Alicia Jo Rabins, author: Alicia Jo Rabins is a poet, composer, musician, and Torah scholar. She was born in Oregon and grew up in Baltimore and New York City. Alicia’s poems appear in Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, 6x6, The Boston Review, and elsewhere. She teaches ancient Jewish texts to children and adults and performs internationally as a violinist and singer. Alicia lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, daughter, and son.


C.D. Wright, judge and introducer: C.D. Wright has published over a dozen works of poetry and prose, including the recent volumes One With Others, which was nominated for a National Book Award, One Big Self: An Investigation, and Rising Falling Hovering. Among her many honors are the Robert Creeley Award, the Griffin Poetry Prize, and a MacArthur Fellowship. She teaches at Brown University and lives outside of Providence, Rhode Island.