Contributors

A. Jay Adler is a professor of English who has won awards in screenwriting and a residency grant in poetry from the Vermont Studio Center. His first collection of poetry, Waiting for Word, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2021. He was also a featured writer in the 2015 inaugural issue of Footnote: a Literary Journal of History. He is currently at work on a historical novel of the Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigation. Adler publishes weekly on his Substacks, Homo Vitruvius and American Samizdat, and can be found at ajayadler.com.

A.R. Arthur (formerly A.R.Salandy) is a Black Mixed-race poet & writer who has spent most of his life in Kuwait jostling between the UK & America. Anthony's work has been published over 240 times internationally. Anthony's Flash Fiction was shortlisted and received an honourable mention in the 2022 The Dillydoun Flash Fiction Prize Competition. Anthony has 3 published chapbooks titled 'The Great Northern Journey' 2020 (Lazy Adventurer Publishing) & 'Vultures' 2021 (Roaring Junior Press) as well as a novel 'The Sands of Change' 2021 (Alien Buddha Press). Anthony's Chapbook 'Half Bred' was the Winner of the 2021 'The Poetry Question' Chapbook contest. Anthony is the EIC of Fahmidan Journal/Publishing & Co, Review Editor at Full House Literary & Poetry Editor at Chestnut Review.
Twitter: @ararthurwriter
Instagram: @ararthurwriter https://ararthurwriter.wordpress.com/

Aarti Patel (she/her) is a writer with a degree in biochemistry from Western University.

Ace Boggess is author of six books of poetry, including Escape Envy (Brick Road Poetry Press, 2021), I Have Lost the Art of Dreaming It So, and The Prisoners. His writing has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Notre Dame Review, Harvard Review, Mid-American Review, and other journals. An ex-con, he lives in Charleston, West Virginia, where he writes and tries to stay out of trouble.

An Upstate New York native, Adrienne Newcomb is a middle school ELA teacher who writes to process the wild world around her.

Aerial Douskos is a dean's list student in her third year of study at the University of Toronto. Through this institution, she studies creative writing, and has had the privilege of sharing this story at their most recent Annual English Undergraduate Conference.

Alaina Hammond is a poet, playwright, fiction writer, and visual artist. @alainaheidelberger on Instagram.

Alan Bern, a recently retired children’s librarian, is a poet, storywriter, and photographer with two books of poetry from Fithian Press: No no the saddest (2004) and Waterwalking in Berkeley (2007). His third book of poetry, greater distance (2015), was published by his press, Lines & Faces, a fine press and publisher specializing in illustrated poetry broadsides, collaborating with the artist/printer Robert Woods, linesandfaces.com. IN THE PACE OF THE PATH is Alan’s first full-length hybrid of poetry, prose, and photos, forthcoming from UnCollected Press. Recent awards include: Winner, Saw Palm Poetry Contest (2022); Flash Fiction Finalist, Ekphrastic Sex (2021); and Winner, Littoral Press Poetry Prize (2015). Recent and upcoming writing and photo work in: Haunted Waters Press, Feral, DarkWinter Literary Magazine, and swifts & slows: a quarterly of crosscrossings. Alan is also a published/exhibited photographer and a performer with dancer/choreographer Lucinda Weaver as PACES and with musicians from Composing Together.

Alexander Hays is a Canadian author residing in Gatineau, Québec. He writes in many genre with a focus on short stories. He is working on his first novel.

Alexis MacIsaac’s writing is forthcoming in Geist and Cutleaf Press and has been featured in Masks Literary Magazine, Leon Literary Review, Agnes and True, RTÉ radio, and elsewhere. In a past life, she was a professional violinist (Riverdance, The High Kings, MacIsaac and MacKenzie). She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two sons.

Artisan baker by trade, Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi has been published in numerous literary journals. Winner of the Scribes Valley Short Story Writing Contest, he was a Pushcart Prize nominee, and twice nominated for Sundress Publications' Best of the Net. In addition to several short pieces, he is currently working on his debut novel.

Ali Arya grew up in Iran and migrated to Canada for work and study, only to find and raise a family that gave him a new understanding of what he was looking for in life. Ali is a professor of Information Technology at Carleton University, Ottawa, and a geek at heart. He develops games and interactive stories with his students, investigates how people use computers, and have written books and articles in his professional field. He has studied children's story writing at Gotham Writers, and has been a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for years. Recently, he self-published some of the bedtime stories he made for his son, “the Adventures of Mr. Filio”.

Ali Ashhar is a poet, short story writer and columnist from Jaunpur, India. He is the author of poetry collection, Mirror of Emotions. His works appear in Indian Review, The Raven Review, Bosphorus Review of Books, among others.

