Creator Lamisa Mustafa is a proud brown person and human rights activist. She has fifteen years of experience sitting at a classroom desk and has at least three more to go. She’s not a poet, but she really, really, really likes poetry. She wanted to accept all of the submissions for this anthology, but Syd wouldn’t let her.

 

Editor Syd Clark’s favorite word is “no.” She is vulgar and an M.F.A. reject. On hot days, she enjoys eating yellow fruit on the Dallas Hall lawn. After procrastinating on work until three or four in the morning, she will often consume an entire tub of So Delicious’ incomparable “Snickerdoodle” flavor ice cream. She will continue to eat it regardless of whether it makes her tummy rumble.

 

Illustrator and sometimes a graphic designer, Mariana Gonzalez, spends her time drawing small flowers and helping people materialize their ideas. She only goes home to pet her dogs and eats ice cream at least once a week. She does not watch television because her friends are crazy and entertaining enough.

 

Jordan Kurtz is a second-year student at Southern Methodist University, where she and maybe 52 others are not majoring in Finance and/or Greek Life. She excels at making Mormon friends, writing things that will never be published, and mocking Star Wars.

 

Allison Carvalho is a fast speaking womyn who writes a lot of sad stuff considering that she’s a pretty happy person. Catch her harping about gentrification or fawning over Feminist Economic Geographers. She will usually be the one in orange corduroy leggings that she got for $3 at the Village Discount.

 

Full-time human, part-time poet, first-time programmer, and long-time bridge player, Kevin Wang constantly juggles all the ideas that rule the moment while appearing to be perfectly tranquil. Do not let his smile become the mystifying end of a "hello." Ask him for his story, and he will tell it.

 

Biko McMillan is a wannabe poet (who’s published a book of poetry entitled “Writing on Roots”), scientist, and adult. He enjoys photography, writing, and trying to be funny. He also really enjoys not being in school anymore, though he knows that loan grace periods don’t last forever. His life motto is “context is important.” Pizza.

 

Nusaiba Mizan primarily writes prose fiction. She is overly fond of libraries, moths, and chocolate. In an alternate dimension, she is mapping stars in neighboring galaxies. Here, she's stuck dreaming of space.

 

As a young father, Chris Ellery had a mystic experience while washing diapers with Mr. Rogers. He insanely believes that all public school teachers should make more money than Nick Saban—just what you’d expect from someone who once saw Shakespeare in a Speedo on Mustang Island.

 

andrea nguyen likes to keep things short, sweet, and lowercase. she isn’t an english major. you can tell because her favorite hobby is putting grammar textbooks through paper shredders while her tea steeps. her talent is sleeping under four blankets, even in the summer.

 

Tiffany Jelke spends her days passionately working to connect people and stretch their comfort zones as broadly as possible. Practicing what she preaches, Tiffany recently cha-cha’d with her friend Brenda at a Latin club in Dallas, stretching her own comfort zone broadly! We can happily report Tiffany did not break anything and she had such a wonderful time she’s going to do it again soon!

 

Sarah-Jehanne Benraiss' hairstyle bears a strong resemblance to that of a poodle, but she’s really more of a cat person. Her hobby is listening to others talk about their pets while secretly thinking her own are vastly superior. You can find her in Rochester, NY befriending the neighborhood strays.

 

Karina MacDougall is a body image activist and newlywed living in Houston, Texas. She loves rock and roll, horror movies, and tiny dogs. Inspired by Alice Cooper, she best describes herself as "the local freak with the twisted mind."

 

Coffee addict Ash Thye has an unreasonable amount of love for dad jokes and trying new food. You’ll never find him out of the house without his camera. He is incredibly superstitious, has a spreadsheet for everything, and has been described by friends as “the human embodiment of an energy drink.”

 

Priyanka Pohar is a tall, brown girl who often trips over her feet. She is an ex-high school rapper who settles down to write the occasional poem. Her favorite type of day is one where she can sit at home, write various stories, and practice bad pick-up lines.

 

Clinton Osifo is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of television shows and delights in re-watching them with friends for the sole purpose of comparing their reactions with his own initial ones. He’ll force you to watch the title sequence and stick around for the credits. It’s in your best interest to cooperate.
 

Jeandro Cabral é professor de língua portuguesa, poeta. Mora em Olinda-PE. Um utopista, amante da poesia, um desses letristas peregrinos vivendo um intercambio dinâmica entre a realidade e a visão poética, dualista e fragmentadora.

 

Jeandro Cabral is a professor of Portuguese and poet who lives in Olinda-PE, Brazil. A utopist and lover of poetry, he is one of those wandering lyricists living in the dualistic and fragmentary dynamic exchange between reality and poetic vision.

 

Megan Latoya is a medical anthropologist who works at the intersections of infectious disease and political violence against the urban poor (but most people just call her "redhead"). Off-puttingly chatty, she's been fighting socialized male speech dominance since 1993. Like her hero Snoop Dogg, she just wants to push peace and keep it in motion.

 

Amateur poet, committed meditator, and animal activist, Tracy Knapp spends her days contemplating the universe. She also spends her time painting, reading, and just being. When she is surrounded by her pride of six cats – who run her life – she is as happy as a bumblebee.