Check out the scheduled Authors from the 2012 Collingswood Book Festival!

Collingswood Town Book Featured Author

Amy Waldman Click here for her site The Submission, Amy Waldman's first novel, was published in 2011. It was named a finalist for the Hemingway Foundation/PEN First Fiction Award; a New York Times Notable Book for 2011; one of National Public Radio's Ten Best Novels; Esquire's Book of the Year; Entertainment Weekly's #1 Novel for the Year; a Washington Post Notable Fiction Book; and one of Amazon's Top 100 Books and top ten debut fiction. Amy was a reporter for The New York Times for eight years, including three as co-chief of the New Delhi bureau. She was also a national correspondent for the Atlantic. She graduated from Yale University and has been a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and at the American Academy in Berlin. She lives with her family in Brooklyn. photo credit: Pieter M. van Hattem

Tony Auth Tony Auth was a political cartoonist for The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1971 to 2012. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 and the Herblock Prize in 2005. He is now cartoonist-in-residence at WHYY–TV in Philadelphia. David Leopold is a coordinating curator at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA and the Studio of Ben Solowey in Bedminster. PA. David is the co-author of The Art of Tony Auth: To Stir, Inform and Inflame.

Ken Bingham Click here for his site Ken Bingham tried out for his high school baseball team…and got cut. He tried out for his college baseball team…and got cut. So he turned to teaching and writing about the game. He is the author of The Greatest Phillies Clubs of All Time, a journey that features them all from Grover Cleveland Alexander’s 1915 National League champions to the champs of 2008, with stops along the way including the Whiz Kids of 1950 to the Wheeze Kids of 1983. Ken teaches baseball history and literature at Drexel University. He lives with his family in Philadelphia and Cape May.

Camille DeAngelis Click here for her link Camille DeAngelis is the author of Petty Magic: Being the Memoirs and Confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger, Temptress and Troublemaker (2010) and Mary Modern (2007), as well as Moon Ireland, a first-edition guidebook (2007). She has a B.A. from New York University and an M.A. from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She lives in New Jersey.

Mark Di Ionno Click here for his site In his much-anticipated first novel, The Last Newspaper Man, Mark Di Ionno explores the roots of tabloid journalism and the rise of celebrity media culture. Mark is a columnist at The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper. He has won the New Jersey Press Association's first-place award for column writing four of the last five years. He got his start in newspapers as a Navy journalist and has been a reporter, editor, and columnist his entire adult life. Prior to writing for The Star-Ledger, he was a sports columnist at the New York Post. He is an adjunct professor of journalism at Rutgers-Newark, his alma mater, and has written three award-winning books on New Jersey history and culture.

Mark Kram Jr. Click here for his site Veteran Philadelphia Daily News reporter Mark Kram Jr. is the author of Like Any Normal Day: A Story of Devotion. It's a powerful narrative about Buddy Miley, a promising high school quarterback paralyzed after an injury during a game. Work by Kram Jr. has appeared in The Best American Sports Writing (Houghton Mifflin) six times: 2011, 2008, 2005, 2003, 2002 and 1994. The Society of Professional Journalists honored him with the 2011 Sigma Delta Chi Award for feature writing. Additionally, he contributes the "American Read" essay for Business Day Sports Monthly in Cape Town, South Africa. He is also a former contributing writer for Philadelphia Magazine. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he is the son of the late Mark Kram, an acclaimed writer for Sports Illustrated. Kram Jr. lives in Haddonfield, NJ with his wife and two daughters.

Robert S. Lyons For more than 40 years, Robert S. Lyons covered professional and college sports for the Associated Press and contributed articles to numerous national publications. He is the author of Palestra Pandemonium, co-author (with Ray Didinger) of The Eagles Encyclopedia, and co-author of Big Al: Fifty Years of Adventures in Sports Broadcasting.

Greg Landry & Robert Hochgertel A child's alphabet book, a visitor's guide and keepsake, history primer, or coffee table book...which best describes The ABC's of Philadelphia? The answer, of course, is all of these at once. Greg Landry's crisp text and Robert Hochgertel's vibrant illustrations combine to bring the diverse pleasures of Philadelphia to life. Greg Landry was inspired to write this book when his children began to read, and he wanted them, and others, to learn about the wonderful features of this great city. Robert Hochgertel has been a professional artist for a quarter of a century, working for national and international clients in publishing, advertising, and entertainment industries.

