2023 Presenters

Kyle Arrington is a TV & Feature writer, having written and produced two features -- Dead Dad and Recovery -- and numerous episodes of CW's "The Originals" over its 5-season run. In addition, he worked on House, M.D., The Big C, Conan, was the Showrunner for Snapchat's "Save Me", and has developed projects for ABC, Netflix, Sony, Vertigo Entertainment and others. In addition to his writing, Kyle teaches TV Writing at the Florida State University Film School's MFA Screenwriting program, the University of Delaware's Undergraduate Creative Writing program, and UCLA's Professional Programs. But primarily, Kyle can be found acting as a sous chef to his wife and a human jungle gym for his son.

Andrea Askowitz is the author of the memoir My Miserable, Lonely, Lesbian Pregnancy. She’s written for The New York Times, Salon, Glamour, The Rumpus, Huffington Post, The Writer, NPR, and PBS, where she’s currently nominated for an Emmy. Andrea hosts and produces the podcast Writing Class Radio and is at work on a new memoir. 

https://andreaaskowitz.com/

Lynne Barrett’s story collection Magpies received the Florida Book Awards gold medal. Her fiction and essays can be found in Rivanna Review, Orange Blossom Review, The Hong Kong Review, New Flash Fiction Review, Necessary Fiction, 50-Word Story, Mystery Tribune, One Year to a Writing Life, and Grabbed: Poets and Writers on Sexual Assault, Empowerment, and Healing. She’s edited the anthology Making Good Time: True Stories of How We Do, and Don’t, Get Around in South Florida and wrote the writers handbook What Editors Want. She’s received the Edgar Award for best mystery story and teaches Creative Writing at Florida International University.

http://www.lynnebarrett.com/

John Dufresne has written two story collections and six novels, including Louisiana Power & Light and Love Warps the Mind a Little, both New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He’s also written four books on writing, two plays -- Liv & Di and Trailerville -- and has co-written two feature films. His stories have twice been named Best American Mystery Stories. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and teaches creative writing at FIU in Miami. He is the co-editor of the forthcoming Flash Fiction America.

http://johndufresne.com/

Denise Duhamel’s most recent books of poetry are Second Story (Pittsburgh, 2021) and Scald (Pittsburgh, 2017). Blowout (Pittsburgh, 2013) was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. A recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, she is a distinguished professor at Florida International University in Miami.

Allison Langer is a Miami native, University of Miami MBA, writer, and single mom to three children, ages 12, 14 and 16. She is a private writing coach, taught memoir writing in prison and has been published in The Washington Post, Mutha Magazine, Scary Mommy, Ravishly, and Modern Loss. Allison wrote a novel about wrongful conviction and is actively looking for an agent. Currently, she is working on a memoir with her friend and inside student, Clifton Jones (2-Tall). Allison's stories and her voice can be heard on Writing Class Radio, a podcast she co-produces and co-hosts, which has been downloaded more than 650,000 times.

http://www.allisonlanger.com/