Kyoko Mori is the author of three nonfiction books (The Dream of Water; Polite Lies; Yarn) and four novels (Shizuko's Daughter; One Bird; Stone Field, True Arrow; Barn Cat). She teaches creative writing at George Mason University and for the Low-Residency MFA Program at Lesley University.

Rajpreet Heir is a coordinator at TED and a writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, The Normal School, and The New York Times. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from George Mason University and writes about growing up Indian in Indiana.

Emily Heiden is a PhD candidate at University of Cincinnati studying Literary Nonfiction. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Brevity Magazine, and Literary Hub. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from George Mason University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from The University of Iowa.

Jessie Szalay teaches writing and literature at Salt Lake Community College. Her work has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Jewish Daily Forward, and National Geographic Traveler—Personal Explorer, among other places. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from George Mason University.

Susanna Vander Vorste is a PhD candidate for literary nonfiction at the University of Cincinnati. Her work examines trauma, Midwestern culture, and the impact of meditation on people's daily lives. Her essays have appeared in Stoneboat, The Chariton Review, The Lindenwood Review, and The Rumpus.