est. 2022
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MEET THE TEAM BEHIND OUR JOURNAL!
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Vivian Huang is a young poet from Irvine, California. Her poetry is published or forthcoming in Diode Poetry Journal, Poetry Daily, Polyphony Lit, and elsewhere, and she is the author of GRIEF IN A BONE (Bottlecap Press, 2023). Her work has been recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and Princeton University, among others, and she is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Cloudscent Journal.
GENERAL EDITORS
Inspired by the macabre history and gothic aura of Edinburgh where she is a student, Ava Barnaby often drifts between cafes to write, spending much of her time staring out of the window before an open laptop. Aside from writing, she enjoys reading, cooking and watching reality tv.
Sophie Johnston is a 16-year-old high school sophomore located in Arizona, USA. In 2022, she co-founded the literary magazine International Inquirer and was appointed to the advisory board of GirlSpring Magazine. Additionally, she serves as a Prose Editor for The Spiritus Mundi Review, is Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine The Mustang Oracle, serves on the Teen Advisory Board for her local library, and is a Youth Ambassador for the World Literary Foundation.
Eleanor Ball is a 22-year-old poet, essayist, and speculative fiction writer. Her work has been nominated for Best of the Net and featured in Stone Pacific Zine, Vagabond City Lit, and Write or Die, among others. She's currently studying for her M.A. in Library & Information Science, where she's focused on fostering equitable information access through academia and beyond. Say hi on Twitter @aneleanorball or at eleanorball.carrd.co.
POETRY EDITORS
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Ele Gonzales is a young poet based in New York. Her work is featured in Quarto and the Columbia Review. She is an alum of the Iowa Young Writers' Studio and the Kenyon College Young Writers' Workshop. She hopes to create writing opportunities for underrepresented voices across the globe.
MJ Gomez is a writer from the Philippines, currently based in Saudi Arabia. Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English, he enjoys playing guitar on hot, sleepy days and stargazing through bus windows. His work is featured in Healthline Zine, Surging Tide, the Lunar Journal, Lavender Bones Magazine, and others. You can find him on Twitter @bluejayverses !
dre levant (he/they) is a trans masc writer, artist, and cozy blanket collector. he is the author of "icarus rising" (kith books '23) and "jack invites werewolves to the tea party" (Alien Buddha Press '23). for snippets of poetry and cat pics, follow @drethepiper on instagram and twitter.
Avi Goldberg is a California native and student in creative writing at a fine arts school somewhere in the South. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Star Review, a public transit enthusiast, and a fierce Oxford comma advocate. He can be found on Instagram, @avigoldbrg.
Chinemerem Prince Nwankwo (he/him), SWAN IV, is currently a final year student of History and International Studies, University of Uyo, Nigeria. He is the Assistant Poetry Editor, Arkore Arts. He was shortlisted for the Sevhage-KSR Hyginus Ekwuazi Poetry Prize, 2023 and was placed as the Second Runner Up, SprinNG Annual Poetry Prize, 2023. He loves to read and write about Africa, Women, and Children. He tweets @ CPNwankwo.
Arushi (Aera) Rege is a queer, chronically in pain, Indian-American poet who simultaneously attends junior year in high school. They tweet occasionally @academic_core and face the perils of instagram @aeranem_26. Their works have been published in Gastropoda Lit, Full House Literary Magazine, fifth wheel press, and more. They are the EIC of nightshade lit mag & are associated with two other presses. Their debut chapbook, BROWN GIRL EPIPHANY, is forthcoming with fifth wheel press. You can find their website at arushiaerarege.carrd.co.
Jack Anthony (he/they) is an emerging poet and writer from Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia. Jack's work has been featured in publications such as Heartfelt, Ink and Inclusion, and Discretionary Love, among others. When not writing they can be found with their nose in a book, haunting thrift stores and bothering their cat, Jesper. Jack can also be found @janthony.writes.
Rory Baskin is a high school student and poet in California. She serves on the staff of her school’s literary magazine, and her work is published or forthcoming in Trouvaille Review, Cathartic Literary Magazine, Dream Noir Magazine, Boats Against the Current, and elsewhere. Aside from writing, she loves reading, debate, philosophy, and classics.
Sophie Mo (she/they) is a rising writer from the Bay Area who is currently trying to make sense of Latin grammar. She is an editor for The Other People, her university’s first literary magazine, and her published works can be found in The Aurora Journal. When presented with free time, they can be found ironing clothes as an odd pastime and flipping through Spotify for new music.
PROSE EDITORS
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April Yu is a teenage writer from New Jersey with an affinity for language, running, and human anatomy. Although she was indeed born in April, her favorite season is winter. Her work has or is slated to appear in Milk Candy Review, The Aurora Journal, and Lit. 202, among others. She is a graduate of the Alpha Workshop for Young Writers. Visit her on Instagram @aprilblossom, Twitter @aprilgoldflwrs, and at aprilyu.carrd.co.
