Laurel Wilson

Before it was Silicon Valley, San Jose was the Fruit Basket of the World. Laurel grew up there, climbing cherry trees and spitting pits over the fence at the neighbor kids. Her folks gave her a tiny printing press with aluminum trays, rubber letters, and a rolling drum. Unsolicited local news began appearing in mailboxes up and down the street within a week.

A friend once described her as having “a broad dynamic range.” She worked a year on a NASA fellowship in high school, fenced in the NCAA for UC Santa Cruz, got degrees in theater and special education, taught in public schools for 27 years, and earned her 4th degree black belt in aikido. Her photography, poetry, jewelry, weaving, essays, paintings, and novels percolate through the world.

After 15 years in rural Arizona, she lives again in California boondocking in an RV between her family, the wilderness, writing, aikido, and sports therapy with neurodiverse athletes.