 Could the food you eat or the floors you walk on be toxic? Praised as "the new Rachel Carson" for her groundbreaking book "Living Downstream," Steingraber raises awareness of how toxins all around us adversely affect our health. She takes a personal and scientific look at the ecological links to cancer and other medical problems, and offers insight into how we can protect our environment and ourselves. Her new documentary Living Downstream, based on her highly-acclaimed book, was released in early 2010. [Photo Credit: Dede Hatch]
 A true Renaissance man, Johnson is a poet, Buddhist philosopher, novelist, teacher, cartoonist, screenwriter and essayist. His writing, including the National Book Award winning novel, "Middle Passage," braids history, philosophy and artistry to show how the power of the past shapes the present. His engaging speaking style draws the audience into an unforgettable dialogue.
 Leading the battle for environmental justice, from dealing with the toxic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to curbing urban sprawl, Dr. Bullard tells the stories of frontline warriors who are fighting environmental and human rights abuses. His research and activism challenges government and industry policies that place people of color and the poor at special risk. He is the author of 15 books, including “Race, Place, and Environmental Justice After Hurricane Katrina.”
Lisa Dodson
Author of "The Moral Underground," Dr. Lisa Dodson is widely known for her policy research on low-wage families. Her newest book “The Moral Underground" examines the profound harm of a deeply stratified economy and was recently called gripping by Publisher's Weekly [Photo Credit: Ellen Shub]
Gish Jen
 Named one of the eight most important contemporary American women writers, Gish Jen is the author of three novels – “Typical American,” “Mona in the Promised Land” and “The Love Wife.” Her new novel, entitled "World and Town," will be published by Knopf in fall 2010.
Lewis Hyde 
Lewis Hyde is a poet, essayist, translator, and cultural critic with a particular interest in the public life of the imagination. A MacArthur fellow, Hyde is called "a true superstar of nonfiction."
 Ted Conover's experiences as a rookie prison guard, companion of undocumented Mexicans, and hopper of freight trains are just some of w hat makes him a celebrated participatory journalist. Conover is an expert at sharing stories and creating conversational dialogues that are engaging, interesting, and relevant.
 A powerful storyteller, Mann's most recent book "1491" explores the history of the Americas before Columbus. A three-time National Magazine Award finalist, he has received awards for his articles and books on everything from emerging technologies to the business of medicine to endangered species. [ Photo Credit Josh D'Aluisio-Guerrieri ]
Fred Lane
 If personal privacy is something we truly value, how do we find a balance with the role of emerging technologies? Attorney and technology expert Lane takes a hard look at the rapid evolving laws governing computers, privacy and free speech, at home, in school and in the workplace. Look for his recent books "The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture" and "The Court and the Cross: The Religious Right's Crusade to Reshape the Supreme Court."
Patrice Gaines
 An award winning former Washington Post reporter, Ms. Gaines works to empower girls and young women at risk, drawing from her experiences on the streets and in prison. She is co-founder of Brown Angel Center, providing formerly incarcerated women and their families with the tools to renew their lives. Gaines is author of "Laughing in the Dark: and "Moments of Grace: Meeting the Challenge to Change." She currently is doing commentaries for National Public Radio.
Nuruddin Farah
 International award winning Somali novelist, whose themes focus on women's liberation and political and individual freedoms in his homeland. Widely recognized as the best contemporary African writer of our time, his stories are vivid reminders of living through cultural conflicts.
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Annie Leonard
 Writer and Director of The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues. Her new book, based on the film, was released in March 2010 to rave reviews. Annie's film, book, and program explore how our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health - and offers us a vision for change.
 As Director of the Hayden Planetarium and the host of PBS NOVA Science NOW, Dr. Tyson is one of the most high profile astrophysicists in America. Tyson is always working to pique the scientific curiosity of a new generation of young people. His recent books include "One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos," "Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries," "Origins," and "The Pluto Files."
.jpg) Essayist Richard Rodriguez discusses how America - and every American - is shaped by the continual interaction of cultures, blurring boundaries between "black" and "white," Hispanic and Anglo. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books "Hunger of Memory," "Days of Obligation: An Argument With My Mexican Father" and "Brown: The Last Discovery of America."
 Best-known for her Obie Award-winning play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Ntozake Shange's work is informed by her passionate interest in issues relating to race and feminism. Named "A Living Legend" by the National Black Theatre Festival, Shange has declared herself "a poet first, and a playwright second". Her work empowers women to take responsibility for their lives by learning to love themselves and challenge their oppressors.
David Guterson 
American novelist, short story writer, poet, journalist, and essayist. Guterson is the author of the award-winning "Snow Falling on Cedars," which was adapted into an Academy Award nominated film.
Richard Rhodes
 Richard Rhodes is the author or editor of twenty-three books including “The Making of the Atomic Bomb,” which won a Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction. His new book "The Twilight of the Bombs" is set to be released in summer 2010.
Alfred Lubrano  Lubrano speaks from both personal experience and his work as a journalist about the role of class, culture and education across generations. The author of the books "Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams" and "Sons on Fathers," and a feature writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, he has won more than a dozen journalism awards.
David Quammen
 David Quammen is a nonfiction author, science journalist, and Contributing Writer for National Geographic. His work has also appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic and Outside. His current book project involves the emergence and evolution of scary viruses.
Susan Douglas
 Media critic, American Studies professor, and author of "Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media," Susan Douglas reveals how television and advertising target images of women. Her other books include "Listening In," "The Mommy Myth,"and her newest, "Enlightened Sexism," which chronicles the gap between images of women in the media and the everyday lives of women.
Pam Houston
 Pam Houston is the author of "Cowboys Are My Weakness" and the novel "Sight Hound," and editor of the anthology "Women on Hunting." A part time river guide and hunting guide, her narratives navigate the landscape of relationships against the backdrop of the Rockies. Pam's articles appear regularly in Elle, Allure, Vogue,Food & Wine, Mirabella, and Travel and Leisure.
Spencer Overton
 Professor Overton is the author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression, a book describing the way that politicians manipulate election laws to their advantage while diluting the value of the average American's vote. He is a law professor at The George Washington University Law School and a leading election law scholar. Overton served as Chairperson of Barack Obama's Government Reform Committee, a group of more than 30 experts who advise the Obama presidential campaign on campaign finance reform, lobbying, voting rights and government ethics and transparency policies.
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