C0 N T R I B U TOR S
MATT BANDSUCH
Illustrator Matt Bandsuch (“The Plenty 20,” page 49) has done
work for many national publications, including The New York Times,
Premiere magazine, and The Atlantic Monthly. His illustrations have
also been featured in several American Illustration annuals and in
gallery exhibitions nationwide. Matt lives in Chicago with his wife,
Mary, and says his son, Hugh, is the best thing he has ever made.
JESSA CRISPIN
Writer Jessa Crispin (“Page Turner with a Point,” page 32)
lives the dream of every English major across the country—
as the editor and founder of Bookslut.com, a literary webzine,
she reads books for a living. Her home is in Chicago, and on
occasion she is actually there. During the winter, however, she is
more likely to be found visiting her sister in Texas or reading
on the beach of a Spanish-speaking nation.
RAGAN SUTTERFIELD
After studying philosophy in college, Ragan Sutterfield (“The Inspector,” page 80) decided to become a student of the wisdom of pigs,
sheep, cows, and chickens by opening a farm in the mountains of
central Arkansas. He has learned a great deal from animals, including his pigs, who taught him that lying in a mud wallow is the best
way to achieve happiness. Ragan is also a food activist and farm advocate, serving as a board member of the Arkansas Farm Community
Alliance and appearing frequently as a guest at events about sustainable agriculture and local foods. His writing has appeared in a variety
of publications, including Books & Culture, Farming, and Chow, and
he keeps a blog, “A Farmer’s Notebook,” on Plenty’s website.
SUSAN M. BRACKNEY
Bloomington, Indiana–based Susan M. Brackney (“Beyond Pigeons,”
page 56) confesses that she never paid much attention to birds until
she found herself living with one. “He was a rescued cockatoo named
Puckitt, and I was smitten and fascinated,” she says. “Now I notice birds
everywhere and really appreciate all of them.” Her last feature for Plenty
was “Adventures in Beekeeping” (February/March 2006, page 72).
Susan has covered nature, gardening, and sustainability issues for Wildlife Conservation and Boys’ Life and is a frequent contributor to Country
Living Gardener, Hobby Farms, and other publications. She’s also the
author of three non-fiction books, including The Lost Soul Companion.
12 | Feb/Mar/07 plentymag.com