B is for Berkshires

An explorer at heart, Joannie Duris enjoys discovering new places tucked away in the corners of New England. Her philosophy: go slow, so you don’t miss the good stuff. She studied geology before moving on to a career in nursing. In the winter, she explores the outdoors while helping skiers and snowshoers as a member of the Northfield Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol. She has had stories and articles published in several national children’s magazines, and on BoomWriter, a writing website for kids. She leads a local SCBWI critique group of fellow writers. A New England transplant, Joannie spent much of her childhood in Japan. She lives in central Massachusetts with her husband and three spoiled cats—where she can occasionally be seen chasing black bears away from her bird feeders.

Gillian Jones is a staff photographer for The Berkshire Eagle. She was the chief photographer of the North Adams Transcript, a daily newspaper, for more than 20 years, until early 2014. Her work appears nationally through the The Associated Press. She also teaches photography courses at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and serves as an adviser to the school's weekly newspaper, The Beacon, where she got her start as a student  photojournalist. Originally from Long Island, New York, she has lived in North Adams and has called the Berkshires her home since the early 1980s.