastic Fate of Frederick Farnsworth the Fifth, and is involved with the Post Meridian Radio Players and Second Shift podcast. He has also worked professionally in the computer gaming industry, and is an accomplished poet.

Kiralee B McCauley—Long time gamer and fen. Co-organizer of fantasylibrary.com. Editor of Interregnum APA for 2 years. Polyamourous, pagan, bellydancer.

Elizabeth McCoy "Archangel Beth" McCoy is still doing freelance writing and editing for Steve Jackson Games (not all of which is for In Nomine), still living in the Frozen Wastelands of New Hampshire with cats, co-author and spouse Walter Milliken, and daughter, and still performing chainsaw therapy on her grand unpublished trilogy.

John McDaid G. McDaid attended Clarion in 1993, and sold his first short story, the Sturgeon Award-winning "Jigoku no mokushiroku" to Asimov's in 1995. Recent pubs include "The Ashbazu Effect" in the anthology ReVisions, and "Keyboard Practice," which appeared in F&SF. He is an avid localblogger covering Portsmouth, RI—find fiction, mp3s, and more at http://www.torvex.com/jmcdaid.

Gary McGath is active in filk fandom as clerk of MASSFILC and chair of ConCertino 2009. He learned German just so he could go to filk cons in Germany.

Victoria Janssen's erotic novel THE DUCHESS, HER MAID, THE GROOM AND THEIR LOVER will be published by Harlequin Spice in December 2008. Her second novel for Spice, THE MOONLIGHT MISTRESS, is due out December 2009. She's also sold short stories as Elspeth Potter.

Anthony Medeiros

Karen Meng

Katrina Meyer

Erik J Meyer-Curley

Daniel Miller is a local attorney, gamer, comics aficionado, and SF/F fan for whom this is his second Arisia. (But don't hold that against him.) He has been "living this lifestyle" since high school, and lives in Brookline with his wife Meredith and his young daughter, whom he hopes—nay, promises!—to indoctrinate into the worlds of SF/F, comics, D&D, and Magic when she just gets a little older.

Walter Milliken has been playing tabletop RPGs since the original D&D white box set. He is now a playtester and sometimes freelance writer for Steve Jackson Games. His major credits are GURPS Illuminati University and GURPS: In Nomine, both co-authored with his wife, Elizabeth McCoy.

Joshua Mintzer—In the real world, Josh semi-successfully tricks people into paying him for his services as an IT consultant. A life-long SF and video gaming enthusiast (which lead to a brief freelance career as a video game reviewer), his other interests include anime, RPGs, board and card games, tv sci-fi and much more. In his persona of Liften "Noodles" Kherry, he serves as Chief Relaxation Officer for the Barfleet ship UBS Shameless, providing hospitality to all who attend their events.

Mitch Morris is a PhD student at Columbia University studying in the Vision and Graphics lab in the Computer Science Department. He is currently researching automatically adding content tags to videos. His nonacademic pursuits include game design. His card game Ninja Vs Pirates debuted at Arisia '08

Skip Morris

William Mui is long time Doctor Who Fan. He runs events for Wizkidsgames at Pandemonium Books & Games and The Compleat Strategist. He also is a club member of M.I.T. Anime Club. He also writer for Tyro Entertainment and Hobby Magazine(www.tyromag.com).

Heather Munn

The Marvelous MERV got tagged with his nickname in '85 and it has stuck ever since. A common man of good will, Merv entered Fandom through Star Trek in '92, and soon discovered there was more to life than 'Trek. A Chemist by study, training, and occasional work, Merv highly recommends reading most anything by Ball, Friesner, Isaak, Lackey, Moon, Rowling, Sherman, Shwartz, Snicket, and Weiss. Merv has been an enthusiastic Arisia volunteer since '94, and recommends you try it for a few hours per con, too.

Resa Nelson is the author of The Dragonslayer's Sword. The SCI FI Channel's website says, "Resa Nelson is a talented and imaginative writer and The Dragonslayer's Sword is an unconventional fantasy." Her novel is based on two stories, both recommended for the Nebula Award. Her most recent short story is in Sword & Sorceress 23. Nelson is the TV/movie columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine and a regular contributor to SCI FI magazine. Visit her website at http://resanelson.com.