Alia Khan is a writer from Ottawa, Ontario, who finds joy in creating magical worlds through her fantasy tales. When she's not in her imagination, Alia plays in a game of Dungeons and Dragons with her friends. Her downtime is a blend of digital art on her iPad and cozy reading sessions that inspire her to keep on writing, a passion she shares with her partner. Alia loves stories with sharp characters, snappy one-liners, and thrilling adventures.

Alice Baburek is an avid reader, determined writer and animal lover. She lives with her female partner and four canine companions. Retired, she challenges herself to become an unforgettable emerging voice.

Alissa Miller is a poet and nonfiction writer living in Orlando, Florida, where she is an undergraduate studying Creative Writing at the University of Central Florida. Her work has appeared in the Shanti Arts Still Point Arts Quarterly magazine.

Let’s face it, Allison Walters Luther (she/her) is a mess. She grew up in Southern Indiana and has since lived in England, Florida, Southern California, and Washington state. A writer since the age of seven, she has Brain Dragons instead of Plot Bunnies and they frequently battle each other, leaving Allison a weeping, distracted blob. Her use of imagery has been called ‘immersive’ and she often leaves stories open-ended, dashing off into the sunset and cackling “No story is ever really over!” You can learn more about her at allisonwaltersluther.com or reach her on Twitter at @AllisonLuther.

Born in Guinea, Africa in 2001, Amadou (he/him) has always been drawn to stories. Whether it be Breaking Bad, The Last of Us, or Bioshock, he just can’t get enough of great narratives. So much so that it was only natural he’d start writing stories of his own. So when you see him, he’ll either be doing that, listening to great music, playing a dope video game, or passionately arguing about his opinions. It depends on how he feels.

First time wordsmith, long time lover of stories, Amardeep is a novice writer with a passion for exploring creativity and the arts. A graduate of McMaster and Carleton University, Amardeep is also a member of Sour Patch Grown Ups improv troupe and has previously written and directed “A Pang of Displacement” in the Hamilton Fringe. When not on stage, you will find Amardeep throwing clay, chasing one of Hamilton many local waterfalls, and reviving her indoor plants.

Amy Grech has sold over 100 stories to various anthologies and magazines including: 10 by 10 Flash Fiction Stories, A New York State of Fright, Apex Magazine, Even in the Grave, Hell’s Heart, Hell’s Highway, Hell’s Mall, Microverses, Punk Noir Magazine, Roi Fainéant Press, Tales from the Canyons of the Damned, Yellow Mama, and many others. Alien Buddha Press published her poetry chapbook, A Shadow of Your Former Self. She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers who lives in Forest Hills, Queens. You can connect with her on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amygrech.bsky.social, X: https://twitter.com/amy_grech, or visit her website: https://www.crimsonscreams.com.

Anabel Lozano is an educator, writer and storyteller who integrates creative writing into her teaching, fostering imagination and critical thinking in young minds. Her fiction explores human complexity, perception and transformation, often revealing hidden truths beneath the surface. She believes in the power of words to shape perspectives, crafting narratives that are both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

Anastasia Arellano is originally from California but now lives in Dublin, Ireland as a freelance writer. She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, and holds a Master’s in Creative Writing. She’s had short stories published in The Honest Ulsterman, Honey + Lime, The Hellebore, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Dragon Soul Press, as well as some poetry published in Smithereen’s Press. She recently completed her first solo YA novel which is now making the querying rounds. When she’s not writing, she’s cooking, plastering her bedroom walls in storyboards, or seeking inspiration from the Irish landscape. You can follow her on Instagram @writeranastasia26 and Twitter @AnastasiaArell5

Andrea Winkler lives in Vancouver, BC. Never far from coastal waters, you can find her kayaking through remote inlets, talking to seals and creeping on starfish. Her stories explore ways we are all a little bit haunted. She is a recent graduate of the Writer's Studio at SFU.

Andrew Parkinson writes fiction in Vancouver, British Columbia, after academic pursuits under another name.

Aneeka Usman is a teacher, a writer, a mom, and a realtor from Chattanooga TN. She teaches first-year college writing at Dalton State College. Previously, her work has been published in Litro magazine.

Angela Arnold is a writer, poet, artist, a creative gardener and an environmental campaigner. Her poems have appeared widely in print magazines, anthologies and online, both in the UK and elsewhere. First collection In Between: ‘inner landscapes’ and relationships (Stairwell Books, 2023). She lives in Wales. Twitter/X @AngelaArnold777

Angela Hinton is teacher, public servant and published author. Her French prose poems, "Soltices, Équinoxes” appeared in the literary review, Trois. Peinture. Punctuation. Vol. 9, No. 3, Spring-Summer, 1994.

Angela Townsend (she/her) is the Development Director at Tabby’s Place: a Cat Sanctuary. She graduated from Princeton Seminary and Vassar College. Her work appears or is forthcoming in Arts & Letters, Chautauqua, CutBank, Lake Effect, New World Writing Quarterly, Paris Lit Up, The Penn Review, Pleiades, The Razor, and Terrain.org, among others. Angie has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 33 years, laughs with her poet mother every morning, and loves life affectionately.

