Libby McDonnell - "echo's vigil" and "Weeding"

Libby McDonnell reading her poem "echo's vigil" and "weeding" at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco Libby McDonnell is a recent graduate of the Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco. She has previously been published in the electronic literary magazine elimae. She lives and works in Oakland, California

Patrick James Dunagan - Reading from his collection "There are people who think painters shouldn’t talk”

Patrick James Dunagan reads from his collection "There are people who think painters shouldn’t talk” at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco Patrick James Dunagan lives in San Francisco and works at Gleeson Library at USF. He is the author of “There are people who think painters shouldn’t talk”: A GUSTONBOOK (Post-Apollo, 2011). Other recent writings of his have appeared in: Amerarcana, Barzakh, Big Bell, The Critical Flame, Galatea Resurrects, House Organ, ON, The Poetry Project Newsletter, Polis, Rain Taxi, and Vanitas. Recent chapbooks include: from Chansonniers (Blue Press, 2008), Spirit Guest & Others (Lew Gallery Editions, 2009), Easy Eden w/ Micah Ballard (PUSH, 2009) and her friends down at the french cafe had no english words for me (PUSH, 2010). In addition to his own poems and book reviews, he’s currently working with Persian poet Ava Koohbor co-translating her work from Farsi.

David Aloi - "How to be There"

David Aloi reads his short story "How to be There" at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in the Mission. David Aloi was born in Buffalo, NY. He recently completed his MFA in fiction at California College of the Arts and now works at a non-profit organization. David lives and writes in San Francisco.

Aaron Shurin - [Cowboy, don't] and other poems from "Citizen"

Aaron Shurin reads selected poems from his collection "Citizen" at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in the Mission, San Francisco. Aaron Shurin's newest collection of prose poems is Citizen, forthcoming from City Lights Books in January 2012. He's a Professor in the MFA in Writing program at USF.

Jon Sindell - "The Deke"

Jon Sindell reading his short story "The Deke" at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco. Jon Sindell is a San Francisco-based writer, private tutor, former lawyer, and dot-com editorial refugee whose fiction has recently appeared or will appear soon in New South, Many Mountains Moving, Sugar Mule, Word Catalyst, Prick of the Spindle, riverbabble, and Word Riot (in print and read on iTunes). He has seen each side of the generational divide. More of his work my be seen at the creatively-titled Jon Sindell Fiction: http://jstevensonstories.blogspot.com/

Nicholas Leaskou - "Heliotropes"

Nicholas Leaskou reads his poem "Heliotropes" at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco. Nicholas Leaskou lives in San Francisco and received his MFA from USF in 2009. His poems and reviews have appeared in Vallum 8:1, Switchback 7, Midway 2, Boog City, Fourteen Hills 7:2, and Transfer 79.

Candra Kolodziej - "Jess & Jain"

Candra Kolodziej reads her short story "Jess & Jain" at the Switchback Issue 13 launch party at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco. Candra Kolodziej recently received her MFA in fiction from California College of the Arts. She currently lives in Seattle where she is working on a novel and writing short stories. Her fiction has been featured in BANG OUT and she has contributed to the Seattle weekly, The Stranger. Her story, "Hair & Teeth in Summertime," is forthcoming in the premier print edition of Uncanny Valley.

Cedar Sigo - "Notes on Joan Crawford"

A live reading at the Switchback Issue 11 launch party. Cedar Sigo is 32 years old and moved to San Francisco in 1999. His books include Goodnight Nurse, Thank you Letters, two editions of Selected Writings (UDP) Expensive Magic, and most recently a book of drawings, Portraits. Stranger In Town is forthcoming from City Lights Books in Fall 2010

Calder Lorenz - "out back by the rabbit pen"

Calder Lorenz currently works at St. Anthony's Dining Room in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. In December 2009 he finished his MFA in Writing at the University of San Francisco and is in the process of completing his first novel. Recorded live at Switchback Issue 12 launch party. In the fall of 2009, two pieces of his flash fiction and an interview were published on the California literature site, Curly Red Stories

Andrew Valencia - "Saint-Michel: A Moment in Six Forms"

Andrew Valencia is currently attending Stanford University. A native of the Central San Joaquin Valley, California, he has worked as a journalist, English teacher in South Korea, radio show interviewer, student peer mentor, and office assistant. His fiction has appeared in the Stanford literary magazine Leland Quarterly.

Mark Gozonsky - "The Lonely Story"

Mark Gozonsky lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters. He has recently published fiction in Two Hawks Quarterly, and launched markgozonsky.com

Mark Boccard - "The Moor Dances"

Mark Boccard is a poet and musician living in Oakland. "The Moor Dances," which appears in issue 11 of Switchback, is part of a book-length project involving the translation of music from Stravinsky's ballet, Petrushka, into text. Mark is currently finishing an MFA in Poetry at Mills College.

Mark Boccard - "Moor's Room"

Mark Boccard is a poet and musician living in Oakland. "The Moor Dances," which appears in issue 11 of Switchback, is part of a book-length project involving the translation of music from Stravinsky's ballet, Petrushka, into text. Mark is currently finishing an MFA in Poetry at Mills College.

Mark Boccard - "Petrushka: the Libretto in Alphabetical Order"

Mark Boccard is a poet and musician living in Oakland. "The Moor Dances," which appears in issue 11 of Switchback, is part of a book-length project involving the translation of music from Stravinsky's ballet, Petrushka, into text. Mark is currently finishing an MFA in Poetry at Mills College.

Chris Carosi - "Bright Light, Blue Sky"

Chris Carosi is from Pittsburgh. He is currently studying at the University of San Francisco for an MFA degree in Poetry.

Chris Carosi - "The Lonely Freedom"

Chris Carosi is from Pittsburgh. He is currently studying at the University of San Francisco for an MFA degree in Poetry. He would like to dedicate "The Lonely Freedom" to his classmates and teachers.

Christine Meade - "Home Improvements"

Christine Meade lives in San Francisco and is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing. Originally from Boston, she has worked as a reporter and teaches yoga and Pilates when not reading or writing.

Ken Rodgers - "On War and Remembrance"

Ken Rodgers lives and writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry in Boise, Idaho. He and his wife, Betty, tend to be migrants if not vagrants. Ken teaches creative writing workshops on ground and online. Ken has an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of San Francisco (2000) where he had a hell of a good time. See more about Ken at www.kennethrodgers.com.

Cedar Sigo - "Untitled (NIJINSKY)"

A live reading at the Switchback Issue 11 launch party. Cedar Sigo is 32 years old and moved to San Francisco in 1999. His books include Goodnight Nurse, Thank you Letters, two editions of Selected Writings (UDP) Expensive Magic, and most recently a book of drawings, Portraits. Stranger In Town is forthcoming from City Lights Books in Fall 2010.

Cedar Sigo - "The Emerald Tablet"

A live reading at the Switchback Issue 11 launch party. Cedar Sigo is 32 years old and moved to San Francisco in 1999. His books include Goodnight Nurse, Thank you Letters, two editions of Selected Writings (UDP) Expensive Magic, and most recently a book of drawings, Portraits. Stranger In Town is forthcoming from City Lights Books in Fall 2010.