LitHop 2025 Reader Bios

 Adela Najarro is a poet with a social consciousness who is working on a novel. Her extended family left Nicaragua and arrived in San Francisco during the 1940s; after the fall of the Somoza regime, the last of the family settled in the Los Angeles area. She serves on the board of directors for Círculo de poetas and Writers and works with the Latinx community nationwide, promoting the intersection of creative writing and social justice. She has published five poetry collections. Her latest book, Variations in Blue, was selected by the Letras Latinas/ Red Hen Collaborative as the second volume in their curated series. The California Arts Council recognized her as an established artist for the Central California Region and appointed her as an Individual Artist Fellow. More information about Adela can be found at her website: www.adelanajarro.com.

Aideed Medina, Fresno Poet Laureate: Her work has appeared in various publications, including The Common, Farmworkers Portfolio, Issue #26, Amherst College, Somos Xicanas Anthology, and Riot of Roses Publishing House. She is the author of: 31 Hummingbird by Editorial Xingao, Segmented Bodies, from Prickly Pear Press. and Cuerpos Segmentados, Universidad Autónoma, Nuevo León, MX

Alberto Saldaña Uribe is a high school dropout, a college graduate, and holds an MFA from Fresno State. His work can be found in HAIS: a literary journal, Flies, Cockroaches, & Poets, The Roadrunner Review, Variant Literature and Slippery Elm. Find him and his work on instagram @titioso98. 

Alexis Jaimes, a proud son of Mexican immigrants, resides in Santa Ana, CA. He is also a bilingual school teacher. He is the author of _Corazón Coalesced_, from Bottlecap Press. His works have been previously featured in Polemical Zine, Alegría Magazine, Loud Coffee Press, San Diego Poetry Annual, Moon Tide Press, ¡Pa'lante! and MUSE Literary Journal. He has also been showcased at Fullerton Museum Center. Through his writing, Alexis strives to empower and uplift his community, using words as a vehicle for positive change.

Alie Jones is a writer, artist, and Creole mermaid. She is the author of Saltwater Moonshine, a poetry collection that honors her matrilineal Creole heritage through poetry, music, and reflections of love. Alie is passionate about centering our breath work as sacred and hopes to build a legacy of awareness and expression. She is the Director and Co-founder of Black Freighter Press, a revolutionary press committed to the exploration of liberation. Alie graduated with a BA in Cinematic Arts & Technology from CSU Monterey Bay & a minor in Creative Writing & Social Action. She received her MPA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies as well as a MFA from Mills College in Creative Writing. Alie is the host of the podcast called Chit Chat with Aliecat, exploring self-care practices & journeys of self-love.

Allyssa Gaines is a writer from Clovis, California. She is a current MFA student with an emphasis in creative nonfiction. She has a passion for all things horror, and while her first love is writing horror stories within the fiction genre, she finds healing in her creative nonfiction writing. Along with her horror stories and nonfiction essays, she is a regular writer for the horror blog Morbidly Beautiful. She plans to pursue a career as a writer and an English teacher, and she hopes to open the world of creative writing to the future generations.

Amelia Holguin (she/her) is in her second year of Fresno State's Master of Fine Arts Poetry program. She is affiliated with the YTT Northern Chumash tribe of California and identifies as both Chicana and Native American. She was a reader for Fresno 2024 Rogue Fest and enjoys writing both poetry and Creative non-fiction.

Andy Marin Contreras is a poet based in Fresno County. Andy likes to explore womanhood, religion, and depression through her poetry and non-fiction essays. In her free time, she loves to feed stray cats, watch movies, and weightlift. Her work has appeared in the Apricot Press, Flies, Cockroaches & Poets, and The San Joaquin Review. 

Angelina Leaños is a Ventura County Youth Poet Laureate emerita and a second-year MFA student at Fresno State. Angelina regularly serves as a Poetry Out Loud coach and a Poet-Teacher, mentoring youth in poetry recitation and creative writing. Additionally, Angelina is a member of California Poets in the Schools’ Board of Directors and was a reader for the 2023 Philip Levine Prize. Her work has been published by Urban Word, the Chicanx Writers & Artists Association, Arkana, Fruitslice and others. 

Annie Mack is an art photographer and has published two books of original works: Badass Pix with a Cheap-Ass Camera, and Whatta You Lookin’ At. Each is a treatise and portfolio that introduces artistic appreciation for non-traditional methods and production in photography. 

