Kim Calder
Kim Calder received her Master’s degree in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of California at Berkeley in Contemporary Poetry and Fiction. Published in various nationally distributed literary journals and author of four chapbooks, she has been a member of the Los Angeles Poets and Writers Collective since the year 2000, and has participated in numerous spoken word events throughout Southern California. She teaches writing workshops nationally. Kim is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Poetry at the University of Maryland.
Purchase: Who’s to Say What’s Home
Aaron Henne
Aaron Henne is a playwright member with the Ovation Award Winning Son of Semele Ensemble. His many plays include King Cat Calico Finally Flies Free!, Labo(u)r, and Bare, and his adaptation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, Sliding Into Hades, at the Odyssey Theatre, received the 2008 LA Weekly Awards for Playwriting and Production of the Year. He has served in script development capacities for Culture Clash, The Mark Taper Forum, The Colony Theatre and The Theatre @ Boston Court, where he is the co-literary manager. Aaron was a finalist for The Jerome and The Juilliard Fellowships in Playwriting, as well as Center Theatre Group’s Sherwood Award. His most recent work, Record Storm Spreads Ruin!, was commissioned by the Los Angeles History Project and had its premiere at The Autry Museum. His collaboration with Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, The Body Mecanique, will premiere in June of 2009. Aaron has taught theatre and playwriting for The Robey Theatre Company, Wordspace and Writing Pad. He currently runs the writers’ studio, Wordstrut.
Purchase: You Already Know
Melora Walters
Melora Walters was born in Saudi Arabia. She grew up there, as well as in Holland. She is a graduate of Pratt Institute in New York City. Melora is also an actress. She has collaborated with such filmmakers as Paul Thomas Anderson, Taylor Hackford and Anthony Minghella to create memorable characters and performances. She most recently starred in HBO’s critically acclaimed series BIG LOVE and this year she was seen in the independent feature CASE 219. Last year, Finishing Line Press published her first book of poetry “Sonnets and Failures” with some of her wood block prints. She lives in Los Angeles with her two children, Tom and Joanna.
Purchase: The Siren/In the Painting…
Chiwan Choi
Chiwan is a writer, editor, teacher, and co-founder of Writ Large Press. His poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and magazines, including ONTHEBUS, Esquire.com, and The Nervous Breakdown. His first major collection of poetry, The Flood, was published by Tía Chucha Press in April, 2010. His second collection, Abductions, was published by Writ Large Press in April, 2012.
Purchase: Abductions
Khadija Anderson
Khadija Anderson, returned in 2008 to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija’s poetry has been published in The Ursa Major Poets Anthology, The Ticket, Altadena Library Poetry Anthology, The Ark Magazine, Unfettered Verse, Washington Poets Association’s whispers & [Shouts], Common Line Project, Here & Now, Gazoobitales, Qarrtsiluni, Gutter Eloquence, Unlikely 2.0, The Citron Review, Killpoet, Short, Fast & Deadly, and Wheelhouse 9. Her poem “Islam for Americans” was nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize. Khadija holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles.
Purchase: History of Butoh
Billy Burgos
Billy Burgos is a native of Belize, Central America. He lives in the same Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles where he grew up. He is an active member of The Anansi Writer’s Workshop and a mainstay in the local poetry scene. Along with serving as a curator for gotpoetry.com for the past 6 years, Billy is also the host of Blogtalk Radio’s poetry show Word Ballast, for which he’s interviewed poets of color such as Nikkey Finney, Nikky Giovanni, Thomas Sayers Ellis and Jericho Brown. He has been published in numerous journals both in print and online. Billy is the co-editor of the poetry broadsheet Sic 3 and also serves as poetry facilitator of The Beyond Baroque poetry workshop, a literary mecca in Venice, CA. In 2009, Billy was chosen as newer poet to watch by the LA Poetry Festival.
Purchase: Eulogy to an Unknown Tree
Mike Sonksen
Mike Sonksen, also known as Mike the Poet, has long been an integral force in the Los Angeles poetry scene. He has been widely acclaimed for his live performances, contributions to international publications and legendary city tours. Poet, journalist, historian, tour guide, and teacher, he is regularly published in the LA Citybeat, OC Weekly, New Angeles, LA Weekly, and many others. This 3rd generation L.A. native graduated from UCLA in 1997. His book, I Am Alive in Los Angeles, has been added to the curriculum of several universities and has received rave reviews.
Websites: I AM ALIVE IN LOS ANGELES!!