Paul Lisicky Click here for his link Paul Lisicky is the author of Lawnboy, Famous Builder, The Burning House and Unbuilt Projects. His work has appeared in Ploughshares, Tin House, Fence, The Iowa Review, Gulf Coast, Story Quarterly, and many other magazines and anthologies. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he's the recipient of awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the James Michener/Copernicus Society, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, where he was twice a fellow. He has taught in the writing programs at Cornell University, New York University, Rutgers-Newark, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He's currently the New Voices Professor in the MFA Program at Rutgers-Camden. A memoir, The Narrow Door, is forthcoming from Graywolf Press in 2014.

Eric McKinley Click for his site Eric McKinley is a Philadelphian and a criminal defense lawyer in Camden, NJ. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College. He specializes in hip hop literary fiction. Blessed Sons is his first novel.

Al Meltzer Click here for his link The 50-year sportscasting career of Al Meltzer has ranged from his early years in Syracuse and Buffalo to the major markets of Philadelphia and Chicago. Big Al has done play-by-play for a number of major league teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers and Eagles, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Buffalo Bills. A 10-time Emmy Award winner, Al Meltzer has won just about every honor in his profession. The Philadelphia Daily News named him "Arguably, Philly's most recognizable, most popular and best sports anchor ever."

Liz Moore Click here for her link Liz Moore is a writer and musician. Her debut novel, The Words of Every Song, was published in 2007. Her second novel, Heft, was published by W.W. Norton in January 2012 to popular and critical acclaim. Of Heft, The New Yorker wrote, "Moore's characters are lovingly drawn... a truly original voice." After the publication of her debut novel, Liz released an album, Backyards, and obtained her MFA in Fiction from Hunter College. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Writing at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, where she lives. photo credit: Jeffrey Stockbridge

Bernie Parent Click here for his site Bernie is best known for being the clutch netminder on the Philadelphia Flyers championship teams. One local bumper sticker read, "Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent." He and his teammates won the Stanley Cup twice in a row, in 1974 and 1975. Bernie has spent the last 30 years consulting and endorsing local and national business with his energetic expertise and popularity. In Journey Through Risk and Fear, Parent provides little known facts never shared before and intimate details such as his thoughts and fears immediately following his career ending eye injury. In his newest book, Unmasked, he traces his life and career from his days as a youngster learning to skate to his current role as a Flyers ambassador and public speaker. Featuring rare photos from his personal archive and accompanying text from legendary Philadelphia sports columnist Stan Hochman, Unmasked gives Parent's millions of fans a glimpse into the life of a hockey icon.

Joe Samuel Starnes Click here for his site Joe Samuel "Sam" Starnes is author of the novel Fall Line, which The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called "a quiet dazzler of a new novel," and said "Of all the contemporary Southern novels today that draw comparisons to Faulkner and O'Connor, Starnes' tale may be one of the few that deserves them." His first novel, Calling, was published in 2005. A native of Georgia who now lives in Haddon Township, N.J., he has had journalism appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post and various magazines, as well as essays, short stories, and poems in literary journals. He holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, and a master's of English from Rutgers University in Newark.

Ellen Jensen Abbott Click here for her site Ellen Jensen Abbott is the author of Watersmeet, an IRA Young Adult Book Award Notable and a YALSA Teens' Top Ten Nominee. The sequel, The Centaur's Daughter, is a powerful and moving fantasy dealing with timely issues about identity, prejudice, and war. Ellen grew up in the foothills of New Hampshire's White Mountains - often disappearing for a whole day to build forts, pretend, and read in the fields and forests around her house. She has degrees in English and education from Brown and Harvard Universities. When she is not dreaming up stories about Seldara, she teaches English at a boarding school in Westtown, PA. Ellen, her husband, and two children like to spend time outdoors: camping and hiking in the summer; skiing and snowboarding in the winter. She and her family live in West Chester, PA.

Charlotte Bennardo Click here for her site Charlotte Bennardo is co-author (along with best friend Natalie Zaman) of Sirenz, an entertaining paranormal chick-lit comedy. Frenemies Meg and Shar argue over a pair of designer red heels-and accidentally cause a tragedy which only Hades, Lord of the Underworld, can rectify. His price? They must become his sirens and lure reclusive Arkady Romanov, whose deal is up, to an underworld portal. While there are perks, there is a serious downside if they can't get the job done before it's time to go back to school!

Barbara Dee Click here for her site Barbara Dee is the author of the tween novels Just Another Day in my Insanely Real Life, Solving Zoe (2010 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year), This Is Me From Now On, and Trauma Queen. Her characters have had to deal with family troubles, dishonest friends, big school projects, and, yes, even iguanas. She lives with her family in Westchester County, New York.

