Virginia Crawford, Poet in Residence with the Maryland State Arts Council, teaches through the Artists-in-Education program. Her first collection of poems, “Touch,” appeared March 2011, from Finishing Line Press and was featured on WYPR’s Maryland Morning. Her poems have appeared in Gargoyle, Mas Tequila Review, The Potomac: A Journal of Poetry and Politics and others. Ms. Crawford is a graduate of Emerson College, Boston, and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. She is co-editor of Poetry Baltimore, poems about a city and an anthology of student poetry, “Voices Fly,” with Laura Shovan, which will appear in spring 2012 from CityLitPress.

“Mined Muzzle Velocity” is Jennifer H. Fortin’s first full-length book of poems. She is the author of four chapbooks. Fortin, with three other poets, founded & edits the poetry journal LEVELER. She has been named a Finalist for the Poetry Foundation’s Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship, & is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Bulgaria, 2004-2006). Fortin earned her undergraduate degree from Goucher College, in Baltimore, MD, & her MFA in Poetry from The New School (NYC). A Gaithersburg native, Fortin lives & works in the non-profit industry in Syracuse, NY, having relocated there not too long ago from Brooklyn. The lakes upstate are divine.

Paredes was born in El Salvador and raised in Los Angeles. His poetry has become the most reviewed and acclaimed contemporary Spanish poetry in Latin America. He is also a songwriter who has released three musical albums.

Richard Peabody is the founder and co-editor of Gargoyle magazine and editor (or co-editor) of ninteen anthologies including Mondo Barbie, Conversations with Gore Vidal, A Different Beat: Writings by Women of the Beat Generation, Alice Redux and Grace and Gravity: Fiction by Washington Area Women. He is the author of the novella Sugar Mountain (Argonne Hotel Press), two short story collections, and six poetry collections including Last of the Red Hot Magnetos and I’m in Love with the Morton Salt Girl (Paycock Press). Peabody teaches at Johns Hopkins University. He lives and works in the Washington, DC area.

Nate Pritts is the author of five books of poetry, most recently “Sweet Nothing,” which Publishers Weekly describes as “both baroque and irreverent, banal and romantic, his poems […] arrive at a place of vulnerability and sincerity.”  POETRY Magazine called his third book, “The Wonderfull Yeare,” “rich, vivid, intimate, & somewhat troubled” while The Rumpus called “Big Bright Sun,” his fourth book, “a textual record of mistakes made and insights gleaned…[in] a voice that knows its part in self-destruction.” His poetry & prose have been published widely, both online & in print & on barns, at places like Forklift, Ohio, Court Green, Gulf Coast, Boston Review & Rain Taxi where he frequently contributes reviews.  He is the founder & principal editor of H_NGM_N, an online journal & small press.

Sam Schmidt’s first poetry collection, “Suburban Myths” (Beothuk Books, 2012) has just been published. He is founder and editor of WordHouse, Baltimore’s newsletter for writers (1993 to 2004) and coeditor of the anthology Poetry Baltimore: Poems About a City and has been published in a number of literary journals including the Maryland Poetry Review, Potomac Review, Gargoyle, Poets Against War, and The Potomac: A Journal of Poetry and Politics. His work has been anthologized in Weavings 2000, Maryland’s millennium anthology edited by Michael Glaser. Schmidt received his MA from the Johns Hopkins University. He is currently working on a novel in verse.

Pat Valdata received an MFA in writing from Goddard College. Her newest book, a full-length poetry book titled “Inherent Vice” (Pecan Grove Press), was published in March 2011. Her earlier chapbook, “Looking for Bivalve” (2002), was a finalist in that publisher’s chapbook competition. Valdata has twice received Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist grants for her poetry. She has also written two novels: “Crosswind” (Wind Canyon Books, 1997) and “The Other Sister” (Plain View Press, 2008), which won a gold medal from the Árpád Academy in 2009. She is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).

Steve Lawrence, Marc Bolen & Tom Johnson each have over 30 yr’s experience in music & have recently joined forces to field some good quality, instrumental bluegrass music.

Ace journeys through many styles and genres from jazz to soul to blues and traditional pop. His rich, baritone voice paired with his 18 years of experience on acoustic guitar adds to his powerful storytelling.

Steven Gellman’s new release, “Love Loss Longing”, is an eleven-song collection that describes the journey one goes through at the end of a relationship.

Nathen Scott is a Singer & Songwriter, Producer & Arranger who plays all musical instruments. Classically trained, yet well versed in modern-era music, Nathen enjoys playing Beethoven Sonatas to Motown Ballads, sometimes in the same medley! He plays and has written/produced many styles of music ranging from Gospel to Hard Rock. Take the funkiest and smoothest soul music and blend it with the grittiest-drivin’ rock music, add a touch of (class) Beethoven, and you’ve got an idea of what to expect from Nathen Scott.

In this year’s Gaithersburg Book Fair Nathen makes a duo appearance with author, poet and songwriter Jaime Paredes to give us a different musical proposition that consists of poetry mixed with the magic of music.

Musician’s website:
www.NScottMusic.com

Emy is a DC-based jazz singer who performs bossa nova and jazz standards.

A Gaithersburg native and talented singer/performer, Erin Willett was a semi-finalist on the popular national television show, The Voice. Growing up in a musical family in Maryland, she found comfort in the joy of performing. She created quite a following around Long Island, NY, where she attended Hofstra University. Her fabled blind audition for “The Voice” catapulted her into the national music scene.