OUR EDITORIAL BOARD
A hearing impaired writer and artist adopted in Luxembourg, Kelly Sargent is an award-winning author of two memoirs in verse, a haiku and senryu poetry collection, and a children’s storybook. Recent honors include: Firebird Book Award winner, The Rash Award in Poetry finalist, Eric Hoffer Award nominee, Touchstone Award for Individual Poems nominee, and Best of the Net nominee. Her other works have appeared in more than eighty literary journals. She also serves as the creative nonfiction editor of TheBookendsReview.Visit www.kellysargent.com to learn more about her.
K.D. Zwierz is a lecturer, musician and poet. His poetry was recently featured in the anthology Ukraine in the work of international poets (Literary Waves). His writing explores themes of displacement, cultural identity and historical relativism, explored through the analysis of his own experiences growing up in a migrant farming community. Of Polish-Italian descent, he lives and writes between Croatia, Kuwait and the UK.
Colby Flade (he/him) is a queer writer, artist, avid drinker of coffee, and student based in Chicago. He is the author ofTheSmelloftheLightBlueHouseinSummertime(2021), Menthol(2022), FearHome(Oyez Review, Vol. 49, 2022), ShortSweetSimple:Love Poems(Bottlecap Press, 2022), IgnisFatuus(Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Issue 35, 2023) and TheFly&Odor(Beyond Words Press, 2023). Colby’s work can be found online, at bookshops like This Old Book in Grayslake, Illinois & The Book Teller in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and elsewhere. Flade attended DePaul University, studying Writing, Rhetoric & Discourse, and is currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. Find him on Instagram @theflade and on www.theflade.com
Noah Evan Wilson is a writer and musician based in New York City. His stories have been published in Beyond Words, Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine, and Prime Number Magazine, among others, as well as the anthology, TenWaystheAnimalsWill SaveUs , from Retreat West Books. Noah is currently an MFA candidate at Rutgers University-Newark. His latest record, TheViewfromtheGround– EP , is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Candi Martin is a Creative Writing tutor and published writer/editor who writes on social equality and our roots in this world. She holds MA Creative Writing and Wellbeing from Teesside University and has always written for her own wellbeing. She can usually found listening to BBC6 music with a huge cup of tea. IG: @candi_says @writingforwellnessrossendale
Brian "Brie" Sheridan is a writer and editor existing on the East Coast. They are currently trying to publish their first chapbook. In their free time, the enjoy playing nostalgic video games, planning out tattoos, and drag.
Roberta Laurie is the author of Weaving a Malawi Sunrise. She holds an MA in Environmental Education and Communication and teaches in the Bachelor of
Communication Studies program at MacEwan University. Roberta writes about writing, nature, sustainability, and sustainability communication. She is currently writing a memoir inspired by a box of letters left behind by her father.
WRITERS
Natalie Schreyer is a poet in Washington, D.C.
Dick Altman writes in the high, thin, magical air of Santa Fe, NM, where, at 7,000 feet, reality and imagination often blur. He is published in Santa Fe Literary Review, American Journal of Poetry, Fredericksburg Literary Review, Foliate Oak, Blue Line, The Offbeat, Cathexis Northwest Press, Humana Obscura, Haunted Waters Press, Split Rock Review, The Ravens Perch, Beyond Words, New Verse News, Plants & Poetry Journal, Wingless Dreamer, Sky Island Journal and others here and abroad. His work also appears in the first edition of The New Mexico Anthology of Poetry, published by the New Mexico Museum Press. Pushcart Prize nominee and poetry winner of Santa Fe New Mexican’s annual literary competition, he has authored some 250 poems, published on four continents.