Larry Nelson, LORDLNYC on livejournal, and other sites, is a long time member of the leather/queer/poly communities as well as a long time queer/kinky/poly rights activist. He attended his 1st con (Lunacon) in `84 where he went on to help run gaming from 91–03. In `06 he attended his first Arisia where he put in over 30 hours helping out in the con suite. In `07 he put his long time activism to good use and started doing panels at both Arisia & Lunacon. He lives in Queens NYC.

Shava Nerad's a not atypical fannish polymath. A (paid!) blogger, virtual world entrepreneur, parent, gamer, former tor.eff.org exec dir, and ghod knows what else (ask her!). She may pop up anywhere on the program. Her first Boston con was in 1975, and she's hoping to be back here well into mid-century.

Ben Newman is a singer-songwriter and mad analogist who has been an SF fan all his life, and active in fandom and especially filk since college. He has written more than 150 songs, on a wide variety of topics from his favorite SF books, movies and video games to science, computers, and religion—or any combination thereof. Ben has also run filk programming at a number of conventions.

Alex Newman has been an on-again, off-again participant in Arisia for the past 10 years. He is an active member of the S.C.A., and runs the occasional LARP at Intercon (and elsewhere). Any resemblance to 'Scratch' the producer and M.C. for The Boston Babydolls (www.BostonBabydolls.net) is pure coincidence.

Robert Newton is an award-winning writer and editor of the New England Movies Weekly network of websites. He recently opened the Cape Ann Community Cinema in Gloucester, MA and is a rocket nut who adapted Allen Steele's "Goddard's People" for the screen, and is currently adapting Brendan DuBois's alternate history novel "Resurrection Day." He is also a novelty recording artist whose debut CD, "Monkey Bismuth," won two Just Plain Folks Awards in 2004 (like the Grammys for unsigned acts).

Joe Niedbala is an artist and jack-of-all-trades who currently works for Sands Creative Group/Fenway Printers, a Boston area design and print firm, as head of their large format printing services. Previously, he had a decade-long tenure as the manager of a vintage clothing store, as well as several years providing scenic and prop work to the film, television, and stage industries. His passions include old horror films, classic cocktails, good food, and all styles of music.

Mimi Noyes has been making art, gaming, reading fantasy and sci-fi, and watching movies/TV of the same since a tender and juicy age. She is an artist for her own company, Sun & Moon Murals, and makes distinctive linoblock prints, monster hats, and other art on the side. She is a published author of film and television reviews and works at Scarecrow Video (the coolest video store in the world) and at the Seattle International Film Festival, where she saw, in 2008, 79 films in one month.

David Nurenberg is a freelance writer for White Wolf, high school English teacher, doctoral student, peace activist, and liaison for schools in Japan. Yes, he does this all simultaneously; that explains the twitching. He's GM-ed for 18 years, which explains the worse twitching. He's traveled to 30 countries, which explains how he can twitch in several languages. Do not give him coffee, no matter what he offers you. Do not expose him to direct sunlight. If he persists, contact your physician.

Sarah Sloane is a queer-identified sex / bdsm / polyamory educator & writer from the DC area. Her website, sarahsloane.net, has all the info you'd ever want to know about her!

Andrew Olech

Cassie Olewinski is a Modern Renaissance Woman. She has a love of learning, but really has no particular talent for anything but Massage. This comes in handy because she chose to make it her lifes work. On her off time she is a kink enthusiast. Early in her life Cassie realized that alternative sexuality could offer emotional, spiritual, and psychological support that she wasn't getting from "conventional" sexual relationships. It was also just more fun and fulfilling.

Elizabeth OMalley is an avid and award winning cosplayer, as well as a member of the Northern Lights Chapter of the International Costumers Guild. She most enjoys cosplaying characters from the Final Fantasy video game series. She has been a fan of anime since stumbling across Sailor Moon one Sunday morning over 10 years ago, and to this day Magical Girl remains her favorite anime genre. Today she is also a staff member for Anime Boston and attends several anime conventions every year.

Terri Osborne began her career with forays into the published Star Trek universe. Then it was on to ancient England for a meeting with Boudicca with "Good Queen, Bad Queen, I Queen, You Queen" in the Doctor Who: Short Trips anthology The Quality of Leadership. 2009 looks to see the launch of her Realms Next Door universe, where we visit the Ireland of yesterday, New York of tomorrow and everywhere (and everywhen) in between. Keep up with her at www.terriosborne.com.

Lance C Oszko Oszko:Originator of the Pirate theme for Bucconeer. For a few months was the entire Baltimore 98 Bid Committtee. Now spends his time pillaging the World for genre videos.

