Alaina Bixon De Martini
Ms. Bixon is a freelance writer who teaches in the Writers in the Schools Program at Palm Desert High School. Ms. Bixon is a volunteer for the Palm Springs Art Museum and a member of the Palm Springs Modern Committee and the Palm Springs Writers Guild. She is a graduate of MIT and Johns Hopkins University and attended the Institute of Political Studies and the Sorbonne in Paris. She obtained her CA community college teaching credential at CSUSB – Palm Desert. Alaina has written and edited marketing, educational, and fundraising materials for many businesses and organizations.
Bryan Burch
Mr. Burch is currently writing two fiction novels and a story in prose-rap called “Tha Sistahs at the Laundra-mat.” He comes from a professional theatrical background which he would like to parley into writing works for the stage. He was the founding Executive Director of REPRISE! Broadway’s Best, and on Broadway he stage managed Steel Magnolias, Show Boat, Aspects of Love, Les Miserables, Lettice and Lovage, Crazy For You, and Cats. Bryan has a BA in Theatre Arts from CSULB and an MFA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Bryan’s prose poem, Black Man’s Hands has been published in the quarterly, RFD.
Diana Changala
Ms. Changala received her BA in English and Creative Writing from California State University, San Bernardino and works as a substitute teacher. Her interests are fiction, creative non-fiction and screenwriting. She hopes to one day create a “Life 101” required reader for high school students. The driving forces behind the idea of a Life 101 book come from 4 years of teaching computer repair with ROP (Regional Occupational Program) for RCOE. Diana was a pioneer electronic technician in the aerospace industry for 25 years before going back to school to complete her Bachelor and Master’s Degrees.
RaNeeka J. Claxton
Ms. Claxton is one of the newest additions to the UCR-Palm Desert MFA program. A native Detroiter and University of Michigan graduate, she has a concentration in fiction with a future goal of becoming a novelist. Claxton looks at the world as her canvas, and she paints with her pen. She is a journalist by trade – having covered fashion trends and travel destinations in New York City, South Africa and the British Virgin Islands.
Lori Davis
Ms. Davis received a BA in Radio/TV/Film from California State University, Long Beach. She currently teaches sophomore English at Xavier College Preparatory High School. She is the founder/host of the Gneiss Poetry Series, a member of California Poets in the School and the training instructor for UCR-PD's Writers in the Schools (WITS) program. Her poetry has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Atlanta Review, Salt Hill, Hayden's Ferry Review and Cimarron Review. KedDavis@aol.com
Jessica Davis
Ms. Davis is a first year MFA student, focusing on screenwriting. A native of Massachusetts, she relocated to the California desert in 2001 after accepting a teaching position at Rancho Mirage Elementary School, where she’s been happily employed since. She holds a BA in Education from Salem State College and an M.A. in Special Education and is thrilled to be part of the Master of Fine Arts program at Palm Desert, so that she may continue to develop her skills as a writer.
Heidi Gibbons
Ms. Gibbons received a BA in English from Belmont University. She entered the MFA Program to hone her skills as a writer of fiction, take advantage of the cross genre aspect of the program and immerse herself in the world of academia; growing as a writer while acquiring new skills as an educator. Her ultimate goal is to be a serious author and an inspiring professor.
Travis Hedge Coke
Mr. Hedgecoke has written extensively for independent film productions and is published as a poet, non-fiction and prose fiction writer. He earned his BS in Creative Writing from Northern Michigan University and has studied at California Institute for the Arts and the Institute of American Indian Arts. By entering this program he hopes to negotiate for the time needed to write, to concentrate and to consider writing. Travis currently teaches in the WITS Program. An except from his unpublished novel, Juliana, including “Transient Step” can be found in the Birthmarks Anthology released by the Institute of American Indian Arts. An excerpt from ‘The Subtonic Calendar’ was featured on The Lumberyard in January 2008.
