MISTI-Con 2023 Presenter Bios
Alan Tobias (he/him)
Alan Tobias (he/him) has been active in the Harry Potter fandom since 2000, when he went looking for fanfiction to fill the gap between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, and has never looked back. He is beyond thrilled to be at MISTI again. Rumor has it he's got Lockhart's good looks, Hermione's brains, Draco's leather pants, and a dadjoke for every occasion. Incredibly, he's still single.
April O’Neil (she/her)
I have been attending Harry Potter conventions for over 10 years now and this will be the first time I've ever submitted for programming. I don't know what to write for a bio, I'm never good at these things. I think I will leave my bio at this, just to give you all a giggle when you read it.
Ashe Jaei, J.D. (they/them)
Once described as "Legally Blonde" meets "The Craft," decidedly lawful evil Mx. Jaei hails from Philadelphia where they have dedicated their life to the pursuit of equality and justice.
Bess (she/her)
Bess (she/her) is hostwitch of WZRD Radio, your wizard rock podcast. She's a fandom fangirl and loves making things.
Blue J
Blue J is definitely a person. Not only that, but she writes, too. You can tell by this awesome bio.
Brent Satterly (he/him/his)
Brent A. Satterly, PhD, LCSW is Full Professor at Widener University’s Center for Social Work Education. His expertise includes human sexuality and social work pedagogies, LGBTQIA+ family therapy, and drag pedagogy. He is well published: Sexuality Concepts for Social Workers, The Spell Craft of Social Work: Harry Potter & Social Justice, and his Umbridge-inspired Sissy Boy Strength, Gay Magic, & DIVA Pedagogy, and I Take Umbridge with Bigotry: Using the Witch-in-Pink to Counter Oppression.
Cecilia Tan (all pronouns fine)
Cecilia Tan is a biracial, bigender, bisexual and award-winning writer of science fiction/fantasy, romance, and erotica best known for breaking down the barriers between the genres. She founded Circlet Press in 1992, has published over 100 short stories and many novels (lost count after 30), and was inducted in 2010 into the Saints & Sinners LGBT Writers Hall of Fame. Her Magic University series is one of Autostraddle’s “Trans-inclusive Fantasies for Harry Potter Fans.”
Dariti Peterson (she/her)
Dariti Peterson, aka Violetta Craftswick, has been a MISTI-Con attendee since 2013, and presenter since 2017. Magical seamstress, graphic artist, photographer, founder and leader of WOrMS (World Organization of Magical Scouts) est. 2015, and Professor of Magical Crafting. Dariti encourages all her students and scouts to conjure creativity through whatever means they have available to them. She lives her life by the WOrM Scout Law - being thoughtful, imaginative, resourceful, thrifty, curious, and kind.
David the Hufflepuff (he/his/him)
David Martin is a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He retired from full-time work as a computer programmer in 2009. He has been following Harry Potter since 1999. He has made presentations at many conventions and has written one book: “Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches and Other Thoughts About Harry Potter.” David was a member of the winning Hufflepuff team on the "Hogwarts Tournament of Houses" television show in 2021.
Eustacy “Stace” Santiago (they/them)
Stace AKA Eustacy (they/them) has been a MISTI-Con attendee and participant since 2013. At past cons, they've been resident DJ, Fanfiction Coordinator, wizard rock performer Swish and Flick, and family programming host. Stace is a veterinary nurse, musician, parent, and aspiring author.
Geoff Hutton (they/them)
Geoff Hutton (aka Dream Quaffle) is a voice that can be heard in many different areas of the Harry Potter fandom. In addition to being a wizard rocker, Geoff is also a fanfiction author and a host on podcasts such as SpeakBeasty and Alohomora! Geoff is a non-binary, pansexual, vegetarian, marathon-running warehouse worker who lives in Louisville, Kentucky with their wife and four cats.
Hawthorn & Holly
Hawthorn & Holly are a pop punk band that plays songs about Harry Potter. Started in 2007, these wizards hail from Charlotte, NC. Leah Hamm and Christie Mowery weave gorgeous harmonies with Eddie Mowery on guitars and Dave Beaucar on bass. Our newest member, Ahmed Latif, from Seattle, rounds out our group on drums!
