Upper Valley Life is fortunate to work with some really talented people. You read their words on the pages of every issue; now you can learn about the people behind the words. Here are profiles of a few of our writers.
Sarah D. Copps
Writer
Born: Philadelphia
Lived: Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York City and currently in Windsor, Vt
Traveled: Western Europe, Russia, Japan, Africa, about 40 states in
continental U.S.
On the afternoon of the first full day of my first visit to Vermont,
I started looking for real estate. That was seventeen years ago. I
was living in New York at the time but was swiftly being priced out
of the market. Something about Vermont was so alluring. It wasn't so
much a majestic beauty as an accessible one. It didn't take my breath
away; it restored it. And this was during mud season! Before long, we
found a tiny vacation house in a town of 600 and, after a year of
visiting, we moved permanently. Work brought us to the Upper Valley
where my husband and I have lived for eight years. I love the fact
that I can nap in my car and feel safe.
Chris Demarest
Illustrator/Artist/Writer
Born: Hartford, Conn.
Resides: Meriden, N.H.
Lived in the Upper Valley: 16 years
In the time I've lived in the Upper Valley, both sides of the river, I've enjoyed the pace of life and all that it offers. Watching my son grow up with opportunities I never had, reminds me how rich and abundant life in this area is. For me, personally, nothing created more of a sense of community than joining an all-volunteer fire department. Some riches and rewards are intangible and invaluable.
Lisa Densmore
Writer/Photographer
Born: Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Residences: Stratton Mountain, Vt.; New York, N.Y.; currently in Hanover, N.H.
Travels: North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, New Zealand
Lived in the Upper Valley: 19 years
I first came to the Upper Valley as a Dartmouth student (Class of 1983). An avid skier, I spent six years competing on the Women’s Pro Tour while working in New York in advertising. I happily returned to the Upper Valley when I married my husband, also a Dartmouth grad and a native of Lebanon, N.H. My career as a professional athlete led to a second career in journalism, first with ESPN as a commentator, then with many other networks. The only prerequisite for my various assignments was the ability to live in Hanover. Today, I stay closer to home as field producer and co-host of Wildlife Journal on NH PTV and as a freelance writer and photographer. I treasure the fact that I can hike, bike, ski, fish and paddle right outside my door. The Upper Valley is nirvana for an outdoor adventurer like me.
Elizabeth Ferry
Writer/Photographer
Born: Hanover, N.H.
Residences: Vermont; Paris; Massachusetts
Living in the Upper Valley: Since 1994
I grew up in Montpelier, Vt., in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of my earliest memories are of visiting neighbors with my mother. I developed a love of small farms and respect for people who understand animals, weather, and nature’s cycles as a child. I also remember having time to know one’s neighbors their strengths, their quirks, their needs. These impressions, and a desire for daily quiet and beauty, brought me to the Upper Valley. My academic studies, philosophy at the University of Vermont and theology at Harvard Divinity School, also inform my work.
Kris Garnjost
Writer
Born: Buffalo, N.Y.
Residences: Falls Church, VA; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Vt.; Mississippi and
Ohio Rivers; Burlington, Vt.; Griffins Mills, N.Y.; currently reside in Windsor, Vt.
Travels: 37 states; 3 Canadian provinces; Cozumel Mexico; the Algarve region of Portugal.
Lived in the Upper Valley: 9 years
An old steamboat captain once said to me, “Son, if your work’s your pleasure, you got nothing to worry about.” So I’ve been doing research for the Great American Novel (that I’ve never written) since I graduated from the University of Vermont almost 28 years ago. In that process, I’ve been a construction worker, waiter, bookstore manager, graduate student, teacher, ski bum, but always a writer. I’ve kept journals and wrote bad poetry while hiking the Appalachian Trail and while working on the old-time Mississippi steamboat Delta Queen, and I’ve written feature stories for newspapers and information brochures for the government. Luckily, during my research, I met a wonderful woman, who gave me a really good reason to write something practical (she wasn’t about to marry a starving artist). After living in the Washington, D.C., area for 6 years, I came back to Vermont 9 years ago to be a stay-at-home dad and a writer-for-hire. What better place to raise kids and play with words than here in the Upper Valley.
Kim J. Gifford
Writer
Born: Oceanside, N.Y.
Residences: Long Island, N.Y.; Richmond, Vt.; Middlebury, Vt.; currently reside in Bethel, Vt.
Travels: Road trips throughout the U.S., the most memorable was a 10-day camping trip out West in 2001
Lived in the Upper Valley: 25 years
The Upper Valley is home! Even when I went away to college I couldn’t stray too far, only going over the mountain to Middlebury. As a freelance writer and memoir writing instructor at Lebanon College, I have had the opportunity to discover the wonderful stories of this region and the creative, often independent, and absolutely never dull people who live here and, like me, couldn’t think of calling any other place home.
