Abigail Stewart is a fiction writer from the California desert. Originally from Houston, Texas, she studied Literature and Art History at Sam Houston State University, before going on to earn an M.Ed at Lamar University. She is the author of two novels, The Drowned Woman and Foundations, as well as a short story collection, Assemblage. Her new novel, Select Screen, is out now!

Antoinette Godin, a first-time novelist and an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, combines her rich heritage and legal expertise in her debut novel, Native Brushstrokes. A UCLA graduate in Law, she has practiced tribal law for over three decades. Her work, inspired by the Native American experience during the Age of Aquarius, explores love, trauma, and resilience. Listed in Who’s Who in America and Women of Influence (2021), Godin currently resides in Washington State. Her commitment to social justice extends beyond her writing, contributing to organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Environmental Defense Fund.

Bri Gonzalez (they/them) is a Chicanx, queer writer from San Antonio, TX. They are the author of A Wellness Check (Game Over Books, 2024), a hybrid collection that investigates diagnosis by putting prescription pads and glitter pens in the hands of Gotham's dark knight. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder MFA program, Bri is wondering how exactly writing even works. Bri currently teaches at Front Range Community College in Longmont, CO and is diligently researching vampires.

Brian Townsley is an award-winning writer, as well as the Executive Editor for Starlite Pulp. He is the author of the crime fiction books A Trunk Full of Zeroes and Outlaw Ballads, as well as three books of poetry. His short fiction has appeared in various publications, including Mystery Tribune, Black Mask, Quarterly West, Frontier Tales, Connecticut Review, and many others, and had a story make the distinguished list in Best American Mystery Stories, 2019. He is a graduate of the Professional Writing Program at USC and is also an alum of the mighty California Golden Bears. He shares his time between the mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Brooke Palmieri is a writer and artist working at the intersection of memory, history, and transsexual alternate realities. His work spans queer and trans history, the emotion of archives, and the past as a supernatural encounter. He holds a PhD in 17th-century radical printing from University College London and founded CAMP BOOKS to promote access to queer history through zines, rare materials, and installations. His book, Bargain Witch: Essays in Self-Initiation is about witchcraft, heresy, and working in an occult bookshop, and will be published by Dopamine Books in October 2025. Born in Philadelphia, he now lives in the Mojave Desert.

Bruce Craven teaches Leadership Through Fiction, a popular MBA/EMBA elective at Columbia Business School, and has been on the Executive Education faculty for 30 years, leading workshops on resilience, emotional intelligence, and flexible thinking. He co-runs Craven Leadership LLC with his wife, Sherelle. Bruce is the author of Fast Sofa, which was adapted into a feature film, and Win or Die: Leadership Secrets from Game of Thrones. He also published a poetry collection, Buene Suerte in Red Glitter. He studied politics and literature at UC Santa Cruz and earned his MFA from Columbia. He lives in California’s Coachella Valley.

C von Hassett is a writer living in Pioneertown, CA. He is publisher and chief editor at Riot Material magazine. A onetime professor of literature, C von is also a decades-long practitioner of a radical if not revolutionary wisdom practice known as Dzogchen. His book Entering the Mind is a richly poetic exploration of that transformative meditation practice. Hassett’s post-world visionary tale, The Boundary Stone, is a narrative poem set in the embering afters of an apocalypse. His new work, Awakening in the End, can be found in the Desert General bookstore.

Carla Fernandez is a community strategist and facilitator focused on collective care and cultural change. She co-founded The Dinner Party, a national network for young adults navigating grief, featured in The New York Times, NPR, and Oprah Daily. Through her community design studio, she works on projects related to climate, democracy, and the arts. Carla is a senior fellow at USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab and a Catherine B. Reynolds Scholar in Social Entrepreneurship at NYU. She splits her time between the Hudson Valley and Joshua Tree.

Catherine Auman is a multiple-award winning author with four of her books maintaining bestseller status on Amazon. She writes about the potential of the human spirit, sexuality, and personal and spiritual growth. In her day job, Catherine is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice. She lives in Yucca Valley with her husband and their two cats and five turtles.

Chase Bradburn is a filmmaker from the PNW, living in Austin, TX and Mexico City with a film degree from Vancouver Film School in Canada. His poetry has been published in a small press book print from allpoetry.com. His first novel entitled, The Rooster without Shadow, (El Gallo Sin Sombra) is forthcoming. It is about a workaholic American detective who is forced to go on vacation and travels back to the Mexican town he was born in for relaxation and to reconnect with his roots. But his tranquility is disrupted by the local town rooster.

