When the window for submissions opened, Jean was one of the first whose work entered our inbox. Her raw, honest poetry blew us away. Hearing her read some of those poems that lived in our inbox for far too many months as we waited for the festival was a breath of fresh air. 

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As a former college instructor and librarian, Mikhail has been published online several times. Her bravery on in sharing her stories through poetry on stage for the inaugural festival deserved recognition. 

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Thank you, Jean, for sharing the deepest part of yourself in the poetry you read on stage. We hope to see you on the stage again soon!