Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje

For over three decades, Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje worked as a newspaper reporter and columnist in Texas, earning numerous awards while writing for The San Antonio Light, The Houston Chronicle, and the San Antonio Express-News. She focused on marginalized communities, covering issues such as poverty, homelessness, mental health, addiction, and abuse.

Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Texas Monthly, and the San Antonio Report. She holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Melissa's husband, Mark Stoeltje, is a retired nonprofit executive, artist, and writer. Their child, Sam, is a teacher and a graduate student in creative writing.