Dian Parker is a freelance writer for a number of New England publications. A passionate oil painter, she also writes about artists and their work for West Branch Gallery in Stowe, as well as essays on Art. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she has worked professionally in theatre for 25 years as an actress, dancer, director and teacher. She has traveled extensively, living in the Middle East, including Syria before its heartbreaking devastation. Her home is in the hills of Chelsea, Vermont, with her husband, Jasper Tomkins, children's book writer and illustrator. She is currently working on a collection of short stories and a novel. Her short story, Stones in Translation, was recently published in the James Franco Review.