OUR VISION IS TO BE
THESE CORE VALUES DRIVE US
Craft. Creativity. Connection. Growth. Support.
An oasis of inspiration and support for Arizona’s aspiring, established, and I’m-not-really-a-writer writers.
OUR MISSION IS TO
Offer low or no-cost resources that help Arizona writers generate work, build skills, share their stories, and connect with a vibrant writing community.
POP’s Leadership
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Sue Fulton
FOUNDER & WORKSHOP LEAD
Sue is an award-winning teacher/workshop leader, a prose writer, and a poet. A previous host of the Metro Phoenix chapter of Shut Up & Write, Sue and her teams also published two anthologies. Sue founded POP in 2023, focused on making author support available across the Valley.
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Tracy Skochil
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A marketing strategist with a keen eye for community building, Tracy helps POP develop and scale programs aligned to its mission. Tracy also hosts an online critique group open to all skill levels. She’s in final stages (she hopes) of editing her first speculative fiction novel about the intersection of technology and humanity.
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Leslie Cox
GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
An all-around people person, Leslie helps POP find and connect with existing AZ writing communities, publishers, and authors. A retired health-care exec, Leslie also develops fundraising strategies to support POP's 100% volunteer team. Well-acquainted with the ever-changing writer's journey, Leslie's memoir is in editing phase.
POP’s Passion Project Leaders
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Cristi Scobee
PODCAST HOST
Done with the life path she was "supposed to live," Cristina Scobee enjoys exploring the road less traveled. After finishing her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona, she later pursued an MBA from Grand Canyon University and an MA in Film and Theatre from the University of Galway. She is passionate about her mixed heritage and the unique way family culture shapes an individual. Her other interests include theatre, OCD advocacy, and finding out more about everyone's unique life story.
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Felicia Penza
BRAND & DESIGN
A quadruple threat — singer, painter, and writer — Felicia’s the brilliant creative mind behind POP’s logo and presence. She writes creative non-fiction and is currently working on a collection of stories about life raising twin 13-year-olds. An award-winning designer, Felicia’s artwork can be found throughout Phoenix.
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Mary Cornelius
SPECIAL EVENTS
Mary lives in Peoria, AZ, and when not traveling, divides her time between Arizona and Chicago. Mary leads a team of volunteers who produce POP’s annual writer’s retreat. When she’s not writing, Mary is a musician directing music at a local church and playing in a band. An avid blogger, Mary also helped launch two anthologies featuring work by local writers.
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Eric Boyd
WRITING CRAFT
Eric loves to geek out over writing craft, story ideas, and the last book he read. A lawyer and dad to two teenagers, he writes middle grade horror. He’s currently querying a middle grade horror piece to agents, and writing an adult horror novel. Eric has led events and workshops for SCBWI, Shut Up & Write, and the Ubergroup, and he brings that same energy and curiosity to POP’s “Writers Read” program.