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Michelle L. Nielsen, a music and theater graduate of Five Towns College, has been performing for decades. An avid singer, author, graphic designer, podcast host, and animal lover, Michelle can often be found doing karaoke, reciting poetry, or co-hosting the podcast, Shelter Cats. She is also the self-published author of the children's book, "The Farty Feline," the poetry collection, "Poetry of Me, 2014," and the creative journal, "Create It To Life," all of which are available on Amazon. To learn more, visit her website: emelendesigns.net.

Award-winning journalist Sam Desmond has been reviewing theater on Long Island since 2019.

She had previously served as Contributing Editor for the Suffolk County News and is currently a Contributing Writer for its sister paper, the Long Island Advance. Sam also served as a writer for the New York State Senate office for District 8 in Suffolk County.

In January 2025, her debut art novella, "In the Light of Men" was released and ranked #1 in the category of literary fiction for IngramSpark for a month. She was nominated for "Best Author" of 2026 for the annual Schneps/Four Leaf FCU contest "Best of Long Island."

Previously, her essay "The Gift of the Tortured Specter" on Joan Vollmer was included in the anthology, "Fever Spores: The Queer Reclamation of William S. Burroughs" published by Rebel Satori press in 2022.

She lives in Bayport in her aptly named Squirrel Cottage with her husband of over 20 years, their 2 dogs and 3 cats.