Editor: Mandi M. Lynch 2009-Present  | Mandi M. Lynch spent much of her life in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where there wasn't much to do but make her own entertainment. She started writing her own stories at the age of six, pecking them out on her mother's typewriter before stapling the pages together and illustrating them with crayons. Although the illustrations are now marginally better, the jury is still out on the spelling. Her first major writing achievement came in 6th grade when she won an Ashtabula Public Library sponsored short story contest with her story about winning the lottery, flying to Mall of America, and meeting Tom Selleck. The winning prize was a $25 gift card to Waldenbooks. She won the President's Award for Literary Excellence in 2000 for one of her poems. In college, she initially majored in journalism, before switching to business, a move that she still regrets. During that time, she gained experience in both The Pine Needle and The Lakelander. Now, she is an assistant organizer for the Nashville Writers Meetup Group, Municipal Liaison for The Office of Letters and Light sponsored NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy programs, and she helps with NaNoEdMo as well. Outside of Ink Monkey, she is the Literary Director for PFLAG Ashtabula, where she does everything from business cards and brochures to sitting as managing editor of the group-sponsored Coming Out Anthology. When she's not writing, she is a docent at the Parthenon in Nashville, as well as the secretary of the Middle Tennessee Geocachers' Club and co-Luminaria Chair for Hermitage-Donnelson Relay for Life. |
Head Monkey: Minkey Marie 2009-Present  | Life started for Minkey when his mother and grandmother found him in a barrel at Carlisle's Department Store in Ashtabula, OH, shortly before Christmas in 1981. For a while, he was the favorite child, loved and doted on. (Un)fortunately for Minkey, his mother forewent the Thanksgiving turkey the following year and instead had a baby. Although not a monkey, she managed to make several jungle-like sounds and was also relatively happy to stew in her own poo. He agreed to keep her anyway - as if he had a choice. In the years that followed, she became his best friend, and he became legendary. (This was also when he got the unfortunate middle name of Marie.) Now, he models for the Ink Monkey Cover, writes his own column for Ink Monkey, and is the lead character of a series of children's books and greeting cards currently in the works. Although almost 30, he lives with his mother in Nashville, TN, and does whatever he can to try and impress the ladies. |
