Laura Birek is a writer and director from Los Angeles. With a master’s in screenwriting from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in literature and theatre from Reed College, Laura has been writing for stage and screen since the turn of the century. Her short films have been accepted into competition at 17 film festivals, including the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival and Dallas VideoFest, and won gold at the Eureka Springs Indie Film Festival. In addition to writing and directing short films, Laura’s nonfiction work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, O Magazine, xoJane, and Juxtapoz, and she has performed as a storyteller at Radio Picture Show, The Moth, Improv Olympic, and the Upright Citizen’s Brigade for HelloGiggles. An avid knitter, Laura’s book, Picture Perfect Knits, was published by Chronicle Books in 2008. When she’s not writing or knitting, Laura works as a web developer.