Eric Butner
Eric Butner, also known as Mr. Butt, was raised on Long Island by a small sect of relocated Australian pygmies. He is now a resident of Astoria where he makes his living illustrating cartoon cows for milk cartons and filing down foot corns for geriatric patients in local retirement centers. Mr. Butt spends much of his free time barbecuing endangered animals and collecting cereal box prizes. He is currently in the process of writing his largest project up to date...his last will and testament.
Chris Medrano
Chris Medrano is a writer, performer, musician, music producer, and audio engineer. He was born and raised in NYC. When he was young he contemplated such diverse careers as a musician, cosmologist, journalist, actor, and chef. Guess which one won out? He is writing his first full-length novel, as well as material for stand up and short stories and does live sound in several venues in Brooklyn, as well as recording and producing several artists. A well known vulgarian, and former Olympic qualifying drunk, Chris spends his days writing erotic fiction and his nights creating legendary erotic non-fiction. You can follow him at twitter.com/ChrisJMedrano. He also has a poorly updated Blog at Theespblog.blogspot.com that features poetry, recipes and political musings. He has music for your listening pleasure at myspace.com/ChristopherJMedrano. He currently lives in Brooklyn NY.
Karen Levy
Karen Levy is a New Yorker who spends her summers in Santo Domingo. She is currently working on a novel about life in the Dominican Republic.
Jill Parshley
Jill Parshley is a native Astorian and has been writing since the age of 10, starting off with abstract journal entries, raps and haikus, and moving up now towards published poems, short stories and prose. She was awarded the Brian Coleman creative writing scholarship from St. John's Prep, and two scholarships in acting and creative spirit when graduating with a BA in Drama & Theatre from Queens College, where she acted and directed several shows and was the news editor of the newspaper, the QC Quad. Today, she is reading several pieces from a book of poetry she is writing titled "After the Laughter".
Alan Semerdjian
Writer/musician Alan Semerdjian’s poems and essays have appeared in several print and online publications and anthologies including Chain, The Lyric Review, Adbusters, Arson, Ararat, and Diagram. He released a chapbook of poems called An Improvised Device (Lock n Load Press) in 2005 and his first full-length book In the Architecture of Bone (GenPop Books) in 2009. His songs have appeared in television and film and charted on CMJ. Alan has performed and read all over North America. He currently teaches English at Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, NY, writes a monthly column and features for the LI Pulse, and resides in New York City’s East Village. You can visit him digitally at alanarts.com, alansemerdjian.com, or Google away.
Sweta Srivastava Vikram
Sweta Srivastava Vikram (www.swetavikram.com) is an award-winning writer, poet, novelist, author, essayist, educator, and blogger whose musings have translated into four chapbooks of poetry, two collaborative collections of poetry, a fiction novel, and a nonfiction book of prose and poems (upcoming in 2012). Her scribbles have also appeared in several anthologies, literary journals, and online publications across six countries in three continents. Sweta has won two Pushcart Prize nominations, an International Poetry Award, and writing fellowships. Taj Mahal Review describes her as "A poet with hauntingly beautiful talent." Sweta has held several artist residencies in Europe and America and worked on collaborative projects with artists from Zimbabwe and Australia. A graduate of Columbia University, she reads her work, teaches creative writing workshops, and gives talks at universities across the globe. Sweta lives in New York City with her husband.
