Amber Palson (Palmer) is a playwright and scholar with work revolving around explorations of the LGBT experience in the United States. As a scholar, Palson studies LGBT documentary theater in the late 20th century, theater as an expression of historiographical and archival research, and how documentary theater allows theatermakers and audiences to revive the past, recontextualize the present as the future’s history, and envision their futures. Palson has presented work at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Conference, Arts of the Present Conference, and Carthage College’s Day of ACTION Service Event. As a playwright, Palson is interested in exploring complex emotions and identity through heightened, often fantastical circumstances, with a particular focus on Midwestern and Appalachian queer experiences. Their work has been seen across the United States and has been awarded the KCACTF Gary Garrison Award for Outstanding Ten Minute Play (National Winner, 2021), KCACTF John Cauble Award for Outstanding Short Play (National Finalist, 2021), and City Theatre’s National Award for Short Playwriting (2019 and 2020 Finalist). Works have been included in We/Us: Monologues for The Gender Minority (Smith and Kraus, 2022), Best Women’s Monologues of 2021 (Smith and Kraus), The Kilroys List (2020), and Best Men’s Monologues of 2019. MFA Western Michigan University (2020).