is the author of nine books of poems, most recently, Half Lives: Petrarchan Poems (Autumn House, 2004), Unauthorized Autobiography: New and Selected Poems (Ashland, 2003), and Heartwall (UMass, Juniper Prize 2000).  His poems have been translated into over a dozen languages including a Selected Poems in Slovene.  He was awarded the Order of Freedom Medal for literary and humanitarian work in the Balkans by the President of Slovenia for his work with the Slovene – based Peace and Sarajevo Committees of PEN International.  He has received Guggenheim, NEA, NEH, and two Witter – Bynner fellowships, a Prairie Schooner Reader’s Choice Award, the Crazyhorse prize, and is the winner of five Pushcart Prizes.

is a physician in international public health, commended by President Bill Clinton as an “American Health Hero.”  He lives in London and Beirut. He has published two full collections of poems: A Cracked River (Slow Dancer Press, London, 1999), and Mourning in the Presence of a Corpse (Dar al – Jadeed, Beirut, 2008).  See his website: www.bertzpoet.com

“I knew Jack Myers for years.  I’ve also been writing poems for a good while — and if I’ve had any success with it, much of the credit is Jack’s.  I was working with Joe Stanco (friend of Jack’s) at Richland College, and he sent me along to Jack, believing he could take me further.  He was correct.  Jack was so generous with his time, and he mentored me for over a year.  We would meet at his home and discuss poetry, at least twice a month, for hours each time.  His instructions were and are invaluable.  Jack taught me how to self – edit, introduced me to a couple of his brightest poetry students, as well as to the work of authors I had yet to ever hear of.  I’ll never forget the time I spent with Jack, and I’m still learning the extent of his gifts as a teacher and poet.  I miss him.  I wonder how he would edit this poem.”

was born in 1956 in County Louth, Ireland.  In 1997, he received a scholarship for a summer workshop at the Poet’s House in Donegal.  In 2002, he was one of the poets selected by Poetry Ireland for their introductions series and was recently selected to read his poetry on Dublin City FM.  His poetry has been published in Mobius, Van Gogh’s Ear, and The Echoing Years: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry and Translation Ireland and Canada.