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Aidan Baker has, for better or worse, lived in the Lower Columbia region for the entirety of his twenty-three years. Writing is his constant companion in life, fed by his love for thrifting and collecting books (often in the company of his sister). It is his dearest hope and goal to become a published novelist in time, as there are many stories he wants to tell.
Jaimie Barchus, born in Nevada in 1984, developed a passion for art and wildlife at a very young age. Growing up in an artistically creative family, her inspiration was never lacking. As a self-taught artist, she takes pride in her work and the accomplishments she has achieved over the years. Art is her way of communicating the beauty she sees in this world. She finds inspiration all around her, whether it be a quick drive to work or a long walk on her 5 acres. She feels truly amazed by the intricacies of the world we live in.
Danielle Baxter has lived in Kelso their entire life, right on the Coweeman. They and their husband have a passion for education and are deeply committed to serving their community.
Shana Boling is a second year student at LCC. She has lived in the hills around Kalama all her life.
Mindy Boucher and her husband, John, have lived in Longview for over thirty years, and she has been employed by Lower Columbia College for sixteen years. She is currently an instructor in the Career Education Options program. Her interests include birdwatching, reading, gardening, and digital painting. Please visit her gallery at https://mindyboucher3.wixsite.com/mysite.
Carolyn Caines, a retired local teacher, has published short stories, a novel, a family history, and six books of poetry, as well as a couple hundred poems in magazines and journals. Over 20 years, she has written more than 5,000 poems for her weekly poetry e-mailing. You can receive it by requesting "Poems For You" at [email protected].
Anne-Marie Carr is an artist, teacher, learner and now mother, originally from Scotland. She feels lucky to live in such a beautiful place as the Pacific Northwest. In her art, she is able to dive into sunny places, capture the essence of a person or paint beautiful memories; reliving them with every brush stroke. Through her own past experiences and those surely to come, her art speaks of resilience and determination and she hopes it can offer temporary respite in the midst of inevitable setbacks.
Rachel Chanthavisay has lived on three continents and in more than a dozen countries, but always gravitates back to her native Pacific NW. An artist, writer, and educator, she credits Ray Cooper and LCC for inspiring her pursuit of the arts as a career.
Ray Cooper resides in the hills outside of Kelso. He is an Art Department faculty member at Lower Columbia College.
Nell L Coulson was born in Longview. After graduating from Lower Columbia College, she attended Portland State University. She is one of the founding members of the co- operative, non-profit, Tsuga Gallery in Cathlamet, WA and has been a board member since 2011. She has lived in Cathlamet, WA with her husband since 1987. Nell has 5 grown children and numerous grandchildren, most of which live in the Lower Columbia area.
Joy Lorraine Cowan is a student of LCC who hopes to take more classes. She currently lives in Vancouver. She has lived in Washington state since she was 13.
Mikayla Davies grew up in the northwest and has lived here her whole life with all of her extended family. She is a former student of Lower Columbia College.
Cait Earnest is a writer, advocate, and attorney. She grew up in Longview and left the area for college and law school, but eventually returned to plant her roots back home.
Jennifer Engkraf is a native of Castle Rock, WA, where she returned 5 years ago to open a bookstore and coffee shop. Her family has been in the Lower Columbia area, primarily Castle Rock, since the 1940's and she is proud to raise her children here. When she’s had too much coffee and her mind and hands need an outlet, she turns to photography or collage art.
Addie Enyeart moved to the Castle Rock area about a year ago with her seven siblings. She is a first time contributor to The Salal Review.
Hayden Giles has been living in the Lower Columbia region since he was two years old. Since it’s where he has grown up, there are many environmental influences deep into his creation process.
Michael Gray is an alumni of The Salal Review.
Joseph Green’s most recent poetry collection is What Water Does at a Time Like This (MoonPath Press, 2015). He retired from teaching at LCC in 2010.
Trinity Harrison is a Running Start student at Lower Columbia College. She is a first time contributor to The Salal Review.
Lori Holliday has been a Kelso resident for 20 plus years. She appreciates the diversity of nature in this area. Mountains, forests, rivers and the ocean are all so close by. Nature is a constant source of inspiration for her silk art.
