Short Story Contest judges

Adult Story Judges

Tom Parker
A well-known local writing teacher, Tom Parker is the author of the best-selling novel "Anna, Ann, Annie" and, most recently, of "Leadership and the Customer Revolution," a management book written with Gary Heil and Rick Tate. He has taught at Stanford, the University of California Extension and Foothill and Canada colleges.

Linda Gray Sexton
Linda Gray Sexton is the author of "Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton," as well as four novels and a book about the women's movement. As Anne Sexton's literary executor, she has edited a number of posthumous volumes of her poetry and letters. An Atherton resident, Sexton also writes essays and book reviews.

Pamela Gullard
Pamela Gullard of Menlo Park is the author of a recent collection of short stories, "Breathe at Every Other Stroke." Her award-winning stories have appeared in a variety of magazines. In 1989, she and Nancy Lund wrote "The History of Palo Alto: The Early Years."

Children Story Judges

Shirley Climo
Shirley Climo writes children's books, many based on folktales, ranging from picture books for younger children to story collections and novels for middle-grade readers. A Los Altos resident, her latest book is "A Treasury of Mermaids."

Katy Obringer
Katy Obringer supervises the Children's Library, the College Terrace Library and children's services throughout the Palo Alto library system. Obringer also worked as an elementary school teacher for 10 years before joining the Children's Library.

Bruce Balan
Bruce Balan has published 12 books for young people, including the series "Cyber.kdz" featuring seven kids who live all over the world and have a secret club on the Internet. His latest book is "Buoy--Home at Sea." He lives in Los Altos.