Kathleen George is the author of the novels The Odds, Taken, Fallen, and Afterimage and of a short story collection, The Man in the Buick. She is a professor of theatre at the University of Pittsburgh.

Anne Sanow won the 2009 Drue Heinz Prize and has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes. Her stories have appeared in *Kenyon Review, Shenandoah, Crab Orchard Review* and *Malahat** Review.*

Terese Svoboda’s memoir Black Glasses Like Clark Kent was published by Graywolf Press in 2008. Her ten books include fiction: Tin God (U of Nebraska Press, 2006); poetry: Mere Mortals (U of Georgia), and translations.

Judith Vollmer’s books include Reactor (2004, U. of Wisconsin Press); The Door Open to the Fire (1997 Cleveland State Poetry Prize); Black Butterfly (1997 Center for Book Arts Chapbook); Level Green (1990 Brittingham Prize, U. of Wisconsin Press)

Cathy Day wrote the nonfiction book, Comeback Season: How I Learned to Play the Game of Love (Free Press) Her first book, The Circus in Winter, a short story collection by Harcourt in 2004, is a fictionalized history of her hometown, Peru, Indiana.

David Trinidad teaches at Columbia College in Chicago, where he co-founded the literary journal Court Green. His many books include The Late Show, Tiny Moon Notebook, Plasticville. He edited Powerless, the selected poems of Tim Dlugos.

Anthony Varallo’s book of stories, OUT LOUD, was selected by Scott Turow as winner of the 2008 Drue Heinz Literature Prize (University of Pittsburgh Press). His first collection, THIS DAY IN HISTORY, won the 2005 John Simmons Short Fiction Award.

Lori Jakiela is the author of Miss New York Has Everything (Warner Books, 2006). Her chapbook, The Regulars, was awarded first prize in Nerve Cowboy’s 2001 chapbook contest and published by Liquid Paper Press.

Irene McKinney is the Poet Laureate of West Virginia. She is the author of five books, including Vivid Companion (Vandalia Press, 2004), Six O'Clock Mine Report (U of Pittsburgh Press, 1989), and Quick Fire and Slow Fire (North Atlantic Books, 1988).

Robert Marshall’s book, A Separate Reality (Carroll & Graf, 2006) was a Lambda Award Nominee for Debut Fiction. He is a novelist and visual artist living in New York City.