VIctoria Noe is an award-winning author, speaker and activist. In 2006, she promised a dying friend that she would write a book about people grieving their friends. That book turned into the Friend Grief series, six small nonfiction collections of stories from people whose lives changed when their friends died. With these books, she filled a gap in grief resources. Noe's freelance work has appeared in Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Windy City Times and a variety of writing and HIV/AIDS-related websites. Her essay, "Long-Term Survivor" won the 2015 Christopher Hewitt Award for Creative Nonfiction from A&U Magazine. A sought-after speaker, she has presented at such venues as The Muse and the Marketplace, Mt. Sinai Medical Center HIV rounds and public libraries around the Midwest. Her work in the AIDS community in Chicago began in the mid-1980s as a volunteer, then as a fundraiser for a variety of AIDS-service organizations until 1994. After a long break, she returned as a writer and advocate in 2011. Her focus includes sharing stories of women in the AIDS community and supporting the needs of long-term survivors. Noe holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Speech and Dramatic Art from the University of Iowa, and uses her experience as a stage manager and director to help shy authors overcome their fear of public speaking. She is a member of the Authors Guild, Alliance of Independent Authors, and ACT UP/NY. A St. Louis native, she remains a loyal Cardinals fan despite living in Chicago, married to a Cubs fan. Her website is www.victorianoe.com