James Ph. Kotsybar, first poet published to another planet, has verse currently orbiting Mars, aboard NASA’s MAVEN, in Hubble Space Telescope’s Mission Log, and awarded and featured at NASA’s Centaur’s 50th Anniversary Art Challenge. He’s published in six countries and honored by State Poetry Society of Michigan and Balticon Competitions. He read before French Troubadours at EuroScience Open Forum. He once sang William Blake’s poetry at Santa Barbara's Victoria Hall Theater under Allen Ginsberg’s direction. Find James Ph. Kotsybar here: bardofmars.com; x.com/JamesPhKotsybar; bsky.app/profile/bardofmars.bsky.social
Lachie McGregor is a queer Sydney-based writer. Their short fiction and poetry explores themes of queerness, authenticity and identity, though animals have always been a mainstay. Their poetry has featured in Beyond Words Magazine, and they are a previous winner of WestWords Poetry Slam. Their fiction has featured in Half and One Literary Magazine. Lachie also traipses the globe playing queer rugby and enjoys petting neighbourhood felines. They have just completed their Masters of Creative Writing at Sydney University and enjoy monthly meetups with a brilliant writing group.
Stephen A. Born created "A Tale of Two Lakes" as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Needing to get outside for fresh air and activity, he began to notice details at two of his favorite lakes that he had not seen previously. Combining stunning photography with the written word of haiku, he posts his creations online for others to enjoy and encourage them to contribute haiku poems of their own creation
Lina Buividavičiūtė was born on May 14, 1986. She is a poet and literary critic. Lina is an author of two poetry books in the Lithuanian language. Her poetry is published in "Matter", "Masters" and “Proverse Poetry Prize" contest anthologies, "Drunk Monkeys", "Beyond Words", "The Dewdrop", "The Limit Experience", "Beyond Queer Words", "Maudlin House", "Cathexis Northwest Press", "Poetry Online", "Red Noise Collective", "Sad Girls Diaries" magazines as well as "Versopolis" poetry platform. Upcoming publications include “New Millennium Writings”, "Cathexis Northwest Press", "Red Noise Collective", "The Stardust Review" and “Beyond Words” magazines.
Whit Bell, a married empty-nester, holds a BA in English and writes in Lawrence, Kansas, where her trusty shepkita takes her for daily walks.
Joseph Cusi Tian-Delamerced is a Filipino writer with a background in medicine, education, and storytelling. Every scattered moment is a story, and so he is devoted to weaving them into something that stays. His work has appeared in Creation Magazine, Cornerstone Magazine, and VISIONS. You can find him posting about books he likes and thoughts he can’t quite explain on @wordsbyjosephctd on Instagram.
Ping Yi Yee writes poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction. After a three-decade detour in public service, he resumed his lifelong interest in speculative, humour and travel writing. His work appeared in Orbis (Readers’ Award Joint 1st), Litro (Editor’s Pick), London Grip, Meniscus, StepAway, Harbor Review, Vita Poetica, Litbreak, ONE ART, Witcraft and Poetry Breakfast, among others, and is forthcoming in The Stony Thursday Book and MacQueen’s Quinterly. Ping Yi lives in Singapore with his spouse and their son.
Mish Gajewski-Zambataro lives in the Lake Erie watershed and studies fiction in the NEOMFA. Her works has been published or is forthcoming from JMWW, American Literary Review's Flash Flood series, and Gramarye Journal. She was a finalist in Ninth Letter's 2024 Regeneration Literary Contest.
Lael Cassidy writes poems, stories, and essays, and her work has appeared in Headline Poetry and Press, Silver Birch, Underwood Press, and Beyond Words. She has also written sixteen nonfiction children's books. She lives in Seattle, teaches writing, and is currently at work on a memoir. You can find her at www.laelcassidy.com.
Barton Thurber taught at the University of San Diego and lives in California.
Nancy Kassell’s poetry book "Text(isles)" and chapbook "Be(longing)" were published by Dos Madres Press. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Edward D. Miller teaches at the City University of New York. He is the author of two chapbooks of poetry: TheRockintheMiddleoftheRoad and TheMomentandthe Sequence . He lives with his husband and a Chihuahua.
Iris J. Gildea is a poet, an artist, a survivor, and a professor of Book & Media Studies. She’s published in various journals and has a recent book, “The Poetry of Belonging,” out with a Toronto micro press committed to survivor-centred publishing, Mad & Crip Theology Press. When she’s not teaching or writing, she can be found with her dogs in the woods or walking on the shore, watching jellyfish in the Salish Sea.
