Avery Rome is a longtime journalist, editor, and teacher. She worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1979 to 2012, serving as a top editor in charge of projects and writing. For eleven years she was the Editor of Inquirer Magazine. During her newspaper career she won forty awards, and projects she guided into print won over 200 prizes. For five years she edited an online publication called Obit Magazine, covering death issues, customs, and practices as well as the defining transitions of our culture. A graduate of Swarthmore College, she began teaching writing and journalism at Penn in 2006 and shortly thereafter began coaching Wharton MBA students in writing. Since she left the Inquirer, she has edited fiction and nonfiction books, plays, and screenplays. She stays politically engaged and works on improving her French. She also helps grow fresh produce for the West Chester Food Cupboard at Rushton Farm in Chester County.