Panel moderator SBWC faculty member Norm Thoeming (aka August Norman) is author of two literary thrillers and mysteries, Come and Get Me and Sins of the Mother.

Barnaby Conrad III, is author of Jacques Villeglé and the Streets of Paris. His other books are Absinthe: History in a Bottle, Ghost Hunting in Montana, and The Martini. He’s also written monographs on American artists Richard Diebenkorn, John Register, and Mark Stock. He served as senior editor of Art World in New York, senior editor of Horizon, and Editor-at-Large for Forbes Life, and he was a special correspondent in Paris for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Marianne Dougherty, is the author of What We Remember, her debut novel about 4 women who find comfort in friendship before life begins to unravel. In the aftermath of unspeakable tragedy, they go separate ways. Twenty years later, when one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she asks her daughter to arrange a reunion to pick up threads of a story that began a long time ago. In 2018 and 2022 she was a finalist for a Golden Quill Award for journalistic excellence.

Jim McCutchon is the author of To Free a Slave – The Moral Dilemma of Slavery, a historical novel set in the 1800s on the Ormond Plantation owned by his great, great grandfather. After retiring from a successful career as a urologist, and after raising 8 children, McCutcheon took up writing at age 84. Now at 92, and with two books completed, he resides in Corpus Christi, Texas where he enjoys gardening, crosswords, reading, and lifelong friends.

Diana Raab is the author of 10 books, the latest being An Imaginary Affair – Poems Whispered to Neruda, a collection of sensitive and sensuous poems exploring the challenges and intricacies of being human. The poems touch on key human elements, such as love, desire, passion, memory loss, and gratitude. She’s a memoirist, poet, essayist, blogger, and speaker. She teaches memoir at SBWC and presents workshops in writing for healing and transformation.

Max Talley is the author of My Secret Place, 17 short stories about musicians and artists. These eccentrics are secret heroes of their own lives. Humor is mixed with pathos and social commentary. He was born in New York City and lives in Santa Barbara. He’s a professional musician and artist, as well as a writer. His work has appeared in numerous journals. He teaches a writing workshop at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.