They have established themselves in the filk/geek rock community, performing as featured artists at LeakyCon, ConCarolinas, Misti-Con, and Wizarding Weekends along the East Coast!
Don't be surprised to find yourself dancing and singing along to their fun and infectious music, and falling in love with their ballads as well.
Hawthorn & Holly are the wands of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter in the book, but in this band stands for the joining of light and dark to create music that appeals to the Slytherin in us all, but also shows that nothing is greater than the power of friendship!
@hawthornholly
Jaz Boston (they/them)
Jaz (they/them) is a resident of Boston, they are a long term HP fan and lately, have been working on fighting internalized oppression, coming out later in life, and learning more and more every day about gender, gender-identity, and maneuvering around and in non-POC spaces. Their life focus is to create safe spaces for folks that are on the intersection of multiple marginalized identities and seek to make more queer&BIPOC collaborators.
Jill Staniec (she/her)
Jill Staniec has been around the fandom for a while, including playing quidditch (now quadball), cosplaying various characters, and of course attending all the MISTI-Cons. She's excited to connect with people over the memories and about what is keeping everyone busy these days.
Kevin (he/him)
Kevin (he/him), also known as SlytherSpouse, is a cat lover with social anxiety, so don't spook him.
Kristin Cavuto (all pronouns)
Kristin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in central NJ. They have spoken on various lactation, mental health, and equity topics for many regional, national, and international conferences and organizations. She is the mother of two children who are now 17 and 14. They are an anti racist, LGBT+ activist, and a member of transformative works fandoms.
Lorrie Kim (she/her)
Lorrie Kim is the author of SNAPE: The Definitive Analysis of Hogwarts's Mysterious Potions Master. She is a columnist for MuggleNet, a frequent speaker at Harry Potter academic conferences, and a regular contributor to fandom podcasts. She lives in Philadelphia, PA with her clever, grumpy, magical spouse and their offspring, one born between Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince and one in gestation during the publication of Deathly Hallows.
Marti Sterin
Marti graduated from Hogwarts so long ago that the ink has faded. She has been in a DnD campaign for 3 years with a group of players in their early 20's (her real age is hidden) and laments the fact that they don't get her jokes. She has over 10 years’ experience as an over 60 cosplayer.
Nadia Mulvihill (she/her)
Nadia is an English teacher from upstate New York. She has been attending and presenting at MISTI-Con since 2013. She is a Hufflepuff who loves writing, hiking, yoga, and reality TV.
Patrick McCauley
Patrick McCauley received a PhD in philosophical theology and literature from the University of Iowa in conjunction with the University of Glasgow and its Centre for the Study of Literature, Theology & the Arts. He received a master's in English literature from Binghamton. He teaches religion and philosophy at Chestnut Hill College. His last book we titled Into the Pensieve: The Philosophy and Mythology of Harry Potter. He co-coordinates the Annual Harry Potter Academic Conference at Chestnut Hill.
Samuel Ruff (he/him)
I am a repeat attendee of MISTI Con, having attended every conference except the first one. I love nature and animals of all kinds. My favorite music is sea shanties and wizard rock. I live in California with my ball python Snuggles.
Septimus Blackwood (they/them)
Septimus Blackwood is an educator and Hufflepuff from Boston. They are happy to discuss the merits of ethical dragon breeding or to info dump about the platypus. Septimus attended the very first MISTI Con back in 2013 and has been around for every event held at the Margate since.
Susen James
Susen James teaches Poetry, Mythology & Fantasy Literature / Harry Potter at Columbia College in Chicago. A lifelong student of Herbology she has an online store called Most Potent Potions & has been writing a book on the herbs in Harry Potter for the last five years. Her newest poetry chapbook, Extratextual Witches will be published this November by dancinggirlpress.
Sylvan Groth (she/her)
Sylvan Groth became a Potter fan in 1999 when her college professor held up books 1, 2 and 3 as an example of packaging. She has attended Misti-Con in 2017 and 2019. Although a first-time presenter, she has many years of experience tackling topics for which she is unqualified, as she was a lay leader for a UU congregation from 2003-2010. She’s also the author of several cringy-fanfictions (not HP universe).
Traci Hall (TBA)