Meet the Staff

Publisher/Executive Director: Laura Matanah
Editor in Chief: Beth Wallace
Managing Editor: Beth Wright
Kids Editor: Brian Young
Young Adult Editor: Erica Schwanke
Parents, Teachers, and Friends Editor: Alison Walkley
Music and Video Editor: Dan Marfield
Fiction and Poetry Editor: Beth Wallace
Kids Interactive Features Coordinator: Diana Sonnek
Webmaster: Cary Walski
Web Team Members: Michael French,
Karl R. Smith, and to be named
Copy Editor: Beth Wright
Proofreader: Zan Ceeley
Database Manager: Charles Miller

Publisher Laura Matanah loves books, biking, board games, and being with her family: her wife, Sarah, and their two children, Da’Jon and Tajah. She edited Muse, the Macalester College feminist journal; worked at a collectively run newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin; and then taught elementary school for twelve years before taking a leave of absence to begin Rainbow Rumpus.

Editor in chief Beth Wallace has been acquiring and developing nonfiction and children’s fiction for more than ten years. She is a freelance writer and editor and a coach trained by the Coaches Training Institute in California. Originally from Vermont, she now lives in Minneapolis, where she sings, plays fiddle, and gardens, although not all at the same time.

Parents, Teachers, and Friends Editor Alison Walkley resides in Connecticut, where she works full-time as a reporter for the Fairfield Citizen-News. She graduated from Dickinson College in May 2007 with a bachelor of arts degree in English. Along with writing for her school’s newspaper and literary magazine, she was one of the board members of Spectrum, Dickinson’s Gay-Straight Alliance.

Upon leaving school, Alison went directly into the United States Peace Corps, spending three months in the African country of Malawi as a health volunteer. With a passion for social justice, Alison taught about the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS to Malawians. She returned home in September 2007 with an even wider worldview and a renewed passion to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Alison hopes to pursue a career in journalism, using her writing skills to inform the world about what everyone can do to make life better for us all.

Kids Section Editor Brian Young resides in Tulsa, where he works for the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. His professional expertise lies in the realm of program management, fundraising, prospect research, and marketing. Brian enjoys writing, reading, feeding ducks at his neighborhood pond, and spending time with his family and friends. He is a member of Fellowship Congregational Church UCC, the Gay Christian Network, and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement.

Brian holds an associate of arts degree and two professional certifications in marketing and business management. He has a strong interest in the humanities and is currently completing his BA in liberal studies and humanities at the University of Oklahoma. He plans to pursue a career in academia after completing his postgraduate studies.

Music and video editor Dan Marfield has lived in the Twin Cities most of his life, leaving only to attend college. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison he earned degrees in communication arts and history, worked as a multimedia specialist for the university’s athletics department, and wrote for the student newspaper. His number one interest is cinema, and he once watched three hundred movies in one year.

Cary Walski is the Rainbow Rumpus webmaster. She currently works at Aveus, a global operations and strategic change consultancy. Cary enjoys writing, reading, messing around with Adobe Photoshop, and, most important, volunteering for Rainbow Rumpus!

Web Team Member Michael French has lived in 10 percent of the states in America but currently resides in Minnesota. He splits his time between reading books and selling books, and hopes someday to own all the books in the world. Michael also enjoys photography, tinkering, and being an evil genius.

Web Team Member Karl R. Smith is a Liberian. He has been in the field of information communication and technology (ICT) for approximately six years. He has a comprehensive work experience in various areas of ICT in today’s market.

He’s currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in information system management. He holds an associate degree in information system management, an advance diploma in web Design and administration, along with several ICT diplomas and certificates.

Karl enjoys playing with kids and connecting with neglected parts of society, and he gives high attention to people with disabilities. In his leisure time he listens to tribal songs and roams the internet, helping students with case studies in the area of ICT. Most importantly, he cherishes people who are of his kind.

Copy Editor and Managing Editor Beth Wright is co-owner of Trio Bookworks (triobookworks.com). In addition to having an obsession with proper punctuation, she is an avid fan of women’s ice hockey. Her volunteer experience includes grassroots organizing in bisexual communities and service on the board of an LGBT foundation. She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Anne, and three troublesome but lovable cats.

Database Manager Charles Miller is a native New Yorker who is retired and currently living in sunny Arizona. He spent 32 years with AT&T and 39 years in the Air Force Reserves. He volunteers at a senior center in Phoenix providing assistance with electronics and computers. He enjoys his grandchildren and doing database support work for Rainbow Rumpus.