Dave Algase has reported on nearly 400 local businesses since returning to community journalism in 2022 after a hiatus of twenty-eight years. The Kenyon College alumnus is also an independent information professional, a Jeopardy! champion, a devoted dad, and a fan of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Browns.
Gregory Anderson is a writer and marketing and communications professional based in Ann Arbor. He has a background in enterprise journalism and long-form storytelling, with a particular interest in profiles and place-based reporting. His work explores the intersection of art, architecture, and the people who shape the cultural landscape of southeast Michigan. He previously wrote The Big House Diaspora for the Ann Arbor Observer. When he’s not interviewing artists or photographing tile installations, he lives on the west side of Ann Arbor near Michigan Stadium.
Shelley Daily is a freelance writer who’s lived with her family on Ann Arbor’s west side for twenty-five years. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, she’s fallen in love with Ann Arbor and its people, and especially enjoys writing profiles for the Observer. A favorite day for her is a hike at the Arb, a visit to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and a bite to eat in a window seat at Old Town Tavern. You can find her work at writingbyshelley.com and you can reach her at [email protected].
Alex Kourvo is a book editor and writing instructor who co-runs The Emerging Writers Workshop at the Ann Arbor District Library, where she teaches monthly classes for fiction writers. When she’s not reading and writing, she walks dogs, avoids football traffic, and eats key lime pie whenever possible. You can find more about her at AlexKourvo.com
Micheline (Micki) Maynard is a born-and-raised Ann Arborite who has lived in six different parts of town. She remembers buying candy at Drake’s, and one of her first jobs was as a gift wrapper at Jacobson’s. As a grown-up, she’s written six books and reported for publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Fortune. She has two Substack newsletters, CulinaryWoman and Intersection: Everything That Moves. You can also follow her on Threads and Instagram @michelinemaynard and TikTok @CulinaryWoman, or email her at [email protected].
Jan Schlain has been a regular contributor to the Ann Arbor Observer since the early 2000s.
Bree Stilwell grew up in the sister cities of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. After spending fifteen of her post-college years in Chicago, Las Vegas and Northern California, she finally relented and returned to the city that at some point calls us all back… if we ever left.
During that time and since, she’s studied poetry in Prague, worn every possible hat in the Napa Valley wine industry, rehabbed a brewery loft in Detroit’s Eastern Market, and was the project manager for the restoration of The Dixboro Project.
She’s a creative entrepreneurship mentor by day, and the author of Caravan by night—a Substack newsletter about culture, art-making and the evolving human experience. Bree lives with her husband, son, stepsons on the northwest side, and can be found at just about any AADL event, nursing her oat flat while working remotely at Dozer, or enjoying all four glorious seasons on the B2B Trail.
You can read more at breestilwell.com or drop her a line at [email protected].
Michelle Yang is an advocate whose writings on the intersection of Asian American identity, body image, and mental health have been published in NBC News, CNN, InStyle, and Reader’s Digest. Michelle has also been featured on NPR, the Washington Post, and the Seattle Times for her advocacy. Phoenix Girl: How a Fat Asian with Bipolar Found Love, from Fifth Avenue Press, is her debut memoir. When not writing, Michelle loves exploring new parts of her new home state of Michigan with her family and smoking up the kitchen with spicy recipes. You can find her on michelleyangwriter.com or on Instagram @michelleyangwriter.