Nancy Byrne Iannucci teaches history and lives poetry in Troy, NY. Her poetry can be found in numerous publications including Allegro Poetry Magazine, Gargoyle, Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, Typehouse Literary Magazine, Riggwelter Press, Three Drops from a Cauldron, and Picaroon Poetry to name a few. Her debut book of poetry, Temptation of Wood, was recently published by Nixes Mate Review.
Reflection, The Performer, and Chickie-Run, Volume 5, Issue 1
Jayant Kashyap, a Pushcart Prize nominee, has had his poetry in Barren and StepAway magazines, among others; one of his poems was featured in the Healing Words awards ceremony (Sept 2017), and another won the third-place in Young Poets Network’s Bletchley Park challenge (Dec 2018). His collaborative poems with Lisa Stice now appear in zines, and he is now a food blogger for Shahi Dastarkhan’s Foodie’s Desk. His debut chapbook, Survival, is to come from NY-based Clare Songbirds Publishing House. He is also the co-founder and editor of Bold + Italic.
Silence, Pompeii, Death Sonnet, The Temple, Veil, and A Little Elegy for Death, Volume 5, Issue 1
Wade McCullough is a student at Bowling Green State University and studies popular culture and creative writing.
Recovery, Volume 5, Issue 1
Daniel Edward Moore lives in Washington on Whidbey Island. His poems have been found at Spoon River Poetry Review, Rattle, Columbia Journal and others. His poems will soon be found at Hawaii Review, Blue Fifth Review, Plainsongs, The Museum Of Americana, West Trade Review, Frontier Poetry Journal, Flexible Persona Literary Journal, AJI Magazine, and Duende Literary Journal. His book Confessions of a Pentecostal Buddhist, can be found on Amazon. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Visit Daniel at danieledwardmoore.com.
Narcoleptic Stallion, Glory Unremarkable, and Government Shutdown, Volume 5, Issue 1
Mari Posa is a proud Philadelphian by way of Madrid, due to personal ambitions. He is a graduate from West Virginia University with a degree in Sociology. Recently, Posa relocated to Southern California.
Pieces of Intimacy, Volume 5, Issue 1
Ash Strange is a freshman from Bowling Green State University, majoring in creative writing. She was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and grew up in Lima, Ohio, for most of her childhood years, going on to live in California, Oklahoma, and Florida. She lives with her aunt, uncle, her two cousins, and her two brothers. She often writes every day about almost everything she can think of, including her life experiences. Some of her hobbies include art, listening to music, and going out with friends.
Her, Volume 5, Issue 1
Lee Triplett is a poet, voracious reader, seeker, bipolar depressive, pianist, queer, and South Carolinian. A student of poetry, piano performance, and computer science in college, she immerses herself in poets to whom she is drawn. Her poetry has been published in Amethyst Review and is forthcoming in Mused: The BellaOnline Literary Review. She currently lives in Tega Cay, South Carolina.
Coming Home to a Racket, Sound Effects, and Changing Seasons, Volume 5, Issue 1
Thomas Wattie studied philosophy at the University of Toronto. He answers the phone at a pizza place. His interests also include biking, cooking and trap music. He would prefer to answer the phone somewhere else.
Fork Juice in the Orange Section, Volume 5, Issue 1
Describe your creative space. Do you work at home, in public spaces, etc.?
I work at home mostly—I have a very tiny cramped office I write in during the winter (because it has a heater in it) and I recently turned my son’s former bedroom into another office, which has a window looking out into the back yard that’s turning out to be more distracting than I’d hoped.
What kind of materials do you use? Do you write by hand or type? What is your favorite writing utensil?
I sometimes write by hand, but I mostly just write on my computer.
What is your routine for writing?
Wake up, do an hour or so of market research and submitting material, get my daughter ready for school, then write for the next 4-5 hours (until my daughter comes home from school).
How long have you been writing? When did you start writing?
Unofficially, I’ve been writing poetry and fiction since I was 4. Officially, I’ve been writing for publication since I was 15 (going on 32 years now).
Who is your intended, or ideal, audience? Who do you write for?
Initially, I always write for myself, and then the question of audience comes later.
What inspires you to write? If you are blocked, what do you do?
I’ve been writing for so long now that just the act of sitting at my desk inspires me to write. I worked as a journalist and a technical writer for a long time, so I didn’t have the luxury of being blocked—I always had intense deadlines to meet, so every moment I wasn’t writing was a moment dragging me closer to poverty. I maintain those same sort of deadlines for myself with fiction and poetry now, so I don’t really think about writer’s block.
What other things do you do besides writing? Do you dance or play golf, etc.?
I do a lot of handicrafts, like needlepoint and beadwork. When it’s nice out, I love to play in my garden. My husband and I write hiking and history books together, and a lot of our research involves big, long, wonderful walks through parks and the city, which I also love.
What is your favorite part of the creative process?
I love all of it. I love stumbling into a story or poem and feeling it grow into something separate from me. I love the moment after finishing something when I wonder, “How did this come about?” I love watching pages and pages fill up while I’m working on a book or a longer piece. It’s all wonderful.
What is your advice to aspiring writers?
Be persistent. Approach writing with joy.
Check out Holly’s work in Volume 3, Issue 1, and Volume 4, Issue 2. Two of her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart, “Fred, Half Dead, Beethoven In His Head” in Volume 3, Issue 1, and “The Patch of Tulips I Never Planted” in Volume 4, Issue 2.
Describe your creative space. Do you work at home, in public spaces, etc.?
I usually work at home, as I tend to become distracted elsewhere. However, I jot down a verse or line on scrap paper occasionally whilst out and about, if it comes to me.
What kind of materials do you use? Do you write by hand or type? What is your favorite writing utensil?
I typically type when I write, unless I am out for the day and happen to think of something I want to record. I do have a connection with old typewriters, though.
What is your routine for writing?
I can feel when I need to write. Poetry is very cathartic, for me, and I can basically resign myself to an entire day writing because I need that release.
How long have you been writing? When did you start writing?
I started writing in the third grade. I entered a poetry contest and won. I have never stopped.
Who is your intended, or ideal, audience? Who do you write for?
I mostly write for myself, but I also write for my daughter.
What inspires you to write? If you are blocked, what do you do?
I am inspired by emotion. If I’m blocked, I let it take its course. It will come eventually.
What other things do you do besides writing? Do you dance or play golf, etc.?
I am an artist as well. I sculpt, paint, make jewelry, and pose for painting classes.
What is your favorite part of the creative process?
When it is finished, whatever I have created, and it is beautiful to behold.
What is your advice to aspiring writers?
Be determined. Never give up. If you are relentless, you can reach your dreams. I did.
Check out Mela’s work in Volume 4, Issue 2.
The Magnolia Review 