we are going to talk about feature writing, but as a genre that perhaps offers more than just what you read in section b. of the daily paper. let me take a second, if you would, and introduced my fellow panelists here. some of who may be more familiar to you than others. proceedings simply in alphabetical order, kevin allman is our local boy. kevin is the editor of gambit weekly which is our extraordinary alternative weekly newspaper here in new orleans. [applause] kevins work has appeared in the washington post, the los angeles times, the globe and canada and our own times as well as details, vote and other publications around the country. interestingly, particularly for the interest of the spam he is also a member of the national book critic circle, a novelist, the title of his recent novel was tight shot. and he was also the winner of the 2008 walker percy southern playwrights festival so he is a man who lives in many genres. also with us today, coming in from new yo