Antonia Cardinale is a second year fiction MFA student at Fresno State, where she also earned her BA in Philosophy and Pre-Law. Her work focuses on reinventing religious themes while simultaneously challenging cultural and social norms. When she’s not in school or at her corporate job, she can be found spending her free time developing her thesis, hanging out with her kitty Juniper, reading a good book, or curating a playlist for her next short story. 

Anya Connelly-Howland (She/Hers) is an English Professor at Reedley College, and an MFA student with a focus in Nonfiction at California State University, Fresno. As a native Californian, Anya spends her free time dancing around at Renaissance Fairs and getting lost at the beach. Her work has appeared in Calaveras Station Literary Journal and The Squib.

Anya Connelly-Howland (She/Hers) is an English Professor at Reedley College, and an MFA student with a focus in Nonfiction at California State University, Fresno. As a native Californian, Anya spends her free time dancing around at Renaissance Fairs and getting lost at the beach. Her work has appeared in Calaveras Station Literary Journal and The Squib.

Arlene Biala (she/her) is a Pinay poet and performance artist born in San Francisco, CA and raised in the South Bay. She has been participating in poetry performances and workshops in the Bay Area for over 30 years and was Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County for 2016 and 2017. She is the author of several collections of poetry: bone, continental drift, and her beckoning hands, which won the 2015 American Book Award. Her latest book, one inch punch, was published in 2019. Arlene’s poetry has been described as "grounded in ritual object and ritual practice, mantras that resonate within the body and plant the body firmly in the world. Her work responds to the call of ancestors and our own broken bodies, spirits, and the spaces we inhabit. Her poems are prayer flags offered to those whose stories have been silenced, hidden, and ignored. Arlene’s work centers on stories of family, of generations who have left their native lands to live in diaspora, particularly those from the Philippines. She writes poetry to serve as witness, to create space for recognition and dialogue toward healing.

Ben Sanchez is a writer, artist and entrepreneur based in Stockton. He received a master’s degree from the University of the Pacific in communication and media relations

Blanca Nino is a Latinx writer from California, currently pursuing her PhD in physics. In her sparse free time, Blanca enjoys reading, coffee, contemplating and petting stray cats. Her writing explores the intersection of trauma, mental illness,and body horror with themes of grief and intimacy.

Blaq Leo Goddess aka Alexandria Benn: Born and raised in South Central LA . Lived in Fresno for the last 10 years. My love for poetry came from an experience being homeless by choice. I had the option to go back to LA but chose to stay in Fresno due to my dream of making a name for myself in the Central Valley. Poetry has inspired my life by giving me a voice that allows for her to fight for the disenfranchised. With a background in community organizing, poetry has allowed for her to reach communities with her words and acts of service. With the birth of her twin boys and move to a new town she is excited about bringing her spe ial brand of fire.

Blu Torres is a queer, non binary mixed artist, and writer, from Fresno, CA. Their work offers a place for visual art and poetry to meet with a distinct style. They focus on creating platforms within their communities to help uplift the smaller artists who are trying to find their way by focusing on collaborative work, community events, and publications. Their poetry is a reflection of them navigating internal conflicts and the uncertainties of our current political climate, through their unique perspective.

Brandon Xiong graduated from Fresno State earning his degree in English – Creative Writing. He is currently pursuing his Masters of Science in Student Affairs & College Counseling. He has written a few short stories, but has a passion for poetry. It is something that he loves to do and he has a lot of fun reading and writing. He has been published and served as an officer for Hmong American Ink & Stories for two years. In his free time you can find him hanging out with friends, family, or watching movies.

Brianna Alvarez is a Fresno based writer, and daytime barista. Through her life experience, she intends to create works that are reflective of the world around her and the thoughts within that are best shared through her poetry.

C. G. Hanzlicek was born in Owatonna, Minnesota, in 1942. He is the author of nine books of poetry: Living in It, Stars (winner of the 1977 Devins Award for Poetry), Calling the Dead, A Dozen for Leah, When There Are No Secrets, Mahler: Poems and Etchings, Against Dreaming, The Cave: Selected and New Poems, and, most recently, The Lives of Birds.

Carrie Belko is a Creative Writing student at Fresno State University. She enjoys writing stories featuring love, tragedy, and crime. She is a previous editor at Long Beach City College for their literary journal Saga. She aims to soon publish a poetry chapbook to share her work with readers.

Chica de Luz is a creative, vinyl DJ, and community organizer with Zapotec roots that is born, raised & based in Los Angeles.

Chloe Abella (she/her/hers) is an MFA student studying Creative Nonfiction at Fresno State. She writes about her family, and experiences she’s had as a Chicana growing up in Fresno, California.

