About Gianna Birkeland

Gianna Birkeland

Assistant Editor Prose & Poetry

“The theme of In the Eye of the Storm is unique, because I feel as though it can be interpreted on a personal level however an individual chooses. Whether literal or figurative, the eye of the storm serves to represent challenges the natural world presents and the way in which people may adapt and overcome.

My submission of the winter village relates to challenges of the natural world and the passage of time that brought the different setbacks to the community. It doesn’t serve an underlying message, but an insight onto the challenges faced by a world devoid of accommodative tech. As assistant editor of the literary magazine, my favorite memory has to be when we chose the theme for this year’s edition. It was amazing to be able to find a theme to relate to such a challenging year, and find a way to turn around the negative connotation of quarantine into a message of growth and creativity. My favorite form of writing is poetry. I love how an individual can express their thought process simply in the from of articulated phrases. It doesn’t have to be concise, refined, or definitive, giving poetry the familial feeling I always experience being able to transcribe another person’s words. I have been attending Westminster since sixth grade. I am an avid J.D Salinger, Michael Crichton, and Charlotte Bronte fan, and am inspired by many brilliant authors to express myself through my writing. In my free time, I enjoy martial arts, and am currently a camo belt at ATA taekwondo. I’ve always wanted to be involved in wildlife conservation, and in addition to my position of Assistant Editor, I work as the President of Green Club, Vice President of Book Club, and a tutor. I hope to share my skills to improve and better the world around me, regardless of how big or small that impact be. I plan to attend FSU next year, and study in the field of pre-med.”