11-17 | Meet the Hayseed Press Authors

Rejoice in failed attempts at reconciliation. Sing Hallelujah to the small victories wherever you may find them. Wishing you and yours A Very Special Iowa Weird Christmas .

About the Authors: Marc Dickinson is the author of the short story collection, Replacement Parts (Atmosphere Press, 2024) His stories have appeared in Shenandoah, Cream City Review, North American, Review, Greensboro Review, Chattahoochee Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, South Dakota Review, American Literary Review (as winner of the ALR Fiction Prize), as well as other journals. He lives in Iowa with his wife and two children, where he teaches creative writing at Des Moines Area Community College and coordinates the long-running reading series, Celebration of the Literary Arts. Hayseed Press co-founder Aaron Narigon holds a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature from University of Northern Iowa.

He is a Professor of English and has taught at Hawkeye Community College since 2002. Currently Aaron coordinates Middlemoot, the Midwest’s premier biennial Tolkien conference, and is the co-founder of UKL, the only scholarly journal dedicated to the work of Ursula K. LeGuin.

Erik Ullestad lives in West Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Allison. Their emptying nest includes three children (Anna, Isaac, and Evan) and an elderly dog (Ruby). He has worked in Lutheran churches for more than 25 years in a variety of roles.

He has also worked on far too many curriculum projects with a handful of publishing companies. Erik enjoys biking, running, and playing guitar. He talks with his hands, avoids most condiments, and is a staunch defender of the Oxford comma.

He’d rather be in Scotland. Melinda Wichmann is a third-generation farm kid who earned a journalism degree from Iowa State University and spent thirty-five years living the dream in eastern Iowa community newspapers. She and her husband, also a third-generation farm kid, live near the Amana Colonies, where she harbors an affinity for ultra fine-point ink pens and antique ink wells.

She has published two novels, Exercise Finished , by Hayseed Press, 2026, and How to Live with a Ghost , by Pearl City Press, 2025.