Chou Xiong is a Hmong American Refugee poet. His work explores the Hmong diaspora, particularly the Hmong refugee experience in Thailand. He is currently a third year MFA student at Fresno State. His writing has appeared in hais: a literary journal. 

Cindy Bradley obtained her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Fresno State University. Her essays have appeared in Aquifer: The Florida Review Online, The Missouri Review, among others. Her work has earned a Pushcart nomination and Notable mention in Best American Essays. She is currently an editor for Under the Sun, where she facilitates their Summer Writing Contest held in July. Cindy is currently at work on an essay collection exploring desire and discontent, family, longing, and nostalgia in California during the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond.

CJ Wheelan is a sensory-seeking storyteller, CJ delights in every detail. CJ writes to connect with their lived experiences at eye-level. Valuing sincerity and objectivity, CJ finds inspiration in screenplay writing and characterizations. They would now like to invite you to lean into your imagination and explore their perspective

Clara Ximena Roque-Wagner is a multimedia artist writer who grew up in the Bay Area. Though she enjoys spending her free time working on creative projects, she has always had a passion for writing. Clara received a B.A in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University in 2021, and had some of her work featured in multiple issues of the school’s Transfer Magazine.

Connie (Owens) Patton is a poet and spoken word artist. Her debut chapbook of poetry “Through a Tightly Coiled Lens,” was published in 2024. She is the recipient of the California Arts Council 2023 Individual Artist Fellowship in the category of Emerging Artist for the Central California Region. To hear her work in spoken word, listen on SoundCloud at Kaanee.

Corrinne Clegg Hales is the author of To Make it Right, Autumn House Press; Separate Escapes, Ashland Poetry Press; Underground, Ahsahta Press; and two chapbooks. Awards include two NEA Fellowship Grants and the River Styx International Poetry Prize. She lives in Fresno, California, where she taught poetry (and other things), for many years in the M.F.A. program at California State University, Fresno.

Cristina Sandoval is a poet who runs recklessly with similes. She is a Modesto native, a Fresno State MFA recipient, a poet, and an educator. She has been featured in Penumbra, Artifact Nouveau, Dystopian Dance Party, Exist(ir), and The Talon Review. You can find her two books of poetry, Moon Ride, and We Need Bad Bitches, on Amazon or at Bookish Modesto. In her free time she likes to spend time with family, being an aunt, a sister, and a daughter. Follow her on Instagram @poetchill

Daisy Elizeth Magallanes (she/they) is a Chicana poet and writer born and raised in Los Ángeles. Their poetry has been published in the Acid Verse Literary Journal and their short fiction in the Black Warrior Review. They have works that are forthcoming in Brevity, and Huizache. When they’re not hanging out with their cat, Barthelme, and chihuahua, Buddy, they can be found sorting through archives.

Danielle Potter is a 2019 graduate of Fresno State’s Creative Writing MFA Program. Her work has been published in literary journals such as Free Spirit, Poets’ Choice, Meridian, Io Literary Journal, Wingless Dreamer, among others. Currently, she works as a high school English and creative writing teacher in the sometimes not so tranquil town of Tranquility where she pursues her artistic endeavors, spends evenings cuddling with her cat Sushi while reading a good book.

Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl is a multilingual and multidimensional spoken word poetiza and seasoned language arts educator with a B.A. in English and M.Ed. in Cross-Cultural Teaching who has been published online and in print on both sides of the US-Mexico border and Brazil. Diosa X is the author of six poetry collections, with her seventh book slated to be released in 2025. Learn more about her at www.diosax.net

Domingo Munoz: US Army veteran, former tutor and The Quill creative writing club in College of the Sequoias. Has done public speaking for the Veterans Court Program. He has participated in The Loud Mouth Poetry Jam in Visalia, and The Beatdown Poetry Slam in Fresno. 

Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo is a poet, visual artist, and facilitator whose work is informed by her Indigenous ancestry, Mesoamerican philosophy, Mexika & Mixtec art, Mexican culture, Chicano history, and her experiences as a woman. Her poetry is published widely in print and online journals such as Somos en escrito and Harvard’s PALABRITAS, as well as in several anthologies, including Nos pasamos de la raya and Somos Xicanas, and is the author of a new poetry collection, Breathing Liberación. She serves as a Board Member of Poetry Center San José and is the Founder and Editor of La Raíz Magazine. www.ejmontelongo.

