After nearly thirty years living in the Salish Sea's San Juan Archipelago, Iris Graville felt compelled to write about the threats to its interwoven lattice of beauty, wildness, fragility, and relationship. In 2018-19, Graville served as the Washington State Ferries' first Writer-in-Residence on the "Interisland" route, traveling only among Lopez, Shaw, San Juan, and Orcas Islands. As a result, this storytelling lover of the Salish Sea presents Writer in a Life Vest, thirty-six essays that explore climate change and endangered Southern Resident killer whales, while leading readers to ask questions and find resilience, inspiration, and hope. Iris Graville has lived in Washington State for four decades, after childhood and early adulthood in Chicago and small towns in Southern Illinois and Indiana. A long-time Quaker, an environmental and anti-racism activist, and a retired nurse, Iris believes everyone has a story to tell. She's the author of two collections of profiles-Hands at Work and BOUNTY: Lopez Island Farmers, Food, and Community. Her memoir, Hiking Naked, was a 2019 recipient of a Nautilus Award. Iris holds a Master of Nursing degree from the University of Washington; she focused most of her nursing career in public health. She also pursued her early love of writing, and in 2015, Iris earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. Her writing has appeared in journals and anthologies, and she's been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She's also publisher of Sharkreef Literary Magazine, a staff writer for The Wayfarer Magazine, and a Homebound Publications Advisory Board member.In 2018, Iris was named the first Writer-in-Residence for the Washington State Ferries. Sometimes you'll still find her writing on the Interisland ferry as the vessel courses among the San Juan Islands. Since 1996, Iris and her husband, a retired sign language interpreter, have lived on traditional Coast Salish lands, now called Lopez Island, Washington. They tend a large garden, ride bicycles, and walk the trails and beaches surrounding their home. They have two grown children and a grandchild. Learn more at irisgraville.com.