A.S. King Click here for her site A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed Everybody Sees the Ants, a 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and Andre Norton Award nominee, and the Edgar Award nominated, 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Please Ignore Vera Dietz. She is also the author of the ALA Best Books for Young Adults and Cybils Award finalist The Dust of 100 Dogs, and the upcoming Ask the Passengers. After a decade living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now provides literacy outreach for teens throughout the US.

Pat Raccio Hughes Click here for her site Pat Raccio Hughes is an author of books for children and young adults. Her most recent work is Five 4ths of July, a historical novel about the American Revolution. Others include The Breaker Boys, a historical novel set in Pennsylvania coal country in 1897; Guerrilla Season, a novel of guerrilla warfare in Civil War Missouri; Seeing the Elephant, a picture book set during the Civil War; and Open Ice, a contemporary novel about a high school hockey star forced to quit after his third concussion. Pat lives in Narberth, Pa., with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

Elisa Ludwig Click here for her site Elisa Ludwig is the author of Pretty Crooked, her debut YA novel, the first of a trilogy, which was released in March 2012 (Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins). She studied writing at Vassar College and Temple University and now lives in Philadelphia with her husband Jesse. When not writing, she is cooking, crossfitting, and obsessing over Antiques Roadshow. She is a law-abiding citizen but she does occasionally jaywalk. Visit Elisa at her website and on www.facebook.com/ElisaLudwigYA, and follow her @ElisaLudwigYA.

James Mascia Click here for his site James Mascia is the author of several books for younger readers including the Young Adult series, High School Heroes, and his picture books about Paris Pig. Along with writing, he is also a full time teacher of Literature and Writing at both the secondary and college levels. He lives to write and believes that the best stories are still told with a pen and paper. He lives in Maryland with his loving wife, Shelley.

Aaron Starmer Click here for his site At various times in his life, Aaron Starmer has been a delivery van driver, a soccer referee, a camp counselor, a paperboy's apprentice, a liquor store clerk, an African safari specialist, a world literature expert, a camping consultant, a college lacrosse player, an award-winning playwright, a ghost-writing humorist, and a magical leopard. His first novel wasDweeb, a tale of five brainy boys from New Jersey who become imprisoned in the basement of their school and have to break out. It was a 2009 New Voices pick by the Association of Booksellers for Children. His latest novel is The Only Ones, a dark and mysterious fable about a group of children who discover they are the only people left on earth. It is a 2011 Junior Library Guild selection. Aaron is a graduate of Drew University and lives with his wife in Hoboken.

Marcie Aboff Click here for her site Growing up in New Jersey, Marcie Aboff loved writing stories and poems in elementary school. She was editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, and her favorite class was creative writing. For her first job after college, she wrote for a daily newspaper in California. Today, she has many published picture books, elementary and middle grade readers, chapter books, and activity books. Her short stories have been featured in a variety of children's magazines. She lives in New Jersey.

Kim and Danny Adlerman (aka Kin Eagle) Click here for their site Kin Eagle is really the team of Kim and Danny Adlerman. Their books include Hey, Diddle Diddle, It's Raining, It's Pouring, Africa Calling, and How Much Wood Could A Woodchuck Chuck? - a wonderful read-aloud or sing-along book for parents and children to share together. Oh No, Domino! features words and illustrations by Kim and a song on CD by Danny. And Listen UP! is a full length CD by Danny Adlerman and Friends.

Artie Bennett Click here for his site Artie Bennett is the executive copy editor for a children's book publisher and he writes a little on the side (but not the backside!). His itch to write gave us The Dinosaur Joke Book: A Compendium of Pre-Hysteric Puns (currently extinct) when he was a much younger man. The Butt Book, however, was his first "mature" work. The Butt Book was showered with praise and won the prestigious Reuben Award for Book Illustration. His "number two" picture book, fittingly, is entitled Poopendous! According to the Huffington Post, "It appears there is no topic Mr. Bennett can't make funny and educational." Artie was the youngest (at about age thirteen) person to originate and sell a crossword puzzle to the New York Times. He went on to sell several dailies and two large Sunday puzzles to the Times before he began college. It's been downhill ever since. He and his wife, Leah, live deep in the bowels of Brooklyn, New York, where he spends his spare time moving his car to satisfy the rigorous demands of alternate-side-of-the-street parking.