Christopher C. Gorham is a lawyer, educator, and acclaimed author of THE CONFIDANTE (a Goodreads Choice Award finalist in History/Biography) and MATISSE AT WAR (Citadel, Sept. 30, 2025). His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Literary Hub, Paper Brigade, and elsewhere. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, literary events, classrooms, and book club gatherings around the country.

Cindy Rinne creates poetry, zines, and fiber art in San Bernardino, CA. Her poems have appeared in anthologies, art exhibits, and dance performances. Cindy is the author of several books: Dancing Through the Fire Door (Nauset Press), Today on Two Planets (Written by Veterans), The Feather Ladder (Picture Show Press) and more.

Damien Gossett received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1973 and a Masters in Multimedia from California State University East Bay in 2005. He has been involved in a variety of endeavors from including, painting, photography, poetry, graphics, furniture design, music, housing finance and development, crashing a business and planning a new career for his later years. His history confirms accomplishment, setback and continued evolution of idea. His ultimate goal is to unravel a few threads that have hung on to his sleeves over the past thirty years. He doesn't believe in scissors.

Daniel Pyne is a versatile storyteller who moves between prose fiction and screenwriting. He is the author of Twentynine Palms, A Hole in the Ground Owned by a Liar, Fifty Mice, Catalina Eddy, and Water Memory (2021). His film credits include Backstabbing for Beginners, The Manchurian Candidate remake, Pacific Heights, Any Given Sunday, and Fracture. He has written for Miami Vice and Amazon’s Bosch. A Stanford graduate and UCLA MFA, he taught screenwriting for 20 years. Raised in Colorado, Pyne lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with his wife, their dog Luna, and a grumpy box turtle.

Deanne Stillman is a critically acclaimed author known for her place-based literary nonfiction. Her latest book, Blood Brothers, about the alliance between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, received a starred Kirkus review and is under option. Desert Reckoning, based on her Rolling Stone piece, won the Spur and LA Press Club Awards. Twentynine Palms, an LA Times bestseller, explores a post-Gulf War double homicide and was praised by Hunter S. Thompson. Mustang won the California Book Award silver medal and helped rescue wild horses. Her work appears widely, and her plays have been produced and honored in festivals nationwide.

Dena Olayinka Broderick is the author of My Mother’s Land: Tales and Tastes of Liberia, a heartfelt and occasionally humorous travel memoir about family legacy, grief, and cultural reconnection through food. Born in Los Angeles to West African parents, she now lives in Twentynine Palms with her husband and two young children. Guided by a love of storytelling, shared meals, and an enduring curiosity about people and places, she believes food is a powerful and beautiful expression of who we are.

Dennis Tafoya lives near Philadelphia and is the author of three crime novels set in and around the city, including Dope Thief, developed for Apple TV by Peter Craig and Ridley Scott. His short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies such as Philadelphia Noir and Best American Mystery Stories. His work has been nominated for multiple awards and optioned for film and television.

Meet Dr. Oolong, the unconventional wordsmith whose life is as diverse as their storytelling. From living on a boat to roaming deserts, their eclectic experiences fuel their work, spanning sci-fi, comedy, and beyond. With a resume including directing plays, working in special effects for major films, and even chauffeuring bands to iconic concerts, Dr. Oolong's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Inspired by encounters with the Integratron and Giant Rock, their acclaimed book, Bedtime Stories for Robots, is a testament to a life lived outside the lines.

Duncan Birmingham is a writer and filmmaker in Los Angeles. The feature film he wrote and directed, Who Invited Them, was named one of the best horror films of 2022 by The Hollywood Reporter. He's written on various TV shows including as an executive producer and writer on Maron (starring Marc Maron) on IFC and co-executive producer and writer on Blunt Talk on Starz. His screenplay Swingles was featured on The Black List and his short films have premiered at festivals including Sundance and AFI. His first book of short stories, The Cult in My Garage, (Maudlin House), came out in August 2021.

Francene Kaplan is a native Californian and desert lover, enjoys writing poems and short stories when not playing household percussion or creating weird mixed–media art. She loves all things animal, vegetable, and mineral, reading / watching Sci Fi, and organic gardening. Attaining far too much formal education, she thus shares tidbits of this knowledge to alternative high school students. She teaches science, psychology, sociology, health, and foods. Teaching composting workshops to communities in Southern California, has earned her the moniker of the "Priestess of Rot".

