Ken Abbott writes both poetry and short stories, although he doesn't seem to have a long enough attention span to write novels. He has in previous competitions places third in poetry at the Southeastern Literary Festival and won first place in poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction at Gainesville Community College, where he edited the Chestatee Review. Ken's interests include politics, rodeo, gold-panning, and other abnormal hobbies, and he currently lives in Hayden. A native of Georgia, Ken is working towards a degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis on English.
George Brazier , born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969, was raised in Birmingham. He first picked up a camera in 1984 and has been in an on and again off again love affair with photography ever since. He is currently studying Secondary Education/Mathmatics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Earl Coleman has had two short stories nominated for Pushcarts XXIII and XXVII and one short story nominated for the series Best American Short Stories. His first Book of poetry, A stubborn Pine in a Swift wind (Mellen Poetry Press) was published in 2001. A chapbook of his poetry was published under the title Earl Coleman's Greatest Hits by Pudding House as part of their series in 2004. In April 2007, his latest work, a collaboration with his son, titled Like Father, Like Son was published. To see more of his work go to nearbycafe.com/stubbornpine/stubbornpine.html.
Stephanie Cook is a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She enjoys photography, ballroom dancing, and good music.
Daniel DeVaugn is a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, majoring in English.
Eric Glidewell is a Physical Security Technician full-time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a part-time student at night. He is currently a Junior in the creative writing program. He is married with two children and lives in Trussville.
James T. McConatha hails from small town Sylacauga, Alabama and is currently a student at UAB. He specializes in photographing local bands for promotional purposes and is pursuing a career in journalism and photography.
Alyssa Mitchell is a junior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Studio Art and Anthropology. Her interests include writing, music, painting, traveling, graphic design and photography. She is absolutely thrilled to serve as Aura’s Art Editor and hopes to be the Art Editor at National Geographic in the future.
Jamie S. Walden started classes at UAB where she is an English Major torn between a concentration in Professional Writing and one in Creative Writing. She is extremely excited about all the writing prospects in Birmingham, and feels that she has made a wise decision in moving here. She is currently a staff writer for Kaleidoscope, and she also works as a barista at Coffee on Valley. The bit of free time she has is usually spent hanging out with her boyfriend of five years and their cat, reading, writing, baking, and indulging in the addiction that is reality television.
Chris Waters, from North Carolina, splits his time between the Outer Banks and Rhode Island. Poetry-wise, in addition to separate poems in various publications he has published: SENEGAL. POEMS ON AFRICA; HATTERAS SYMPHONY; OUTER BANKS SONATA, and his GHOST LIGHTHOUSE. NEW AND OLD HATTERAS POEMS is due out soon with March Street Press. In prose, under Harold A. he has authored four books, one on Paul Claudel, the others on African literature. His “Silence of the Wolves,” in this issue, is included in KING PHILIP’S TALKING HEAD. AMERINDIAN POEMS, which he is currently circulating.
