Lee Polevoi, Highbrow Magazine’s chief book critic, is a graduate of Amherst College and the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers. He has received a Bread Loaf writing scholarship and a screenwriting fellowship sponsored by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg’s studio. He is the author of a novel, The Moon in Deep Winter, and is currently completing a new novel, The Confessions of Gabriel Ash.

Forrest Hartman, a Highbrow Magazine contributing writer and Video Verdict columnist, is an independent film critic whose byline has appeared in some of the nation's largest publications. He also reviews movies for several radio stations and for Fox 11 TV in Reno, N.V. When he isn’t reporting on projects of his own, you’ll find him teaching journalism and English at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Kurt Thurber came to Highbrow Magazine a struggling professional with a dream and stays to this day because of the rock star-like perks (booze, cash, the option to sleep in). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Mary Washington College and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Villanova University. He currently uses all the knowledge he obtained from watching ‘80s action movies and seeing “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” in the theater to good use by writing for Highbrow Magazine’s entertainment section.

Christopher Karr is originally from Barbourville, Kentucky. After graduating from Northern Kentucky University with a BFA in Theatre, he co-founded the experimental theatre group Artemis Exchange. Since moving to New York City in 2008, Karr has written a novel, poetry, essays, a slim adaptation of the Bible, and an unfilmable screenplay based on Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. His award-winning plays have been performed in Cincinnati and Chicago. He is currently listening to the Drive soundtrack. Beyond that, he has no plans. 

Rachael Jennings is a contributing writer at Highbrow Magazine. She has mainly freelanced for local newspapers — most recently, The Addison Independent in Vermont. Her creative writing has been published in Off Course, Strange Horizons, Mason's Road, Eclectica, and elsewhere. Currently, she lives, teaches, writes, works, and finds adventures in Brooklyn, New York.

Christopher Moraff is a journalist, writer and photographer whose reporting covers topics ranging from art to politics. His journalism, commentary and criticism have appeared in a number of publications, including The American Prospect, World Politics Review, Design Bureau magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, AlterNet and In These Times – where he serves on the Board of Editors. He is a news features correspondent for The Philadelphia Tribune and writes a weekly column on national politics and current affairs for Philadelphia Magazine's blog, The Philly Post.