Gene Rosow is a writer, filmmaker, historian, and photographer whose career spans books, articles, television, film and music. A former UC Berkeley history professor, he’s written, directed, and produced award-winning documentaries and feature films on topics ranging from gangster films (Born to Lose) to Jewish-Muslim coexistence (Routes of Exile), Afro-Cuban music (Roots of Rhythm), medieval knights (Les Chevaliers) and soil preservation (DIRT The Movie). His credits among others also include Doctora, Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys, Silent Tongue, Zeus and Roxanne, and a new project, Joshua Tree Dance Party (2025).

George Bixley held a string of jobs, from parking attendant to night desk clerk, before finding his groove in Los Angeles, settling into the seedy underbelly of the metropolis and trying to keep ahead of the wave of gentrification. Bixley sells his soul by day and dredges the bottom by night.

Greg Gilbert is a retired English Professor and the current Board President at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree, CA. His book, Butchy’s Rainbow, is the story of a three-generation household in post-war Los Angeles and the horrific events that necessitated their move into the political and social maelstrom that was San Bernardino in the mid-1950’s.

Jamie Evans, aka The Herb Somm, is a four-time author, certified sommelier, and founder of a cannabis lifestyle brand focused on infused food, wine, and wellness. Her work bridges the culinary and cannabis worlds through books, events, and educational content. She’s the author of The Ultimate Guide to CBD, Cannabis Drinks, Let’s Get Baked! and the forthcoming High Times Cannabis Cocktails (2024). Named a Top 40 Under 40 Tastemaker by Wine Enthusiast, Jamie has been featured in High Times, POPSUGAR, and Wine Enthusiast, and co-edited GoldLeaf’s Cooking Journal. She lives and works in California.

Jardine Libaire is the co-editor of PO Box Outer Space, a new zine series of "open letters to the beyond," alongside Jennifer Prediger and designer Beth Middleworth. She lives in the High Desert and is captivated, confused, and enchanted by both the seen and unseen. Jardine is the author of Here Kitty Kitty, White Fur, and You're An Animal (Hogarth); co-writer of The Sober Lush (Tarcher Perigee); and has created two collaborations for Neotext: GoldTwinz with Neil Krug and A Lesson in Murder Ballads with Denise Prince. She also co-wrote the film Endings, Beginnings with Drake Doremus.

Jay Jones is the author of A Bilagáana Boy among the Navajo, a true story about his four years living on the Navajo Reservation in Window Rock, Arizona. Born in Japan to Air Force veterans, Jay had a turbulent childhood and joined the Marine Corps at 17. His career path included roles from cook and DJ to financial advisor, ultimately retiring after 33 years as a Chartered Financial Consultant. He earned a Business Management degree while working full-time. Now living near Tucson, Jay enjoys golfing, traveling, cooking, and soaking up the Arizona sun with a good book and a strong cocktail.

John Sierpinski lives in Yucca Valley, California. His two poetry collections: "Sucker Hole" and "Vacancy/No Vacancy" were published by Cholla Needles Arts and Literary Library.

Josh Jackson is a writer, photographer, speaker, and leading voice for public lands managed by the BLM. Through his evocative Forgotten Lands Project, Josh employs immersive storytelling and striking visual narratives to inspire appreciation and engagement with our least understood, least protected, and largely unknown landscapes. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

Kate Spencer is a mental health professional with a passion for poetry. Writing under the pen name Joella Muncel, she began sharing her poetry on Substack earlier this year. She released her first collection of narrative poetry, Desert Fairy Tales—a whimsical journey of magical stories inspired by the enchanting and mystical Mojave Desert—and is working on a second volume. Kate is a student of that which lies beyond the limitations of human perception. Her second work, The Book of RA, is a distillation of the RA Material, channeled in the late 80's from an entity named RA. The book contains all of the guidance RA offered to show humanity how to live a life in Love & Light.

Kelli Shapiro, PhD, is a public historian, historic preservationist, and local history author from Southern California. She holds degrees from Pomona College, Texas State University, and Brown University. She has written two books for Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series: 2024's "Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley Movie Theatres" and 2018's "Historic Movie Theatres of West Virginia" (the latter done as the Preservation Alliance of WV's Program Associate). She has also authored successful state landmark nominations in California and Texas; academic journal articles; and entries for several encyclopedias.

Kenneth Nowling is a best-selling author, producer, and veteran television executive with over 30 years of experience in film and TV production. He began his career in 1992 as a production assistant and rose through the ranks to bring major stories to life on screen. Now a full-time writer, Kenneth brings his cinematic instincts to the page, captivating readers with acclaimed Young Adult fiction and gripping Crime & Suspense novels. His debut, Havana Nights, blends high-stakes drama with atmospheric storytelling. Across every medium, Kenneth crafts immersive stories that entertain, challenge, and leave a lasting impression.

