Mission Statement - After Dinner Conversation® is an award-winning independent nonprofit publisher. We believe in fostering meaningful discussions among friends, family, and students to enhance humanity through truth-seeking, reflection, and respectful debate. To achieve this, we publish philosophical and ethical short story fiction accompanied by discussion questions.

Value Statement - We value curiosity, reflection, and respectful dialogue. Our stories are chosen not only for their literary quality but for their ability to challenge assumptions, raise ethical questions, and spark conversation that makes people think more deeply about themselves and the world.

Board of Directors

• Kolby Granville

• Jeremy Cheek

• Sarah Houghtelin

• Ashley Robota

• Nicole Natale

Masthead

Kolby Granville (Founder, Editor-in-Chief) is a lawyer, teacher, traveler, writer, and trail runner. He spent five years teaching Socratic discussion classes based on primary source literature and just finished spending 3.5 years traveling the world through 20 countries and living the digital nomad life. He now works with his sister as a lawyer at Granville Law doing indigent criminal defense. In 2025, Chillsubs members voted Kolby the #2 “Best Lit Mag Editor.” Members previously rated After Dinner Conversation “Top 10 LitMag of 2023, 2024.”

R.K.H. Ndong (Story Editor) has almost thirty years of experience teaching, coaching English (EFL) Business Communications, and editing/proofreading. Hoosier-born, she has journeyed through the Caribbean, backpacked through Europe and served a Peace Corps term in Africa. She lives with her family (and four dogs) in their home nestled in sun-soaked hibiscus gardens on the equator.

Angela V. Dicken (Submission Director)  is a speculative fiction writer and developmental editor from Ohio. A Midwesterner at heart, she studied literature and gender studies at Miami University before earning a certificate in developmental editing from the University of Washington.  Angela currently teaches creative writing in her community and is writing a speculative novel that examines selfhood under constraint, alongside a collection of surreal short stories with a domestic fabulist theme. 

Maddie Walls (Digital Distribution Editor) is a writer/editor from southeast Oklahoma. Maddie spent much of her academic career as a writing tutor before graduating with a BA in English and a minor in Business Administration. Currently, she serves as a freelance content and developmental editor while maintaining her own writing through her personal Substack where she challenges herself and her readers to contemplate the many complexities of faith, philosophy, and identity.

Drew Rhodes (Author Interviews Editor) is a former spoken word poetry champion who teaches creative writing and drama. He holds masters degrees in creative writing and education and is a veteran of the US Air Force. Drew also works as a voice actor and has narrated several stories for After Dinner Conversation, as well as The Funcanny Valley Podcast, The Daily Writing Habit, and several commercial spots.

Nalini Jacob-Roussety (Philosopher-In-Residence) is a Melbourne-based writer and educator. With a background in philosophy and literature, she has spent years teaching philosophy through storytelling, her students ranging from primary schoolers to retirees. A periodical nomad and avid traveller, she has worked at magazines across Australia and North America. Her fiction and essays appear online, and you can listen to her ramble on TikTok.

Stephen Repsys (Copy Editor) is a professional with more than 15 years of writing and editing experience. He is the proud father of two girls, Erin and Lizzy. Steve is also a passionate fan of the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots.

Kate Bocassi (Copy Editor) is a graduate from the University of Chicago with a certificate in editing. She started with us as the copy editor for our themed books, and has grown into an integral part of our team!

Shawn Winchester (Graphic Designer) is a graphic designer with 20+ years experience and is owner of ArtEscapes.

Emeritus

Tina Lee Forsee (Substack Editor Emeritus) leads a Tucson writing critique group which meets and feasts in an elegant Sonoran desert garden and has been doing so for the past decade. Her debut literary novel, A Footnote to Plato, was published last year (Wipf and Stock). Read her philosophical short story on Daily Philosophy: “A Not Very Philosophical Zombie.” Tina spent three years as a volunteer developing and growing the After Dinner Conversation Substack. It is through her hard work that it is the driving force it is today.

Staff

Associate Acquisition Editors*

• Eric Silveira (January, 2025 - Present)

• Tamara Luckinbill (January, 2025 - Present)

• Joshua Dyer (January, 2025 - Present)

• Ricard Margineda (January, 2026 - Present)

• Adam Jishi (January, 2026 - Present)

• C. Morris (January, 2026 - Present)

  Past Associate Acquisition Editors

• Noelle Canty (January, 2023 - December, 2025)

• Wendy Hayko (January, 2025 - December, 2025)

• David Searston (July, 2025 - December, 2025)

• Kate Bocassi (January, 2025 - July, 2025)

• Deborah Serra (August, 2023 - December, 2024)

• Corey Smith (April 2024 - December, 2024)

• Y. Len (May, 2022 - November, 2024)

• Lisa Lahey (March, 2024 - November, 2024)

• K. Roberts (January, 2023 - November, 2024)

• Tina Forsee (May, 2022 - April, 2024)

• Pyrros Rubanis (May, 2022 - April, 2024)

• Kiel Gregory (May, 2022 - March 2023)

• Lessa Goss (May, 2022 - January, 2023)

Social Media Director

• Noelle Canty

Grant Writer Director

• Chelsea Chong

• Pyrros Rubanis

Magazine Layout Director

• R.K.H. Ndong

Book Publishing Director

• Open - Volunteer Position - 2-4hr/week - Six month commitment. Reaching out to small indie publishers and those with indie bookstore relationships to set up a publisher and/or distribution network for After Dinner Conversation books.

Short Story Discussion Group Facilitators

• Jonathan Miles

• Eric Silveira

• Open *2 - Volunteer Position - 2-4hr/month - Three month commitment. Read and facilitate After Dinner Conversation short story discussions once a month via Zoom call. Some experience with philosophy, ethics, and facilitating Socratic discussion required.

Outreach Coordinator

• Open - Volunteer Position - 2-4hr/week - Six month commitment. Reaching out to applicable blog, websites, and podcasts requesting to setup interviews with the After Dinner Conversation editor to discuss the magazine, and its unique niche.

* If you would like to become an “Associate Acquisition Editor” you will need to have been a volunteer reader for at least 20 stories, over a period of at least 3 months before applying for consideration. Applications are in January and June each year and require a six month commitment.

Partnerships

Special Thanks

Anonymous, Marie Anderson, DB Babak, Brian Bochicchio, Ria Bruns, Brett Clark, Jarvis Coffin, Rebecca Dueben, Tina Forsee, Deb Gain-Braley, Georgi Georgiev, David Gibson, Mercedes Holmes, Ron Koch, Sandra Kolankiewicz, Donna Lormand, Paula Mahone, Rena Ong, Anja Peerdeman, Steven Peterson, Deirdre Rogan, Serena Salinas, Cadmus Sorrell, John Sheirer, David Shultz, Frank Strada, Mitchell Sweet, Annie Thompson, Bill Weston, and Edip Yuksel.

After Dinner Conversation is supported in part by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts.