Susan Chiavelli believes that being swallowed by a whale is an apt metaphor for writing fiction.She serves on the editorial staff of the Santa Barbara Anthology, Community of Voices. Her fiction has appeared in various journals and anthologies.
The Santa Barbara Writers' Conference awarded "Whale" the first place fiction award in 1998, and it has received other recognition. It appeared in World Wide Writers in 1999 and Potpourri in 2001. In addition, "Whale" has been used in the Speaking of Stories educational outreach program for youth at risk.
Susan grew up in Seattle and is currently finishing an interlinked story collection that takes place in the Northwest.