Marc Imlay is a retired chiropractor, acupuncturist, and meditation instructor. He has led nature oriented interpretive walks for the past 25 years at Soos Creek Park in Kent, WA. Marc Imlay has written poetry since high school, in spurts with decades between. He recently self published his first poetry book, Pilgrimages To A Bullfrog Buddha at Amazon Kindle. He has been a dancer for the past 22 years and taught dance with his wife for 10 years. Marc and his wife are also musicians. He plays bass and she plays guitar. He has lived on Coal Creek Road, Longview, for the past 6 years.
Rhoda Karr has lived and worked in Cowlitz County for the last nine years. Although every March she’s just about ready to move back to the desert, that first spring sun bursts through, revealing the winter shadows and the symphony of riding lawn mowers piercing the early morning, and she revels in the beauty that is the Great Northwest.
Michiru Kaneki attended college at Lower Columbia College and got her degree there before moving onto a four year college. She really enjoyed her years spent at LCC and is so grateful to have had such a great community to support her through the first years of earning her Bachelor’s degree.
R E Larson grew up in the Lower Columbia region. After graduating from LCC in 2005, he continued to pursue his education elsewhere. R E Larson is now a professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, but he will always remember the mists coming through the evergreens.
Julia Mitchell attended LCC as a student for two years and received her Associates of Art. She was an editor for The Salal Review both years at the school and fell in love with the artistic expression that creators were able to find within the magazine.
Chalayn Noelle Nagunst is a wife, artist, and sometimes teacher. Some of her favorite things are procrastination, trees, and animals (especially dogs). She values exercise so she can do more things outside, but is also very skilled at being indoorsy. Please come say "hello" over at www.chalayn.com, @chalayn on Instagram, and Chalayn Noelle on Facebook.
Emery Pederson has lived in the Lower Columbia Region for almost 21 years. This is her second year attending Lower Columbia College. Throughout the past couple of years, she has found this region to be rich with artistic inspiration and talent which has inspired her to create the pieces she has today.
Robert Michael Pyle has been the denizen of an old Swedish farmhouse on a tributary of the Lower Columbia for 42 years. There he writes essay, poetry, and fiction, and studies the plants and animals. The latest of his 25 books are The Tidewater Reach from Columbia River Reader Press, and Nature Matrix, one of five finalists for the PEN AMERICA Award for the Art of the Essay.
Hannah Rose is a freelance illustrator/painter nestled in the woods of Castle Rock, WA. They graduated from Lower Columbia College in 2016 before continuing their education at Western Washington University, where they earned their BA in studio art with a concentration in mixed media. Hannah Rose loves creating powerful images that make the viewer linger— visions of emotions and memories made tangible on the paper.
Florence Sage is an Astoria poet, retired from social sciences faculty at Clatsop CC. Her two poetry books are Nevertheless: Poems from the Gray Area (2014), and The Man Who Whistled, the Woman Who Wished: a Polish-Canadian Story, launched in Astoria in December with HIPFiSH Publications. A third book is due out in late 2021: What to Do With Night. She reads at Ric’s Poetry Mic in Astoria and submits to Salal and Rain magazines.
Spring is a painter who lives and works in Cowlitz County. A native Washingtonian, their paintings in watercolor, acrylic, and oil pay homage to the Pacific Northwest. They sum up their loose style - “I’m shooting for realism... I just have rain in my eyes.” Follow Spring on Instagram @springjamesart.
Ethan Tamlin-Marsyla is a first-year student at Lower Columbia College. He lives in Rainier, Oregon.
Christopher Tower can only write when plugged in to high voltage and after shedding the outer layer of the false self. He lives in Woodland with two dogs and his partner, all of whom awe him daily. He likes pie, Ultimate, and a Batman comic book that can punch him in the gut.
Alkaid Tsuki is a former student of Lower Columbia College. Her work has also been published in past volumes of The Salal Review.
Daniel Westlind was born in Astoria, Oregon. He grew up in Clatskanie, OR. Daniel Westlind got married in 1974 and moved to Cathlamet, WA where he has lived since. He does steampunk, industrial recycled art, metal art, and found object art. He is the current president of Tsuga Art Gallery in Cathlamet, WA.
Sidni L. Willet is a student at Lower Columbia College and is in the process of obtaining her degree in education. She aspires to teach art at the middle school level after completing her degree.