Rob Buyea Click here for his site Author of Because of Mr. Terupt, Rob Buyea taught third & fourth graders for six years. The novel begins with seven kids at Snow Hill School, and their new and energetic teacher, Mr. Terupt. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn't let his students get away with much until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everthing - and everyone. Today, Rob teaches biology and coaches wrestling. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and three daughters. Because of Mr. Terupt is his first novel.

Alyssa Satin Capucilli Alyssa Satin Capucilli is the award winning author of over seventy-five books including Biscuit, the popular best-seller used to launch the My First I Can Read Series from HarperCollins. With over fifty titles in the series as well as over seventeen million books in print, Biscuit has been deemed a modern classic and has been translated into numerous languages worldwide. Once a professional dancer, Alyssa's love of dance is embodied in her latest series, Katy Duck, illustrated by Henry Cole. Alyssa is a frequent lecturer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College

Daryl Cobb Click here for his site Daryl is an author (14 children’s books)/singer/songwriter and premier educational performer. In 2012 he released his first children’s novel Pirates: The Ring of Hope. Kirkus Reviews called it "[A] spirited swashbuckling tale of mystery and magic. The characters are rich and beautifully rendered, and the story is sprinkled with humor... Much of the dialogue... is delightfully silly." In 2012 Daryl also added Mr. Moon to his list of published picture books, which include the Bill the Bat series and Greta's Magical Mistake. Daryl lives in Hunterdon County New Jersey with his family and when he is not writing, singing or playing with his kids, he is visiting schools across the country and abroad. His educational programs have received BOCES (New York State Arts In Education) rating of EXCELLENT and have been receiving high marks from educators for years. Daryl’s current project The FROGS is due out late 2012.

Ernie and Neal Click here for their site Anyone who has seen them live knows Ernie & Neal‘s spunk and enthusiasm truly knows no bounds. Typical of a show is the entire audience, young and old alike, dancing in - and out - their seats as Ernie & Neal explore many different genres of music like rock and roll, reggae, ska, jazz, folk, bluegrass and more.

Alison Formento Click here for her site Alison Formento's award winning picture book This Tree Counts! (Green Book Award, Kids are Readers, Too Award, Children's Book Council Go Green Pick) and This Tree, 1, 2, 3 prove that trees matter. Booklist: Teachers and parents will welcome this "going green" tale. Her newest book is These Bees Count! Upcoming books include Seas Count! (2013). Alison has written for several publications including The New York Times, The Writer and Parenting. She loves visiting schools and libraries and donates a portion of her book sales to AmericanForests.org.

Lisa Funari-Willever Click here for her site Award-winning author Lisa Funari-Willever uses her own experiences as the basis of many of her picture and chapter books. Often referred to as the New Jersey author, she has created the Nicky Fifth chapter book series that blends humor, fact, and fiction and uses real New Jersey locations as the setting. Her books have been displayed at the White House, featured on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, and named to the NJ Battle of the Book List three times. In 2009, she won the Benjamin Franklin Award for A Glove of Their Own. Lisa spends 60-70 days each year visiting schools across the country and abroad. She is a former teacher and lifelong New Jersey resident. She lives in Mansfield, NJ with her husband and three children.

Dan Gutman Click here for his site Dan is the author of many children's books, including Ted & Me, The Genius Files, and Mayor Hubble Is In Trouble. Some of his other books are Roberto & Me, My Weird School, The Christmas Genie, Return of the Homework Machine, Satch & Me, Casey Back at Bat, The Million Dollar Putt, and Jackie Robinson and the Big Game. When he is not writing books, Dan is very often visiting a school. He lives in Haddonfield, NJ, with his wife and children.

Tiffany Strelitz Haber Click here for her site Tiffany is the author of two rhyming picture books: The Monster Who Lost His Mean (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2012) and Ollie and Claire (Philomel/Penguin, 2013). She will eat any food she is served, be it fried witchetty grubs on a stick or calf’s brain ravioli, and loves to be high in the air or deep in the sea. Tiffany lives in NJ with her two little monsters, Jack Dalton and Travis Hawk.

Karen O'Lone-Hahn Click here for her site Karen O'Lone-Hahn is the author/illustrator of Millicent and the Faraway Moon, the story of a blue cow who has trouble believing in herself until she meets a special friend, a mouse, who helps her to discover the power of her own uniqueness. Karen has been a professional artist for nearly two decades and her paintings are in the collections of homes and businesses in the U.S. and abroad. Born in Trenton, NJ, she has a home and studio in southern Chester County Pa. where she draws inspiration from the idyllic countryside.