Kristina Ten is a speculative fiction writer and the author of Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine (Stillhouse Press, Oct. 2025). Her stories appear in McSweeney's, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Lightspeed, Nightmare, and more. She has won the Stephen Dixon Award, the Subjective Chaos Kind of Award, and the F(r)iction Writing Contest, and has been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson, Locus, and WSFA Small Press Awards. A Clarion West and University of Colorado MFA graduate, Kristina has lived all over—with mischievous dogs, melodramatic plants, and bookshelves full of scary stories.

Larry Fike is a former tenured department chair who holds degrees in philosophy from UCLA and Columbia University. He now teaches critical thinking, logic, and ethics at community colleges and writes from his home in Joshua Tree. He is working on a sequel to the memoir Piker: A Memoir of Child Abuse, Academic Disillusionment, and Familial Redemption, and is the author of Obstinate Air: Poems on Beating the Wind and Unheard Tick of Time: Poems in the Healing Mode. His lyrics have been included in songs that have aired on "The Young and the Restless," "General Hospital," and "Summerland."

Laurie Kaye is the author of Confessions of a Rock N Roll Name Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon’s Last Interview, a gripping memoir that recounts her 1980 interview with Lennon—his final one before his tragic death hours later. The book also explores her turbulent early years in LA and rise through the music industry, interviewing legends like Paul McCartney, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger. Laurie began her career at KFRC-AM San Francisco, later writing for RKO and Dick Clark. She now works in television and film as a writer, producer, and casting director.

Lex Neale is an independent Integral Theorist and a member of the Integral Research Center. After taking a B.Sc. in Zoology at London University he became involved in consciousness studies, traveling the world to develop his thesis that the origin of Life is Consciousness. In India he became a practitioner of Prem Rawat's "Knowledge of the Self," and enjoys an ongoing affiliation with The Prem Rawat Foundation, www.tprf.org. As well as a scientist and inventor, he is also an artist and musician. He lives with his family in the beautiful redwood forests of northern California.

Lisa Schyck is the creator of Glimpses of the Joshua Tree Dream, a book series celebrating the authentic lives and creative spirit of Hi-Desert residents. The first volume launched in August 2024, with a second set for March 2026 during Women’s History Month, spotlighting modern-day women pioneers of the region. A former organizational development executive with over 20 years of experience at top Detroit firms, Lisa holds a Master’s in Administration and has studied design at the Interior Design Institute and OTIS. She is also a student of Judaic, Chassidic, and mystical teachings and donates book proceeds to local cultural projects.

As an author, Maxfield's voice is fierce, funny and focused on women's issues. Her upcoming memoir JewGirl uses flashpoints from lived experience to explore what it means to be Jewish and female at a time when women's rights are at risk and antisemitism is on the rise. She lives in Southern California.

Michael G. Vail is a novelist, short-story author and poet. His most recent book, High Desert Elegy: Stories & Poems, and his novel, The Salvation of San Juan Cajon, are available at several locations in the Morongo Basin and on Amazon. A California native, Michael divides his time between San Clemente and a former homestead cabin in Twentynine Palms.

Michael “Aibo” Juarez is an A.I. software patent holder and sci-fi author whose writing is heavily influenced by an extensive philosophy, journalism, and business background. Before starting his career as a writer, Aibo owned a retail business in San Francisco, employing local teens from at-risk communities. Now, Aibo’s work often explores themes of disadvantage, violence, spirituality, and the desire to break free from oppressive systems. When he isn’t writing, Aibo enjoys reading, cooking, working, and watching anime, TV, and movies.

Mike Stillman first traveled on Route 66 as an infant in his parents' Rambler during the summer of 1960. He may be the only person who remembers the layout of the gold mine that his father invested in (and received little in return). In his early 20's, Stillman wrote fiction and poetry that appeared in Mendocino Review, Permafrost, Metrosphere, and Wordeater. For decades, he worked in Chicago as a Software Engineer and I.T. Specialist, but was always thinking of the desert and visiting on vacations. In 2016, he retired and moved to the Joshua Tree area, where he wrote the historical novel In The Joshua Sea over seven years.

Nico Slate is a historian and author whose work explores race, democracy, and social change in the United States and India. Raised in California’s Mojave Desert, he was inspired by his mother, a public school teacher, and driven by personal experiences, including his brother’s tragic death. A Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Ph.D., Nico is the author of Brothers and several acclaimed books, including Colored Cosmopolitanism and Gandhi’s Search for the Perfect Diet. He teaches at Carnegie Mellon University, where he also co-founded LEAP and the Bajaj Lab for Rural Development. His writing blends scholarship with a deeply personal lens on justice.

