Jennifer Rood has been writing poems and stories since first grade, when her teacher would set aside time for her to read her work to the class. After bringing her love of learning and literature to thousands of students over 30 years of teaching in Grants Pass schools, she retired last summer in order to spend the fall of 2023 to write poetry as the Oregon Caves National Monument’s Artist in Residence. She is a past Board Member and President of the Oregon Poetry Association, and her poetry appears in dozens of journals and anthologies. In 2023 she released What the Heart Says, a chapbook collection of found poetry and art. Present and Speaking Everywhere (Not a Pipe Publishing, 2024) is her first full-length collection.
Barry Vitcov is a retired educator having spent 45 years as a middle school English teacher, school administrator, leadership coach, and adjunct university professor. He lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and exceptionally brilliant standard poodle. Finishing Line Press has published three of his books: a poetry collection Where I Live Some of the Time (2021), a collection of short stories The Wilbur Stories & More (2022), and a poetry chapbook Structures (2024). A novella The Boy with Six Fingers will be released by FLP in June 2025.