Dar Hosta Click here for her site Award winning New Jersey author/illustrator Dar Hosta is the creator of the children's picture books I Love The Night, I Love The Alphabet, Mavis & Her Marvelous Mooncakes, If I Were A Tree, Animalization, and Doggie Do! Dar grew up in Columbia, Missouri as the daughter of an artist and enjoyed a childhood where creativity was happening all the time. Today, she lives with her husband, her two sons, and two big dogs in a little house on a sunny hillside.

Patricia Intriago With a background as a global corporate art director developing logos, award-winning web sites, books and brand identities, Patricia Intriago is now principal of her own design firm, Intriago Design. Her firm specializes in the design of web sites, publications and marketing collateral as well as her favorite new type of project: children's books. Her first book, Dot, reflects her passion for simplicity and humor. Patricia graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Fine Arts. She lives and works in Tenafly, New Jersey with her husband, jazz guitarist Pete McCann, and their two sons.

Alan Katz Click here for his site Alan Katz is the author of more than 30 highly acclaimed children's books, including nine Silly Dilly Songbooks such as Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, Where Did They Hide My Presents? and Are You Quite Polite? His picture books include Don’t Say That Word!, The Flim-Flam Fairies and Stalling, and among his poetry books are OOPS! and Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking. His most recent book is the first title in an early reader series, Ricky Vargas: The Funniest Kid in the World. Alan has also been a six-time Emmy-nominated writer for TV series including The Rosie O’Donnell Show, animated series Taz-Mania, Disney’s Raw Toonage and Goof Troop, the Grammy Awards and Tony Awards, various Nickelodeon shows, and a lot of network specials and game shows. He has also created hundreds of comic books, trading card sets, web videos, TV commercials and hundreds of other special projects for kids and their parents.

Jane Kirkland Click here for her site Jane was a best-selling computer book author when, one day, she spotted a Bald Eagle soaring over the parking lot of her grocery store. That moment changed her life. Today she is the award-winning author of No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard, as well as the award-winning series of Take a Walk® books for young readers. At this year's festival she will feature her newest book Bo and Ms Beanz, Best Friends Forever. This early reader nonfiction chapter book is about diversity, friendship, adoption, patience, and love.

E.B. Lewis Click here for his site E.B. Lewis has illustrated more than fifty books for children, including Nikki Grimes' Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman, the 2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner; Alice Schertle's Down the Road, an ALA Notable Book; Tolowa M. Mollel's My Rows and Piles of Coins, an ALA Notable Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book; Bat Boy and His Violin by Garvin Curtis, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side, a 2002 Notable Book for the Language Arts.

Denise Mortensen Click for her site Denise Dowling Mortensen is the author of four children's picture books (Good Night Engines, Wake Up Engines, Ohio Thunder, a board/flip book combo of Good Night Engines/Wake Up Engines) and the forthcoming book, Bug Patrol. She is a former teacher and mother of five. When she is not writing, she enjoys playing fetch with her quirky cat and catching up on decades of lost sleep.

Kathy O'Connell Since 1988, Kathy O'Connell has hosted Kids Corner, an interactive radio show for kids and their families. With over 40,000 telephone calls placed to the radio show each month, Kids Corner is the most listened to public radio show for children in America, according to an Arbitron/National Public Radio study. A pioneer in modern children's radio, Kathy has won numerous major broadcasting awards, including two George Foster Peabody Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting and the Major Armstrong Award. Asked to create her autobiography in six words, O'Connell's response is: "Spent whole life watching Soupy Sales." The legendary comedian was a proud friend and mentor whose work lives on today in Kathy O'Connell and Kids Corner.

Carole Robinson Click here for her site Carole Robinson is the author of On the Way to Cape May. She has lived in New Jersey all of her life and is proud of it. She resides in a small town in northern Burlington County with her husband of forty years, Bill. They love sharing their home with family and friends. Carole usually has a story or two ready for anyone who will listen.

Judy Schachner Click here for her site Judy Schachner is the #1 NY Times Best Selling Author/Illustrator of over 18 books for children, including the Skippyjon Jones series, Yo Vikings, The Grannyman and Willy and May. She has won many awards, including the first E. B. White Read Aloud Award. Judy was born into an Irish Catholic working class family from New England. Money was as tight as their apartment was tiny and though she may not have had the easiest of childhoods, she credits her imagination with helping her survive it. She can't ever remember a time when she was not drawing and like most budding artists she doodled on everything, including her father's bald head. She drew herself into stories where she was the smartest in her class and into a family where mothers lived to be a ripe old age. In many ways, Judy feels that her own life has resembled the fairy tales she loved reading as a child, complete with a happy ending. And the best part of this author/illustrator's story? She married a prince of a guy and they had two beautiful daughters and just like the mothers in her earliest tales, she plans on living to a ripe old age.