Kim Paffenroth is a professor of religious studies at Iona College. He attended St. John's College, Annapolis, MD (BA, 1988), Harvard Divinity School (MTS, 1990), and the University of Notre Dame (PhD, 1995). He has written Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth (Baylor, 2006)—WINNER, 2006 Bram Stoker Award; Dying to Live: A Novel of Life among the Undead (Permuted, 2007); Orpheus and the Pearl (Magus, 2008); and Dying to Live: Life Sentence (Permuted, 2008).

Michael D. Pederson publishes the Nth Degree fanzine. He started out in SF in 1988 when his story, "Dust Storm," won a local writing contest. In the 90s he wrote and published the Raven comic book. In 2001, he was part of the "Best in Class+Master Division" presentation at the WorldCon Masquerade. In 2008 he wrote a chapter on "Writing for Magazines" for Dragon Moon Press' Writing Fantasy: The Quest for Publication. Mike is con chair for RavenCon in Richmond, VA and is co-chairing the Raleigh NASFiC 2010 bid.

Jennifer Pelland is a short fiction writer whose first collection, Unwelcome Bodies, was released by Apex Books in early 2008. It includes her story "Captive Girl," which was a Nebula finalist, and which made the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards short list. When she's not sitting on her butt writing, she's shaking her butt in belly dance classes, with the quasi-hopeless goal of becoming good enough to dance in public before decrepitude settles in. Learn more at www.jenniferpelland.com

Israel Peskowitz—If you can read this, Izzy once again didn't get around to writing his bio.

Benjamin A Pew

Katherine Pfeffer

James Pinkerton

KT Pinto couldn't stand where her family had moved once they left Brooklyn, so she started killing people. Once she ran out of room for the bodies, she decided she had to find another outlet for her frustration. That's when she started writing… For more about KT's life in her own words, go to http://ktpinto.livejournal.com/303483.html or visit her website at www.ktpinto.com. The first two novels in the Books of Insanity series—Celeste and Vanity—are now for sale.

An aspiring writer and avid gamer, Bill Pomeroy has been involved with 15 Lilies, a not for profit charity organization that works to give a more popular view of the gothic and punk communities. Bill currently works as an IT Contractor for a private company and is a member of the IGDA (International Game Developers Association)

Dr. James Prego practices in NY and is a Biology professor at Touro College. He is a guest at numerous conventions where he discusses xenobiology, health in space, life extension, fusions of biology and technology, medicine in sci-fi, and how natural healing fits in a future world. He has also been on fan-related and culture panels. He has given talks, written articles, and spoken on radio shows, discussing numerous health topics. Visit www.doctorprego.com, drprego.blogspot.com for information.

Peter Prellwitz has been writing science fiction since he was a teenager. Now a published author with Double Dragon Publishing, Peter has ten novels in print, has won the 2003 Draco Award for Best Science Fiction for HORIZONS, the 2007 Dream Realms for TWISTED TAILS (anthology contributor), and is a perennial Eppie Finalist.

Barbara M Pugliese

Josh "blee" Rachlin has written and run numerous LARPs. He is one of the co-authors of the award winning games Time Travel Review Board and The F.A.R.M. Presents the Trial of the Big Bad Wolf, to be Immediately Followed by His Execution, in Celebration of Our First Anniversary, among other things. He was the conchair of Intercon H, the 2008 all-LARP con in Chelmsford, MA, and is active in planning this year's Intercon.

Roxanne Reddington-Wilde—I save the world by day and teach at night: I'm a community organizer at Boston's anti-poverty agency and Cambridge College professor. Sometimes I say "this professor brought to you by the letter A." I teach anthropology, archaeology, art history and astronomy—with a Celtic PhD. Between classes, I'm exploring the art of writing through an historical fantasy set at a half real/half imaginary early 16th C. Edinburgh University (my alma mater). Focusing on only one thing at a time is boring!

Maureen Reddington-Wilde

Gyodi Reid

Tom Restivo, "The Little Guy," has been in fandom since 1988, most actively in STARFLEET. His parodies have been published in the fanzine "Power Star." He contributes to various online communities, from snpp.com to planetsocks.com. Tom and his wife, Maggie, are collaborating on an alternate history novel set in Tudor England.

Jonathan Riedel

Margaret Ronald's stories have appeared in such venues as Realms of Fantasy, Strange Horizons, Baen's Universe, and Fantasy Magazine. Her first novel, Spiral Hunt, will be out from Eos Books in late January of 2009.

