Soren Rivero (he/them) is a Houston-based versatile artist with a deep passion for poetry, writing, and dance. Soren graduated with a B.A in English from the University of Houston-Downtown in 2022, and is currently in pursuit of an MFA in Creative Writing. In his free time, Soren enjoys experimenting with poetry, reading, dancing, and playing with his rabbits. You can connect with Soren via Instagram: @sorenxr.

Lucas Fang is a 2024 Gold Medalist in Poetry for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Lucas’s work reflects his family’s history, cultural heritage, passion for music, and the vibrant experiences of youth. He is an alumnus of the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, Kenyon Review Young Writers' Workshop, Yale Young Writers’ Workshop, and Writers in the Schools (WITS). Lucas also serves as a Poetry Reader for the Adroit Journal. Through his writing, Lucas aims to explore and connect diverse human experiences, bridging worlds and fostering understanding across communities.

Marie Brown is a mother, poet, and author whose writings address social, spiritual, and testimonial issues in her artistry. Marie was the first woman of color to compete as a member of the Inaugural Houston Poetry Slam Team, 2002 where the team accomplished semi-final status within the PSI National Poetry. Marie was the first woman to win the I-conic Blue Bonnet Slam Poetry, 2007.Marie released her debut album, 2003 entitled "Ruby Do Hair". 2nd album, 2005 entitled "Home Grown" and 3rd album/DVD, 2009 entitled "Ready or Not". Proceeds from her artistry has benefited the Santa Maria's Women's Shelter in Houston, Texas, The Texas Families Against Violence of San Antonio, Texas and the Grip Organization in South Africa who provides health needs for clients living with aids. Marie served as a volunteer coach to the NAACP Act-So Poetry Division (2006-2013), two championships in the Poetry Division were accomplished. Marie has taught creative writing classes to refugee students in the Alief School District. Marie received the 2013 Y.M.C.A. Achievement Award for her dedicated community service. 2018, Marie was a paid spokesperson for Houston Metro-Ride Transit. Her commercials appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Channel 39, radio voice overs and websites. In 2023, Marie was one of the recipients of the Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" scholarship competition at Texas Southern University funded by Radio Broadcaster Ben Thompson a.k.a. Madd-Hadder, and returned to school after over 30 years of nursing to pursue a degree in English. Marie's next project is completion of her autobiography entitled, " An American Life".

Angélique Jamail is a Lebanese-American author whose poetry, short fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals, including Synkroniciti, Equinox, New Reader Magazine, Waxwing, The Milk of Female Kindness, Femmeliterate, Literary Mama, and others, and her poetry has been featured on the radio. Her work has been nominated for Best Small Fictions, has been a finalist for the New Letters Prize in Poetry, and has won various essay contests. The first time she read one of her stories to an audience was fourth grade; it was a character-building experience. Her novelette Finis. (Odeon Press), first published in 2014, has been praised by fiction writer Ari Marmell as having “some of the most real people I’ve encountered via text in a long time,” and by poet Marie Marshall as “a witty tale of conformity, prejudice, and transformation, in a world that is disturbing as much for its familiarity as for its strangeness.” Her poetry collection The Sharp Edges of Water came out in 2018, and Homecoming, a standalone follow-up to Finis., in 2020, both from Odeon Press. She is the Creative Writing Director at The Kinkaid School in Houston and began serving on the Board of Directors for Mutabilis Press in December 2019. She’s also the creator of the popular zine Sonic Chihuahua. Find her online at her blog Sappho’s Torque and on social media.