Bill Cunningham is a naturalized Angeleno, having moved here from the harsh northern climes of Buffalo, NY over fourteen years ago. He still doesn't quite believe in the warm weather in February, and he's certain it will start snowing any day now. He is a software developer by day and an occasional artist the rest of the time, living and working in Downtown.
Bill has easily spent half his life in books, and during his college years he enjoyed working as a mentor for children in a summer theater program. He has a BA in Theater Arts and English, and a lifelong dedication to stories and imagination. He is happy to have found 826LA, where he can continue to share a love of reading and discovery with creative students in the neighborhood alongside so many other great volunteers.
A Julliard-trained actor, Lili Flanders worked in the theatre for fifteen years before her growing interest in education (and the needs of her young children) led her from the stage to the classroom. She began storytelling in local schools, focusing mainly on the stories in Shakespeare's plays, and eventually began teaching full-time. A former eighth grade English instructor at the Curtis School, she recently earned a Master's degree in Creative Writing from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. She is currently at work on a novel. Lili loves tutoring at 826 because it gives her the chance to work with students again (without having to attend those faculty meetings!) and allows her to spend time with real people instead of the imaginary ones with whom she shares most of her day.
Lili has two sons in college, and lives with her husband and teenage daughter in West LA.
Jennifer Hoguet does not enjoy pigeons, olives, whole milk, or automatic flush toilets. She does enjoy coffee, gummi bears, yoga, and hanging out with intelligent and cool people. The last part is why she started volunteering at 826LA soon after relocating from Chicago. As a serious theater geek, she has particularly enjoyed teaching playwriting workshops at 826LA, but any workshop that will let her use a silly accent will do. She's so grateful to 826LA for the opportunity to see kids discover and nurture a love of storytelling, as it's a constant reminder of why she moved to Los Angeles in the first place.
Philippe Perebinossoff is a former television network censor (tone down the violence please!) and programming executive (for the Oprah Winfrey Presents franchise, such as Tuesdays with Morrie), and he currently works as an Associate Professor in the Radio, Television & Film Department at Cal State Fullerton, where he teaches courses related to the entertainment industry. He has also done a tour of duty at PEN, where he edited the newsletter and arranged author readings. He has written or co-authored two books of his own, one called Programming for TV, Radio & the Internet, and another on media ethics, a subject of particular interest to him.
Philippe has been a big fan of Dave Eggers ever since seeing him at UCLA's Festival of Books, and thinks 826 is a great organization doing excellent outreach. He is pleased to play his small part.
