TWIG - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Manager, AKA Twig Big Wig

Claudia retired from teaching after 30 years and began working part time at Viva Bookstore. One thing lead to another; before a year had gone by she had moved to The Twig and become manager just as The Twig moved to The Historic Pearl Brewery. She reads across genres, but loves fiction, poetry, and children's books the most. Matching people with books they will love is the most gratifying part of her already exciting job.

Anastasia McKenna, a.k.a Miss Anastasia, is a former elementary school teacher who has spent the last 17 years doing weekly and traveling story times for independent bookstores, Austin's Toad Hall and San Antonio's The Twig Book Shop. In addition to speaking at TEDxSA 2013, she also had the opportunity to present at PechaKucha Volume 10 in San Antonio. Inspired by her audience's enthusiastic response to her performances and the joy of sharing books, McKenna has logged more than 3,000 performances at bookstores, preschools, elementary schools, libraries, children's shelters and orphanages, museums and at community and private events. As a book lover, seller, children's book collector and mother, she feels it is essential that children surround themselves with books instead of movies or television shows. Her accomplishments cannot be measured in awards or kudos, but she loves causing belly laughs and smiles, feeling the crowd hang on her every word and-her favorite-hearing "read it again!"

Job Titles:

• Shrewd Book Buyer Revered by All

Susanna is the "semi-retired" former manager of The Twig Book Shop, who doggedly creates purchase orders by pouring over restock reports, receiving special customer orders from the store and online, and working with publisher reps who sing her praises!