Ellie Lopez (she/her) is a storyteller & photographer from the 209. Her work has been published by Sin Cesar, Maria’s at Sampaguitas, curio cabinet, hot pot magazine and mixed mag. She recently received 1st place in the City of Tracy's Annual Poetry Contest. When she’s not ear hustling for chismes or telling stories you can find her on social media @ellielopez. Ellie’s chapbook BuiLit Zine “While in Mourning” was released via Sampaguitas Press in August 2024.

Ellis Brewer is a Fresno State graduate with a BA in English Literature and a penchant for storytelling. While the majority of their writing falls under literary analysis, they also enjoy writing creatively and often use poetry and prose to express the thoughts and emotions that resist identification. His work typically explores topics such as gender identity, familial and religious trauma, and the complexities of love and sex, or the lack thereof. 

Erica Castro is a Xicana English high school teacher who has taught for twenty-seven years. She has dedicated herself to publishing student work. She published the Oracle school anthology, and she has recently launched Daxson Publishing to publish marginalized voices and their allies.

Ethan Chatagnier is the author of "Singer Distance," a literary-speculative novel from Tin House Books, and of the story collection "Warnings from the Future." His short stories have appeared in the Kenyon Review Online, Georgia Review, New England Review, and other journals, and have been awarded a Pushcart Prize and listed as notable in the Best American Short Stories. He lives in Fresno, California, with his family.

Felix Colson is an experienced Secondary Math teacher. He plans to have a lifelong career in education. He currently works as a teacher at Grow Academy. Felix is an avid gardener, cook, and writes when he can. 

Gilberto Torentela (aka Isis De Luna) is a queer nonbinary drag artist and community advocate born and raised in Fresno. A longtime performer and activist, they have spent 13 years championing social justice and uplifting LGBTQ+ causes. As an elected empress of the Imperial Dove Court, Fresno’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity, they help raise tens of thousands annually for local nonprofits. A first-generation Chicanx student, Gilberto recently earned an associate degree in Speech Communication and is transferring to Fresno State. Their writing explores the intersections of Chicanx identity, queerness, and community.

Grace (Water for Tea): Based in Long Beach, CA, Grace (Water for Tea) has had the privilege of sharing her poetry and prose at open mics since 2008. Her current endeavor is learning how to photograph the night sky. She is a lover of food, music, and dreams, and enjoys life with her animal companions.

Grace Olguin is a poet and storyteller. She printed her first chapbook collection of poems in 2009 and was awarded the Powell Grant for "Art In the Public Places" by the City of Santa Fe Springs. Her first book of poetry “A List of Things I Lost” will be released this fall through World Stage Press. When at home in Long Beach, CA she enjoys life with her three animal companions — a dog, a bird and a tortoise. 

Guadalupe Salgado Partida loves reading poetry and sauntering. She has received support from Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA) and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at California State University, Fresno. Additionally, she was a reader for the 2024 Philip Levine Prize. Her work has been published by The Acentos Review, Zócalo Public Square, The San Joaquin Review, The Dewdrop and others

H Bryan is a Fresno Writer, entering their third year of Fresno State MFA Creative Writing Program. He primarily writes queer fantasy with the occasional trip into poetry or CNF. Outside of writing he enjoys spending time with his cat and creating community via DnD and board games. 

Halimah Smith is a writer born and bred in Fresno. Though she is on a break from academic pursuits, she is determined to make time for her first passions: connecting with nature, her peers, and all the unique moments in life that belong to her alone. It is her belief that only good can come of moonlit drives, talking to cows, basking in sunsets, going to new places with loved ones, and finding wildflowers anywhere she goes. 

Hope Cerna is a San Fernando Valley native. An alumni of Cal State Northridge and the poetry program Community Literature Initiative. Writing since childhood she hopes to create a space for readers to breathe, relax and dream in her writing. Her work has been published in anthologies Poems in Praise of Libraries edited by Hiram Charles Sims, Artistry of Southern California: Art Poetry edited by Don Campbell and Haiku Crush 2024 Best Haikus anthology. Other pieces can be found in online literary magazines like The Clayjar Review. When she is not writing she can be found rolling dough and frosting cakes.

Jack Chavoor: After a 33 year career as a high school teacher, Jack Chavoor went back to college and earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction. He likes frozen yogurt, traveling, reading, writing and making playlists. He and Grace enjoy grocery shopping, thrift stores, and helping each other figure out long, complicated TV series with too many characters and plot twists. They love their kids and grandkids.

