Dave Algase
Marketplace Changes writer
Dave Algase has reported on more than 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.
Ally Choi
Writer
Ally Choi grew up in San Francisco, but now calls Ann Arbor her second home. Korean-American identity, art, pop culture, family, faith, and grief are recurring threads in her writing. She is a recipient of a Hopwood and the U-M Residential College’s Emerging Writers Award. When she’s not writing for the Observer, you can find her making cheese, wading through the cascades, or supporting young writers throughout 826michigan’s Yspilanti and Ann Arbor programs. You can also find her work on Best of Korea and reach her on LinkedIn!
Annie Comperchio
Photographer
Annie Comperchio is an artist and photographer who lives in Leelanau County and coaches seasonally for Ann Arbor Rowing Club. Annie has been working as a photographer for 20 years, specializing in portraiture. She formerly put down roots in the agricultural side of food systems in Leelanau, growing produce for local chefs. During the summer months, you’ll find her on the Huron River alongside rowers. You can see her work at anniecomperchio.com or on Instagram @a.comperchio
Shelley Daily
Writer
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].
Cam Finch
Copy Editor
Cam Finch is the founder of PoetTreeTown, a community poetry-in-public project in Washtenaw County. They are a manuscript editor, as well as a poet and prose writer, with a focus on ecology, queerness, the body, illness, language, liberation, as well as the surreal, the grotesque, and the liminal. Cam’s writing aligns with their dedication to community building, collective care, and mutual aid. Teaching generative and free writing workshops in community spaces is a way for them to share their passion for writing, learning, and art-making with others. They crave collaboration and gatherings of people for a more just and liberated world; it’s what fuels Cam daily. Visit Cam’s website at ccfinch.com or follow PoetTreeTown on Instagram at @PoetTreeTown_A2.
Jay Forstner
Fake Ad Czar
Jay Forstner created The Fake Ad more than thirty years ago while he was a staff writer at the Observer. He is the author of The Fake Ad Book and the upcoming children’s picture book, Jimmy Gerken: A Friend to All. He has a brilliant wife and three extraordinary grown children, but his proudest moment was the day he fixed a microwave oven.
Steve Friess
a2view Editor
Steve Friess is a veteran freelance journalist whose work appears regularly in The New York Times, Time, and many others (including the Observer). Friess was a 2011–12 Knight-Wallace fellow at the University of Michigan.
Alex Kourvo
Writer
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
Anita LeBlanc
Writer and Copy Editor
Anita LeBlanc is a longtime contributor to the Ann Arbor Observer, City Guide, and Community Guide. She has a unique ability to connect with people, which enhances the focus on the features, profiles, and community-oriented articles she writes. She has also worked for several decades as a self-employed copywriter, editor, and proofreader for local colleges, nonprofits, health care organizations, and authors.
Davi Napoleon
Writer
Davi Napoleon is a theater historian and freelance writer. Although she specializes in the arts, she has written about a variety of subjects for local and national magazines and loves diving in and learning new things. She grew up in New York City and came to Ann Arbor to study at U-M. After doing her doctorate at NYU, she returned to the town she missed. She’s lived here for over 45 years and has contributed to the Observer for almost that long. You can read more about her here.
Emily Pinsuwan
Assistant Calendar Editor
An Ann Arbor native, Emily Landau spent many years at a New England boarding school teaching Latin and Greek. Covid brought her back to her hometown, where she is now works at the Observer compiling events, assisting with layout, and writing the occasional article. Alongside her husband, she divides her time between the Lake Huron community of Au Gres and the west side of Ann Arbor. She enjoys cult movies, video games, prehistory, and taking extremely long walks to nowhere in particular.
Patti Smith
Writer
Patti Smith is a long-time Ann Arborite, once described as the city’s biggest fan. Patti is a former legal aid lawyer turned special education teacher. She is a storyteller and public speaker who has written four traditionally published history books about Ann Arbor. She lives in a condo with her husband, Ken Anderson, and their dog, Pugsley.
John Tebeau
Minor Landmarks artist
John Tebeau started drawing as a kid in Muskegon and hasn’t stopped yet. Heavily influenced by Mad magazine, Wacky Packs, and R. Crumb, he copublished an alt-comics monthly paper in Chicago, designed and printed thousands of T-shirts in an old factory, and showed his original art and prints in Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and New York. He wrote and illustrated the book Bars, Taverns, and Dives New Yorkers Love (Rizzoli), and after 20 years in NYC, he now lives the good life in Ann Arbor with his wife, The Lovely Colleen. See more of his work at tebeau.com, follow him on socials @johntebeau, or drop him a line at [email protected].
Michelle Yang
Writer
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.