Leonard Gardner (born 1933) is an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Esquire, The Southwest Review, and other publications, and he has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship . He was born in Stockton, California, and lives in Marin County in northern California.

Gardner's 1969 novel Fat City is an American classic whose stature has increased over the years. His screen adaptation of Fat City was made into an acclaimed 1972 film of the same title , directed by John Huston . The book and movie are set in and around Stockton and concern the struggles of third-rate pro boxers who only dimly comprehend that none of them will ever make the big time. Devoid of the usual "sweet science" cliches, the book roils with dark pessimism as the characters eke out a gritty existence. It is considered an underappreciated classic of early 1970s cinema. In their memoirs, producer Ray Stark and director John Huston both cited it as among their finest achievements.

Michael Rothenberg is an American poet, songwriter, editor, and active environmentalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Miami Beach, Florida, Rothenberg received his Bachelor of Arts in English at UNC-Chapel Hill. Afterward, he moved to California in 1976, where he began "Shelldance Nursery", an orchid and bromeliad nursery.

Rothenberg's poems have appeared in 88: A Journal of Contemporary American Poetry, First Intensity, Cortland Review, Golden Handcuffs Review, Exquisite Corpse, Zyzzyva, Mudlark, Jacket, Rolling Stock, Sycamore Review, and other publications. His books include Unhurried Vision, Paris Journals, What The Fish Saw, Nightmare Of The Violins, Man/Woman w/Joanne Kyger, and Favorite Songs. In 1990 Rothenberg began writing songs. His songs have appeared in films by Hollywood Pictures, Shadowhunter and Black Day, Blue Night.

For decades John Schulian was a sports journalist for many of the major newspapers and magazines in the country, and for many of those years was considered the best sports columnist in America. Later, he tried his hand at screenwriting for Hollywood. After writing for LA Law and Miami Vice, he created his best-known series, Zena: Warrior Princess.

In the Fall semester 2006, Schulian was the Distinguished Professional in Residence at the University of Utah, teaching Literary Journalism," which included the work of the illuminati of the craft, writers such as Joan Didion, Jimmy Breslin, Ernest Hemingway, Gay Talese and Hunter S. Thompson.

"What I try to do on every story I write is ask questions, win confidence, and hang around until the people you are writing about forget you are there," Schulian said. "That's when you truly get to know your subjects. You develop an ear for their language and you are able to get the great detail that brings your story alive, and you are then able to get the great quote."

That's what Literary Journalism is to me, Schulian continued. "It's putting this all together and then writing the story like your house is on fire. It is journalism that aspires to be literature. You can call it narrative nonfiction or creative non-fiction or literary journalism. It's all the same thing."