Sonja Hakala
Writer
Born: Holden, Mass.
Residence: West Hartford, Vt.
Travels: In her kayak whenever possible
Years in UV: 20
Sonja Hakala has been a professional writer and editor for 20 years. Her career includes work in newspapers, magazines and book publishing. In addition to writing for such publications at the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, Vermont Magazine, Upper Valley Life and the Old Farmer’s Almanac, she is the editor of a book of personal stories about quilts and quilting called Patchwork Prose which will be published by St. Martin's Press early in 2007. Sonja has also helped a wide variety of authors publish their own books, from academic anthologies to memoirs to works by professionals in a wide range of disciplines. She has taught the elements of writing and publishing to students through a number of conferences as well as through the New Hampshire Writers Project and the Institute for Lifelong Education at Dartmouth. Her workbook for writers, The Simple Line and the Significant Detail, will be published by Full Circle Stories in the summer of 2006. You can reach Sonja by email at: hakala@sover.net
Ruth Hall
Writer
Born: Bellows Falls, Vt.
Residences: All over Vermont; Boston, Mass.; currently reside in Norwich, Vt.
Travels: Greece; Korea; Hong Kong; Taiwan; Caribbean; Jamaica; Puerto Rico; Bahamas; multiple U.S. crossings
Lived in Upper Valley: 32 years
I grew up a stone’s throw from the Upper Valley in Saxtons River, Vt. At the age of 16, I bolted from the family farm to attend schools in Boston. Traveling around to find myself in my 20s, I returned to slake my thirst for rural Vermont in 1973. I haven’t left since. My husband and I spent years as innkeepers near Killington and then moved off the mountain to raise our kids. The Upper Valley is the quintessential mecca of upbeat rural life. I found the opportunity to follow diverse job interests, some successful and a few not. I am most proud of my rural roots, strong family ties and interesting friends. There is no better place in the world to work on your personal development. Currently, I teach and work on my writing.
Mary Holland
Writer/Photographer
Born: Springfield, Mass.
Residences: Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont. Most recently, Hartland, Vt.
Travels: My own backyard
Lived in the Upper Valley: 14 years
My first association with Vermont was as a young camper at a camp in Craftsbury Common. I returned in the mid-1970s to direct the ELF program for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, having worked for Mass. Audubon and other environmental organizations prior to that time. After a decade or so at VINS we moved repeatedly and during that time I taught natural history at a private school and designed my own hands-on programs for pre-school and K-3 called "Knee-high Nature Programs" which I gave to children in Vermont, Texas and Connecticut. After establishing and running a pet-sitting business for eight years in Connecticut and Massachusetts, I returned to Vermont and my passion for natural history. I currently write a natural history column for the Valley News, articles for Upper Valley Life, photograph nature for my natural history writing and greeting card business and just had my first children's book, Milkweed Visitors, published. I have enjoyed spending time with the subjects of my "neighbor" UVL articles and teaching natural history through the written word.
KM Hurley
Writer
Born: New London, N.H.
Residences: London, England; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; Seattle, Wash.; San Francisco, Calif.; Auckland, New Zealand; currently residing in Wilmot, N.H.
Travels: North, south, east, west U.S.; Western Europe; Asia; South Pacific; Central America
Lived in Central New Hampshire/Upper Valley: 20 years
Born and raised in New London, attended college in Old London then took the long way home. Longest layover was in San Francisco — 10 years — right in the city, nestled between the software industry and writing. Ventured back east in 2003. Currently residing a bionic stone-throw from the very hospital where the journey began, some time ago, back when bionic meant something. When neighbors wouldn’t speak for weeks over some small infraction, usually involving a dog. Or when they wouldn’t stop speaking over an incident of similar size. Ah, but time snowboards on. Overall, the area feels a little brisker, has a few new pitches to throw and offers a little more love to her neighbor. And maybe, probably, that says as much about the writer as the ride.
Madeleine Johnson
Writer
Born: Rockford, IL
Travels: All the continents except Antarctica
I have lived in Italy for almost two decades, but when I looked for a
place where my two children could enjoy a real American summer
canoes, waterskiing, s'mores, skunks and all - I came to Lake
Mascoma. After several years of renting, I purchased a lovely spot on
the lake. We spend not only our summer, but also our Christmas
holiday there, too. We like the combination of outdoor and cultural
life in the Upper Valley and are excited by the growth and change of
Enfield. In Italy I write for The American, an English-language
monthly published in Rome, where I have a
monthly column on Milan life. Trained as an art-historian, I also
write for the Fodor's guide of Milan as well as for other publications.
Karen Kaliski
Writer
Born: Albany, N.Y.
Residences: Suburban Albany, northern New Jersey, East Thetford, Vt.