Adenah Furquan is a 21-year-old with an earnest passion for writing and feminism. When she’s not brainstorming ideas for new pieces or trying to dismantle the patriarchy, Adenah can be found listening to indie rock, watching or reading psychological thrillers, and gushing over scented candles.
Rebecca Ahn is a teen writer who loves diving into magical worlds. Their writing has been published in The Drabble and New Feathers Anthology, and they received a Silver Medal from the 2023 Scholastic Writing Awards. They draw inspiration from nostalgia and the strange whims that catch their fancy every now and then.
Lynne Inouye, 18, is a queer fiction writer with an interest in all things otherworldly. She runs her school newspaper and enjoys acting, spending time with her cat, and using far too much imagery. Her work can be found in Blue Marble Review and Pyre Magazine, as well as on her Twitter @liinouye.
Lauren Underberg is a student in the creative writing department at a fine arts school hidden in the American South. Her work appears in the department’s student-run literary journal, Cadence, as well as the Élan Literary Magazine. She was also the 2023 recipient of the Judith Hillman Paterson Award for Excellence in Essay Writing. She’s been referred to as a long-distance runner on multiple occasions, which basically means she’ll never write a short short story in her lifetime.
Z. Luo is a writer, reader, and dreamer who is absolutely captivated by words and languages. When not chasing the sly tip of inspiration’s tail or learning new languages, Z is probably baking or sleeping. To unlock loquacious Z, simply ask about Latin, mythology, Chinese poetry, ties, origami or test your luck.
A writer, actor, and musician from the East Coast, Emma Skinner is a lover of all strange and silly stories. She can often be found writing in the oddest of places, everywhere from fire escapes to desolate cliffsides. She is particularly passionate about work that ignites the imagination and reframes - or shatters - classic literary norms.
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Maddison Sellers is a reader and writer from rainy Washington State where she lives in a little apartment filled with books. She has an AA degree from Tacoma Community College and now reads poetry for the Chestnut Review and fiction for the Chariot Press. Her work can be found in Trillium, the Unconventional Courier, and is forthcoming in On-the-High Literary Journal. When not reading or writing, she spends her time browsing bookstores and journaling.
ART CONTRIBUTORS
Afra Adil Ahmad is a writer, poet, artist and calligrapher. Based in Taiwan, she holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature. She writes about everything under the sun: from dark issues of the society to problems faced by teenagers to imparting chunks of wisdom through her poems, stories and write-ups. Her works have appeared in various magazines including Iman collective, MYM, Rather Quiet, Ice Floe Press, Olney Magazine, The Malu Zine, The Sophon Lit, Blue Minaret, Melbourne Culture Corner, Her Hearth Magazine.
STAFF EMERITUS
Estan Rodriguez (Poetry Editor) is a teenage poet living in the United States. His work is published or forthcoming in Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine, Paper Crane Journal, Cloudy Magazine, Beaver Magazine, as well as others. He was a mentee at the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop. He reckons he’s only about a fifth of the way through life, so he’ll wait until he’s finished to write a review.
Anne Matanis (General Editor) is a Filipino writer and student from Manila. Her work is featured in The Quartz Journal and Livina Press. She is fond of bike rides in the scorching sun, walking long distances, ice hockey, and homemaking. You can reach her on Twitter: @annematanis.
Anna Liu (or Joanna) (General Editor) is a writer from Massachusetts. Her work has been recognized by the New York Times, the Alliance for Young Writers, Bennington Young Writers Awards, and Polyphony Lit, among others. In her free time, she likes to take care of chickens and watch video essays on Youtube. You can find her doing nothing on Twitter @cyoxyx.
Ruoyu Wang (王丽扬) (Poetry Editor) is a young writer from Washington state. Their poetry appears or is forthcoming in The Shore, Interstellar Lit, and antinarrative zine, among others. You can find them curating Spotify playlists, losing at 8 Ball, or @wangwrites_ on Twitter.
Alorah Welti (she/her) is a Minnesota-born feminist, synesthete, poet, and artist. Her work has appeared in The Cloudscent Journal, Anti-Heroin Chic, lavender bones, Rejection Letters, Lit. 202, and elsewhere. She is a recipient of the Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists. She lives on stolen Mohican and Wabanaki land, just north of North Adams, Massachusetts, with her family. You can find her on Twitter at @alorahsky.
Chloe Lee is a young poet currently based in Virginia with roots in Seoul and Arizona. Her work has been recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. She is currently a WriteGirl mentee and has been a mentee of the Ellipsis Advanced Poetry Workshop. She has been a contest reader of The Young Writers Initiative. When she's not writing, she is making art and dying her hair.
Captivated by lyrical prose, Anastasia Ledyaeva studies English in pursuit of her authorial ambitions. She is also a plus-sized, queer first-generation immigrant who adores modern rock music and pretending to write her novels in cafes. Her work has been published in QuaranTEEN, Iris Youth Magazine, and Redrosethorns Journal, and she can be found as @ladyzenik and @anastasialdv on social platforms.
Calvin Huang is a fierce advocate for Asian-American representation. His work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. When he is not researching censorship, he can be found reading a comic books and writing fanfiction.