Thom Caraway is the author of the poetry chapbook, A Visitor’s Guide to North Dakota. He teaches at Whitworth University, where he is the editor of Rock & Sling. He is also the poet laureate of Spokane, Washington.

Laurie Ann Guerrero is the San Antonio poet laureate and winner of 2012 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize for her book, A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying. Her work has appeared in Women's Studies Quarterly, Borderlands, and Texas Monthly. She holds degrees from Smith College and Drew University.

Diane Raptosh is the author of four books of poems.The first ever Boise poet laureate and the Idaho writer in residence (2013-2016), she is the recipient of three literature fellowships from the Idaho Arts Council. Her fourth book, American Amnesiac, was longlisted for the 2013 National Book Award.

Sarah Busse is one of two Poets Laureate of Madison, Wisconsin. Co-editor for Verse Wisconsin and Cowfeather Press, her book, Somewhere Piano, was awarded the Posner Award (Council for Wisconsin Writers). She teaches at the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and (online) at the Loft Literary Center.

Kathleen Cerveny is the 2013-15 poet laureate of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She is program director for arts and culture at the Cleveland Foundation, the country's oldest community foundation.