Vikki Rose graduated with a degree in History, and minors in lots of fun stuff, like literature, religious studies, theater and more. She has been published in small regional magazines, and has been reading sci fi and fantasy since the age of three. Steampunk and Urban Fantasy/Modern Fantasy are her current literary passions.

Ian Cooper Rose—Former VP of engineering for EMusic, Ian Rose was on the front lines of the music copyright disputes earlier this decade. He is the head of facilities for the Society, a BDSM club in Hartford, CT and also is coordinating a team to develop an operational model for collaborative living of complex relationships.

Noel Rosenberg attended his first Con, Noreascon II, at the age of 9 and has never looked back. Proving that he has no real friends, he has been involved in running Cons for almost 20 years, holding positions from Gopher to Chair. In mundane life, Noel is a computer geek and general troublemaker.

A Joseph Ross has been in fandom since the 1960s. In 1964, he founded the University of Massachusetts Science Fiction Society, then later became a member of MITSFS and NESFA, serving as Vice President of NESFA from 1970–72. He edited Volume I of the NESFA Hymnal in the late 1970s. He was Clerk of Arisia, Incorporated from 1990–92 and President from 1992–94. He is a practicing attorney and figures that if he practices long enough, he may get good at it.

Jean Rossner started reading SF upon upgrading from picture books, thanks to an English-teacher father who appreciated genre, and discovered cons in college. She is a perpetual student currently completing a Psy.D. and working as a psychotherapist while retaining what's left of her own sanity by listening to as much folk and filk music as possible.

Caitlin Ruelle

Andy Rumph

Don Sakers was launched the same month as Sputnik One. As a writer and editor, he has explored the thoughts of sapient trees, brought Carmen Miranda's ghost to Space Station Three, and beaten the "Cold Equations" scenario. Visit his website at www.scatteredworlds.com.

Carol Salemi

Lorraine Savage is a writer, book and magazine editor, and fan. She has been a panelist, art show contributor, and costumer at various anime and general conventions. At last count, she has attended 108 conventions since 1985.

Steve Sawicki—Writer, screenwriter, reviewer. Creator of the DamnAliens. Short fiction has appeared in Future Washington, Tansversions, Shadowsword, Absolute Magnitude and ReadMe. Non fiction has appeared in SFRevu, Cinefantastique, SF Chronicle, SF Site, SciFiction. Currently negotiating with Fox to do a reality television show. One screenplay under option.

Douglas Schaub

Micah Schneider holds the distinction of being one of three certified people that simultaneously held incredible cosmic power while living in someone's basement. A pagan for 20 years, Micah was the Co-LC of Western MA Pagan Pride for five years, Hotel Liaison for Pi-Con for two years, a current board member of the Western MA Power Exchange, and an alumni member of the Come Again Players. In his free time, Micah enjoys gaming, geocaching and being polyamorous as often as possible.

Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman is a neuroscientist whom over the last decade has worked on research and educational projects for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA, and the National Institutes of Health. He had a BS in Psychology from Stony Brook University, a PhD in Neuroscience from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and is currently a researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Dave Seeley is a science fiction and fantasy artist living in Boston. He trained in fine art and architecture, and began making commercial images in the mid 90's. You can see his work in SPECTRUM volumes 4–13, Fantasy Art Masters: The Best in Fantasy and SF Art Worldwide, ISBN: 0007137478 and at DaveSeeley.com.

Jude Shabry (aka peacefrog) is a recovering computer geek and wannabe artist taking the real estate world by storm. Over the past fifteen(!) Arisias, she has been a gopher, a vendor, a party host, a demo model, a cacher, a game master, an artist, a techie, a yoga teacher, a panelist, an actor, a climbing guide, and always a geek. For her Sweet Sixteenth this year, she will be reprising at least six of those roles. Count them all and win a prize!

Michael Sharrow is the nom de plume of Persnickety Curmudgeon, a local nuisance involved with fandom lo, these many years. He claims to possess knowledge of comics, sf & fantasy, movies, gaming, pirates, and ephemera, but this has never been proven (in a court of law). An educator, amateur writer, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, his repertoire consists mostly of tunes unctuously borrowed from others, and the words replaced with ones best not mentioned in mixed company.

Nicholas Shectman

Hillary Sherwood is a filker, harper, knitter, and needlepointer. She has been reading Science Fiction and Fantasy for as long as she can remember, and watching it for almost as long. She is currently plotting ways to escape from New Jersey.

