About Me

Billie Best has had many careers. Born in the middle of the U.S. in the middle of the last century, she has lived on both coasts, and she’s still discovering herself. Although she entered her first writing competition as a child, she didn’t commit to being a writer until she was in her 60s. Before that she was a farmer. Before that she worked in the corporate world. Before that she worked in the music business. Before that she was a waitress. You might say she took the long road to learning the alphabet as a way of life. Today she’s an authentic voice living out loud, sharing her experience of being a female human on planet Earth. Her memoir, blog and feminist fiction elevate her grit to inspiration as she challenges her readers to open their minds, embrace change, and appreciate the unexpected. As she’s fond of saying, life is a river, not a grid. 

Billie Best was the first child born to her parents in 1954.
Illinois, 1954
Billie Best and her parents moved to Ute, Iowa in 1955.
Iowa, 1955
Billie Best and her family moved to Amarillo, Texas in 1957.
Texas, 1959
Billie Best and her family moved to Illinois in 1960.
Illinois again, 1961
Billie Best has two brothers.
Illinois, 1966
Billie Best moved to New York City in 1974.
New York City, 1974
Billie Best and Chet Cahill got married in 1985.
Boston, 1985
Billie Best and Chet Cahill had a dog named Henry.
Berkshires, 2000
Billie Best got her first flock of chickens in 2003.
Berkshires, 2003
Billie Best got her first cows in 2005.
Berkshires, 2005
Billie Best did a one-woman show about death.
Berkshires, 2009
Billie Best farmed alone.
Berkshires, 2011
Billie Best moved to Oregon.
Portland, Oregon, 2017
Writer Billie Best founded Widowspeak Publishing company
Founded my own publishing company, 2020
Released my memoir March 2020
Released my collection of essays & short stories November 2020
Released my first novel February 2024