Ann Privateer grew up in the Midwest where she began writing poetry in her late teens. She now resides in Northern California. Some of her recent work has appeared in Voices 2022, Sacramento Voices 2018, and Wild Edges to name a few.

Anne Anthony has been published in Flash Boulevard, Flash Fiction Magazine, Five Minutes, Brilliant Flash Fiction, Longleaf Review, and elsewhere. Her microfiction, It’s a Mother Thing, was nominated by Cleaver Magazine for the Best Microfiction 2024 anthology. She is a senior editor and art director for the literary journal Does It Have Pockets. Find her writing here: https://linktr.ee/anchalastudio

Anne Mikusinski has been writing poetry and short stories since she was seven years old and most probably making them up long before she could hold a pen or pencil in her hand. She finds inspiration in music and art, and sometimes, even little things that happen every day. Her influences range from Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas to David Byrne and Nick Cave, and she hopes one day, her work will inspire others in the same way these writers have been a true inspiration on her.

Author of two books of poetry: Surfacing (2018) and What the Owl Taught Me (2020), both published by Lapwing Poetry. What the Owl Taught Me was Poetry Kit’s Book of the Month in June 2020 and one of North of Oxford’s summer reading recommendations in 2020. Annest has been widely published in literary journals and anthologies, both online and in print, and placed in several writing competitions, winning one. She was the editor of the webzine Nine Muses Poetry from 2018-2020. She was a nominee for Best of the Net 2021. Her third book of poetry – Seasons in the Sun – is forthcoming from Gwasg Carreg Gwalch in early September 2023.

Annette Dekker is gradually working toward retirement from her four plus decades of work as a couple and family therapist, so that she can spend more time playing with words. She also takes great delight in spending time with her grandchildren and in taking photographs while walking with her partner of almost 50 years on uptown sidewalks, trails in Waterloo or when traveling in Canada and across oceans.

Ashley Marilynne Wong graduated with a degree in English with Creative Writing from the University of Nottingham. In 2021, she won the YOUth of Tomorrow writing competition organised by the human rights NGO Empower, with her poem ‘Six Ways to Expose Your Daughter to Domestic Abuse’. Her poem ‘Wakeful Words’ has appeared in the literary ezine Spillwords. She reads for at least about three hours daily.

Ava Murray is an aspiring writer with a passion for literature and poetry. Born in Northern Ontario, Ava developed a love for literature and writing from a young age, often writing for small short story competitions in her community. Outside of school, Ava enjoys writing, volunteering at her local library and animal shelter, and participating in community theatre. After graduation, Ava plans to go to university to study English/Creative writing.

Azaria Camargo (she/her) is a slightly unhinged but fun-loving wordsmith. She loves crafting poetry that disrupts conventional ideals of literature and art. When Azaria isn’t dreaming of new ways to disturb readers, she enjoys caring for her pet chickens and ducks at her humble home in Melbourne, Australia. You can find more of Azaria’s dabbling on Instagram @azariacamargo

Barbara A Meier is a retired teacher who now works in a second-grade classroom as a paraprofessional in Lincoln, KS. She has been published in The Poeming Pigeon, Pure Slush, Metonym, Young Ravens Literary Review, and The Bangor Literary Journal. She has three chapbooks published: “Wildfire LAL 6”, from Ghost City Press, “Getting Through Gold Beach”, from Writing Knights Press, and “Sylvan Grove”, from The Poetry Box.

Barbara Anna Gaiardoni is an Italian pedagogist and author. Winner of the First Prize in the 2023 “Zheng Nian Cup National Literature Price. She began writing Japanese-style poems in 2019 and since has been published in Asahi Haikuist Network, Haiku Dialogue THF,The Japan Society UK, Drifting Sands Haibun and seventy - eight other international journals. Her works are been translated on Japanese, Romanian, Arabic, Malayalam, Hindi, French and in Spanish languages. Drawing, swimming and walking in nature are her passions. Her motto is "I can, I must, I will do it.”

Barry Yedvobnick is a retired biologist, recently reincarnated as a fiction writer. His stories have appeared in the weird-fiction anthology: Penumbra No. 3, Bending Genres, Tales to Terrify, Flash Fiction Magazine, Dark Recesses, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and several other places. He was short-listed at several recent Flash Fiction Magazine contests. His nonfiction writing experience includes 35 scientific research publications. He also narrates science fiction stories for AntipodeanSF radio shows.

