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  • A smiling person with long dark hair, glasses, and red hoop earrings is wearing a black shirt with a red floral and hummingbird design, standing indoors with a wooden cabinet and floral decorations in the background.

    Xitlalic Guijosa

    Xitlalic Guijosa (she/her) is a poet, writer, printmaker and community organizer from Southeast Los Angeles. For the past 10 years she’s been part of Alivio open mic and SELA Arts Festival. Her work has been published in different literary magazines, zines and anthologies. Currently she has been on the journey of teaching surrounding communities about…

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  • Woman with curly hair, wearing a black blouse with leopard print sleeves, stands against a plain gray background with hands in pockets, smiling gently.

    Lara Aburamadan

    Lara Aburamadan is a Palestinian visual artist, journalist and founder of Refugee Eye. Born and raised in Gaza City, now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she tends to embrace the human perspective through visual storytelling. Her photographs and writings have been published in Time Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, VICE, San Francisco…

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  • Black and white portrait of an older person with a beard and short hair, wearing a dark ribbed sweater. They are looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a plain background.

    André Aciman

    André Aciman was born in Alexandria, Egypt and is an American memoirist, essayist, novelist, and scholar. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Call Me by Your Name and Find Me as well as of Out of Egypt. His new memoir, My Roman Year, was released in October 2024, his three novellas titled…

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  • A woman with long, dark hair and a black jacket stands in front of a wooden wall. She is wearing earrings and a necklace, and she is smiling softly at the camera.

    Samina Ali

    Samina Ali is an award-winning author, curator, and popular speaker. Her debut novel, Madras on a Rainy Day won France’s prestigious Prix Premier Roman Etranger and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. Samina’s viral TEDx talk “What Does the Qur’an Really Say About Muslim Women’s Hijab” and her global exhibition Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art…

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  • A man wearing glasses, a cap, and a black vest over a gray hoodie sits on a bench, gesturing with one hand. The lighting casts dramatic shadows on his face and the background.

    Gastor Almonte

    Gastor Almonte is a stand-up comedian and storyteller from Brooklyn, NY. He’s appeared on Comedy Central, HBO, Peacock and more. Timeout magazine named him one of your “New Comedy Obsessions.” He is the host of the War Report Podcast. 

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  • A person with curly hair, wearing a white top and dark blazer, gazes confidently at the camera against a neutral background.

    Rana Ayyub

    Rana Ayyub is an Indian investigative journalist and a global opinions writer at the Washington Post. She has worked as a reporter, Editor and columnist with some of the leading publications in India and internationally. Her pieces appear in the Time, New York Times, Guardian, Atlantic and Foreign Policy and she has been profiled for…

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  • A person in a patterned sweater and headscarf is painting white bird silhouettes on a blue background. They hold a small brush, focusing intently on their work. A paint bucket sits nearby on the ground.

    Negina Azimi

    Negina Azimi, is an Afghan visual artist whose journey began on the streets and walls of Kabul as a member of ArtLords, a grassroots collective that used art as a tool for social change and peaceful resistance. Her murals transformed the blast walls of the city into vibrant messages of hope, justice, and healing—challenging extremism…

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  • A person with short hair and glasses smiles warmly at the camera. They are wearing a cozy striped sweater and a multicolored scarf, sitting indoors with a bookshelf in the background.

    Cece Bell

    Cece Bell is the author and illustrator of the autobiographical graphic novel, El Deafo, which chronicles her childhood experiences with hearing loss. It received a Newbery Medal, an Eisner Award, and a Cybils Award and was adapted as a three-episode series for Apple TV+. Other titles include Bee-Wigged and I Yam a Donkey!, along with…

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  • Woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a blue jacket and green necklace, looking to the right, standing in front of a white textured wall.

    Ruth Ben-Ghiat

    Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She writes about fascism, authoritarianism, and propaganda— and the threats these present to democracies around the world. She is the author or editor of seven books, including Fascist Modernities and Italian Fascism’s Empire Cinema, which explore the appeal of strongmen to collaborators and followers, how…

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  • Woman with braided hair, wearing a white sweater and jeans, sitting on a white surface against a minimalistic, light background. She has a calm expression and her hands are gently clasped.

    Aaliyah Bilal

    Aaliyah Bilal was born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She has degrees from Oberlin College and the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies. She has published stories and essays with The Michigan Quarterly Review and The Rumpus. Temple Folk, her debut short story collection, was shortlisted for the 2023 National…

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  • An older person with blond hair smiles, wearing a brown hat, round pink and yellow glasses, a red tie, white shirt, black vest, and showing a tattooed arm. Stairs are visible in the background.

    Kate Bornstein

    Kate Bornstein is an author, playwright, performance artist, and actress. Kate is a trans icon whose pioneering books on the subject of nonbinary gender, Gender Outlaw and My Gender Workbook are taught in six languages, at hundreds of colleges. Kate’s 2006 book, Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws…

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  • A person with long, dark hair and a thoughtful expression looks upward. They are wearing a blue shirt. The background is neutral and light, creating a serene atmosphere.

    Carmen Boullosa

    Carmen Boullosa (Mexico City, 1954) is the author of nineteen novels (The Book of Eve, and Texas: The Great Theft translated by Samantha Schnee, Before, translated by Peter Bush), collections of poetry (Hatchet, translated by Lawrence Schimmel), plays and essays. She has collaborated with visual artists and has done herself artists books since the late…

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  • A woman with long blonde hair stands in front of a stone wall and a window. She is wearing a sleeveless green patterned top and is looking at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is slightly blurred.

    Jennifer Finney Boylan

    Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of eighteen books, is the inaugural Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence at Barnard College of Columbia University. She serves on the Board of Trustees of PEN America, the nonprofit advocating for authors, readers, and freedom of expression.  From 2011 to 2018 she served on the Board of Directors of GLAAD; she…

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  • An elderly man with glasses and a mustache is wearing a dark blue shirt over a white t-shirt. He stands with a relaxed expression in a softly lit, neutral-colored room.

    Carlyle Brown

    Carlyle Brown is a playwright/performer, curator and artistic director of Carlyle Brown & Company based in Minneapolis. His plays have been produced at theatres across the country and internationally. He is an alumnus of New Dramatists and a Lifetime Core Writer at the Playwrights’ Center. He has received numerous commissions, fellowships and awards including 2006…

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  • A woman with long, wavy brown hair wearing a white shirt and layered necklaces smiles slightly, seated indoors. The background features books and vintage decor with dim lighting.

    Ipek S. Burnett

    Ipek S. Burnett, PhD, is a Turkish-American author and scholar who offers a psychological lens on social, cultural, and political issues. She is the author of A Jungian Inquiry into the American Psyche: The Violence of Innocence (2020) and the editor of Re-Visioning the American Psyche: Jungian, Archetypal, and Mythological Reflections (2024). Her forthcoming book,…

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  • A person with short, tousled hair, graying at the roots, stands against a dark wooden background. They wear a light green jacket over an orange shirt with a striped neckline, looking into the camera with a neutral expression.

    Gabriela Cabezón Cámara

    Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (b. 1968) is an Argentine writer who has worked at varied jobs, from selling car insurance in the street to cultural journalism. She is the author of the novels Slum Virgin, Romance of the Blonde Brunette, and The Adventures of China Iron, which was shortlisted for the International Booker and Médicis prizes.…

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