Malik Abdul-Jabbaar received his BA in English from Rutgers-Camden. He was the recipient of the 2008 Rutgers University Alumni Association award for Creative Writing. He has lived abroad for a number of years in Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other countries. He is fluent in classical Arabic and works as a translator/interpreter. His interests are the Bedouin verse of early Arab poets and the Imagist movement of the early 20th century.  

Alexis Apfelbaum is a graduate of Temple University. She has published two stories: "The Orange Haired Baby," in Global City Review  and "We're At A Party" in Blackbird. She has studied creative writing at the Paris American Academy, the Colgate University Chenango Valley Writers Conference, and Sewanee's Young Writer's Conference. She currently lives in Philadelphia with three roommates and an epileptic poodle.  

Matthew Charles received his BA in English from Rutgers University in Camden.  He is a certified educator in the field of English in the state of New Jersey and would like to continue that career path as well as continue his life as a writer. Obsessed with the fantastic and "dead" gods, he resides in South Jersey and spends far too much time in diners.  

Jonathan Deane spent his childhood roaming around the edges of the continent.  He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he worked as a writing tutor, hearing many fascinating stories from his clients, who included trauma nurses, world travelers, and EMTs. As well as being a novelist, he is a freelance writer, and is involved in writing SAT-W questions for the Educational Testing Service.  

Barry Graham earned an MA in Creative Writing from Eastern Michigan University. He is the author of two collections of fiction, The National Virginity Pledge and Not a Speck of Light is Showing.   His fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in over seventy-five magazines, anthologies, and literary journals.  He is a four-time National Tic-Tac-Toe Association Champion and spends his summers searching for antiques in small town yard sales.

Therese Halscheid is author of four poetry collections: Powertalk, Without Home, Uncommon Geography, and a chapbook award, Greatest Hits.   Her poems have appeared in The Connecticut Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, Philadelphia Stories, and elsewhere.  She is a visiting writer in schools through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and has received Fellowship Awards through both the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R Dodge Foundation.

Linda Hamilton is a healthcare attorney, currently practicing inhouse at Lourdes Health System in Camden.  Before going to law school, she was in business for a number of years: in sales and marketing at various companies, and then as co-owner of an executive search firm in New York City.  She lives with her husband (a fellow attorney) in Moorestown with her cat and spends lots of time in the garden. 

Dan Lee is a freelance magazine writer. He is a contributing writer to Philadelphia Magazine. His stories have twice been included in HarperCollins's annual Best American Crime Writing anthology; he also has sold nonfiction pieces to Esquire and GQ. A native of Cape May County, New Jersey, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  

Elizabeth Licorish recently received her BA in English from Rutgers University.  Her first book, Innovation for Underdogs, was published by Career Press in late 2008; the title has gone on to sell international rights in Egypt, India, Portugal, and China.  Elizabeth primarily writes memoir, though she's also in love with short fiction.  

Ryan Miller has lived in Philadelphia for just over a year, working as an adult literacy teacher for the YMCA. He majored in Creative Writing at Oberlin College and writes both fiction and non-fiction. His work has appeared in St. Louis Magazine and 52nd City, and he also writes for his own blog, Middled. Ryan currently lives in Fishtown with his girlfriend, Danielle, and their fine dog, Junie. 

Amy S. O'Hearn is a high school English teacher in Cinnaminson, New Jersey.  She has just completed her tenth year at Cinnaminson High School where she teaches Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition and Creative Writing I-IV.  

Scott Oliver recently received his BA from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.  When not writing poetry, Scott interests himself in writing fiction and comic books.  Some of his work can be found online at the web-journals TheFhiz and Richard Stockton Overdrive.  Scott's comics can be found at the annual art expos MOCCA and SPX, as well as at the comic shop Jim Hanley's Universe.  

Tracy Shields graduated from Rutgers University magna cum laude, with a degree in English Literature and Journalism. She has been Concept Editor of the Painted Bride Quarterly since 2001 and has been published in Word Riot, Philadelphia Stories and six sentences. She has two beautiful sons, Daniel and Julien.

Dean Steckel was born and raised in Hamilton Square, New Jersey.  He moved to Philly in 2004 to attended Chestnut Hill College, where he graduated with B.A.'s in Political Science and English Literature.  He hopes to continue on in graduate study for a Doctorate in English.  

Bruce Walsh received a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from Rutgers New Brunswick in 2008. He is also a certified English teacher and has frequently worked as a substitute in Middlesex County.   When he is not mulling over a draft of fiction he is buying used books or knee-deep in some creative undertaking.