Travels: Europe, Kenya, Fiji, lots of Caribbean Islands and about 35 U.S. states
Lived in the Upper Valley: 16 years
I grew up in Albany, but spent many weekends driving aimlessly around northern New England with my parents. They’d drive and ogle the mountains while my brother and I played protracted games of “Alphabet” on the heavily wooded, signless byways. Short stints in large cities gave me the bug for an easy commute, great scenery, and fewer events that required pantyhose. I remembered my backseat views of smaller, quieter towns and headed northeast. Now I have my own freelance marketing/writing business headquartered in East Thetford — short walk from the bedroom, interesting clients (some in big cities), amazing view north to Moosilauke, wear muck boots most days.
Kirk Kardashian
Writer
Born: New York City
Resides: Woodstock, Vt
Lived in the Upper Valley: 6 years
As a lover of the outdoors and outdoor sports, I came to the Upper Valley to find a balance between work and play. I found that balance, in addition to a fascinating culture and way of life that I could get used to. I also found my wife, a native Vermonter who's not afraid to call me a flatlander. I graduated from Vermont Law School in 2004 and had the good fortune of finding a job in Woodstock, which I now call home. When I'm not at my desk writing or at my law office, I'm on my bikes or skis, or running through the hills with our Australian Shepherd, Cassie. I write regularly for Seven Days, an alternative newsweekly based in Burlington, Vt. Most of my journalism, along with other information and photos, is available at my web site: http://web.mac.com/kirkkardashian
Deborah McKew
Writer
Born: Long Island, N.Y.
Residence: Sunapee, N.H.
Travels: 26 states in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden and not enough tropical islands
New England has been home to me since my first day at Mount Holyoke College in central Massachusetts. I fell in love with the crisp autumns and snowy winters. My double major in English and biology led me on a long and winding path to becoming a science writer. It became official when I graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication with a master’s degree in Science Journalism. The one thing I love more than writing is inspiring others to write. In 2004, I earned New Hampshire certification in high school English from the Upper Valley Teacher Institute. I then converted an antique A-Frame cottage into a creative haven (www.wordsinplay.net) where I now hold writing workshops for teens and adults. In the fall, I teach writing composition to freshmen at Colby-Sawyer College.
Mary Quinton-Barry
Writer
Born: Omaha, NE
Residences: New York City; South Salem, N.Y.; Cambridge, Mass.; Paris, France; Geneva, Switzerland; currently reside in Hanover, N.H.
Travels: Almost every country in western Europe, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Japan
Lived in the Upper Valley: 17 years
I’ve loved every place I’ve ever lived, but have to admit that the Upper Valley is incredibly special. I love the fact that I can leave home on my bike and ride through miles of majestic and unspoiled countryside during the day, and then attend a concert of world class musicians at the Hop or the Lebanon Opera House in the evening. The schools are great, the cultural opportunities are amazing and the best of nature surrounds us.
Allison E. Rogers Furbish
Writer
Born: Lebanon, N.H.
Residence: Canaan, N.H.
Travels: Every state on the East Coast, plus nearly 20 of the United States since 2005
Lived in the Upper Valley: 25 years (minus parts of 4 years for college)
I was born and raised in Lebanon, leaving the Upper Valley only for a brief time to attend College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. Though I loved the community and environment up there on the Maine coast and was excited by the prospect of opportunities waiting for me wherever I wanted to roam, my heart brought me back to the
Upper Valley - my old stomping grounds, and the place where almost all of my enormous family lives. I have since married and bought a log cabin in Canaan, where I intend to raise the next generation of the family tree's Upper Valley branch. Aside from writing Quick Looks for Upper Valley Life, I earn my bread and butter, so to speak, at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, and I spend a great deal of time volunteering for 10 Bricks and the Windsor County Juvenile Restorative Panel.
As a kid growing up here in the Upper Valley, I took for granted the wonderful community we live in. From cultural events to unique businesses, many and varied nonprofit organizations to well-known personalities, the Upper Valley is full of things that make life here special - and I'm glad Upper Valley Life is here to remind us of that!
Janet Schoeler
Writer/Photographer
Born: New York
Residences: Garden City, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.; Westwood, Mass.; Sheldonville, Mass; currently reside in Cornish, N.H.
Travels: England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Colombia
Lived in the Upper Valley: 5 years
I had ventured to the Upper Valley yearly for more than 15 years to compete my horses.
Throughout several years of traveling, it occurred to me one day while climbing steep, rolling hills in an orange orchard in Spain that the place I needed to be the most is the Upper Valley. Was it the water? Perhaps the Connecticut River is one of the major magnets on my list. But more likely it’s the people — the independent thinkers who have chosen a lifestyle ingrained in the Upper Valley, and in a place where Mother Nature went artistic.
