Ken Chen was the 2009 winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award for his book Juvenilia, which was selected by the poet Louise Glück. He served as the Executive Director of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop from 2008 to 2019. He is the recipient of fellowships from the NEA, NYFA, the NYPL Cullman Center, and Bread Loaf Writers Conference.
Andre Perry is a writer and arts worker based in Iowa City. His debut nonfiction book, Some of Us Are Very Hungry Now, was hailed by NPR as “extraordinary” and Foreword called him “a fresh American voice that demands to be heard.” He has published in The Believer, Catapult, Granta, The Paris Review, Guernica, and other journals. He also co-founded Iowa City’s Mission Creek Festival, a celebration of music and literature, and currently serves as the Executive Director of The Englert Theatre.
Keren Taylor, writer and artist, is the founder and Executive Director of WriteGirl. An afterschool program director and trainer for more than 25 years, Keren has overseen WriteGirl’s expansion into a thriving community that helps hundreds of youth annually. WriteGirl received the 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, and in 2020, Keren received the Los Angeles Times Innovator’s Award. Keren holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia, a Piano Performance Degree from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, and a Diploma from the American Music and Dramatic Academy, NYC.
The Literary Arts Emergency Fund is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Read more about the Fund here.