Greg Gerding
Greg Gerding is a noted underground poet and publisher. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in English Language & Literature and a minor in Sociology, and then hit the streets to continue his education as a scholar and scrivener of the real world. I’ll Show You Mine is his seventh book. Previously he has published five books of prose poetry and a collection of essays, Venue Voyeurisms. Gerding founded the University of Hell Press in 2005 as a platform for unconventional artistry, and he has collaborated on projects with both musicians and visual artists. He is well known for organizing poetry readings on both coasts. Gerding was born in Kentucky, has lived and/or worked in nearly every city in America, and currently resides in Portland. For more information please visit www.universityofhellpress.com.
Walt Harrington
Walt Harrington, a former long-time staff writer for the Washington Post Magazine, is the author or editor of six books and the winner of numerous print and broadcast journalism awards, including the Gustavus Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in the United States for his book Crossings: A White Man’s Journey Into Black America. His book, The Everlasting Stream: A True Story of Rabbits, Guns, Friendship, and Family, was made into an Emmy Award-winning documentary broadcast by PBS. His book, Intimate Journalism: The Art and Craft of Reporting Everyday Life, has been widely used in journalism writing classes nationwide. He is a journalism professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. An archive of student work published from his feature writing classes is at www.intimatejournalism.com. His professional website is at www.waltharrington.com.
Siori Kitajima
Siori Kitajima has been an artist her entire life. Her ability to seamlessly combine beauty and utility has led her from the canvas to the computer screen, where she creates strong, well-balanced logos, webpages, user interfaces, and print materials. A recent finalist for a worldwide Information is Beautiful Award, Kitajima has a practical understanding of front-end technology and can code in HTML and CSS. Her work has been displayed in museums and art galleries in Japan, Europe, and the US. She has also been featured in several magazines and websites. For more information, please see www.siorikitajima.com.
Brandt Legg
Brandt Legg was a child prodigy who, after the tragic loss of his father and a bout with crippling migraine headaches, turned an interest in stamp collecting into a multi-million dollar business empire. By 18, the high-flying Legg, known to the media as the “Teen Tycoon,” became ensnarled in the financial whirlwind of the junk bond eighties, lost his entire fortune… and ended up serving time in federal prison for financial improprieties. Legg emerged, chastened and wiser, one year later and began anew in retail and real estate. From there his life adventures have led him through magazine publishing, newspaper writing, FM radio (behind the mic and in the business office), and music production, including CDs and concerts. Outview is the first book of his Inner Movement Trilogy. For more information, please see www.BrandtLegg.com.
Peter Mehlman
Peter Mehlman, after whom a hypochondriacal giraffe was named in the Madagascar movies, lives in Los Angeles where he writes essays, screenplays, NPR commentaries and hosts the Webby-nominated YouTube series Narrow World of Sports. He grew up in Queens, New York, and graduated from the University of Maryland before writing for the Washington Post and ABC’s SportsBeat with Howard Cosell. He has also written for Esquire, GQ, the New York Times Magazine and virtually every Conde Nast women’s magazine because of his powerful grasp on what women want. He was a writer and co-executive producer of Seinfeld. Associated with the show through nearly all of its nine-year-run, he is remembered for coining such terms as “spongeworthy” and “yada, yada,” the latter of which has been included as an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Nthikeng Mohlele
Nthikeng Mohlele lives and works in Johannesburg. His debut novel, The Scent of Bliss, was published in 2008 by Kwela Books.
Ray Nixon
Ray Nixon, born Ranon McLaughlin, is a 17 year old rapper and bon vivant. He attends Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego and is one of the original Apollo Mob.
Mike Sager
Mike Sager is a best-selling author and award-winning reporter. A former Washington Post staff writer under Watergate investigator Bob Woodward, he worked closely, during his years as a contributing editor to Rolling Stone, with gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Sager is the author of four collections of non-fiction, two novels, and one biography. He has served for more than fifteen years as a writer at large for Esquire. In 2010 he won the American Society of Magazine Editors’ National Magazine Award for profile writing for his article “The Man Who Never Was”. Many of his stories have been optioned for film. For more information, please see www.mikesager.com.
Miles Sager
Miles Sager is an 18 year old, San Diego-based rapper, filmmaker, producer, and high school senior. He was born in Washington, DC, of African-American, Creole and Jewish descent. He grew up in San Diego, where he attends La Jolla Country Day School. Sager’s music reflects his Southern and multicultural heritage; he has a cool beach vibe with urban roots. His musical work features intelligent observations and poetic verse, an eclectic range of sonic influences, and a natural facility for crafting hooks. His film work highlights a fine sense of detail and rhythm, and also his ability to plan and coordinate people and productions. He will be attending Academy of Art University in San Francisco starting in Fall, 2013. For more information, please see milezsager.com.
His Facebook fan page can be found at Miles Sager.
