staff bios

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief
Katie Budris holds an M.F.A. in poetry from Roosevelt University and is a Senior Lecturer in Writing Arts at Rowan University. Her poems have appeared in over a dozen literary magazines, and her two chapbooks, Mid-Bloom and Prague in Synthetics, are both available from Finishing Line Press. Previously, she served as editor and marketing intern for Oyez Review. Find Katie online at katiebudris.com

Aesthetically, Katie believes Peter Cooley said it best: "poetry is instant access to emotion." She is drawn to poems that use concrete imagery and may appear simple, but utilize metaphor and layers of meaning to create a larger emotional impact.

Managing Editor
Cate Romano earned both her B.A. in English and her M.A. in Writing from Rowan University, where she now teaches full-time in the First Year Writing Program and the Writing Arts major. She has also worked at the Rowan Writing Center as both a peer tutor and a faculty administrator and currently serves as Assistant Director.

Cate enjoys poetry and prose that use language playfully, tell the truth, and offer readers more to discover with each pass. She especially looks for work that promotes connection rather than alienation.

Associate Editors

Stephanie Ciecierski (she/her) is full of pep and spunk, but is enthralled by everything dark and strange. Most of all, she loves stories that show her new worlds, both grounded in reality and fantastical. Stories that reveal unique aspects of the human experience that often go unnoticed are her favorite. She also loves the challenge of reading innovative formats and structures in storytelling and poetry. Send her your weird!

Kay Fratello (she/her) admires authentic and sincere storytelling. She mostly reads nonfiction writing that uses creative venues to convey a message or share a personal experience. Kay also enjoys reading works of fiction that use humor or magical realism to approach the more challenging subject matter.

Rebecca Green enjoys simple stories told innovatively. She seeks poems that celebrate the intricacies of routine, shared experiences, and common feelings. She appreciates raw, candid writing that sheds light on overlooked topics.

Allie Padron (she/her) loves stories told from marginalized perspectives that deal intimately with personal relationships. While she prefers fiction, she appreciates all genres, particularly when the writing gives her a brief glimpse into a moment, emotion, or world she's never experienced before.

Cat Reed is an escapist obsessed with writing which transports them into a world not so different from their own, but just different enough to be utopic. They’re magnetically drawn to stories compacted with mixtures of emotions ranging from crestfallen sobbing to euphoria. They particularly enjoy a bildungsroman following the hardships of the main character until ultimate development and acceptance of self. They seek out and search for tales from varying perspectives of minority voices, ranging cultures, and queer viewpoints in order to broaden horizons and facilitate empathy.

Media Editors

Lesley George (she/they) can often be found indulging in narratives focused on poetic-like descriptions mixed with deep passion for the piece as a whole. They’re often reading fan-works for whatever they are currently obsessing over at the moment. What she enjoys most of all are stories that leave a lasting emotional impact on her.

Bryce Morris (he/him/his) likes to immerse himself in stories of significant creative impact. Bryce views storytelling as not only an escape from the often-jarring reality but a means to tell human stories with emotion and development on a grander scale. He is fond of works that challenge his perception of conventional storytelling but additionally entertain.

Shea Roberts (she/they) is most intrigued by writing that fully envelops a reader in the experiences of the protagonist through sensory details, imagery, and raw emotion. Their favorite story at any given time is the one which makes them feel the most intensely. She is especially fond of reading queer or feminist fiction and poetry.

Fiction Editors

Courtney Hall is most captivated by stories where the protagonist takes you along on their journey through their inner monologue. The dichotomy between dialogue and introspective prose always keeps her wanting more and to really know the voice behind the words. Particularly taken by fiction with themes such as trauma, grief, and struggling with ones own identity, she welcomes with open arms stories that are pushed beyond their limits of what was once thought possible—whether those limits were set by the protagonist, audience, or both.

Daniel Hewitt looks for fiction that draws the reader into a captivating story. He loves when compelling sense of presence is felt at being in the author's fictional world all the while traveling an emotional journey with the writer to reach a satisfying conclusion. He enjoys a variety of fiction that is thought provoking and engaging, leaving the reader wishing for more long after the piece is read.

Javis Sisco greatly admires the writing artist's creative vision and seeks to read other perceptive works that inspire growth and clarity. He looks to lose himself in the mind of the writer in works created as an escape.

Nonfiction Editors

Ellie Cameron loves to read nonfiction that finds and uses humor in a serious topic, exploring the dark with an uplifted spirit. They’re interested in works with an authentic voice, a powerful meaning, and a hint of a laugh. They’re especially drawn to works with a poetic flow.

Caitlin Hertzberg appreciates creative nonfiction works that are honest, emotional, and unpretentious. She especially values writers who can transport her from the comfort of her living room to the exceptionally chaotic realities and seemingly trivial troubles that make up our lives.

Frank Penick is looking for rich non-fiction works that can connect the personal with the universal commonalities of the human experiences. He is intrigued how an individual's deeply personal journey can connect with others and bridge social divides. The author who toils away through the night in obscurity only to realize what they are articulating truth that each of us can relate to and learn from.

Amanda Smera treasures nonfiction writers who are able to share vivid experiences with readers, without avoiding emotions or being concerned about remaining impersonal. She enjoys colorful descriptions that bring out the hidden, the subjective, what the eyes can't always reach, translating something that few are capable of noticing, and many want to see. For this literary journalist, a human and vulnerable approach to our chaotic world is key.

Poetry Editors

Iliana Pineda enjoys poems that immerse her into the world the author creates. When she finishes reading a piece, she wants the idea or character explored to resonate. Whether it be melancholy or joy, she looks for writing that invokes a strong feeling to whoever may be reading.

Nyds Rivera (they/he) looks for poetry that utilizes vivid imagery to capture the reader’s heart and fully immerse them in the poet's emotions. They particularly enjoy works by marginalized writers, especially those that experiment with language or focus on themes of identity.

Paige Stressman enjoys literature that helps her connect with others’ experiences and emotions. Paige believes that the best poetry utilizes imagery, metaphors, and narrative to express the author’s truth to the readers.