Anna Lum teaches Tai Chi (since 1973). She evolved from computer programming

to poetry/design. The Urge to Play God, published by MoonShadow Press led to

performing her poetry nationally and internationally. St. Louis’ first Poet Laureate

Michael Castro’s new anthology “Crossing the Divide” includes her poem “Sitting

Down for Yourself”. Volunteering excessively on numerous arts boards she was

named St. Louis Woman of

Achievement in cultural awareness in 2002.

Stefene Russell is the former co-editor of Prinsesstarta and 52nd City literary

magazines, and she is currently on the faculty of John Burroughs School. She is

also a member of Poetry Scores, an arts collective devoted to translating poetry

into other media, and Otis Nebula Literary Syndicate, a publishing project

operated by working writers dedicated to serving living word, sound, and image

to which commercial concerns are always subordinate.

A Mississippi native, Treasure Shields Redmond is a published poet, master

educator, community arts organizer, and successful entrepreneur. Treasure was

raised in the federal housing projects, and went on to be signed to M.C.

Hammer’s label as a hip hop artist, and writer. She is the author of chop: a

collection of kwansabas for fannie lou hamer (2015). Her doctoral research

focuses on the recorded performances of foundational Black Women poets, and

the ways they deployed sound to impact the canon and justice movements.

Treasure centers collaboration in her personal arts practice and as an organizing

principle. As such, she has co-founded a funding collective for Black artists called

The Black Skillet, and a podcast that centers voices of color called Who Raised

You? Treasure is the founder of Feminine Pronoun Consultants, LLC, and Get The

Acceptance Letter Academy.

Jill Evans, aka Jill Evans Petzall, has a long career making documentary films and media art from a female perspective. She has won four Emmy Awards. Evans focuses on issues around social justice, fueled by a graduate degree in Philosophy. Now in her 70s, she has begun to publish the poetry that she’s been writing all her life. Her work has appeared in numerous publications. This year she is also First Prize winner of the Lascaux Poetry Prize, 2020.