Cynthia A Shettle—My current obsessions are Heroes and Kingdom of Loathing. My favorite shows of all time include Angel, Highlander and Misfits of Science. I also roleplay with the Western Avenue Irregulars and do a lot of reading, especially comic books.

Cris Shuldiner

Hildy Silverman is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Space and Time, a four decades old magazine of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. She is also a freelance writer and editor who specializes in the development of corporate online training and marketing materials. She has had numerous nonfiction articles and short fiction pieces published in a variety of outlets. For more information, please visit www.spaceandtimemagazine.com.

Jamila Sisco is an amateur costumer with over 4 years of experience. A member of the Northern Lights International Costumers' Guild, she specializes in costumes from anime, animation, and video games. An enthusiast of costume construction from start to finish, she specialized in the finishing touches of makeup, props, and accessories.

Emily Skrodzki

Rayne Hellion—Mother, teacher, egghead, gamer, Barfleet Captain… is there anything that Rayne CAN'T do? I daresay not! Well, not without potentially pulling a muscle or getting arrested, anyway…

Sarah Smith—I used to have a bio. Now I have a computer and a modem.—I've finished that YA about ghosts and racism, MEMORY HOUSE, set in modern Boston. Now I get to sink the Titanic and explore New York in 1912. Longer-term, planning an excursion to 19C Brazil, with dodos; I like to scheme with Walter Hunt about fictional histories. The play version of CHASING SHAKESPEARES continues to morph. [www.sarahsmith.com; sarahwriter on LJ]

Elayna Jade Smolowitz—At 13, Elayna is the future of fandom. She's a second-generation geek, a writer and artist, and a perpetual daydreamer. Her work has been published in Teen Ink online. Her cat is insane. She writes mostly short stories, but is working on a few longer projects. Give her chocolate, please.

Charles Schneeflock Snow has been drawing and writing comics since he was in 6th grade. He currently works as a graphic designer, and lives in Brighton, MA with his wife. He spends most of his free time playing video games, drinking beer and working his various comics projects, most importantly Sordid City Blues (www.sordidcityblues.com), an online graphic novel about sex, God, and rock & roll. He is also hard at work on a secret science fiction project with 3D artist Erik Haines.

Rachel Sommer

Jacob Sommer

Richard Stallman—Founded the Free Software Movement and launched the development of the GNU operating system (often mistakenly referred to as "Linux").

Lisa J Steele

Lauren Stern—A first year student at Sarah Lawrence college, Lauren runs the college burlesque troupe and is a member of their Rocky Horror shadow cast, the Diabolical Chickens. When she's not rehearsing, Lauren loves vintage dance, costuming, and throwing tea parties.

Erwin S Strauss

Ian Randal Strock is the editor and publisher of SFScope.com, the news of the speculative fiction fields. He's also a freelance writer (bunches of short-short stores in Analog and Nature) and editor. His first book, "The Presidential Book of Lists", was published by Random House's Villard in October. He blogs about the presidents at uspresidents.livejournal.com, and about everything else at ianrandalstrock.livejournal.com.

Karen Sullivan is a pop culture maven who specializes in the study of American iconography, Gothic culture, animation, TV, film, and music and their effect on Science Fiction and Fantasy (and vice-versa). A native of New Jersey, Karen holds a BA in English and a Masters in Education. She works as a pharmaceutical editor by day, and by night as live-in help for three innocuous-looking but iron-pawed felines immersed in plotting world domination and Cat Chow consumption.

Jeremy (Fencer) Sullivan

John Sundman's new illustrated novella, The Pains, is set in a 1984 that is part Orwell's, part Reagan's, and part from a universe John visited once a long time ago after accidentally smoking some opiated hashish (it's a long story). Like his other two books, Acts of the Apostles and Cheap Complex Devices, The Pains is available for free download from wetmachine.com. But we'll all feel better about it if you buy a printed copy.

Sonya Taaffe has a confirmed addiction to myth, folklore, and dead languages. Poems and short stories of hers have been reprinted in The Alchemy of Stars: Rhysling Award Winners Showcase, The Best of Not One of Us, Fantasy: The Best of the Year 2006, Best New Romantic Fantasy, and The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror; her collections Postcards from the Province of Hyphens and Singing Innocence and Experience are available from Prime Books. She keeps a blog at http://sovay.livejournal.com/.

