Indiana Authors to Add to Your 2023 Reading List
Reading more is a great New Year’s Resolution, so if that was yours, get these ladies on your list ASAP!
callista buchen
An assistant professor at Franklin College, Callista is a poet by trade and heart. With three published books of poetry and several works in published journals, she explores and analyzes a woman’s relationship with her body and emotions, child loss and self-alienation at the intersection of motherhood and mortality. Called surreal and grotesque, her work illustrates the beauty vs burn dichotomy of womanhood and motherhood.
mira cassidy
After spending 18 years in an abusive-in-every-way relationship, Mira, through “faith, resilience, hard work and her ability to rediscover self-worth, was able to break free and reclaim her identity.” She was a contributor to the “Bruised but not Broken” collection, has two published books and created a self-help journal designed to break toxic cycles. She also organizes empowerment retreats, advocating for survivors of domestic abuse and their supporters.
lisa fipps
Author of the award-winning Starfish, the story of a girl bullied about her weight since age 5, who then finds solace in her swimming pool, Lisa implements visits and events with schools and libraries regarding Starfish, bullying, the writing process and navigating the publishing world, and is deliberately flexible to meet the needs of each student group or community.
joy fitzgerald
This inspirational speaker, life coach, diversity leader and writer has presented speeches and workshops in more than 20 countries and five continents and serves on the board for several women’s and diversity organizations. She has written self-help guides and a book, a journal, two communication-boosting card games, and has a new book set to release in March 2023. “I encourage you today to be bold… Stop waiting on time and stop being afraid. Your dreams are worth it. The world is depending on you to dream big!”
ashley c. ford
Listed as one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30 in Media” in 2017, Ashley has written for numerous big-time publications and has hosted podcasts and Audible’s literary interview series. In 2021, she released her first full-length book, Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir, a New York Times bestseller. She has taught at The New School in Manhattan, Ball State University, and will be teaching a Creative Nonfiction Workshop at Butler University in Spring 2023.
angela jackson-brown
This award-winning poet, writer, playwright, instructor and professor has published three novels and one book of poetry, dealing with themes of racial injustices and crossroads, Southern life, trust, betrayal, steadfastness and conviction. She joined Indiana University as an Associate Professor in Fall of 2022. “Telling my story through poetry gives me a freedom to get close to parts of my life without having to dwell in those moments for extended periods of time.”
leah johnson
“How can I begin to write over all of the stories that told me I didn’t deserve to take up space?” With her award-winning children’s and Young Adult work, that’s how. You Should See Me in A Crown was named one of TIME’s “100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time,” and her book Ellie Engle Saves Herself was recently negotiated with Disney/Hyperion for a May 2023 release!
nancy chen long
Nancy holds an MBA, a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering Technology and an MFA in Creative Writing, and each of them influence each other as she writes her surreal memory-and-mind-based poetry. “I like to linger at the intersections of math, science, religion and art… [they] play off one another like steel balls in the pinball machine of my brain.” She has published three poetry books, alongside numerous journals, anthologies and online works.
susan neville
Award-winning author of six works of creative nonfiction, essays and collections of short and hybrid-fiction, Susan has focused on topics such as the drug-fueled opioid pandemic in parts of Indiana, economic and social changes, consumerism and manufacturing, and taking on the responsibility of a Klanswoman ancestor, asking, “What does this mean for me and who I am” as a white member of our current world.
tamara winfrey-harris
As a writer and public speaker, Tamara likes to focus on the intersection of current events, politics and pop culture with race and gender. “I want to tell the stories of Black women and girls… I want to advocate for my sisters.” She has been published in tons of Black-centric journals and anthologies with the New York Times, The Atlantic and LA Times and has two published books. The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America has been optioned to be converted into a TV dramedy! She is also a co-founder of Centering Sisters LLC, an organization that addresses the needs and issues of Black women and girls, and the Black Women’s Writing Society, a monthly virtual space for Black femme creatives.
Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for animal rescue and conservation, civil and societal issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, film studies, and handmade art.