Jack Henry
Mr. Henry is a poet/writer/musician/publisher lives and breathes in Corona, California. When not screaming at God and various related authorities, Jack writes. Any and everything. Currently Jack is working on a play "Moths to Light", a book of prose-poetry "Street Songs - Children of the Night", as well collection of poetry recently submitted to Manic D Press. Additionally, Jack runs a publishing house, d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press. Jack received his education in a variety of places, ways and means, and eventually graduated from CSUF with a BA in American Studies Recent publications include a book of poetry, SCRAWL, on K3Press; a chapbook "chasing screaming monkeys w/o any clothes" on d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press and has been published in several online & print zines, including CP Journal, cause & effect, and Off Beat Pulp. Upcoming include Winamop, Static Movement, Church, Children & Daddies, and Gloom Cupboard. Also, Oak Bend Review has two coming up as well as a feature and an interview. Additionally, Jack is a featured poet at the Connecticut Beat Festival on June 7; Drunk Poets Society in Ocean Beach on June 16, and First Friday in Palm Desert (Barnes & Noble) on August 1. Last and certainly not least Jack will be interviewed on the Jane Crown Radio Program on July 6, 2008. He will also be a Speaker at Fordham University F08.
Aja Henriquez
At ten years old Ms. Henriquez was writing stories about monsters under the bed and plays about moving to California. Her young life was filled with hardship and poverty and in adulthood she has worked as a soldier, a linguist, a gardener, office worker, toilet scrubber, professional box flipper and auditor. She currently teaches freshman composition classes at a private university. Aja enjoys interdisciplinary writing, mixing genres. She aspires to become a professional writer. Aja earned a BA in Creative Writing from California State University, San Bernardino and her MA from California Baptist University.
Heather Hubbard
Ms. Hubbard graduated from California State San Bernardino in 2005 with her B.A. in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. She was an entertainment journalist for the Coyote Chronicles, Skinnie magazine, Billboard Live, and Dead on the Web. Ms. Hubbard has published two short stories, "Pink's" and "Sundowning" in The Pacific Review. Heather is a community mentor at La Quinta High through the Writers in the Schools program. She is currently working on a collection of short stories about people who live in the Lake Arrowhead mountains. Heather hopes to have more publications in the future, and to inspire and motivate her students as much as her mentors have inspired and motivated her.
Christopher Koval
Mr. Koval received a BA in Theatre Studies at Kent State University. He attended the Bennett Theatre Lab, a professional acting program and hopes to combine his interest in theatre with his supernatural, fantastical, mysterious or spiritual interpretation of writing. A long-range goal is to write and direct original works for the stage through experimental techniques and devices. Chris hopes to influence the lives of young people through writing, teaching and directing. He is currently performing theatre in the High Desert.
Jay Lewenstein
Mr. Lewenstein holds a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MA in English from California State University, San Francisco. He has taught k-12 students and currently teaches college level composition classes along the border in the Imperial Valley. He lives in Mexico and works on the U.S. side. Jay also works part-time as a researcher at a tree farm in Niland, studying fertilization and irrigation. Much of his interest in plants and horticulture comes from his early readings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa and others. He aspires to bring his organic understanding of the writing process to the classroom.
Christopher Millan
Mr. Millan hopes to eventually complete a novel. His goal is to become a great writer and to write fiction but also to teach at the college level. He recently completed a BA in English at California State University, San Bernardino.
Laura Ortega
Laurie is a self-described language fiend with a weakness for the melodramatic. She attributes these qualities to her mother, a former English as A Second Language professor, and her maternal grandmother, who got the whole family hooked on American police procedurals and Latin American soap operas. Laurie is also, as the Albertson’s commercial succinctly puts it, "crazy about food." Laurie is in her third year of the M.F.A. program, having graduated from the University of Redlands with a B.A. in Creative Writing.