Cecilia Tan is the maven of erotic science fiction. She is the author of Black Feathers (HarperCollins), The Velderet (Circlet Press), and the forthcoming White Flames (Running Press, April 2008). She is the founder and editor of Circlet Press, Cambridge's own independent press dedicated to erotic science fiction and fantasy, for whom she has edited over forty anthologies, the latest one being Best Fantastic Erotica. She is also a nut about Harry Potter and the New York Yankees.

Timothy J Tero—i am a painter, photographer and traveler. love to talk about sci fi film and am especially into all genres of japanese cinema.

Mike Toole is a twelve-year veteran of film and media criticism. He's written for local rags like THE PIT REPORT and LOLLIPOP. He's contributed reviews and features to ANIMERICA magazine, as well as ANIME INSIDER. He's done work on spec for Geneon, creating websites and ad copy for the likes of NieA_7 and Vandread. Currently, he's the anime columnist for SCI-FI Magazine and a regular contributor to OTAKU USA magazine, as well as a producer and onscreen personality for Anime News Network.

Thomas Traina holds a Juris Doctor from Western New England College School of Law. He specialized in what he dubs "geek law": intellectual property, civil liberties, and other assorted areas as they are relevant to the geek subculture. When he's not working or studying, he writes for the blog Heretical Ideas, larps, plays board games, and obsesses over movies.

Bonnie Barlow Turner is a Coverts Cooperator, Tree Steward and social awareness parish coordinator for a church. She has been married to James, whom she met at Arisia1, for 15 years, They have one son. She has worked as a high school biology teacher and in biomedical research.

James Turner is a contributing editor for O'Reilly Media and a correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor. He also writes for ComputerWorld, CIO Magazine, IEEE Spectrum, and is the writing half of the team that does the Watering Hole webcomic. He also works as a senior software engineer in the Boston area, and spent many years in Boston SF Fandom

Catherynne Valente

Eric M Van. Van has been Program Chair or Chair Emeritus for all 19 Readercons; his observations on Philip K. Dick have appeared in the New York Review of Science Fiction. He recently spent four years back at Harvard studying psychology, and has renewed a lifelong interest in theoretical physics (his original major there). He also writes rock and film criticism, online and for local zines. In the real world, he is a statistical consultant for the Boston Red Sox, and lives in Watertown, Mass.

James B Van Bokkelen—High-tech entrepreneur, tinkerer and field hippie, I can frob with the best of 'em…

Mark L Van Name. Van Name is a writer and technologist. He's published over 1,000 computer-related articles and multple SF stories in such venues as The Year's Best SF. ONE JUMP AHEAD, the first Jon & Lobo novel, won the Compton Crook award for the best first SF, fantasy, or horror novel. Publishers' Weekly called SLANTED JACK, the second book, "an undeniable page turner." TRANSHUMAN, an original anthology he co-edited, appeared in 2008. OVERTHROWING HEAVEN, the third Jon & Lobo novel, is due in June.

Mercy E Van Vlack Van Vlack has been a comics pro since 1980, including writing Richie Rich; artist on Green Ghost & Lotus (set in Boston) and Miranda; inker for DC, Malibu, and others; illustrator for numerous fanzines, APAs anthropomorphics and SF cons; and artist of many Celtic Calendars and the Celtic Coloring Book. She also draws for private collections and makes Celtic jewelry.

Patricia Ann Vandenberg

Alicia Verlager—Kestrell received her M.S. in 2006 from the Comparative Media Studies program at MIT. She works as a disability and technology consultant and book reviewer, and discusses these and other subjects—including SF, movies, comics, and horror—at her blog Reading in the Dark http://kestrell.livejournal.com.

Julie Vining

Mark "Justin" Waks is a longtime media fan, with a ridiculously large comic book collection and far too many TV shows. He has been working in online social software for about 15 years, and is now building a company called CommYou, which is building the next generation of conversation technology.

Jeff WarnerWarner was: President Emeritus of the Science Fiction Forum, a co-founder of I-con and Albacon, a guerilla panelist at Noreascon 4, caught in the hot tub at the last Lastcon, inventor of the Pool Panel at Pi-con and the Goth Toss at the Wicked Ren Faire, a published writer, and has done every job from gofer to Con-Comm at SF conventions since 1976. Despite all of this he denies repeated allegations of SMOFdom.

John C Watson—A longtime fan of SF/F, Mr. Watson was infected with the anime and manga bug in the early 1990s, and remains a virulent carrier of all three.