Nikki Rawnsley is an award-winning author, marketing leader, and creative force whose work blends soulful depth with whimsical imagination. A British-born Australian living in California, she draws inspiration from her travels, global connections, and spiritual practice. With an empathetic heart and curious spirit, Nikki channels her inner fairy, nymph, or ninja to craft poetry that stirs emotion and awakens the soul. Her writing aims to radiate transformative energy—teasing the mind, drawing readers in, and cracking open the heart. A seeker and high-vibe traveler, she lives each day in love for the highest good of all, guided by creativity and connection.

Nolan Knight is the author of Gallows Dome, The Neon Lights Are Veins and Beneath the Black Palms. He is a fourth generation Angeleno and former staff writer for Los Angeles’ Biggest Music Publication, the L.A. Record. His short fiction has been featured in various publications including Akashic Books, Thuglit, Shotgun Honey, Tough and Action, Spectacle. His work has been met with praise by luminaries such as Barry Gifford, James Sallis, Allison Anders and Lydia Lunch. He lives in Long Beach with a new novel, The Gorgon of Los Feliz, being published by Down & Out Books on July 14, 2025.

Paulina Rael Jaramillo holds an M.A. in Counseling and is the author of five books spanning a variety of subjects, including self-help, history, and culinary arts. Her self-help books inspire and empower readers to heal and move forward after experiencing profound loss. Her fourth book, The American Southwest, offers a historically accurate overview of the diverse cultures that have inhabited the region, with a special focus on the significant contributions of Latinos. Her children’s cookbook, The Littlest Chef, has been well received by public schools, libraries, and bookstores. Paulina is currently working on a young adult fiction novel.

Rose Baldwin is a Midwesterner by birth and a storyteller by instinct—plainspoken, occasionally thickheaded, and often unexpectedly insightful. A lifelong joker, daydreamer, and scribbler, she spent years working in banking, teaching finance, and serving in government, where her supervisors frequently noted she might be happier elsewhere. They were right. In 2014, she moved to California and now lives in Yucca Valley with her two cats. Her works include The Claire Stories (2016), Mike's Magic Burgers (2017), Claire Streaking Through the Autumn of Her Life (2021), and Claire Still Kicking (2023). She's still writing—and still kicking.

Ryanna Hammond is the founder of All With Heart, where creative writing, mental health, and spirituality meet. After overcoming years of anxiety, disordered eating, and self-doubt, she found healing through therapy, journaling, and spiritual awakening. Ryanna holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing. She now creates books, workshops, and services to help others expand their mindset, reconnect with their authentic selves, and transform their lives. Through poetry, education, and deep inner work, Ryanna empowers others to share their stories and heal from within—always, and only, with heart.

DTed is a desert-based artist, curator, and patient advocate known for his project Scarred for Life: Monoprints of Human Scars, which chronicles the stories of individuals who have survived accidents and health crises. A lifelong patient with Gaucher Disease, Ted uses his art to improve patient-physician communication and explore life with illness. His work has been featured by NPR and The New York Times, and he serves as Artist in Residence at USC Keck School of Medicine. His latest book, The Room Sinatra Died In, and Other Medically Adjacent Stories, will be released in September 2024.

Vanda Krefft is the author of Expect Great Things!, a social history of the Katharine Gibbs School and its pioneering role in expanding workplace opportunities for women. The book, which explores the unlikely story of Katharine Gibbs and her school's trailblazing graduates, will be published by Algonquin Books in March 2025. Vanda is also the author of The Man Who Made the Movies (HarperCollins, 2017), the first full biography of Twentieth Century Fox founder William Fox. A former journalist, her writing has appeared in Elle, Redbook, Woman’s Day, and the Los Angeles Times. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Valerio Ventura is a multi-award-winning artist, copywriter, and recipient of the 2014 Prime-Time Emmy award for individual achievement as a designer for the Walt Disney Studios. With more than thirty years of experience in the film industry, Valerio has been writing professionally since 2001. Born in Rome, Italy, Valerio grew up on the stressed-out and crime-ridden streets of the Quadraro neighborhood, near the Cinecitta Film Studios where Fellini and Sergio Leone made cinematic history. As a teen, Valerio dreamed of coming to the US. After moving to California and becoming a US citizen, he devoted himself to art directing animated shows, and writing and directing television commercials and music videos. Now he has decided to write and publish his own books. In this first novel in the Akira series, Valerio explores the world of assassins with razor-sharp action, hyperviolence, dark humor, and urban poetry.