Sands Hall is the author of the award-winning memoir, Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology (Counterpoint Press); Blackstone Audio produced the audiobook, read by the author. She is also the author of the novel, Catching Heaven, and a book of essays and exercises, Tools of the Writer’s Craft (Moving Finger). Her prizewinning essays and stories have appeared in journals such as Alta, Los Angeles Review of Books, Iowa Review, and New England Review, among others. Also a playwright, singer-songwriter, and musician, Sands recently released a second album, Sturdy Boots. Her extensive theatre experience, as actor and director, enables her to offer a unique perspective on writing, and infuses her teaching. This is the twenty-eighth year Sands has taught for the Festival. www.sandshall.com

Photo credit: Brett Hall Jones