Janet Schoeler
Writer/Photographer
Born: New York
Residences: Garden City, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.; Westwood, Mass.; Sheldonville, Mass; currently reside in Cornish, N.H.
Travels: England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Colombia
Lived in the Upper Valley: 5 years
I had ventured to the Upper Valley yearly for more than 15 years to compete my horses.
Throughout several years of traveling, it occurred to me one day while climbing steep, rolling hills in an orange orchard in Spain that the place I needed to be the most is the Upper Valley. Was it the water? Perhaps the Connecticut River is one of the major magnets on my list. But more likely it’s the people — the independent thinkers who have chosen a lifestyle ingrained in the Upper Valley, and in a place where Mother Nature went artistic.
Roger P. Smith
Writer
Born: Hokuchin, Korea
Residence: Currently reside in Hanover, N.H.
Travels: Three years at Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany, courtesy of the United States Army Medical Service Corps
Lived in the Upper Valley: 46 years
Retired Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dartmouth Medical School. Still teach medical students and lead ILEAD courses. Also writes for Dartmouth Medicine and DMS News and Notes.
Wouldn’t leave the Upper Valley for a million dollars — but don’t go any higher!
Diane Taylor
Writer
Born: Lebanon, N.H.
Residences: Hanover, N.H.; Lebanon, N.H.; Meriden, N.H.; Dallas, Texas;
Grantham, N.H.; currently reside in Lebanon, N.H.
Travels: New Orleans; San Francisco; San Antonio and Galveston, Texas; Scotland
Lived in the Upper Valley: Total of 27 years
Like many young people who grow up in small towns, I longed to expand
beyond the Upper Valley after I graduated from high school. That desire
took me to Dallas, Texas, for 20 years, where I studied English literature
at Southern Methodist University and found work as a technical writer and
an editor. But as much as I love visiting cities, I do not, it turns out,
like to live in them. I happily relocated my family to the Upper Valley in
2000. I regard this area as one of the most beautiful in the world, and the
vibrancy of the culture here continues to astound me.
Joyce Wagner
Writer, Author, Humorist
Residences: Chicago, Martha's Vineyard, Orange, N.H.
Years in the Upper Valley: 7
I seem to be the most recent Upper Valley native among the cache of writers. One could get whiplash moving from a big city to a small mountain (Cardigan), which is why I transitioned for a while on Martha's Vineyard.
Although there are still claw marks in the sand from when they dragged me off the island, the move to the Upper Valley turned out to be a great one. Since arriving here, I had a weekly column in the Concord Monitor which turned into my current book, Random Overthoughts: The Best (Give or Take) of the Humor Column 'Overthinking.' Not to mention the opportunity to write feature articles for many high-quality regional publications like Kearsarge Magazine and Upper Valley Life. Life is good.
John Walters
Writer
Born: Grand Rapids, MI
Residences: Grand Rapids, Birmingham and Ann Arbor, MI; Elkins, N.H.; and Montpelier, Vt.
Travels: Every province in Canada; several places in France; London; Ireland; the Galapagos Islands; Antarctica.
Lived in Upper Valley area: 6 years
Yes, I’m a flatlander; lived in Michigan all my life until moving to New Hampshire. Now, it’s hard to imagine not living in the Upper Valley area, with its combination of terrific natural beauty, culture and interesting people. Most of my career has been spent in radio; from 2000 to 2005, I worked at New Hampshire Public Radio. As host of “The Front Porch,” I got to meet hundreds of the most interesting people in NH and eastern VT; the biggest lesson I learned is just how many great stories there are to tell about the people and places of this area. Now I’ve embarked on a new career in freelance journalism, further exploring those people and places.
Janine Johnson Weins
Writer and radio talk show host
Born: New York, N.Y.
Residence: Lyme, N.H.
Travels: England, Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand,
Fiji, Tahiti and trips to many of the states
Lived in: New York, N.Y.; Lyme, N.H.; Hartford, Conn.; Cambridge,
Mass.; Chicago, IL; Scarsdale, N.Y.; Washington, DC; Morristown,
N.J.; Lebanon, N.H.
 When I was 2 years old, my father purchased the farm in Lyme where I
spent my childhood. After graduating from Hanover High School, I
enrolled in the University of Michigan College of Engineering. After
I graduated from Michigan with a bachelor's in engineering, I worked
for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Polaroid Corporation and Argonne
National Laboratories; and earned a master's from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute and a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. In 1981 I became a Registered United States Patent Agent
and practiced patent law for several years. I returned to the Upper
Valley in 1984. In 1989 I opened the YOURidea Bookstore, began
hosting Twin State Journal on WNTK Talk Radio and writing a weekly
column, "Elwood and Agnolia." In 2003 I inherited by childhood home
and moved back to Lyme.
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