JANUARY 12, 2012 - "The First Time”

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Kristen E. Nelson writes cross-genre texts. She has recently published work in Tarpaulin Sky, Trickhouse, Cranky Literary Journal, Quarter After Eight, In Posse Review, you are here and Dinosaur Bees. She is a founder and the Executive Director of Casa Libre en la Solana, a non-profit writing center in Tucson, Arizona; an editor for Trickhouse; and a production editor for Tarpaulin Sky Press. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and teaches English and creative writing in Tucson, Arizona. You can read her writing at www.kristenenelson.com.

Carrie J. Cole says yes. A lot. More than she should. Which means on any given day you can find her teaching theatre history and dramaturgy at the University of Arizona, or traveling around the country to work with the Network of Ensemble Theatres...or in her current state of "nerdvana" delving into staging science fiction, immersive realities and possible world theory.

Logan Phillips works to create new opportunities for the intersection of poetry and wider society. As a bilingual poet, performance artist and DJ, he has toured throughout the United States, Mexico and as far afield as Vancouver, Paris, Bogotá and Penzance, England. As Director of the trans-disciplinary performance troupe Verbo•bala, he explores border identity through storytelling and digital media, creating performance pieces composed of bilingual poetry, live video projection and sound design. Phillips is also the Director of the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam, which he co-founded in 2010 to widen access to critical literacy through dynamic, youth-centered events. During its first year, the program reached more than 5,000 students across Arizona. Born and raised in the Arizona/Mexico borderlands to a family of Irish/Slavic decent, he lives in Tucson, Arizona. Visit http://www.verbobala.com

Jerry Diaz comes to Tucson via New York City, and has been living in the Old Pueblo for almost 22 years. Jerry can be found working at The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, where he helps to educate the community, or on the end of a megaphone, where he helps to support several Revolutions. Jerry proudly represents several of Tucson's communities and is always available for lending a hand, a voice, or ideas to those. Jerry is also a drummer, playing in several bands in town and making music to keep folks dancing. This is Jerry's second time on the Storytelling Stage, and he hopes to visit it again in the future with stories of his colorful and lesson filled life.

Mark Ozeroff is a writer with a fervor for aeronautical history, who lived until recently in a hangar on an eclectic airport with aircraft ranging from Sopwith Camel to Learjet. Though he holds an MBA, it took until age forty-two for Mark to finally realize that he wanted to write. He may have gotten off to a late start, but Mark can't complain – his debut novel earned the Gold Medal for historical fiction from the Military Writers Society of America. In wading through the sixty-nine rejections preceding the sale of DAYS OF SMOKE, Mark became enamored of storytelling. His signature stories veer between the humorous and the poignant.

Sarah Gonzales is originally from Muskogee, Oklahoma but has called Tucson home for 12 years. She has worked for human rights and social justice for over 15 years and is passionate about using art as a means to empowering the voices of community. Sarah loves to dance wherever there is music and sing when no one is paying attention. She is really good at situational humor and is currently trying to decide what path in life she wants to tackle next. Sarah is the founder of TruthSarita Consulting, a diversity and social justice consulting business working with both youth and adults to create a more just world.

The show was a fundraiser for UApresents' Education and Outreach, which reaches nearly 15,000 children and community members through free arts education programs.

Learn more about their programs here: http://www.uapresents.org/educationandoutreach.