Adam is an associate professor of special education at the College of Charleston. His work focuses on inclusive school spaces and his eternal hope is that it contributes to making the South just a little bit more hospitable for all folks.

Adam Klein is a singer/songwriter and actor from Athens, Georgia, now living with his wife and two young kids in the metro Atlanta city of Tucker. He served in the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa, and has released seven albums on his Cowboy Angel Music label, including an original American-roots-meets-Mande-roots collection recorded in Mali featuring traditional Mande instrumentation and lyrics performed in the Bambara language. His latest album is Holidays in United States.

Alison Hall received her BFA in Studio Art at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia ,and Todi, Italy, then her MFA in Painting at American University in Washington, D.C., and Corciano, Italy. Hall’s work has been exhibited in New York, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among other places. She divides her time between Virginia and Italy.

Alon Shaya is Chef-Partner of Pomegranate Hospitality, which includes Saba in New Orleans, Safta in Denver, and both Miss River and Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans. Born in Israel, raised in Philadelphia, and a proud New Orleanian, Alon has always had a deep love and appreciation for food and the singular way restaurants anchor their communities.

Amanda Dobbs is an Atlanta-based creative who likes to write, eat, tell jokes, and correct commas – mostly in that order. Her essay, The Casserole Mindset, appeared in Salvation South in 2022. You can find more of her writing online at thegirlisallwrite.com.

Amelia Loeffler is a born-and-raised Kentuckian currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor of arts degree in English and Geography. Amelia’s work can be found in Variant Literature, Chestnut Review, South Florida Poetry Journal and is forthcoming in Poetry.

Anita Garner, born in Arkansas, now lives in California, where she writes about the South and family and music. She was raised in front of microphones and never left. She has been a radio deejay, a TV announcer, commercial voiceover talent, and a writer and producer of syndicated shows. Her book, The Glory Road: A Gospel Gypsy Life is published by University of Alabama Press. A stage play based on her book, The Glory Road, debuted in Los Angeles, with a new version coming soon. This story is from an upcoming collection of essays, Musical Houses.