Zach was born in New York City. His short stories appear or are forthcoming in Chicago Quarterly Review, River Styx, Commentary Magazine’s Summer Fiction, and The Salt River Review. His essays appear in The Massachusetts Review, The Paris Review Daily, Post Road Magazine, The Stranger, and the W.W. Norton anthology named Inheriting the War: Poetry and Prose By Descendants of Vietnam Veterans and Refugees. His work has received a nomination for New Stories from the Midwest, as well as a Pushcart Prize nomination, and a Notable Essay listed in Best American Essays. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Jentel Arts Foundation, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. He earned an MFA from the University of Washington, where he received the Richard Blessing Award and the Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction. Watterson taught writing and theater in prisons and jails in Michigan and Washington

Elwyn Laud-Hammond is a 44-year-old black man, who is an activist and Philadelphia native. He is extremely passionate and dedicated to the upliftment of Black people and to having cross racial dialogue about race relations. In August of 2000, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University. He currently earns his living as Real Estate Appraiser and investor, and as an entrepreneur.  He loves football, boxing, and coaching. He is married and has an 11-year old daughter, who attends a Friends school in Philadelphia. His hope and aspiration for this world is that we try to honestly and openly work on our differences so that we can collectively find ways to create progress for our children and the next generations because that is the true definition of happiness.  His mission on this earth now is to be a contributor and to grow with passion.