Contributor Biographies

* * *

Comedian Margaret Cho, born and raised in San Francisco, made her stand-up debut at the age of 16. Subsequent comedy awards and critical raves landed her the short-lived ABC sitcom, All-American Girl. In 1999, Cho's Off-Broadway show, I'm the One that I Want — chronicling that ill fated sitcom — was made into a concert movie as was Notorious C.H.O., her 37-city North American Comedy Tour. Margaret's third sold-out tour, Revolution, grossed record sales, was nominated for a Grammy and will premiere on the Sundance Channel on June 19, 2004 and be out on DVD in August, 2004. Always incorporating activism in her comedy, Cho has been honored by the National Organization for Women, GLAAD, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund for her efforts to promote equal rights for all. You can visit her official website here: www.margaretcho.com where you can read from her award winning blog and watch an episode of her internet show. She also has started her own website on marriage equality: www.loveisloveislove.com . Her newest comedy show to tour in the fall, State of Emergency, will address the political state of our nation.

Jonathan Ames is the author of I Pass Like Night, The Extra Man, What's Not to Love?, My Less Than Secret Life, and Wake Up, Sir! He is the winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a former columnist for New York Press. Ames is also an accomplished comedic storyteller, having performed extensively in the U.S, and abroad. He is a contributor to Public Radio International's The Next Big Thing and a recurring guest on The Late Show with David Letterman.

What's Not to Love? is in development as a tv show with the Showtime network and The Extra Man is in development as a movie with Killer Films.

You can visit his website at www.jonathanames.com.

Susan Shapiro Barash is an established writer of nonfiction women's issue books and has authored nine books including A Passion for More: Wives Reveal the Affairs that Make or Break Their Marriages, Second Wives: The Pitfalls and Rewards of Marrying Widowers and Divorced Men, and Mothers-In-Law and Daughters –In –Law: Love, Hate, Rivalry and Reconciliation. Barash is a professor of Critical Thinking/Gender Studies at Marymount Manhattan College and a member of the Women's Leadership Board at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, where she mentors graduate students. Barash has been happily married (the second time) for the past six years.

Keith Blanchard is the editor-in-chief of Maxim Magazine. After serving as deputy editor on Maxim's launch team in 1996, Keith created the Maxim website, then launched the Maxim spinoff Stuff magazine, this time as editor-in-chief, in 1999. In 2000 he took over as editor-in-chief of Maxim.

Prior to Dennis Publishing, Keith took part in two other launches: Marie Claire in 1993, and the relaunch of Young Miss as YM in 1988. He was a staff writer for Comedy Central's Wastes of Time and has freelance written for dozens of magazines including Glamour, Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Us, Redbook, Details, and many others.

Keith has supported his magazine work with various radio and TV appearances, including guest spots on The Today Show, the Oprah Winfrey Show, Donahue, CNN Headline News, and others. His first novel, The Deed, was published by Simon & Schuster in the spring of 2003; he has written for the Drew Carey Show and recently executive-produced an NBC prime-time special, "Maxim's Hot 100."

A graduate of Princeton University, Keith is very happily married and living in suburban New Jersey with three children, Chloe, 7, Sam, 5, and Jonah, 5 months.

Blaise K is a writer and graphic designer living in Brooklyn. Her website, bazima.com, has been featured in The New York Press, The Times, and The Daily News. She wouldn't mind it if you thought you might like to buy her an appletini.

Darcy Cosper is a writer and book reviewer. She is a columnist for The New York Journal News, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times Book Review, Bookforum, Village Voice, Hooksexup, and GQ, and in the anthologies Full Frontal Fiction and the forthcoming Sex & Sensibility. Her first novel, Wedding Season, was published by Crown in March 2004. She lives in Los Angeles and New York

Jim de Sève is the chronicler of America's new culture war — the divisive battle over marriage. His home base is Brooklyn, NY. He's produced work for Nickelodeon, the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. His documentary, Burying the Saints, is a personal portrait of his eccentric Aunts and their search for lost history. In his PBS short, Sigrid and Rudi Do New York, two Bavarian tourists experience danger and love in New York's mean, magical streets. Mr. de Sève is DP for Seeds, about a revolutionary summer camp for ethnic enemies. Seeds will open the Silverdocs festival this year. His film Tying the Knot takes activist documentary back to its roots of affecting lasting change. The film is an example for independent producers on creating networks of support and reaching out to build community through the filmmaker's vision for social justice. Mr. de Sève is an instructor at Film Video Arts in New York, where he teaches courses in digital filmmaking and documentary production.

Maggie Gallagher is President of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and a co-author of The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially. For more information go to www.marriagedebate.com.

Molly Jong-Fast is the twenty-five-year-old author of the novel, Normal Girl published in 2000 by Villard. It is currently being made into a feature film, with a script by Brett Easton Ellis. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, W Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, Marie-Claire, the Times of London, British Elle, and The Forward. For the last year she has documented her wedding in a column for Modern Bride. She lives in New York City with her husband, her son, her dog Godzuki, and Pete the cat. Her second book, The Sex Doctors in the Basement will be published by Villard in April of 2005. Her mom wrote Fear of Flying, and her late grandpa wrote Sparticus.

Dr. Scott Haltzman is a married man, living in suburbs outside Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Brown University, and received his medical degree from the Brown University Program in Medicine. He completed his psychiatric training and Chief Residency at Yale University. Dr. Haltzman has gained international recognition for his work in support of marriage and husbands. He has appeared on the Today Show, Time Magazine, Glamour Magazine, Woman's World Weekly, Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald and local and national radio, TV and print. He is a presenter at the Annual SmartMarriages conference. He has published scientific articles and book chapters related to the field of psychiatry. He currently is the Medical Director of NRI Community Services in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Dr. Haltzman's interest in the nature of the married relationship grows from observations made over years of providing individual and couple's therapy. His research focuses on seeking out data to better help understand the relationship patterns of husbands and wives, and the techniques individuals use to advance the institution of marriage. For more information go to www.secretsofmarriedmen.com or www.365reasons.com.

David Moats grew up in San Mateo, California; graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara; and served in the Peace Corps in the 1970s. He is the editorial page editor of the Rutland Herald, where he won that paper's first Pulitzer Prize for his series of editorials in support of same-sex unions. His articles have appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He is also a playwright who has authored a dozen plays. He lives in Middlebury, Vermont. He is the author of Civil Wars: Gay Marriage in America.

Ethan Watters is a writer living happily in San Francisco. His latest book, Urban Tribes: A Generation Redefines Friendship, Family and Commitment, came out last October. In 1994 he founded (with fellow writers Po Bronson and Ethan Canin) The San Francisco Writers' Grotto, a workspace for novelists, journalists and filmmakers. He's written for many national magazines including New York Times Magazine, Spin, Details, Mother Jones, GQ, and Esquire. He has also written two books about recovered memory therapy and the mental health profession.