Plunkett, Michael Jerome: - Michael Jerome Plunkett is a writer from Long Island. He served in the United States Marine Corps and worked as an EMT in South Carolina. He is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Literature of War Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the minds of those in uniform by providing access to exceptional literature and fostering meaningful discussions around military experiences, leadership, and the human condition. He hosts its podcast, The LitWar Podcast which has featured guests such as Elliot Ackerman, Phil Klay, and Emily St. John Mandel. He led the Patrol Base Abbate Book Club for veterans and hosted guests such as Sebastian Junger, Ocean Vuong, and Kaveh Akbar. He was a 2021 VCCA Fellow. He was a scholar in the 2024 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. He was a 2025 resident in the Edith Wharton Writing Residency. His writing has been published in The Wrath-Bearing Tree, The War Horse, Leatherneck Magazine, Coffee or Die, Dirtbag Magazine, and Lethal Minds Journal. Zone Rouge is his debut novel.