Long before humans reshaped the landscape with their Walmarts, factory farms, and superhighways, bison, elk, and wolves roamed the eastern United States.

Pittsburgh author Rachel Ekstrom Courage is an award-winning author, literary agent, and Golden Girls fanatic.

Geoffrey Schaefers has been creating art for as long as he can remember. As a young child, he captured his favorite characters, most notably Sonic the Hedgehog, in his drawings. He loved Sonic’s bravery and resilience, the fact that he always did the right thing and valued friendship. As an adult, it was no surprise that Geoffrey wanted to combine his two loves: illustration and great storytelling.

This month we’re featuring Pittsburgh writer Lisa Slage Robinson, author of Esquire Ball: Stories From the Great Black Swamp, which was just released in February. Robinson was named a finalist for Midwest Review’s Great Midwest Fiction Contest, and her work has appeared in many literary publications.