Merna Dyer Skinner

Merna Dyer Skinner is a poet, photographer, and editor of the forthcoming poetry collection Casting Lines, An Anthology of Fishing Poems by Female Poets (Trail to Table Press, 2027). Her poems have appeared in numerous US and international journals, including: The Baltimore Review, SWWIM Every Day, Whale Road Review, Chiron Review, Thimble Literary Journal, Rust & Moth, ONE ART, MER, and Lily Poetry Review, among other journals, six anthologies, public buses and art installations. Her poetry has received recognition from the 2026 Rhysling Award (Long Listed), 2025 Comstock Chapbook Contest (Finalist), 2024 Crosswinds Poetry Journal International, (Finalist), and the 2024 Naugatuck River Review (Semi-Finalist). Her first chapbook, A Brief History of Two Aprons, was published by Finishing Line Press.

Merna is also the President of Satori Communications, Inc. In her 30-year career as a leading communications consultant, Merna has helped global business leaders and their teams improve how they speak, lead, write, and respond to media questions. Her business articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Sales & Marketing Management, and others. Merna holds an MA in Communication Studies from Emerson College. She’s lived in six U.S. states, traveled to seven continents, and now calls Portland, Oregon home.