Lawrence Watt-Evans is the author of some three dozen novels and over a hundred short stories, including the Hugo-winning "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers." He has served as president of HWA, and treasurer of SFWA. He was born in Massachusetts, but long ago relocated to Maryland and now returns to the Bay State only to visit family and attend conventions.

Abigail Weiner—A woman of mystery…

Susan Weiner is a Ph.D. candidate in Biology at Tufts University, studying the behavior of social insects (sometimes by chasing wasps around a room and stabbing them). She has also written several LARPs with Alleged Entertainment, including the 10 Bad LARPs series, Last Seder and Fire on High.

Christopher Weuve is a wargame designer and naval analyst. After six years at the Center for Naval Analyses as a wargame designer and naval exercise analyst, he joined the research faculty of the US Naval War College in 2005, where he has focused on using wargaming as a research tool. He moderates several SF and wargaming mailing lists (inc. SFConsim-L, NavWarGames and Exordium-L), and spends his spare time pondering the differences between fictional and Real-World(tm) naval forces and combat.

Alan Wexelblat (drwex) is a polyamorous father of two, writer, and copyfight blogger at http://www.corante.com/copyfight. He writes an infrequent polyamory advice column that can be found on www.polyboston.org. In his spare time he enjoys tormenting gamers and hapless grad students.

Michelle Wexelblat; Mother, Wife, Friend, Social Worker, Poly spokes-person, Writer, Counselor, Mystic, Lady of Perspective, and Comforting One. She has her MSW degree from Boston University School of Social Work, her BA in psychology from Queens College, CUNY, and though has many stories and poems written is as yet unpublished (if you wish to help change that, just ask).

A long-time sexual and civil rights advocate, lawyer Valerie White heads the Sexual Freedom Legal Defense and Education Fund and has lived in a triad for 14 years. Her articles on polyamory and on sex and the law have been published in "Loving More" and "The Humanist" and she is in demand as a workshop presenter. She helped to found UU's for Polyamory Awareness.

Wednesday Burns-White

Nightwing Whitehead started learning about clothing at the knee of her stepmother, eventually earning a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Design at Philadelphia University. She has worked for several theaters, and has her own business designing and creating what she calls costumes for life… suits, evening gowns, and casual wear.

Michael Whitehouse's job is starting things, and on the side he does stuff for money. This is how he ended up owning a game store, chairing a convention, and directing a Rocky Horror cast. Michael considers himself a metageek, not so much a geek about any medium as he is a geek about geeks, studying how they interact and build community, and helping those activities where possible. After a late night gaming binge he woke up find a black ribbon pinned to his chest and suddenly he was Arisia Program DivHead.

Stephen R Wilk—The only sentient being to be given an Arisian Lens and then lose it, Stephen R. Wilk has been forced to earn his keep, ironically, as an Optical Engineer. He nevertheless found time to write "Medusa:Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon" (now finally out in paperback) and regular columns in Optics and Photonics News, MIT's The Spectrograph and, until its demise, the e-zine "Teemings" (under his nom de internet, CalMeacham). He's currently working on the follow-up to Medusa, Sons of God.

Jennifer Williams is a published author of short stories and poetry in various small print magazines. She has also done work for film and television most recently as a production assistant on the film House of Usher starring Beth Grant and released on dvd in November of 2007. She is proud to have been the 2008 Guest of Awesome at 3Pi-Con and thinks you should all go. She shares her home with several cats and more books than she'll ever read.

Trish Wilson/Elizabeth Black Wilson writes with the pseudonym Elizabeth Black. She writes erotica, erotic horror, paranormal erotic romance, and contemporary erotic romance. She is the sex columnist for the British pop culture e-zine nuts4chic. Her erotic fiction and sex articles have appeared in Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Forbidden Publications, Xcite, eXcessica, Sex Kitten, Tit-Elation, Bare Back Magazine, EdenFantasys, Scarlet Magazine (U. K.), For The Girls, and Xodtica. She is married to panelist Bill Levay.

Karl Winkler—A Product Development Engineer by day SF techno geek by night. I run mymadlab Inc. a prop business based on found object all with a Steampunk influence. Costuming—Steam Trek: the first generation Arisia 92. A Date with Destiny (Babylon 5 costume) in 94 HG Wells Adventures in time Noreastcon4, I was a Masquerade judge 06. With my friends from the Deadwood Society we have thrown parties at Arisia. Retro Sci Fi Bash 06 the Tribble Bash a classic trek party 08 and the Wizards Bash 09.

