Who We Are
Photo: Sabina Poole / Oregon Arts Commision
M. Allen Cunningham, Editor & Publisher
Atelier26 publisher M. Allen Cunningham released his debut novel, The Green Age of Asher Witherow (Unbridled Books) at age twenty-six. The Green Age, which served as the inaugural title for independent publisher Unbridled Books, was widely acclaimed, selected by the American Booksellers Association as a #1 Indie Next Pick, a finalist for the Indie Next Book of the Year Award alongside Marilynne Robinson's Gilead and Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, and listed as one of six "Best Books of the West" in the Salt Lake Tribune. ForeWord Reviews praised The Green Age as "a feat reminiscent of William Styron's Lie Down in Darkness," Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler called it "a startling accomplishment," and Booklist said it "display[ed] a mastery that is surprising in a novelistic debut."
Three years later, Cunningham released Lost Son (Unbridled Books), a large biographical novel about Rainer Maria Rilke which was the culmination of more than ten years of reading, writing, research, and travel. Distinguished literary critic Ihab Hassan said "the magic of Rilke reach[es] out from every page," and called the novel"a subtle and signal imaginative achievement." Cunningham was interviewed at length about Lost Son for the book Truthful Fictions: Conversations with American Biographical Novelists (Bloomsbury, 2014). Lost Son was listed as a Top 10 Book of 2007 in The Oregonian.
Cunningham has subsequently published four other books. His work is frequently included in university curricula, and his short stories and nonfiction have appeared in many publications including Alaska Quarterly Review, Boulevard, Catamaran Literary Reader, Epoch, Glimmer Train, Oregon Humanities Magazine, The Kenyon Review, Poets & Writers, and Tin House. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from Literary Arts, the Oregon Arts Commission (2007; 2013), and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, as well as residencies at the Yaddo Colony (2010; 2014). Since 2010 he has contributed regularly to the Books section of The Oregonian. He is a contributing editor for the literary journal Moss, a frequent public speaker on books and literary culture, and served for four years as a facilitator for the Oregon Humanities Conversation Project, conducting public conversations on the subject of the cultural impact of e-reading. For more than a decade he has provided freelance writing, editing, and literary consulting services to a broad range of clients. (Are you looking for an editor?)
Cunningham founded Atelier26 Books out of deep personal convictions as a reader and writer (see "Our Values" on our About page), and brings a writer's sensibility to his editing and publishing practices. To learn more about the background ofAtelier26 and Cunningham's vision for the press, please see the following links:
M. Allen Cunningham on Twitter
M. Allen Cunningham's author website
"Dispatches" (Cunningham's occasional author blog)
Nathan Shields, Designer
The physical elegance of all our titles is a main priority at Atelier26 Books. Since our inception, we've had the great good fortune to work with designer Nathan Shields. Nathan is an artist, mathematician, teacher, and, as the mind behind SaipanCakes.com, the famous creator of pancake portraits and motifs. His work has been featured by the Today Show, Good Morning America, Nickelodeon, PBS.org, USAToday.com, The Huffington Post, and at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. As the founder of Draw4Us, he has served clients as diverse as Nutella and the Canadian government. He lives in Port Angeles, WA with his family. Read a bit about our design process HERE and HERE.
Diane Prokop, Publicist
Atelier26 publicist Diane Prokop brings more than 20 years of experience in public relations and magazine writing. She is a widely published freelance book reviewer and a well-known literary blogger and author interviewer. She also serves on the Atelier26 Advisory Board. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
https://www.facebook.com/diane.prokop.7
Paul Martone, Advisory Board Member
Paul Martone is a writer and teacher in Portland, Oregon, and served as the executive director of Late Night Library. His short stories have been finalists for two Glimmer Train awards and the John Steinbeck Award.
Laura Stanfill, Advisory Board Member
Laura Stanfill is the founder and publisher of Forest Avenue Press. She serves on the PubWest Board of Directors and is a sought-after public speaker on the topic of small press publishing. Laura’s professional background includes stints in public relations and freelancing for regional magazines and newspapers in Virginia, New York, and Oregon.
