Kat Bacani is a writer and educator based in Houston, Texas. She earned her B.A. in English–Creative Writing from the University of Houston and currently teaches Creative Writing in Houston ISD.

Before teaching, Kat served as the Program Associate at Writers in the Schools (WITS), where she helped run summer writing camps, the Houston Youth Poet Laureate program, and after-school programs while also teaching creative writing. She has also been involved with Inprint Houston, Texans for the Arts and Table//Feast Literary Magazine, experiences that deepened her commitment to supporting the literary and arts community in Texas.

Her work centers on storytelling, education, and building creative spaces for young people to find their voice.

Oais is a Sudanese writer and poet hailing from southeast Houston's suburbs. She frequents the stage as a spoken word artist: exploring questions of self, love, the pursuit of God, and the ever-long need to belong. When she isn't writing a poem, Oais spends her time working the mechanisms of fiction-writing, which she considers her first calling. Her work can be found at @oaisroha (Instagram) and @oaishala (TikTok)." 

Matthew Tavares is the author of the chapbook In Search of Venusian Oceans (Defunkt Press). His work has been published in journals such as High Noon, CAGIBI, and The Windward Review. He holds an MFA from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. He is also a Lecturer in the MFA Program at Albertus Magnus college in New Haven. 

Kathi Crawford is a Houston-based writer and founder of People Possibilities (2008), is a business and career coach guiding organizations and individuals through transitions. Her chapbook, consider the light (Finishing Line Press, May 2025), is a mix of poetry and creative nonfiction and offers intimate reflections on life’s complexities. Her writings has been featured in a variety of literary journals, both online and in print. Her instagram and LinkedIn is @kathicrawford, or subscribe to her blog at kathicrawford.com