Dr. Hugh Martin, an Iraq War veteran and finalist for the National Magazine Award, is the author of In Country (BOA Editions, Ltd., 2018), The Stick Soldiers (BOA Editions, Ltd., 2013), and So, How Was the War? (Kent State UP, 2010). His work has appeared in many publications including The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New York Times, GQ, The American Scholar, and Gulf Coast. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, a Wallace Stegner Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. He teaches at the United States Air Force Academy. He is currently at work on a collection of essays interrogating how the military-industrial complex shapes discourses of masculinity, remembrance, and veteran identity.

Mansa Lamont Bey is an American poet and writer from Cleveland, Ohio. His artistic stance centers on the experience and expressions of identity and indigeneity. Bey's passion for the literary and performance arts all converge to display a body of work that is emblematic of the connection between the cosmos and community. As a combat veteran, Bey found his love for poetry as a soldier at war during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since returning home from the Army, Bey honed his craft as a poet and writer transforming his therapeutic release and hobby into a profession. Over the years, Bey has learned to incorporate his love of poetry into his approach towards community service. His work has appeared in various local publications and community-based anthologies. He also facilitates creative writing workshops for veterans and community.