Genevieve Rheams writes LGTBQ+ romance\, c omedy\, literature\, and personal essays. She received her MFA in Fiction from the University of New Orleans\, teaches English at Loyola University\ , and is a writing \;coach. \;Her debut novel\, \;We Will Plant Birds of Paradise\, \;came out in 2025. \;She delights in having conversations with her three adult children and going for absurd ly long walks. She lives with her wife in her hometown of New Orleans with their two cats and a dog. As you read this\, she is \;most likely out \;of coffee and litter.
\nFritz Westenberger was born and raise
d in New Orleans. After his advertising career took him away to Los Angele
s and New York for thirty years\, his hometown finally called him back. He
lives in the Lower Garden District with his husband\, author TQ Sims.&nbs
p\;His debut novel is \;The St. Charles Bible.
\;Essie Linzy is a writer born in Chicago and \;reborn \;in New
Orleans. Her work explores the queer\, the quiet\, the violence\, the nois
e\, and everything that breathes in between. Her latest \;self-publish
ed \;book of poetry\, \;And God said\, Let There be Dykes\, \;explores the relationship between Blackness\, \;butchness\, a
nd a God that believes in the goodness of both. \; \; \;
\;
Gabrielle Octavia Rucker is a writer\, editor\, and teaching
artist from the Great Lakes (Waawiiyaataanong) currently living in the Gul
f Coast (Bulbancha). They are a 2020 Poetry Project Fellow and a 2016
\;Kimbilio \;Fiction Fellow. Gabrielle is the sole operator and practi
tioner of the \;The \;Seminary of Ecstatic Poetics\, a non-traditi
onal\, non-hierarchical learning space for the poetically inclined. To&nbs
p\;date \;the \;Seminary \;has taught over 350 poets and artis
ts. Gabrielle currently sits on the board of the New Orleans Poetry Festiv
al. Their debut poetry collection\, \;Dereliction \;(2022
) \;is \;currently available via The Song Cave. \; \;
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