KGB Bar

Elena Karina Byrne, an artist, teacher, editor, Poetry Consultant and Moderator for The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, former 12 year Regional Director of the Poetry Society of America, and is now Literary Programs Director for The Ruskin Art Club. She also works on documentaries with Red Car Studios and teaches poetry for the Idyllwild Arts Academy. A 2008 Pushcart Prize winner, her many publications include, Best American Poetry 2005, The Yale Review, Paris Review, Tri Quarterly, Verse, Volt, American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, Barrow Street, Painted Bride Quarterly, Crazyhorse, Breathless: 101 Contemporary Odes, and Spunk and Bite: A Writer’s Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language and Style. Books include: The Flammable Bird , (Zoo /Tupelo Press 2002); MASQUE (Tupelo Press, 2008). Forthcoming works include This Fable Language (poetry), Voyeur Hour (art/poetry), and a collection of essays entitled, Beautiful Insignificance.

Joshua Beckman was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He is the author of six books, including Take It (forthcoming in 2009), Shake and two collaborations with Matthew Rohrer: Nice Hat. Thanks. and Adventures While Preaching the Gospel of Beauty. He is an editor at Wave Books and has translated numerous works of poetry and prose, including Poker by Tomaz Salamun, which was a finalist for the PEN America Poetry in Translation Award. He is also the recipient of numerous other awards, including a NYFA fellowship and a Pushcart Prize. He lives in Seattle and New York.