Malín Alegría, author of two young adult novels, Estrella's Quinceñera (Simon & Schuster, 2006) and Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico (Simon & Schuster, 2007).

Laura Benedict, author of Isabella Moon (2007), her first novel

Debra Marquart, author of The Horizontal World (2006), two poetry collections, and a short story collection, The Hunger Bone: Rock and Roll Stories

Joyce Carol Oates, author of over 100 books, most recently Wild Nights (2008) and My Sister, My Love: The Intimate Story of Skyler Rampike (2008)

Kim Osorio, author of Straight from the Source: An Expose from the Former Editorin Chief of the Hip-Hop Bible (forthcoming). A 10-year veteran in publishing, she is currently Vice President of Content at Global Grind.

Jennifer Sahn, editor of Orion Magagzine: Nature/ Culture/ Place

Ginger Strand, author of Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies (2008) and the novel Flight (2005)

Samantha Thornhill, poet, spoken-word performer, and author of the young adult novel Seventeen Seasons (forthcoming)

Natasha Trethewey, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Native Guard (2007), and author of Bellocq's Ophelia (2002) and Domestic Work (2000)

Lisa Williams, winner of the Barnhard Women Poets Prize for Woman Reading to the Sea (2008), and author of The Hammered Dulcimer (1998)