An Introduction to the Editors   

Raina J. Leon

Raina J. León is the author of Canticle of Idols, a finalist for both the Cave Canem First Book Poetry Prize (2005) and the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize (2006), which will be published in November 2008 by WordTech Communications.  Her work was appeared in African American Review, OCHO, Spindle Magazine, Black Arts Quarterly, Poem.Memoir.Story, Womb, Boxcar Poetry Review, Salt Hill Journal, Xavier Review, MiPoesias, Torch, Poetic Voices without Borders, Gathering Ground: A Reader Celebrating Cave Canem's First Decade, Growing Up Girl: An Anthology of Voices from Marginalized Spaces, AntiMuse, Farmhouse Magazine, Furnace Review, Constellation Magazine and Tiger's Eye Journal among others.  Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize (2007). She currently works within the Clark County School District in Las Vegas as an English teacher at Legacy High School, a global education and technology-enriched school.  She has given poetry, arts-based literacy workshops, and conference presentations across the country and in Costa Rica to children and adults.

 

Eliel Lucero

Eliel Lucero is native New Yorker of Afro-Dominican decent.  He is a mentor for Urban Word NYC, where he facilitates poetry workshops for teenagers.  His poetry appears in International Poetry Review (The University of North Carolina, Greensboro) and is forthcoming in Barbershop Chronicles (Penmanship Publishing Group).