Chrysa Smith Click here for her site Chrysa Smith is the author of The Adventures of the Poodle Posse easy-reader series. Now four books long, Smith spends many hours observing her own posse of poodles, then twisting their antics into fun adventures for even hesitant readers. After a long 'bout' with freelance writing and corporate life, her past five years as Juvenile Fiction Author have turned her into a full-time children's author, speaker and teacher of creative writing workshops in regional elementary schools and township programs. Look for her latest book in the series (released Sept. 2012): Trouble Down Under: A Midwinter Tale and Activity Book. Groundhog Day will never be the same!

Two of a Kind Click here for their link Two of A Kind delights audiences of all ages with their music, good humor and audience participation. This award-winning, nationally touring, husband-wife duo specializes in interactive musical programs for children and families. David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans have been singing together since 1987. Their beautiful harmonies accompanied by David's powerful, rhythmic guitar playing and Jenny's multi-ethnic percussion instruments create magic on stage. In 2012, Two of a Kind released their 8th CD entitled Sing Me Your Story, which has won Parents' Choice and Creative Child awards.

Timothy Young Click here for his link Timothy Young is the author/illustrator of They're Coming! and Shadows On My Wall, from Schiffer Publishing. He previously published I'm Looking For A Monster! (Random House), a pop-up book. He majored in illustration at Pratt Institute and has over 30 years experience as a professional artist.

J.T. Barbarese J.T. Barbarese is an Associated Professor of English and Poetry at Rutgers-Camden. His new book of poetry, Sweet Spot, was published this spring by Northwestern University Press. Barbarese's other books include The Black Beach (2005), Very Small World (2005), New Science (1989), among others. He is included in several anthologies celebrating the works of Italian-American poets, including 2009's Wild Dreams: The Best of Italian-Americana (Fordham University Press, 2009). His poems have appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Georgia Review, Sewanee Review, Poetry and other publications.

Brother Daoud Bey Brother Daoud Bey - a major supporter of poetry (particularly youth poetry and spoken word poetry) in Camden County - is a project manager and program consultant for the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. He is co-chair of the Camden City Mayor's Youth Council. A poet himself, he is perhaps best known for hosting the Poetry in the Park program at Hopkins House and for organizing the Arts 4 Teens festival at Rutgers-Camden each year. He is also a production assistant and lighting technician with Harmony Image Productions. He hosted the Poetry Slam at last year's Collingswood Book Festival.

Anna Evans Anna Evans is a former President of the Burlington County Poets of New Jersey, and a member of the Quick and Dirty Poets. She is editor of The Raintown Review, and Contributing/Online Editor for the The Schuylkill Valley Journal. She is accredited by the New Jersey Artists in Education program to work withchildren in grades K-8, and she teaches poetry at the West Windsor Art Center. Her poems have appeared in journals including the Harvard Review, Rattle, the Atlanta Review, the Evansville Review and 32 Poems. Her poetry has been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize, and she is a graduate of the Bennington College MFA Program. Her chapbooks Selected Sonnets and Swimming are available from Maverick Duck Press, (formerly Powerscore Press).

Peter E. Murphy Peter E. Murphy was born in Wales and grew up in New York City where he operated heavy equipment, managed a night club and drove a cab. He is the author of two books of poems, Stubborn Child (2005), a finalist for the 2006 Paterson Poetry Prize, and Thorough & Efficient (2008), and his unique poetry writing assignments have been collected in Challenges for the Delusional (2012), all from Jane Street Press. His poems and essays have appeared in The American Book Review, The Beloit Poetry Journal, The Literary Review, The Shakespeare Quarterly, Witness and hundreds of other journals. He is a consultant to organizations including Arts Horizons, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and has been an educational advisor to Fooling with Words with Bill Moyers and other PBS poetry programs. Peter has received awards and fellowships from The Atlantic Center for the Arts, Yaddo, The Folger Shakespeare Library, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the New Jersey Council on the Arts. Retired from Atlantic City High School, he continues to teach poetry writing at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. He is also the founder/director of Murphy Writing Seminars, which offers the Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway, Inservice Solutions Professional Development and other programs for poets, writers and teachers.