Mel Belin is a Washington area writer. His first book of poetry poetry, titled Flesh That Was Chrysalis, is published by The Word Works, Inc., in their Capital Collection, which features outstanding writers in the Washington, D.C. area. Mr. Belin was winner of Potomac Review's third annual poetry competition and a runner-up in Antietam Review's annual competition. His work has appeared nationwide in magazines and journals, including Midstream, Poet Lore, Connecticut River Review, Phoebe, The Cape Rock, Jewish Spectator, and numerous others. He is an attorney and poet who resides in Arlington, Virginia, and works in Washington, D.C. Born and raised in coal country in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, he studied at Dartmouth College, where he graduated with a B.A. in Psychology, and George Washington University, where he received a J.D. in Law.