A native Minnesotan, Alida grew up with wholesome Midwestern values and a daily dose of “Minnesota Nice,” but always sensed there was more going on behind people’s closed doors. Her stories explore the core of our humanity with richly emotional, darkly themed tales about complicated, real women, their relationships, and the secrets that haunt them.

Alida is the winner of the 2025 Minnesota Author Project Adult Fiction Award, voted on by librarians across the state, the Page Turner Award, and Confluence Prize. She is also a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards, three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and a notable in Best American Essays. Alida is an author, speaker, developmental editor, and writing coach with an MFA, over 12 years experience, and a story craft podcast for writers and readers curious about writers, called the Story Works Round Table.