Doug Wilkins (aka Whimsical Doggo) - professional goof-off, and future winner of the Booker Prize (once he becomes a Kiwi) is the author of the forthcoming novel of futuristic nostalgia, Wag and the Distant Bums, as well as the young reader's novel Trudy and the Transdimensional Trolley co-authored with his nephew, Derrick Flakoll. Doug is currently in the process of starting a grotto in Wellington, New Zealand.

Scott James - a longtime journalist better known by his pen name Kemble Scott. He’s the author of the bestselling novel SoMa, which Publishers Weekly described as “a fun, frisky novel of shock horror.” SoMa tells the interwoven stories of young people of the “millennials” generation on the prowl for thrills and self-discovery in San Francisco’s notorious South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood. Kemble Scott is also editor of the monthly e-zine SoMa Literary Review, and the weekly SF Bay Area Literary Arts Newsletter. He’s the recipient of three Emmy awards for his work in television news.

Alison Bing - culture commentator, art critic, food writer, editor, and content maven. Alison’s writing credits cover 11 titles for Lonely Planet and parent company BBC, news media from San Francisco Chronicle to The Guardian (UK), culture magazines such as BlackBook, Cooking Light, Architectural Record, The Believer, Flash Art, and Artweek, commentary for NPR, NBC, and PBS, pop culture and art titles for Chronicle Books, business books for WetFeet and IABC, and two how-to books on writing for Barnes & Noble. She also consults on content for leaders in media, technology, and consumer goods, including NBCi/Universal, Proctor & Gamble, TransFair USA, American Documentary Inc., LeapFrog, Telemundo, Blurb, and FRONTLINE/World. www.redroom.com/author/alison-bing

Michael Chorost - freelance writer, contributor to Wired and Technology Review, and author of Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human (which won the PEN/USA award for Creative Nonfiction in 2006.) In 2007 he scriptwrote a PBS show, The 22nd Century. Mike focuses on how technology is changing communication, the body, and even what it means to be human. He keeps a blog at www.michaelchorost.com.

Paul Linde - psychiatrist and author, is at work on his second nonfiction book, Danger to Self: The Making of a 21st Century Psychiatrist, which is due out from University of California Press in 2009. His first book, Of Spirits and Madness: An American Psychiatrist in Africa was published by McGraw-Hill in 2002. He previously created, produced, and hosted an interview program on local public radio station KALW 91.7 FM and has contributed to Doubletake, JAMA, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Jose Mercury News

Shana Mahaffey - author of the forthcoming novel VOICES. Her work has appeared in publications such as SoMa Literary Review, Spectrum Literary Journal, Reflections Literary Journal, and the Daily Nexus. In addition to writing fiction, Shana has contributed articles, white papers, and product reviews to various technology publications.

Diane Weipert - the screenwriter of Solo Dios Sabe, a Mexico-Brazil co-production starring Diego Luna and Alice Braga, which premiered at Sundance in 2006. Her latest film, Rooms for Tourists, based on the Argentine horror film Habitaciones Para Turistas, is in pre-production. She is currently developing a project with actress Michelle Rodriguez and is working on the adaptation of a Mexican novel for filmmaker Agustin Calderon.

Raj Patel - author of Stuffed and Starved: The Battle for the World Food System, Melville House, Spring 2008. He has written in a range of magazines and journals, and has had pieces published by the Los Angeles Times and the London Guardian. He is currently working on his second book, on the global political economy of the cell phone.www.rajpatel.org

Bernice Yeung - freelance journalist who enjoys writing about people, social issues, culture and the law -- or, ideally, some unexpected combination thereof. Her work has appeared in publications such as The International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, Glamour, Wired and San Francisco. A Bay Area native, Bernice has also lived in Chicago and 'da Bronx. www.berniceyeung.com

Sean Beaudoin - author of Going Nowhere Faster, has used his B.A. in photography as a springboard into the following jobs: construction laborer, circus roustabout, busboy, used book buyer, hotel desk clerk, camp counselor, statue repairman (really), seller of jazz vinyl, and a nine-day stint as The World's Worst Telemarketer. He now resides in San Francisco with his wife and daughter. Read more at www.Sean Beaudoin.com

Michelle Gagnon - former modern dancer, bartender, dog walker, model, personal trainer, and Russian supper club performer. Her debut thriller THE TUNNELS (June 2007) involves a series of ritualized murders in the abandoned tunnel system beneath a university. Published in the United States and Australia, it was an IMBA bestseller. Her next book, BONEYARD (July 2008), depicts a cat and mouse game between dueling serial killers. Michelle is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. In her spare time she runs errands and indulges a weakness for Scrabulous, stale cinema popcorn, and Hollywood blockbusters. Read more at www.michellegagnon.com

Sanchez Grotto Alumni

Melodie Bowsher - author of My Lost and Found Life. Also, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, Melodie has worked as a freelance business writer in various forms.  She is the mother of two, whose crisis-filled teenage years provided fodder for her first novel.

Rob Tocalino - associate editor for Bookmarks Magazine and novelist-in-progress.

Kara Knafelc - Travel writer, Lonely Planet contributor, USF writing instructor, and fiction writer.