Atelier26 publisher M. Allen Cunningham released his debut novel, The Green Age of Asher Witherow (Unbridled Books) at age twenty-six. The Green Age, which served as the inaugural title for independent publisher Unbridled Books, was widely acclaimed, selected by the American Booksellers Association as a #1 Indie Next Pick, a finalist for the Indie Next Book of the Year Award alongside Marilynne Robinson's Gilead and Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, and listed as one of six "Best Books of the West" in the Salt Lake Tribune. ForeWord Reviews praised The Green Age as "a feat reminiscent of William Styron's Lie Down in Darkness," Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler called it "a startling accomplishment," and Booklist said it "display[ed] a mastery that is surprising in a novelistic debut."
Three years later, Cunningham released Lost Son (Unbridled Books), a large biographical novel about Rainer Maria Rilke which was the culmination of more than ten years of reading, writing, research, and travel. Distinguished literary critic Ihab Hassan said "the magic of Rilke reach[es] out from every page," and called the novel"a subtle and signal imaginative achievement." Cunningham was interviewed at length about Lost Son for the book Truthful Fictions: Conversations with American Biographical Novelists (Bloomsbury, 2014). Lost Son was listed as a Top 10 Book of 2007 in The Oregonian.
Cunningham has subsequently published four other books. His work is frequently included in university curricula, and his short stories and nonfiction have appeared in many publications including Alaska Quarterly Review, Boulevard, Catamaran Literary Reader, Epoch, Glimmer Train, Oregon Humanities Magazine, The Kenyon Review, Poets & Writers, and Tin House. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from Literary Arts, the Oregon Arts Commission (2007; 2013), and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, as well as residencies at the Yaddo Colony (2010; 2014). Since 2010 he has contributed regularly to the Books section of The Oregonian. He is a contributing editor for the literary journal Moss, a frequent public speaker on books and literary culture, and served for four years as a facilitator for the Oregon Humanities Conversation Project, conducting public conversations on the subject of the cultural impact of e-reading. For more than a decade he has provided freelance writing, editing, and literary consulting services to a broad range of clients. (Are you looking for an editor?)
Cunningham founded Atelier26 Books out of deep personal convictions as a reader and writer (see "Our Values" on our About page), and brings a writer's sensibility to his editing and publishing practices. To learn more about the background ofAtelier26 and Cunningham's vision for the press, please see the following links:
- "A Publisher's Journey," Cunningham's notes on traveling to Boston to attend the 2016 PEN/Hemingway Award ceremony
- Late Night Library's June 2014 interview with Cunningham (audio)
- "Committed: How Independent Publishers Craft & Refine Mission" by Deb Vanasse, The Independent (trade magazine of the IBPA)
- Cunningham joins Atelier26 author Harriet Scott Chessman on KBOO Radio (audio)
- Cunningham Introduces Atelier26 Author Harriet Scott Chessman at Powell's
- Author testimonials and more in our homemade video: "A Glimpse Inside Atelier26"
M. Allen Cunningham on Twitter
M. Allen Cunningham's author website
"Dispatches" (Cunningham's occasional author blog)
Nathan Shields, Designer
The physical elegance of all our titles is a main priority at Atelier26 Books. Since our inception, we've had the great good fortune to work with designer Nathan Shields. Nathan is an artist, mathematician, teacher, and, as the mind behind SaipanCakes.com, the famous creator of pancake portraits and motifs. His work has been featured by the Today Show, Good Morning America, Nickelodeon, PBS.org, USAToday.com, The Huffington Post, and at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. As the founder of Draw4Us, he has served clients as diverse as Nutella and the Canadian government. He lives in Port Angeles, WA with his family. Read a bit about our design process HERE and HERE.
Diane Prokop, Publicist
Atelier26 publicist Diane Prokop brings more than 20 years of experience in public relations and magazine writing. She is a widely published freelance book reviewer and a well-known literary blogger and author interviewer. She also serves on the Atelier26 Advisory Board. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
https://www.facebook.com/diane.prokop.7
Paul Martone, Advisory Board Member
Paul Martone is a writer and teacher in Portland, Oregon, and served as the executive director of Late Night Library. His short stories have been finalists for two Glimmer Train awards and the John Steinbeck Award.
Laura Stanfill, Advisory Board Member
Laura Stanfill is the founder and publisher of Forest Avenue Press. She serves on the PubWest Board of Directors and is a sought-after public speaker on the topic of small press publishing. Laura’s professional background includes stints in public relations and freelancing for regional magazines and newspapers in Virginia, New York, and Oregon.
