Iris Graville has lived in Washington State for four decades plus, after childhood and early adulthood in Chicago and small towns in Southern Illinois and Indiana. A long-time Quaker, an environmental and anti-racism activist, and a retired nurse, Iris believes everyone has a story to tell. She’s the author of two collections of profiles—Hands at Work and BOUNTY: Lopez Island Farmers, Food, and Community. Her memoir, Hiking Naked (Homebound Publications, 2017) was a 2019 recipient of a Nautilus Award. Iris holds a Master of Nursing degree from the University of Washington; she focused most of her nursing career in public health. She also pursued her early love of writing, and in 2015, Iris earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her writing has appeared in journals and anthologies, and she’s been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She’s also publisher of SHARKREEF Literary Magazine, a staff writer for The Wayfarer Magazine, and a Homebound Publications Advisory Board member. In 2018, Iris was named the first “Writer-in-Residence” for the Washington State Ferries. Sometimes you’ll still find her writing on the Interisland ferry as the vessel courses among the San Juan Islands. Since 1996, Iris and her husband, a retired sign language interpreter, have lived on traditional Coast Salish lands, now called Lopez Island, Washington. They tend a large garden, ride bicycles, and walk the trails and beaches surrounding their home. They have two grown children and a grandchild. irisgraville.com.