James A. Wolf—Also known as Dungeonmaster Jim on 104.1 WBCN, James Wolf is a local attorney and a long time Boston area fan. He has, in the past, worked as a web page deisgner, journalist, researcher ond concierge. He also has some short stories published and is shopping his first novel. Check out his 'Warp Speed to the Weekend on WBCN.com (keyword: dungeon).

Lisa Wood—I am a mother of three, C.F.O of SolunaNet, stained glass craftsman and a bi/poly/pagan/geek. I currently lived in Western Mass with my partner of almost three years, our business partner and three cats. In recent years I have turned my cat herding experience into helping a talented pool of web developers and boy geniuses help our Web Development company hit the ground running.

Jonathan Woodward is the author or co-author of over a dozen roleplaying game books, including the Hellboy RPG, Trinity, and GURPS Banestorm. He lives near Boston with his wife, Bey Woodward.

Bey Woodward—After six years of Fandom Bey continues to share her experiences and perspectives on Polyamory, BDSM, Home Beautification, Media Fandom and all things Joss. Bey volunteers annually as a Naughty Nurse for the Heinlein Society Blood Drive and is married to gaming book author, Jonathan L. Woodward.

Trisha Wooldridge J. Wooldridge is a freelance writer and editor with experience ranging from Dungeons & Dragons Online to animal rescue public relations. She writes about food, wine, horses, haunted places, teaching and interviews bands like Voltaire and Nightwish. Also, she is an online tutor, course editor & developer. You can find her fiction at www.fantasygazetter.com, and, co-authored with Christy Tohara, in BAD-ASS FAERIES 2: JUST PLAIN BAD. For more info: www.anovelfriend.com

Phoebe Wray is a long-time nonfiction writer who has begun to publish in the specfic field, with stories in Andromeda Spaceways, Farthing, Fables.org, chizine and a novel, JEMMA7729, released by EDGE in March 2008. A horror story is in Backless, Strapless and Slit to the Throat: A Femme Fatale Antholog. She's on the Motherboard of Broad Universe and lives in a small town outside of Boston with three cats.

Tom Wysmuller forecasted weather at Amsterdam's Royal Dutch Weather Bureau after studying meteorology at NYU and Stanford. Selected for a NASA internship, he worked throughout NASA before, during, and after the moon landings. He worked at Pratt and Whitney and held insurance industry executive positions. His Polynomial Regression algorithm is embedded in every high-end Texas Instruments calculator sold today. He lectures worldwide on the SCIENCE needed to understand Global Warming.

Bill Yerazunis—Crash has been a science fiction aficionado for more than four decades, and a research scientist for three. He specializes in generalism; he's worked on everything from jet engines to virtual reality to immunology to AI systems to water pollution detectors to antispam filters. His Kevin Bacon number is 3, and his Erdos number is also 3, he has 30+ patents, and no fashion sense whatsoever. He's been Slashdotted three times and they still can't spell his name rite.

Aimee Yermish (aimee@davincilearning.org) is an educational therapist, providing assessment, remediation, enrichment, and overall strategizing, for children who are gifted, learning disabled, or twice-exceptional. In her former lives, she was a molecular biologist, a schoolteacher, a black belt, and a Master Assassin, and she is working on a future life as a clinical psychologist. She also loves to sing, read, ride her bike, and do a great many crafts, and is busy raising a husband and two lovely children.

Jennifer Yoo is as much a Japanese History buff as she is an anime fan. An anime fan of about 7 years, she is also an award-winning cosplayer and has studied Japanese History, Culture and Japanese Language for 5 years. Currently a student at Wellesley College, Jennifer divides her free time between teaching Japanese Studies classes to teenagers, presenting panels at local conventions, working on cosplay projects with her group, translating Japanese works into English, and writing her novel.

James Zavaglia—I have worked with the media since the age of 15. I currently work at a local university as a media specialist. I have also helped on political campaigns since age 9, and worked on everything from ward councilor to president.

Eric "in the Elevator" Zuckerman Zuckerman is proud to have been the Fan Performer GoH at Arisia 2008. He has been writing, directing, and starring in the acclaimed fannish comedy talk show, "Eric in the Elevator," since BayCon 2001, and hosts screening parties, mostly at Left Coast cons. He also has been known to lead gaming and geocaching events at conventions ranging from the regional level, to WorldCons. If you see him, trade ribbons.