SHAUNA LANCIT BAITZ is currently working on a Ph.D. in Canadian Literature and figuring out the difference between a blender and a food processor.

Noted more his Brian Wilson-esque periods of inactivity, BYRON BARRETT has married some of his interests by taking some photos of classic 1960s’ G.I. Joes and toilets for Kiss Machine. Surprising even himself, this is his third time contributing to Kiss Machine.

SIERRA BELLOWS relocated to the USA to get her MFA at UVA in C-ville. She sometimes misses Canada and its lack of an acronym. Her work has appeared in NOW magazine, Workers Write, and the Hart House Review. She was the recipient of the Norma Epstein Prize for Fiction in 2004.

GEOFFREY BROWN is the author of Self-Titled (Coach House Books).

K. CRAB lives in an elven forest amongst ancient oaks in Southern California. Currently she is offering intuitive Leftie readings inspired by her art and writing. Her work can be found online.

ERIN CULLINANE is a 20-year old freelance illustrator who ran away from New Zealand to live in NYC. She is inspired by twigs, rock and noise music, tuna and spontaneity.

M.W. EST lives and digs things up in the Conservative Badlands of Alberta. He has published in Grain, Prism and Filling Station and was short listed for the 2006 Journey Prize.

MIKE FREEMAN is the bespectacled alter-ego of the Man of Steel. A mild-mannered writer by day, his new collection of poetry, Cigarette Salad, is currently available in your local independent bookstore or online. You can also witness his amazing superpowers in action by subscribing to his popular weekly poetry podcast on iTunes.

LESLIE GAUTHIER is a feisty redhead who draws. She also likes Star Trek, comics and horror movies.

JESSE HIRSH is an ongoing activity that will leave you with your hands full, your nerves frayed, and at your wit’s end. If you doubt this, just ask Emily.

PAUL HONG’s actions speak louder than his words, unfortunately.

MICHELLE JOHNSON is an artist who agrees with Queen when they sing "Fat bottom girls, you make the rockin’ world go round."

SARAH KEEVIL thinks of her stories as her children. She is trying to create a textual womb to increase her productivity.

SHAWN KURUNERU was born 1984 in Toronto and currently lives and works in Montreal. He has shown in Brooklyn, Toronto, Windsor and Montreal. More of his work can be seen online.

EMMA LAWSON just wants to go play in the park.

Over the last five months, STEF LENK has evolved from stark-raving bald to almost well-groomed. Visit her website for other unrelated details.

MADELAINE LYONS sometimes likes to watch the sun rise, but needs at least two days to recover afterwards.

DONATO MANCINI’s first book of poetry Ligatures was shortlisted for a ReLit award. His second book, Æthel, is expected from New Star Books in Spring 2007. He also has work forthcoming in West Coast Line, Open Letter, CV2, Rampike and FRONT Magazine. As an English Lit MA student as Simon Fraser University, Donato is now at work on an in depth study of reviews of postmodern poetry in Canada since 1961.

SALLY MCKAY’s right brain is acting like a whiny little sissy, and her left brain is bossing everyone else around.

MICHAEL MORECI is a Chicago writer. His essays, reviews, and fiction have appeared in various Midwest publications. One such piece Cindy Crawford’s mom called the dumbest thing she’d ever read. He is currently at work on a novel.

JANETTE PLATANA makes short films and writes stories. Her story is from a collection called "Dear Ex-Friend." She has been nominated for a National Magazine Award and McClelland & Stewart’s Journey Prize, and has been short-listed for the CBC Literary Awards. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. She is currently nominated for the K.M. Hunter Award for Literature. Visit her online and download the complete set of Dear Ex-Friend Cards.

EMILY POHL-WEARY always wishes she were somewhere else.

SANDY POOL is a Toronto writer who enjoys stirring the pot and exhibiting her culinary prowess.

AVIVA "CHEETAH" RUBIN is a boxer, a bureaucrat, an intermittent writer, and a mom of two boys.

LISA RUNDLE is activities coordinator for the Kiss Machine review section. Reminder all reviewers: bowling, 8 p.m. Thursday.

KATE STORY is a dance-theatre creator and performer. Her works have been performed in Toronto at the Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists, Rhubarb!, Hysteria; in St. John’s (where she is originally from); and in Peterborough (where she now lives). Writing prose is newer for her.

STRO a.k.a. Greg Majster is a thirty-something-year-old who wears lots of hats. His purpose in life is to make the world a benevolent place. Visit his website.

KRISTIN SUMNER studies Icelandic language and literature at the University of Manitoba, edits the literary e-zine Unloved Mail-Order Bride, and draws penises rather frequently.

MARIKO TAMAKI is currently hard at work, in Toronto, on various projects. Mariko’s most recent project, graphic novel Skim (a proud member of the Kiss Machine comic series), created with illustrator Jillian Tamaki, will be released by Groundwood books in Spring 2008. Mariko is currently looking for skirts that don’t get all wrinkly when you sit down.

TERI VLASSOPOULOS is cold, but happy, in Montreal.

Contents | Contributors

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