Michael Adams (known to his friends as Crazy Cloud) lives along Coal Creek, just east of the continental divide in Lafayette, Colorado, with his wife, Claire and their dog, Jackie. He performs widely and has been published in numerous magazines and journals. His books include Broken Hand, and Hardscrabble: The Wet Mountain Poems (Longhand Press); and Between Heaven and Earth (Elik Press). Michael teaches in the Master of Arts program at Prescott College in Prescott, AZ.

Debbi Brody co-owns and operates Canyon Road Contemporary Art, in Santa Fe, NM. She publishes her poems frequently in Central Avenue. Her work has appeared in the Broomweed Journal, Poetica and other national literary magazines. FREEFORM, her chapbook, is available through artqueen58@aol.com

Zoë Dwyer is an award-winning poet and the co-host of two monthly poetry events in Santa Fe: CCA's Open Poetry series and Poets for Peace readings. She is currently a student in the Documentary Studies program at the College of Santa Fe and will travel to Brazil later this year as part of her studies.

Dale Harris is an editor of Central Avenue. Her idea of a really good time is organizing the annual Sunflower Festival Poets & Writers Picnic in Mountainair, NM and poetry variety shows at the Harwood Art Center in support of National Poetry Month. Her poetry & music CDs are available at www.cdbaby.com/all/daleharris. Dale is also a potter and a nurse practitioner working in the HIV field.

Kat Heatherington is a poet, sometime artist, ecofeminist pagan with two superfluous degrees in literature and a serious interest in intentional community and living lightly on the earth. Her three most recent chapbooks are available at Abitha's Herbary in Albuquerque. She is a regular contributor to Central Avenue and The InnerConnexion, and says she’s honored to be included in the present selection.

Carol Lewis was born and educated in Chicago, migrated to Culver City, CA in the mid-sixties, and has made her home in Albuquerque since 2000. She edits and publishes The Rag, a widely distributed poetry broadsheet. Carol says she that since she’s spent her life on all kinds of shores - lake, ocean and river - she hopes to be re-incarnated as a dolphin.

Cathryn McCracken is the founding editor of Central Avenue and of Willow Street monthly poetry magazine, Central Avenue’s predecessor. Earth Dreams was her first book of poetry, published by Blue Heron Press in 1996. Her work has been featured in several national literary publications including Pequod, an issue she appeared in with Robert Bly. A long time resident of Taos, she currently lives in Albuquerque’s North Valley.

Mitch Rayes, poet and musician, lives on Albuquerque’s west bank with his wife Dona and their two kids, Nick and Sirena. The excerpt is from CARRYING CORPSES, a life-long series of poetic reminiscences. For more selections and more about Mitch, visit his website at www.mitchrayes.com.

Bob Reeves aka Robert Arthur Reeves is a contributing editor of Central Avenue and its predecessor Willow Street. He teaches philosophy and comparative religions at the University of New Mexico and T-VI. There’s more of his work online at www.tmpoetry.com. He dislikes long, informative bio blurbs so enough said!

Aaron D. Stump grew up in Tucumcari and Portales, now lives in Albuquerque where he works as a materials scientist. He enjoys hiking, bicycling and motorcycling and especially lounging around hot springs with his fiancé. Says he’s in love with the sky in his home state, especially during monsoon season. Although writing is a joy, he also describes it as a struggle, something he works at.

Robert Swearingen is originally from Hammond, Indiana, a place he calls “the armpit of the Milky Way”. For the past 32 years, he’s lived mostly on Albuquerque’s streets and byways and says he likes to write poetry that is “sweet and raw”. His popular first book of poetry titled Street Milk was released in 2003 by Central Avenue Press, along with a poetry & music CD of the same name, featuring Mitch Rayes. Visit www.centralavepress.com for more on him.

Rachelle Woods is a contact improv dancer and massage therapist. She cohosts monthly Open Poetry and Poets for Peace readings in Santa Fe, where she settled after many years of calling the Maine woods home. Her work has appeared in Manzanita Quarterly, Central Avenue, Curbside Review, the anthology Audible Fire, and on the CD Poets For Peace.