C. L. Polk wrote her first story in grade school and still hasn't learned any better. After spending years in strange occupations and wandering western Canada, she settled in southern Alberta with her rescue dog Otis. C. L.
John Kessel holds a B.A. in Physics and English and a Ph.D. in American Literature. He helped found and served as the first director of the MFA program in creative writing at North Carolina State University, where he has taught since 1982. He is also an award-winning author.
Sarah Kendzior is a writer, journalist, and researcher who has studied authoritarian states in Central Asia. She is a former columnist for Al Jazeera English and is credited with being one of the first to predict the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Paolo Bacigalupi is the New York Times best-selling and multiple award-winning author of The Windup Girl, Ship Breaker, The Drowned Cities, Zombie Baseball Beatdown
R.E. Stearns wrote her first story on an Apple IIe computer and still kind of misses green text on a black screen. She went on to annoy all of her teachers by reading books while they lectured.
Samantha Silva is an author and screenwriter based in Idaho. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, where she studied in Bologna, Italy and Washington, D.C. Over her career she's sold film projects to Paramount, Universal, New Line Cinema and TNT.
Originally from Coffeyville, Kansas, Scott Thomas attended the University of Kansas where he earned degrees in English and Film. He is the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Disney Channel’s Best Friends Whenever and Disney XD’s Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja.
