Mac McClelland

MoJo human-rights reporter Mac McClelland ("Aftershocks") had barely unpacked from kayaking around "Petrolistan" (the Gulf Coast) when we sent her to "Painistan" (Port-au-Prince, Haiti). Soon she had to start tweeting pictures of puppies she’d found so as not to totally bum out her tweeps. Her piece was shot by Jonathan Torgovnik, whose work can also be found in Aperture, Newsweek, and the Library of Congress’ permanent collection.

Jonathan Torgovnik

J. Malcolm Garcia ("Trial by Fire") has been anthologized in The Best American Travel Writing and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. Photographer Elliott D. Woods served in Iraq as a combat engineer with the Virginia Army National Guard.

Staff reporter Josh Harkinson ("Joint Ventures") went to a California doctor seeking a medical pot card and scored one in minutes—for writer’s cramp.

Josh Harkinson

The photographer, Chris Buck, is best known for his portraits of celebrities like Zach Galifianakis, Chloë Sevigny, and—fittingly—Snoop Dogg.

Chris Buck

Sarah Blustain

For light reading, former New Republic senior editor Sarah Blustain ("In the Name of the Mother") recommends: "Report of the South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion." (PDF)

Alan Light

Alan Light ("Band Aid for Haiti") writes for Rolling Stone and the New York Times and is programming director for the public television music series Live from the Artists Den.