Swetha Amit is the author of two chapbooks, Cotton Candy from the Sky and Mango Pickle in Summer. Her works have appeared in the Had, Flash Fiction Magazine, Oyez Review, and others. (https://swethaamit.com)
Russell Chamberlain was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with his family. He writes short stories, fiction, and poetry.
VISUAL ARTISTS
Cover art: SheAlwaysWins by Wayne Pyle. The piece is from the series “i heart marnie”, an ongoing photo series featuring a pair of tiny, fifty-plus-year-old, bendy toy people found in an upstate New York antique shop. Through dramatic settings, Pyle explores the peculiar charm of these figures, evoking contemplation about relationships, the environment, and the world. The visual dialogue between the timeworn toy couple and the chaotic world invites viewers to reflect on their own smallness, evoking feelings of nostalgia and a longing for something or someone lost to time. Instagram: @waynepyleart
Barbara Mosher attended Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. She became one of the very first women designers for General Motors as she continued her painting and creating. Later she owned a graphic design and printing business creating professional logos and business materials. Barbara is also a writer, and sculptor.
Mark Richards, Winter Oak, 20x24 inches, oil on linen; Emergence. Memory and a search for the unspoken are expressed with Mark’s dynamic use of color and touch of his brush. Instagram: @markrichards7892
Page Du Plessis, SimplyBlue Laced Rhino &RoughSeas , from the bespoke art collection: The Fruit of Flame - Disputable: The Crumpled Letter. Page is an artist from South Africa.
Benoît Tremblay, Ce qui nous traverse no.1 . Highly influenced by abstract expressionism, Benoît Tremblay aka BENT was born in Canada's Montreal south-west area in 1975. Since 1997, he had a little more than 10 solo exhibits and participated in a dozen group shows. He lives and works in Montreal, Qc, Canada, still continuing his best to build reflections on this world through abstraction and metaphorical poetic images. www.artmajeur.com/bent; Facebook: benoit.tremblay.31
John Zywar, I’mAlive . John’s photographic art interests run from macro photography of frost to panoramic landscapes, all intended to spark a reaction from the observer. Art is a presentation to the senses to elicit an emotional response. Transforming photographs to artistic images through digital means is a current area of exploration.
Delayna Robbins, Understanding . Also known as A Colorful Chaos, Delayna is a multidisciplinary artist who explores her take on Contemporary Afro Surrealism. A genre which seeks to highlight the complexities and unique experiences and struggles faced by People of Color, while also celebrating their resilience and beauty. You can find her on these platforms: IG: @_acolorfulchaos; Tiktok: @acolorfulchaos; YouTube: @acolorfulchaos
Shannon George, Pensive . Shannon is a former teacher who now works as a children's librarian, fostering a love for reading in young minds. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and creating vibrant drawings with pastels, often exploring other artistic mediums.
Dae Hong Kim, SkyGarden,2025,40x70",MixedMedia . Dae Hong Kim is a visual artist creating original drawings, sculptures, and murals based in Lebanon, PA. IG: onceuponadae
Elizabeth Medrano. The world is constantly changing, updating, pruning, and adjusting to the many interferences and barriers. While listening to an internal dialogue with this world, Elizabeth’s collaborators-interactions with the news, relationships, workbring their own encumbrances to the table demanding her attention and manipulation. This exchange takes Elizabeth to her studio, which she maintains in SF, to make sense of all these encounters.
Jaina Cipriano, iSpy: My Childhood Secrets . Jaina is an experiential designer, filmmaker, and photographer whose work explores themes of religious and romantic entrapment through meticulously crafted immersive worlds. Her award-winning films and photographs invite viewers to engage with emotional landscapes, offering catharsis and connection through raw, authentic storytelling. As the founder of Finding Bright Studios and executive director of the Arlington International Film Festival, Jaina uses her art to transform personal narratives and foster healing. Find her at @jainastudio.
Carlos Deleon started taking photos to avoid conversation but realized that taking a picture is the best way to talk. He lives in Chicago with a cat that has survived a lot and is teaching him how to do the same.
