九色视频

2026 Keynote: Sandra McCracken

Sandra McCracken is a prolific songwriter, modern-day hymn writer, and record producer. With more than thirteen studio albums to her credit, her soulful, alt folk-gospel songs soar whether in a grand theater or a country chapel, and her dynamic performances blur the lines of what church music sounds like, captivating and inviting audiences to sing along.

Filmmaker and author Craig Detweiler, PhD, is President of the cultural investment organization, the , and Dean of the at Grand Canyon University. After graduation from USC鈥檚 School of Cinematic Arts, he wrote the screenplays for The Duke, the comedic road trip, Extreme Days and directed the award-winning documentary , narrated by Angela Bassett. His acclaimed books include , , eand his newest release on in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Detweiler鈥檚 cultural commentary has been featured on ABC鈥檚 Nightline, CNN, Fox, NPR, and in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Variety honored Detweiler as their 2016 .

Van G. Garrett听is the author of听Kicks, his debut picture book, Juneteenth, and Specs. An acclaimed poet, he won the Poetry Question National Chapbook Contest for听Scrap听and the Best Book of African American Poetry听from the Texas Association of Authors听for听49: Wings and Prayers. He is a musician and visual artist.

Jane Clark Scharl is an American poet, playwright, and critic. She is the Executive Editor of听The Better Part, and Poetry Editor for听Plough.Her poetry has appeared in many American and European outlets, including the BBC,听The Hopkins Review, The New Ohio Review, The Hudson Review, The American Journal of Poetry, The Lamp, Measure Review, and others. Her criticism has appeared in听Dappled Things, Fare Forward, Plough Quarterly, and others.Jane has written two verse dramas that are parts I and II of a trilogy published by Wiseblood Books.听Sonnez Les Matines听was released in February 2023 and听The Death of Rabelais in October 2025.听Her debut poetry collection,听Ponds, was released by Wipf & Stock Publishers in April 2024. She lives in Detroit with her husband and children.

Jennifer A. Hartenburg teaches writing and literature in the Houston area where she lives with her husband, two children, and two cats. She holds a B.A. in English and M.A. in Education, both from Biola University where she remains a perpetual member of the Torrey Honors College. She began teaching literature and writing in 1997 and helped pilot an interactive online program for high school students through Biola University beginning in 2000. Jen currently serves as the founder and executive director of Bluebonnet Home Scholars Collaborative in Sugar Land.

Jen’s work has appeared in various journals and publications including the Christian Century, Dappled Things, Rattle: Poets Respond, The Saint Katherine Review, and Weber: The Contemporary West. Her poetry collection, Instructions for Waking, is forthcoming with Kelsay Books.听Jen is continually rediscovering the power of word and world to startle and heal with beauty.

Timothy E. G. Bartel, PhD, is a poet and professor from California. His work has appeared in听Christianity and Literature,听First Things, Modern Age, and elsewhere. He is the author of five volumes of poems and three volumes of essays, most recently听The Poets and The Fathers: Theology and Poetry from Gregory Nazianzus to Scott Cairns听(Pickwick Publications, 2024) and听Roots and Fruit: An Introduction to the Christian Faith听(forthcoming from Calla Press). Timothy currently lives in Houston and serves as Professor of Great Texts and Theology at Saint Constantine College.

John Whitmore is a seasoned creative and production leader with more than twenty-five years of experience shaping game design, product strategy, and studio operations across startups, major publishers, and global brands. As a game听design and production leader,听听John听 has built and managed high-performing teams in environments ranging from indie studios to Fortune 500 companies, driving successful launches across mobile, PC, console, AR/VR, and educational gaming. John鈥檚 career spans executive roles at Hitcents, vGolf, Level Ex, Backflip/Hasbro, Mattel, Namco Bandai, Sega, and multiple independent studios, where he consistently introduced clear processes, elevated creative quality, and improved production velocity. Known for his collaborative style and ability to bring order to ambiguity, he has overseen everything from franchise development and publishing operations to analytics, product management, and major studio turnarounds. John holds an MA in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara and a BA from The George Washington University.

Katie Morton听is a Sr. Production Coordinator at Pixar Animation Studios. Her credits include feature, streaming and short-form projects, with her favorite being Inside Out 2. She is passionate about utilizing storytelling to help heal and inspire people. Outside of work, you can find her writing her next script at a coffee shop, camping in the mountains, or nerding out over film scores. She holds a BA in Cinema and Media Arts, concentrating in Screenwriting, from Biola University and is based in San Francisco.