Thursday, June 13, 4-5 PM

Pacific Ballroom

Matthew Pallamary, moderator, is an award-winning writer, musician, and sound healer who's been studying shamanism all his life. He has books covering several genres. His latest story collection is The Thinning Veil: 13 Twisted Tales.

He explores how art imitates life and reflects our human condition. The veil between the worlds is thinning and the boundaries have become blurred, bringing more weight to the question; what or where are the boundaries between what we believe to be real and what we imagine?

Lorissa Rinehart is an author, cultural producer, and public speaker. Her writing explores women’s history, politics, war, and their points of intersection. Her debut book, First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent (St. Martin’s Press) has received rave reviews from The Wall Street Journal, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and Publishers Weekly. She’s a TEDx speaker who’s appeared at the National Press Club, Friends of the National World War II Memorial, the Women's National Press Club, and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation among other prestigious organizations. She’s been featured on numerous podcasts.

G. Brian Kurtz is an intuitively-guided medical empath, energy healer and author of Access the Real You: Touching Your Divinity and Applying its Wisdom to Your Life. As a speaker and teacher, he has brought his message to more than 2,500 people from six countries. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he works with groups and individuals towards personal growth and healing.

Marianne Dougherty is an award-winning writer and former beauty editor and publisher who has appeared on Live in L.A., Lifetime's New Attitudes, and Weekend Today. In 2017 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Beauty Bus Foundation, which provides grooming services to seriously ill people and their caregivers. In 2019 and again in 2022, she was a finalist for a Golden Quill Award for journalistic excellence. She resides in Santa Barbara, California. Author of the novel What We Remember, her latest is Dye: a memoir of art, music, faith, family and hair color, based on the life of celebrity hairdresser Brad Johns.

Kelly Giles obtained his Juris Doctor Degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. He practiced U.S. immigration law for twenty-three years and continues to practice Canadian immigration law.  He's written a trilogy of poetry books. Killing Justice is his debut memoir. He currently lives in Culver City, California. He’s passionate about raising awareness about mental illness and the criminal justice system and encouraging others on their healing journey, especially through the arts.

Diana Raab, MFA, PhD is an award-winning memoirist, poet, and thought leader. She’s been writing personal stories and memoir for more than five decades. She’s the author of fourteen books, including three memoirs. Her latest is Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors, a memoir with writing and reflection prompts. She frequently speaks and writes about writing for healing and transformation. Many of her talks are based on her book, Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life, and its accompanying book, Writing for Bliss: A Companion Journal.