Linda-Marie Barrett

Linda-Marie Barrett is a writer, editor, and steward of a whimsical garden guarded by gnomes. She has a BA in Russian Studies from Colgate University, and an MA in Russian Literature and Slavic Linguistics from Cornell University, where she received a National Resource Fellowship and an Olin Fellowship. She is the executive director of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA). From 1988-2017, she worked at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, where she wore many hats, including author events manager, general manager, and co-owner. She edited and contributed to the regional bestselling serial novel Naked Came the Leaf Peeper, called “a blur, a buzz, a local-grown tall tale, and an absolute delight” by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love. She is a contributor to Spinning Toward the Sun: Essays on Writing, Resilience, and the Creative Life, an anthology benefitting the recovery of Asheville, NC after Hurricane Helene. She writes a blog with her sister, Diane Barrett Tien, Barrett-Sisters.com where they share about life’s curveballs and rewards. She has been hosting her Black Swan Salon since 2017 and has no plans to ever stop. She lives with her husband, writer and blogger Jon Mayes, in Asheville, North Carolina.