Cynthia Ruse, WingsandHooves . Cynthia is a painter and installation artist. Her work is an ongoing reflection on themes of social justice, climate change and the body/mind/spirit connection through lenses of mythic archetypes, collective vs individual experience, and the delicate reconstruction of opposites. IG: @cynrart FB: Cynthia Ruse Studio
Melissa Mimms, VeilsofMaya . Melissa has a BA in Journalism and worked at The Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post as a photojournalist before starting her own photography business. Currently she lives in Ventura, Ca and works in fine art photography. @mimmsey
Robin Young, ABitDramaticYaThink?Artist Robin Young, based in Borrego Springs, California works in mixed media focusing mostly on collage and contemporary art making. Her focus on collage art using magazine clippings, masking tape, wallpaper, jewelry, feathers, foil etc. allows her to develop deep into the whimsical and intuitive.
Dale Shank, LifeTracks Dale Shank’s assignment photography includes performance artists, wildlife, environmental documentation, professional pool players, and indigenous culture events.
Belinda Subraman, PsychedelicSky Belinda is a mixed media artist as well as a poet and publisher of GAS: Poetry, Art & Music video show. Her art has been featured in Unlikely Stories, Eclectica, North of Oxford, Raw Art Review, El Paso News and Red
Fez. She sells prints of her work in her Mystical House Etsy shop. Visit Belinda at www.etsy.com/shop/MysticalHouse
Patricia Cannon, BetweentheStills . Patricia has been a Registered Nurse at UCSF since 2001. She has worked in cardiac critical care, neurointensive care, heme oncology, school nursing, and currently, in research. Her passion is her faith, photography, and the written word in all its forms.
Joy Kloman, MarvelousVoyage . Joy Kloman was a tenured associate professor at University of Mississippi, who supervised graduate and undergraduate painting programs and taught drawing in London. Kloman attended international artist residencies in Latvia (hosted by the Rothko Museum), Hungary, and Sardinia. Her art is in many private and public collections including, Vilaka Museum and the future Valdis Bušs Art Centre, Latvia, Balatonfüred City Hall, Hungary, Ringling Museum of Art, Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Pensacola Museum of Art, and Meridian Museum of Art.
Kiera Fisher, DoYouEverWanttoFlyAway? Kiera Fisher is a Columbus-based Muralist and Mixed Media Artist who embraces bold, brilliant, and vibrant colors, patterns, and imagery to create art that makes you think, and makes your inner child jump for joy. She draws inspiration from her surroundings, incorporating her lived experiences into her work, which frequently depicts figures and their relationship to people, places, and things. She works with a variety of media and materials, including anything from illustration, to textiles, to fine arts.
Nathalie Benshmuel, MoonJellies . Nathalie Benshmuel (b. 2000) is a visual artist living in Los Angeles, California. Her photographic body is rooted in abstractions from nature and meditations on the mundane. The fleeting essence of memory and chance motivates her practice of documenting and distorting the world at large. www.nattinnature.com; IG: nattinnature
Glenda “GG” Goodrich, DeeperDiscovery . Glenda is an artist, art doula, writer and SoulCollage facilitator living in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Learn more about GG at www.glendagoodrich.com. GG's book, Solo Passage: 13 Quests, 13 Quests, featuring extraordinary stories about the healing and restorative powers of nature as experienced through her time alone in the wilderness, is available for preorder on Bookshop, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
David A. Goodrum, PostCanvas#17 . David A. Goodrum is a photographer and writer living in Corvallis, Oregon. His photos and poems are forthcoming or have been published in Change Seven, Ilanot Review, Willows Wept Review, Spillway, Star 82 Review, The Write Launch, and other journals. Additional work (both poetry and photography) can be viewed at www.davidgoodrum.com.
Gerrie Paino, MementoMori . Gerrie Paino’s creative spirit has led her to various forms of artistic expression throughout her life, including a passion for photography. She relishes exploring the world around her and sharing what captivates her spirit with others. Her work has appeared in Chestnut Review, Meditation Magazine, San Pedro River Review, and I-70 Review. IG: gerriepaino