Bart Edelman’s poetry collections include Crossing the Hackensack (Prometheus Press), Under Damaris’ Dress (Lightning Publications), The Alphabet of Love (Red Hen Press), The Gentle Man (Red Hen Press), The Last Mojito (Red Hen Press), The Geographer’s Wife (Red Hen Press), Whistling to Trick the Wind (Meadowlark Press), and This Body Is Never at Rest: New and Selected Poems 1993 – 2023 (Meadowlark Press). He has taught at Glendale College, where he edited Eclipse, a literary journal, and, most recently, in the MFA program at Antioch University, Los Angeles. His work has been widely anthologized in textbooks published by City Lights Books, Etruscan Press, Fountainhead Press, Harcourt Brace, Longman, McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, Simon & Schuster, Thomson/Heinle, the University of Iowa Press, Wadsworth, and others. He lives in Pasadena, California.

Bart Sides is a teacher, peer-reviewed published poet, fly fisherman and fly tie-er, bluegrass banjo picker, and BBQ pitmaster (though not always in that order). Reared in Southern Appalachia, he lives in the mountains of Central New England with his wife of 51 years and three cats. He has published poetry about Appalachia in The Appalachian Journal, Appalachian Places, Appalachia Bare and other regional journals.

Basiliké Pappa lives in Greece. Her work can be found in Carmina Magazine, Heron Tree, Dark Passions, Otoroshi Journal, DarkWinter Literary Magazine, Femku Mag, and other places. You may also read her in the anthologies Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku (Literary Revelations, 2025), Petals of Haiku (Literary Revelations, 2024), Darker Objects (Indie Blu(e) Publishing, 2023), Hidden in Childhood (Literary Revelations, 2023), Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (Experiments in Fiction, 2023) and Shaping Water: Erotic Haiku and Tanka (Moth Orchid Press, 2022). She is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Poetry Prize nominee, knower of stuff and creator of cakes. If she is not at home, I don’t know where she is.

Becky Neher is published in So Fi Zine, Idle Ink, Scribes*MICRO*Fiction, Stupefying Stories, Flash Frontier and Corner Bar Magazine, among others. She lives in Georgia, USA.

Bill Flanagan is a digital artist living in the mountains of Southern California. Occasionally he enjoys contriving a flash fiction work inspired by a long life blithely spent. A few have been published online.

Bill Garvey's poetry has been published or is forthcoming in several journals including Cimarron Review, Rattle, New Verse News, Quiddity, Margie, Nixes Mate Review, The Worcester Review, 5AM, Slant, Concho River Review, New York Quarterly, Cloud Lake Literary and The Amethyst Review. Finishing Line Press published Bill's chapbook, The Burden of Angels, in 2007.

Bill Howell, one of the original Storm Warning poets, has had a literary career spanning five
decades. With five collections to his credit, his work appears regularly in journals and
anthologies across Canada, in the UK, Australia, Sweden, and the United States. Born in
Liverpool, England, he grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has lived in Toronto for more
than half his life. Bill was a network producer-director at CBC Radio Drama for three
decades. Ranging from the lyrical to the ironic, his poetry deploys colloquial language,
deliberate narrative, and a sharp sense of the focused moment.

Bojana Stojcic teaches mostly high school and college English and is notorious for making her students laugh. A little nonsense now and then is all they sometimes need to make it through the day. Ftr she’s not saying let’s go kill all the stupid, unnecessary people, somehow hoping the issue will sort itself out. If you ask her, though, the only thing worth killing, at least for now, is the powerful gun lobby.

Boyd Blackwood has earned his living by writing through a long career in advertising and non-fiction magazine articles. Today, his passion is creating fiction in the fewest words possible.

The son of two Canadians, Brad Rose was born and raised in Los Angeles, and lives in Boston. He is the author of five collections of poetry and flash fiction. His latest book of prose poems, Lucky Animals, was released in March 2023. Previous collections include No. Wait. I Can Explain., Pink X-Ray, de/tonations, and Momentary Turbulence. WordInEdgeWise is forthcoming in 2024. Seven times nominated for a Pushcart Prize and three times nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology, Brad’s poetry and fiction have appeared in Los Angeles Times, The American Journal of Poetry, New York Quarterly, Puerto del Sol, Clockhouse, Folio, Cloudbank, Baltimore Review, 45th Parallel, Best Microfiction 2019, Lunch Ticket, Sequestrum, Unbroken, Right Hand Pointing, and other publications. Brad is also the author of seven poetry chapbooks, among them Democracy of Secrets, Collateral, An Evil Twin is Always in Good Company, and Funny You Should Ask. His website and blog can be found at bradrosepoetry.com.

Braden Matthew holds a BA in Religious Studies and a MA in Philosophy at McMaster University and is currently completing a MA in Psychotherapy at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he lives with his partner and child. A Canadian-born writer living in Edinburgh, the fiction he writes is often set within cold and wet climates. He has also worked as a journalistic writer for two universities in Canada. He has published two short stories in The Nassau Literary Review and Quibble Literary Journal.