Why the People

Beka Feathers is a legal adviser on political development in conflict-affected states. Her writing is influenced by her work with clients and partners in more than a dozen countries, where she has helped to draft constitutions, design transitional governments, facilitate peace processes, and advocate for improved access to justice. She is a proud alumna of Lewis & Clark College, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, and American University's Washington College of Law. She lives with her talented, pun-loving wife and a suspiciously intelligent dog in Portland, Oregon.

Ally Shwed is a cartoonist, writer, and editor, originally from Linden, New Jersey. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in sequential art from the Savannah College of Art & Design and has worked with The Boston Globe, Topic, Jezebel, and The Intercept. She regularly contributes to the comics journalism website The Nib and is the editor-in-chief of Little Red Bird Press, a comics publisher and printmaking studio. She currently lives in Belmar, New Jersey with her partner, cartoonist Gerardo Alba, and their cats, Egon and Schneider.