The Roanoke Rambler

Henri Gendreau is The Rambler's founder and publisher; he served as editor from 2021-2025. He was a reporter at The Roanoke Times and has written for WIRED, Bloomberg News, and several newspapers.

Lindsey Smith Hull is a freelance journalist, storyteller and poet, who published "the mountains rumble" chapbook as Roanoke's 2024 Writer by Bus. Her reporting focuses on human interest stories.

Jeff Sturgeon, an investigative reporter, worked for 29 years at The Roanoke Times. His reporting focuses on business, government and accountability.

Layla is a freelance writer whose passion for food storytelling developed growing up abroad. She has contributed to Food Network, the Chicago Tribune, VinePair, Saveur, and the Roanoker, among others.

Ralph Berrier was a reporter at The Roanoke Times from 1993 until 2021, working in the news, features and sports departments. He is the author of "If Trouble Don't Kill Me" (Crown, 2010).

Sinclair Holian is a Report for America corps member covering segregation. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; support Sinclair today at the top of this page or at www.roanokerambler.com/support-us

Ellie Thornton is a senior at Washington and Lee University. She studies English and serves as the Chief of Media for InGeneral, the Washington and Lee Magazine. She currently lives in Lexington, VA.