Author: Allison Dodson

Journalist and Author, “The Hostage’s Daughter: A Story of Family, Madness, and the Middle East”

Sulome is a journalist and author based between New York City and Beirut, Lebanon. An alumna of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, she regularly reports feature stories for publications including The Atlantic, VICE, Newsweek, New York magazine, Foreign Policy, and Vox. Her goal is to write about people existing in extreme circumstances–instead of focusing exclusively on the politics of conflict, and to convey how political strife affects the humans involved. She’s covered a wide range of topics including child suicide among Syrian refugees, the war against ISIS in Iraq and Hezbollah’s position in Lebanon. Her father is Terry Anderson, the Associated Press bureau chief kidnapped in Lebanon three months before she was born in 1985. She met him when he was released after almost seven years of captivity. Her book, The Hostage’s Daughter, is a reported investigation of her father’s captivity blended with memoir, in which she explores the very personal toll war has taken on her life.

Former Chief Middle East Correspondent, The Associated Press

Terry Anderson, 68, is a retired journalist – a former foreign correspondent in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He served as Chief Middle East Correspondent for the Associated Press, as well as working as a newspaper editor, tv & radio reporter and documentary producer. He is a former Marine and Vietnam veteran. Anderson has spent more than ten years as a journalism professor at University of Florida, Syracuse University, Ohio University and the Columbia School of Journalism, among others. He is author of the bestselling book, “Den of Lions,” recounting the seven years he was held hostage in Lebanon, and has been a frequent speaker on journalism, the Middle East and public affairs. He holds numerous awards in journalism, as well as for volunteer and charitable work. He is honorary chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists, which monitors attacks on the press and works to defend journalists around the world. He is also co-chair and founder of the Vietnam Children’s Fund, which has built 50 schools in Vietnam over the past 20 years. Anderson is an enthusiastic diver (cave dive certified and experienced), and a horse lover who has raised and trained young and troubled horses. He currently lives in Orange, Virginia. Anderson holds a double B.A. in journalism and political science from Iowa State University.

Author & White House Correspondent, American Urban Radio Networks

April Ryan, a 30-year journalism veteran, has been the White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) since January of 1997, covering three Presidents. Ryan is also the author of the best-selling book, “The Presidency In Black and White: My Up Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America” and “At Mama’s Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White.”

Prior to working for AURN, Ryan worked for several radio stations in Baltimore, including WXYV-FM, where she was news director. Over the past 18 years, Ryan has conducted one-on-one interviews with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Senator John Kerry and a host of others. Ryan has been credited by a White House historian as having the most radio interviews with then President Bill Clinton during his White House years.

Ryan is a CNN news analyst and has appeared as a roundtable panelist on NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and on CBS’s Face the Nation. The Baltimore native is a second generation Morgan State University graduate (following in her mother’s footsteps).