Kimbel Phillips
Kimbel Westerson Phillips is a former magazine editor in her first year at UCR-PDGC. Her writing emphasis is in fiction and creative non-fiction, and she continues to freelance for local and regional publications. Her articles appear in Desert Magazine, LQ and 92260. She has a BUS in University Studies from North Dakota State University.
westersonk@dc.rr.com
Robert Potts
Robert Gable Potts graduated in June 2005 from California State University, San Bernardino with a B.A. in English, and is a member of the honor societies Sigma Tau Delta and Golden Key International. Potts is a second-year graduate student at UCR Palm Desert and a community mentor with the university-affiliated Writers in the Schools program. His poetry has appeared in Solstice and Pacific Review; three poems were accepted for the autumn issue of Starry Night Review, which is due to publish in January 2008.
Sharon Prentice
Since 1993 Ms. Prentice has written several unpublished novels, a number of short stories and a few poems. In addition, she obtained her California Teaching Credential in English and has student taught for four years in the Coachella Valley Unified School district. She hopes to become a published author and to write for the stage and screen. Sharon intends to teach at the college level but also to devote herself to teaching the mentally and emotionally handicapped. She believes the creative endeavor is one of the most therapeutic and healing experiences anyone can hope to have. Sharon was awarded her BA in English from California State University, San Bernardino.
Heather Riccio
Ms. Riccio has been professionally writing since she was 19 years old. Previous to working at HILARY Magazine (www.hilary.com) where she is the Career Editor, Heather worked at Teen People, while writing for Beautiful Girl, Dune and Palm Springs Life magazines. One of her metafiction pieces can be found online at www.mettafiction.blogspot.com/. She hopes to have her first YA novel published shortly after graduating from the MFA program. She holds a BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in English and Creative Writing and a BS in Anthropology from UCR. heather.riccio@gmail.com.
Thomas Snyder
Mr. Snyder earned his BA in English at the University of California, Irvine. He is married with a son. Tom is the Associate Director of Development, Marketing, and PR with Animal Samaritans SPCA. His plays have been produced in LA, Orange, SD, and Riverside Counties. He is a former member of the Mark Taper Forum Playwright's Group in LA. Has taught Playwriting at MiraCosta Community College extended studies program and studied Dramatic Lit at the University of London, England.
whosshakespeare@yahoo.com
Jaime Soria
Mr. Soria earned his BA in Spanish at St. Mary’s College and an MS in Counseling & Guidance from California State University, San Bernardino. He has worked with several non-profit educational outreach programs been a college advisor, teacher and is currently a high school guidance counselor. He was the editor of his college paper, el Noticiero.
Mark Takano
Mr. Takano is currently a high school language arts teacher. He received his BA in Government from Harvard College. He is very concerned about the adolescent audience and hopes to make an impact in this area as a writer.
Stephen Torres
Mr. Torres graduated with a BA in English from California State University, San Bernardino. He is interested in contemporary and Latin American Literature and hopes to write and teach at the professor level. He has several projects in the works, a screenplay, novella and several short stories.
Kimberly Ussery
Ms. Ussery has a strong background in science and deep love of writing and hopes to combine these two disciplines with an emphasis on the stories of famous scientists and their discoveries. She is also interested in historical fiction, which would incorporate scientific facts with a fictional story line. Kim earned a BS in Environmental Science from the University of California, Riverside. She currently teaches Integrated Science and English at John Glenn Middle School in Indio, California. Kimberly.Ussery@dsusd.us
Lon Varnadore
Mr. Varnadore earned his BA in English and Creative Writing while at California State University, Long Beach. He writes science fiction and fantasy, working toward the MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts and completing his thesis.
Jonathan Walter
Mr. Walters is a wandering cheese and curry salesman who came to the desert to practice the art of writing plays. His goal is to create a modern drama in which all characters are fairly pleasant. He wants to style a drama that is not based on people who are insane, angry, overtly confused, violent, sexually baffled, or just too goofy for words. What interests him is how reasonable people relate to a changing world. Jon received his BA from UCLA in History.
Allorah Wyman
Ms. Wyman is a native of New Orleans. As a child she wrote short stories and poems and has nurtured this interest and talent throughout the years. She earned a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Redlands and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. She plans to write every day and aspires to be a novelist.