Meet Our Writers

Tiara Darnell is a freelance journalist, podcaster and videographer from Washington, D.C. Tiara also hosts and executive produces “High, Good People,” a “potcast” exploring the relationships between people of color and cannabis in the new age of legalization. Her work has appeared in Willamette Week, Mercatus PDX, Oregon Humanities magazine and more. 

Catalina Gaitán is bookworm from Northeast Portland’s Sabin neighborhood. She earned her Bachelors in Journalism from Emerson College and wrote for The Boston Globe before becoming Travel Portland’s content editor.

Catherine Gregory is a freelance writer and the author behind TenThousandHourMama.com. She has lived around the world, including in New York and Singapore, but is happiest living in Oregon with her two daughters.

Jim Kettner is a coffee shop cartoonist, writer, illustrator and podcaster (Adult Crash, Galaktacus). His work has been featured in SF Weekly, Razorcake, Driftwood Magazine and As You Were: A Punk Comix Anthology. His graphic memoir collaboration with writer Lacy Davis, Ink in Water, was published in 2017.

Emma Mannheimer is a Seattle-born, Portland-based writer and editor. She is frequently spotted hanging out at dog parks, biking to Expatriate for a drink or paging through art books at the library (but is most likely at home making pizza).

Joseph Manuel was raised on the West Coast and has spent the majority of his life in Oregon. He enjoys black coffee, chess, basketball, samurai films, reading and shopping.

Zelos Marchandt is a multimedia creative living in Portland. They are the Evening News and Public Affairs Director for Portland’s KBOO 90.7 FM station and co-host of the “QTPOC Talk” show. Their mixed media projects have appeared in publications including PQ Monthly, Willamette Week, NW Kids Magazine and more.

Karen Martwick is Travel Portland’s director of content strategy and has lived in Portland since 1993. She has a Bachelors in English from Portland State University, served for four years on the board of the American Copy Editors Society, and is an avid karaoke singer and novice skier.

Jenni is an Alaska-born, Oregon-raised writer living in Portland. In addition to being the copy chief at the Portland Mercury, Jenni enjoys playing volleyball, photography, yoga, travel, live music, vegan cupcakes and dogs.

Emilly Prado is a writer and library assistant living in Portland. Her work has appeared in over a dozen publications including Marie Claire, On She Goes and more. When not writing, she takes photos, makes zines and sells homemade pinback buttons under the name of “Sludge Judy.”

Maya Seaman is a SoCal-born writer who traded palm trees for pines when she moved to Portland in 2010. A self-proclaimed hobby collector, Maya fully exploits Portland’s diverse range of readily available activities.

Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. She enjoys forest hikes, thrift shopping, cuddling with her cats (and husband), volunteering, jazz music and digging into the latest read for her feminist book club.

Benjamin Tepler is Portland Monthly magazine’s associate editor, and his writing has appeared in publications including Food & Wine and Sunset. To counter-balance his high-caloric diet, Benjamin spends his free time running, hiking and climbing up Oregon’s various peaks.

Katie Vaughan is a writer and marketing coordinator living in Portland. She enjoys consuming carbs, reading any book she can get her hands on, hiking in the woods and binging British detective television shows.

Molly Woodstock has been writing and editing content for Travel Portland since 2014. A native Oregonian, Molly is also a podcast producer, a professional photographer and a regular contributor to Portland Monthly Magazine.