ABOUT OUR COFOUNDERS

ANTHONY TEDESCO
Co-Creator of Borders Open-Door Poetry
Cofounder of the Student Publishing Program

The cofounding writer, editor and publisher for the Student Publishing Program is Anthony Tedesco. A graduate from Lexington High School’s Class of 1987 (where SPP began), Tedesco is coauthor of the book, Online Markets for Writers: How to Make Money by Selling Your Writing on the Internet (Henry Holt & Co.), which has been featured in college and graduate program curricula nationwide and entered its second printing. He’s written chapters for nine of the last 10 editions of the book Writer’s Market (Writer’s Digest Books) and articles for such venues as Saturday Night Live, The Boston Globe, Details, Mademoiselle, The Writer and The Lexington Minuteman, which published his very first article. As a guest instructor, he’s taught student writers at high schools and graduate programs and, as a guest speaker, he’s taught adult writers at many of the nation’s largest writer conferences. Anthony also teaches and advocates for writers on radio shows such as “Connections” on National Public Radio affiliate KCLU, and television news shows such as “Money Talks,” on ABC in New York and its affiliates worldwide. (See http://www.strongbat.com for his full bio.)

MARTHA SAGER
Co-Creator of Borders Open-Door Poetry
Cofounder of the Student Publishing Program

As national marketing director for one of the largest in-school current events publications and providers of corporate sponsored educational materials, Martha Sager brings nearly a decade’s experience of in-school marketing awareness to procure funding for the Student Publishing Program. Her first-hand knowledge of the needs of our nation’s schools in providing their students with educational and inspirational learning programs is based on research conducted in over 94% of all primary and secondary schools across the nation. Her working relationship with over 100 Fortune 500 companies has repeatedly proven successful in helping to achieve their marketing goals while benefiting the nation’s communities at-large.

KAREN RUSSELL
Lexington High School English Teacher
Cofounder of the Student Publishing Program

Karen Russell was the founding teacher and editor of the Student Publishing Program, which began at Lexington High School in 2002. She began teaching there in September of 1980. Karen has experience teaching English, Social Studies, and Reading and Language within the Lexington Public Schools for grades 7–12, and she has taught all levels of English within the 10–12 curriculums. While at Diamond she was the faculty liaison to artists-in-residence for the ACT Committee. Additionally, as a parent, she has served on the Fiske School Writing Committee during the 2000–2001 school year.

SCOTT WEBBER

While English Dept. Head at LHS, Scott Webber provided the Student Publishing Program with vital encouragement and support. Scott is a teacher of over thirty years experience, serving twenty of these years as a department leader in both reading and language arts programs. He has taught at both the middle and high school levels, teaching each ability level as well as in heterogeneous settings. His conviction that effective writing emerges from the deeply seeded human urge to communicate something of him or herself to someone else guides his effort. According to him, when students know they have something to say to someone who will listen, they will create something special and worthy. Further, building these publications will provide all levels of the community with an authentic and ongoing portfolio of writing at the middle and high school levels.

ABOUT OUR ADVISORY BOARD

With writing support for students from Poet Laureates and already six Pulitzer Prize-winners, The Student Publishing Program also features an Advisory Board with some of the nation's top educators, experts, agents, editors and publishers, all generously helping us best educate and empower students through writing and publishing, and also widen the audience for poets and poetry. Many bios are en route. Many thanks to our board members, including:

CRIS BEAM is a writer and educator living in New York City. Her first book, Transparent, covers the burgeoning culture of transgender street kids in Los Angeles and is due out from Harcourt in the Spring of 2006. She's written for the national public radio program, 'This American Life,' as well as for several national magazines including Teen People, Shape, Out, Mademoiselle, Woman's Day, Travel Holiday, and Parenting. Cris Beam has a B.A. in Women's Studies and Journalism from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an MFA from Columbia. She currently teaches writing at Columbia University, New School University and the Pratt Institute and runs workshops at Bank Street College in New York City. For three years, she developed and ran a writing program at a high school in Los Angeles, and has also taught high school creative writing at the Harvey Milk School in New York.

ALISON GRANUCCI represents some of the most acclaimed artists of our time for readings, lectures, and performances. She has years of experience in programming, producing, and performing, and so understands all sides of creating a successfull event, whether a reading, conference, workshop, performance or keynote. She has collaborated with many celebrated artists, including Alan Arkin, David Strathairn, Frank McCourt, Eve Ensler, Sarah Jones, Arlo Guthrie, and the late Spalding Gray. She is devoted to fostering literature and the arts in this country, and her mission at Blue Flower Arts is to be in service to the work of her writers and artists.

ROBIN 'ROBLIMO' MILLER is editor-in-chief for Open Source Technology Group (OSTG), the number one network for visitors interested in technology - nearly 20 million of them every month. One of OSTG's communities, Slashdot, was also one of our Presidential Youth Debate marketing partners and the only moderating panel 'member' to nominate candidate questions as an entire online community. As writer, author and one of the creators of modern interactive journalism, Robin revolutionized the way news is disseminated, and is now set on revolutionizing the way books, CDs and DVDs are published, promoted and distributed.

HEATHER O'NEILL received a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Boston University in 1999. After graduation, she worked as a writer and editor for various publications, including an Internet content network and Women's Wear Daily, where she continues to write freelance articles. She received her Master in Fine Arts degree with a concentration in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College in 2004. She currently teaches literature and creative writing classes at SUNY Purchase College of New York and CUNY Hunter College, and co-directs Speakeasy Poetry Series - a monthly poetry reading series in New York City which brings together excellent poets at different points in their careers, juxtaposing those who have fewer or no publishing credits with Pulitzer Prize-winning writers. Her work has been published or is forth coming in Spinning Jenny, Bostonia, Can We Have Our Ball Back?, and Many Mountains Moving.

PAULA SILVERMAN joined Parade magazine in 1997. In 2004, she began editing PARADE's Fresh Voices column, a forum for teens throughout the country to express their opinions, share their stories and inspire others.

FRANZ WRIGHT: Born in Vienna, Franz Wright is the author of fourteen collections of poetry. Walking to Martha's Vineyard (Knopf 2003) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. (See Blue Flower Arts for his full bio.)