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

​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.

​Sean Wolff is looking for written works that can expand reader’s minds and challenge notions of what is considered great literature. He particularly cherishes works with unique and diverse style, form and voices. He also looks favorably upon imagery that can make reader’s feel a new sensation, while also connecting them to others through the text. 

​Ariana Tucker is looking for stories that give voice to marginalized people. She’s interested in stories with characters that feel real, imagery that supplants you in new worlds, a strong emotional impact that lingers with readers long after the last word.

​Eric Uhorchuk looks for stories with unyielding character and emotions at their core. He enjoys searching for hidden meanings inside plots, but enjoys when he's led to unseen corners. He’s always excited to see new perspectives, as well as experiencing the sudden growths and falls of characters, whether they are expected or not.
Social Media Manager / Associate Editor

Emily Nolan ​views storytelling as an art that helps her to connect, and make sense of the world around her. She searches for any piece of literature that challenges her perception and most importantly, incorporates humor. She especially appreciates works that are satirical in nature while integrating an important message about social problems. 
Fiction Editors

​Garret Castle seeks fiction that sparks the imagination as it weaves its tale. He likes stories that immerse the reader, whether it is through realized settings, compelling characters, or a gripping plot. He always welcomes a good story, regardless of the topic.

​John Castle is looking for fiction that reaches out and grabs the reader, dragging them into the story to experience something whether it be delight, disgust, joy, or sorrow. He enjoys a variety of styles and structures as long as they are done in a fresh and effective way, leaving a mark on the reader's mind long after the story is finished.

Daria Husni is drawn to fiction that transports readers to rich new worlds. She treasures truly immersive stories dripping with detail, with engaging narratives that have her eager to read on and complex characters she will remember long after the final page.
Nonfiction Editors

​Farah Bakri ​cherishes stories that reflect real life perceptions. She enjoys stories that allow writers to use their voice meaningfully and truthfully, all while being flooded with creativity that flows throughout each and every word. She appreciates a veracious nonfiction piece that emulates both fact and feeling. 

​Ellen Lewis loves writing that makes it easy to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. She's especially impressed when a writer takes seemingly unrelated events and ties them together at the end to form something beautiful and cohesive. Ultimately, she wants to walk away from a piece of writing having felt something meaningful.
Poetry Editors

Jake Amato enjoys poetry that instantly makes him feel something, that helps him see a world that he has never seen before, that lets him walk in the shoes of its author, and that presents social themes through lenses that aren’t usually used or represented.

​Aleksandr Chebotarev is fond of written works that seek to redefine how writers write whether it be absurdist, minimalist, or surrealist--as long as it’s iconoclastic. It may be fictional or nonfictional--as long as it breaks tradition.

Natalie Ritchie gravitates towards poetry that creates an emotional connection between the author and the reader, it doesn't matter if it's through compelling imagery and innovative wordplay or through well-structured arguments and topics. They prefer poetry that lights a spark within them and gets them thinking.