Jacob Simmons earned his MFA at Fresno State studying Creative Nonfiction. He writes about elephants, space, things that go in jars, and people named John. His work can be read in Under the Sun, Behemoth, and New Limestone Review. His essay, "The Rougarou" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and he teaches English in California’s Central Valley.

James Garcia Jr. was born in Hanford, California, but raised in Kingsburg. He was the 1994 winner of the Writer’s International Network/Writers’ Inter-Age Network writing contest in the horror category (Fresno). His six novels are typically horror or paranormal books with an edgy or crossover slant. Kingsburg or the California central valley are the setting.

Janell Coberly began writing stage plays for her siblings at age 10. She’s published fantasy, paranormal, suspense and launched her first middle school book for children, in 2024. She writes in multiple genres, belongs to Writer Critique and marketing groups, and participates in book fares. Currently she is working on a forthcoming series of children’s books for middle schoolers. She lives in Central California.

Jasmine Leiva is a multidisciplinary artist and community organizer from Fresno, California who sees the love and connection to their home in the Central Valley mirrored in the love and care for their ancestral home in El Salvador. Jasmine has a BA in Sociology from Fresno State and their short stories have been published in the journal Flies, Cockroaches & Poets.

Jessika Torres is Fresno born and recently completed her undergraduate degree in English and Chicano Studies. They are currently a first year graduate student pursuing their Master of Arts in Literature at Fresno State. She plans to do her academic research on Chicano Literature, while her artistic work delves into themes of identity, generational trauma, and cultural heritage. 

John Bowers discovered his love of writing in the seventh grade. He began his first novel at age 13 and before he graduated high school, he wrote four more. Today he is the author of three popular science fiction series: the STARPORT series; the NICK WALKER, U.F. MARSHAL series; and the FIGHTER QUEEN saga. Now retired, he is a computer programmer by profession, but a Born Novelist by birth.

John Hales is the author of Shooting Polaris: A Personal Survey in the American West (University of Missouri Press), and his essays have appeared in the Georgia Review, Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, Southern Review, Ascent, and Hudson Review. Awards include the Missouri Review Editors Prize in Nonfiction, and a Pushcart Prize. John taught at Fresno State for a really long time, most recently in the MFA program.

Josh Sagouspe is a grad student in the English literature program at Fresno State. He has been published in HAIS, San Joaquin River Review, and CWAA. He enjoys playing video games, making music, and watching movies in his free time.

Josiah Luis Alderete is a full blooded Spanglish speaking Pocho. He is the curator and host of the long running monthly Latine reading series Speaking Axolotl. Along with his bookstore sister Tân Khanh Cao, Josiah tends the portal known as Medicina Para Pesadillas Bookstore y Galeria on 24th Street in San Pancho, Califas.

Juana Santana was born in Iztacalco, Mexico, and raised in Riverdale, Georgia. She completed her undergraduate studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. Currently, Juana is starting her third year in the MFA program at California State University, Fresno.

Julian Blackmon: The Protected Poet, Guided by a passion for healing through poetry, Julian’s work embodies vulnerability and serves as a vessel for a higher power, inspiring audiences across the nation. In early 2024, Protected Poet became the Co-Grand Slam Champion of Berkeley Slam. Shortly after, he joined the Berkeley Slam team to compete at the Bigfoot Poetry Festival in Portland, where the team placed second. His performance at the festival earned him national recognition. Just two months later, he returned to Portland to headline as a Feature Poet at The People's Poet platform, further solidifying his impact on the poetry scene.Julian’s journey took him to major cities such as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and Las Vegas, where he became a two-time slam champion. He also graced the stage three times at the historic Modesto State Theatre, delivering powerful and heartfelt performances. Over the course of 2024, Julian performed nearly 100 times nationwide, sharing his message of healing and empowerment with diverse audiences.

Karon Ruiz is a wife, mother and grandmother who loves her crazy life in Central California. Family inspires her, Faith grounds her, and pursuing her passion of writing humbles her. GRACE IN THE SHADOWS is a story of healing and redemption that asks us all (even its author) to look into our souls and to judge not, but instead to believe in the Lord’s power to transform. 

Kathy Ayala is an educator, creative writer, former freelance journalist and mother. She earned her BA degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and teaching credentials at California State University, Fresno. Kathy’s roots stretch as far south as Central America - El Salvador, to Los Angeles, and firmly grounded in Fresno, California. Her cultural identity has shaped and influenced much of her work, both creatively and professionally. She has worked in education for over a decade and continues to encourage growth, resistance, and curiosity in the world, in her students. 

