Megan Kerns is a writer published in places such as Southern Humanities Review, Yemassee, Hawaii Pacific Review, and The Pinch. Her essay “This is East Tennessee Punk Rock" was included in the anthology Contemporary Creative Nonfiction. She received her MFA in nonfiction from The Ohio State University, where she taught college English for many years, and her undergrad degree from East Tennessee State University. She currently lives in rural East Tennessee, but has deep roots in rural Ohio and Springfield, Oregon, where she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer in her 30’s. She has been a volunteer photographer for shelter cats, a TNR/spay-neuter advocate, and recently joined the staff at the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society. She’s working on her first book about cancer, deep community, and survival.