ADVISORY BOARD

Charles Fanning, PhD – An historian, author and editor of a dozen books in Irish immigration and ethnic studies, Charlie is a winner of the American Book Award (1989) for his book, The Exiles of Erin: Nineteenth-Century Irish-American Fiction.  He also recently published his memoir, Mapping Norwod. Charlie is a retired professor from Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he won the outstanding scholar award in 2004. 

Katherine Hastings – Author of Updraft (Finishing Line Press, 2010), Fog and Light (forthcoming from Ahadada Press, 2010), and Sidhe (dPress 2006), Katherine’s poems have been published in many journals and anthologies, including The Comstock Review; Rattle; Parthenon West Review; CALYX; Beatitude and others. She is the host of WordTemple on KRCB 91 FM, Santa Rosa's NPR affiliate, and founder/curator of the WordTemple Poetry Series in Sonoma County. Hastings, who grew up in San Francisco, lives in Sonoma County.

Sean Heaney – Originally from Northern Ireland, Sean is the proprietor of The Plough & Stars Irish Pub in San Francisco, an important venue playing a critical role in the Irish music scene of Northern California for nearly 40 years.

Patricia Monaghan, PhD - Visionary poet and impassioned teacher and performer, Patricia has won awards for creative nonfiction as well as poetry. Her highly crafted work remains accessible to ordinary readers interested in spirituality, peace, and environmental issues. Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at DePaul University, Patricia is also Senior Fellow of The Black Earth Institute, a think-tank for artists seeking to connect social justice, environment and spirituality. She is poetry reviewer for Booklist, the journal of the American Library Association.

Nancy E. Quinn – Principal and CEO of Quinn Associates, Nancy is a highly respected consultant to arts organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and has provided advice and guidance to this organization since its inception.  

Peter Quinn - Novelist, political historian and foremost chronicler of New York City, Peter received the American Book Award for his 1994 novel, Banished Children of Eve.  His other works of fiction include Hour of the Cat (2005) and The Man Who Never Returned (2010).  Looking for Jimmy: In Search of Irish America, a collection of nonfiction pieces, was published in 2007. Peter has written for television as well as participated as a guest commentator in several PBS documentaries including, “The Irish in America”. He is president and co-founder of Irish American Writers & Artists.

Timothy F. Sullivan – A tech savvy businessman with a love for set dancing, Tim has provided guidance on nearly all aspects of the organization’s development since its inception. Tim has also agreed to be on the Executive Board in the future. 

Directors

The Crossroads Irish-American Festival planning committee is composed of two core members. We are also greatly appreciative to our trusted festival volunteers and advisors.

Hillary Flynn, MSW has over 18 years of experience in the public and nonprofit sector. She has held positions in development, community outreach and program management. A graduate of Boston College, Hillary also has a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from San Francisco State University. She has been producing the Crossroads Irish-American Festival since 2004.

Contact Hillary Flynn at:
hillary@irishamericancrossroads.org

Margaret McPeake, PhD is adjunct faculty for the University of San Francisco at the Santa Rosa campus. Her research focuses on how gender informs the construction of identity in Irish and Irish-American literatures, as well as on interrelationships between Ireland and the Caribbean. She is currently at work on a project focused on Irish-Americans in Noir fiction. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, she has a B.A. in Celtic Studies and English from U.C. Berkeley, an M.A. in English from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Miami. She has been producing the Crossroads Irish-American Festival since 2002.

Contact Margaret McPeake at: margaret@irishamericancrossroads.org