Melissa Olson (aka “me”) grew up in a big-ish family in a small-ish town in Northwestern Wisconsin. After spending most of elementary and middle school with her nose in books, she got her driver’s license and graduated to having her nose (and accompanying face) at movie theaters.

She attended college at the University of Southern California in the heart of Los Angeles, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in English and Cinema-Television. After a brief stint in the Hollywood studio system (which included two layoffs, a total of six months of unemployment, and a number of turkey and pepperjack wraps at the Warner Bros Studio cafeteria), she moved to Madison, WI, where she worked as a television producer. Her not-so-secret alter ego is as a film columnist for the Chippewa Falls Herald Telegram.

Melissa also enjoys time with her husband, their two oversized dogs, and their infant daughter Matilda “Mattie” Zoey. She likes Madison very much, but often dreams of the food in LA. Literally. There are dreams. Her dislikes include people who say “have a good one,” improper use of the word “literally,” and anyone who thinks camouflage clothing is acceptable as a daily fashion staple.

When she dies, Melissa hopes that her tombstone will read “sausage and green peppers.”