Kaylynn Holt is a second year MFA Student. Many of her works touch on themes such as religion, intersectional feminism, economic systems, gender, and sexuality within fantasy type settings. In her free time she enjoys reading fantasy, sketching, rewatching One Piece or Adventure Time for the millionth time, and filling her folder up with new ideas for future stories. 

Keana Aguila Labra (they/she) is a Cebuana-Tagalog Filipinx poet, editor, playwright, & writer in diaspora living, loving, learning, & serving on stolen Ohlone Tamyen land (San José. California). 

KJ Norris (she/her) is a writer, artist, and passionate storyteller based in Central Valley, California. Her creative works span poetry, children's books, and thought-provoking narratives that explore identity, politics, and the human experience. Norris recently published a poetry collection entitled Unredacted, which includes poems she has written since she was seven years old. This coming-of-age story offers unfiltered reflections with themes of LGBT identity, love and loss, military service, womanhood, motherhood, and political tension. 

Kwamise Fletcher, known as LadyK, channels the healing power of spoken and written word as therapy for the soul. Her poetry serves as a battle cry for her ancestors, addressing societal challenges through deeply personal and relatable journeys.A competitive spoken word artist, LadyK is the 2025 Grand Slam Champion for the Loudmouth Poetry Slam team in Visalia, CA, and a nationally ranked Womxn of the World Poet. Her work includes a spoken word album, "The Essence of LadyK," and published pieces in Chapbooks, Collective Consciousness Vol. 3, and Say It Louder Vol. 2 & 3. She has also authored two self-published collections: I Stand 10 Toes Down and Heavy Is the Pen: Words Into Healing – A Black Woman’s Soul Journey.
LadyK’s words inspire, empower, and transform through the art of storytelling.

La’Tasha Kiongozi is a poet, educator, holistic healer, and sacred artist committed to mindfully savoring the joys of life. In this space, they advocate for self expression as a tool for healing. Using herbal remedies and creativity as medicine, they hope to encourage and inspire all they cross paths with to flow in wellness and abundance. When they are not showcasing their work at youth conferences, in workshops, or performances, they can be found playfully adventuring around the world, basking in nature’s beauty, gazing up at the stars, or immersed in a good book.

LadiRevolutionary (LadiRev) is an educator/spoken word artist from Bayview Hunters Point. Her poetry is a reflection of personal growth along with values learned from family and community. LadiRev is passionate about community, education, and healing. She is the host of Talkn Owt Da Side of Da Necc Podcast, which focuses on individual healing practices. 

Landon Smith (he/him) is a father, a professor, a poet, a painter, half Mende and half Balanta & Fulani, that feeling of falling that wakes you up in a dream, the amethyst geode on your desk, Angela Davis’ afro, Frantz Fanon’s pocket notebook, Walter Rodney’s fingernail, the 7-10 bowling split, your favorite pillow. Despite his institutional degrees, he really became a poet through the East Side Arts Alliance in Oakland. Landon thanks his older sister Alia for buying him his first journal, starting his ever-evolving relationship with words. You can often find him processing the world through poetry.

Laura Sermeño was born in Montebello, CA, raised and educated in Sur El Monte, (UCLA matriculated), educated by her people—from the classrooms to the streets. In 2012, she began auditioning for spoken word performances. In 2015, she was accepted into the Voices of our Nation's (VONA) Southern California Regional Workshop, focusing on “Poetry as Documentary.” Last year she published her first full-length poetry collection, born to cry. She teaches and resides in Pasadena, CA.

Lena Mubsutina is the author of AMREEKIYA, named one of Foreword’s “Four Phenomenal Debut Novels” of 2018 and a finalist for the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize. Her work has also appeared in Fifth Wednesday, Sukoon, and A Gathering Together, among others; she has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes. 

Linnea Alexander: After retiring as a professor of English at California State University, Fresno, Linnea Alexander entered Fresno State’s MFA program. She is currently sending her memoir, The River of Mercy, out for publication. She is a member of Hearts on Fire Rock and Roll Choir and The Tower District Preservation Association. 

Lorenz Mazon Dumuk is a poet and spoken word artist from San Jose, California. He is the author of the book, Held (Sampaguita Press), as well as the author to two self published chapbooks, Ay Nako: Writing Through the Struggle, and I Think In Poetry. He is a VONA alumni, and a MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute) alumni, which is a Silicon Valley based program that focuses on developing leaders of color in the arts, culture, and entertainment sectors. He is one of the curators for, Glowing with the Moon, an open mic and interactive community space in San Jose. