Wisteria Melancholy
Michael T. Banker
MICHELLE LOCKAMY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael T. Banker grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in New York City where he works as an actuary in a life insurance company. Subway rides into and out of Manhattan are generally spent either with his nose in a book or furiously scribbling down notes for a story.
Not a terribly interesting existence. But that’s the trick of stories, isn’t it? They allow people to live more than one life, and the memories created within them are often more poignant and present than real events. Michael wants to create those memories for other people.
Michael’s fiction has appeared in professional journals including the 2011 grand prize winner of Albedo One’s Aeon Award and Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show. Although he has only dabbled in short fiction so far, he is looking forward to cutting his teeth on novels in the near future.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Michelle Lockamy never fit the classic Jersey girl description. As a kid she was a bit of a recluse, drawing on any paper she could find and reading books in lieu of attending parties. She grew up in many towns before finally settling in Browns Mills, where she can now commute to Philly.
Throughout her childhood, Lockamy found that art was always her favorite subject in school, and it just became her path. In high school, she got her first Wacom tablet and was introduced to digital tools as a medium. In 2011, the choice to go to Moore College of Art and Design for a BFA in illustration was a clear decision, and before she knew it, the tools she had taught herself to use gave her an edge in her artwork.
Her work has made it into CRED Philly, and onto a few indie book covers. Having her work included in Illustrators of the Future has been a most memorable experience.
She is determined to hit the ground running after she graduates in 2015. She wants to make the transition from student life to work life as simple as possible, which means working now to reap the rewards later.
Michelle is eternally grateful to her parents and professors, who encourage her to keep going. They remind her that hard work indeed pays off, no matter how rocky the road gets.