Issue #5, May 2022

Rex Carey Arrasmith writes poetry and fiction in Sedona, AZ and Lāna’I, HI. His work is inspired by the vortexes found in Arizona’s Coconino National Forest and in whale song during the annual Humpback migration in Hawaii. He also writes uniquely inspired wedding vows as an ordained Universal Life Minister. His work can be found in the Lily Poetry Review, Passenger’s Journal, Solstice Literary Magazine, New Note Poetry, Spillwords, and others.
 

Karen Jones is a teacher, poet, and life-long learner from Corvallis, Oregon. Some of her recent work has appeared in Wood Cat Review, Willawaw Journal, and Humana Obscura. Her chapbook, "Seasons of Earth and Sky" (Finishing Line Press), was published in 2020.
 

Cynthia Bargar is Associate Poetry editor at Pangyrus. Her poems have appeared in many journals, most recently Rogue Agent, Book of Matches, Driftwood Press, and in the book, "Our Provincetown: Intimate Portraits" by Barbara E. Cohen (Provincetown Arts Press, 2021). Her first poetry collection, "Sleeping in the Dead Girl’s Room," came out from Lily Poetry Review Books in January, 2022. Cynthia lives with her partner, cartoonist Nick Thorkelson, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. @cynthiamay cynthiabargar.com
 

Diane Hueter has been published in Isotope, Iron Horse Literary Review, Iowa Woman, and Iris. Her book, "After the Tornado" was published by Stephen F. Austin UP in 2013. 
 

Rose Menyon Heflin, originally from rural, southern Kentucky, is a writer and artist living in Madison, Wisconsin. Her poetry won a Merit Award from Arts for All Wisconsin in both 2021 and 2022, and one of her poems was choreographed and performed by a local dance troupe. Additionally, she had an ekphrastic creative nonfiction piece featured in the Chazen Museum of Art’s Companion Species exhibit. Among other venues, her recent and forthcoming publications include Deep South Magazine, Defunkt Magazine, Fireflies’ Light, Great Lakes Review, Of Rust and Glass, Poemeleon, Red Weather Literary Magazine, San Antonio Review, and Xinachtli Journal (Journal X).
 

Clarissa Adkins lives in Richmond, Virginia and earned degrees from James Madison University and Lesley University. As a high school English teacher, she co-coordinates her school’s Poetry Out Loud program and is a research member of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Culturally Responsive Teaching consortium. Clarissa’s published in The Pinch, Whurk Magazine, River City Poets’ anthology: Lingering in the Margins, Passengers Journal, and more. She earned a Best of the Net nomination from Parentheses International Literary Arts Journal and was a finalist for the 17th Annual Erskine J. Poetry Prize. She reads for Sugar House Review. Her book, "Building Alexandria" can be found at Lily Poetry Review Books.
 

Michael W. Mercurio lives and writes in Western Massachusetts, where he serves on the steering committee for the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival, held each September at Emily Dickinson's house. Michael's poems have been published in Thrush, Palette Poetry, Bear Review, Sierra (the magazine of the Sierra Club), the Lily Poetry Review, Sugar House Review, and elsewhere. Michael is also Director of Community Outreach for Faraday Publishing Company, where he curates panels and readings to center underrepresented voices.
 

Brian Yapko is a lawyer whose poems have appeared in multiple publications, including Gyroscope, Apricity, Tofu Ink, Prometheus Dreaming, Cagibi, Grand Little Things, Hive Avenue, the Society of Classical Poets, Chained Muse, Tempered Runes, Sparks of Calliope, Abstract Elephant and others. His debut science fiction novel, "El Nuevo Mundo," has recently been published by Rebel Satori Press. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his husband, Jerry, and their canine child, Bianca.