staff bios

Editorial Staff

Editor in Chief

Katie Budris holds an M.F.A. in poetry from Roosevelt University and is currently a Lecturer in Writing Arts at Rowan University. Her poems have appeared in over a dozen literary magazines, and her debut chapbook, Prague in Synthetics, is now available from Finishing Line Press. Prior to her time with Glassworks, 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.

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.

Senior Editor

Myriah Stubee received her M.A. in Writing from Rowan University, where she now teaches in the First Year Writing Department. She is also on the faculty at Rowan College of Burlington County and is pursuing an M.S. in Publishing at Pace University. Myriah is Rowan’s 2018 Toni Libro Medallion Award Winner, likes to write short fiction and essays, and her work received an honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest 2018 Writing Competition.

Myriah invites work that not only demonstrates a skill with the nuances of language, but also carries a deep sense of authenticity. She believes that all genres should have a strong voice.

Associate Editors

Megan Kiger searches for stories that can bring unique warmth to an aching reality—that can extraordinarily alter the gravity holding us wherever we may be. She reads for characters that ignite in her a longing desire to know them and a world so intricately architected that she can almost taste it.

Thomas LaPorte explores literature for works which touch upon the existential—works that challenge the fundamental elements of being human. He looks for anything absurd which helps explain the world in which he lives. He enjoys wit and wordplay, complexity and simplicity. He enjoys writers who have a message to send.

Georgia Iris Salvaryn enjoys a wide range of fiction, whether about a young man undergoing treatment in a sanatorium or about the coming of winter. She appreciates fiction that has the ability to envelop her in a new world, while keeping the characters and stories believable and relatable. She looks for stories that highlight uniqueness in the commonality.

Marissa Stanko embraces fiction that haunts the soul. She appreciates work that is vibrant and alive, that makes her pulse quicken. The allure of fiction for her lies in the thrill of gushing over a story you have just finished only to go back and read it once more. She is always looking for fresh pieces to complement old favorites, especially stories that feature complex female and queer characters.

Media Editors

Julianna Holshue is looking for work that expresses vivid emotions and imagery in understated ways. She is drawn to writing that emphasizes poignant moments among the mundane told in honest, strong voices. In art, she appreciates experimentation, imperfections, as well as unconventional subjects. She has a passion for work which gives voice to the experiences, identities, and expressions of marginalized peoples.

Dom Marconi appreciates writing that is focused, engaging and undeniably unique. Works that span multiple genres inspire him more than anything. Dom is always looking for art that asserts itself in novel ways. He also likes stories about skateboards, race cars, and dinosaurs.

Fiction Editors

Scott MacLean treasures fiction that transports the reader into a new world. He welcomes stories that stir emotion or make him look at life through someone else’s eyes. He enjoys vivid descriptions and hidden meanings that shed light on the character’s innermost feelings.

Nonfiction Editors

Ed Benkin reads plenty of nonfiction, including plenty of American history. For this seasoned journalist, it's facts first.

Connor Buckmaster is searching for creative nonfiction that challenges our natural perceptions and amplifies marginalized voices. He enjoys stories that explore the depths of our humanity, vulnerability, and flaws through honest, moving depictions of reality and the human mind.

Christina Cullen views language and storytelling as a means of truth-seeking. She enjoys many forms of writing, but latches onto anything that calls us to shift, challenge, and expand upon our knowledge and experiences.

Poetry Editors

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.

Sam Fine wants poems that forget they're poems, those glitches in the matrix that set readers' realities aside for a while, a short term lease on attention that leaves a mark. All forms, genres, structures, or lack thereof are welcome.

Angela Faustino seeks emotionally charged poetry. She enjoys reading a variety of structures, but prefers open form because of its freedom. She is looking for effective use of literary devices, especially keeping an eye out for metaphors and personification. She hopes to be moved by the pieces she reads, in some cases, even to tears.