Melody Bates (she/they) is a queer femme creatrix whose award-winning work includes R & J & Z, published by Original Works Publishing. Called “boisterous and splendid” by The New York Times, the play continues to be produced around the country. Other projects include the play Avalon, the short film Occupy Elm Street, and her Enchanted Islands project, which she has performed everywhere from the Hudson River Valley to the Vallée de l’Homme in southern France. She is a Center at Stone Mountain Storyteller in Residence and has been recognized by the NYIT Awards with acting, writing, and original music awards.