Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr., Mark Turcotte, & Mathilda Zeller

Theodore C. Van Alst Jr (enrolled member, Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians) is the co-editor of best-selling Never Whistle at Night. He is Professor and Chair of Indigenous Nations Studies and Director of the School of Gender Race and Nations at Portland State University.

Mark Turcotte (Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe) was named the 6th Illinois Poet Laureate in spring 2025.

Mathilda Zeller writes horror and fantasy. She is of Inuit descent and her family and roots extend deep into the Kobuk River Valley, which inspires and informs her writing. Mathilda Zeller is a pen name, honoring two of her resilient great-grandmothers.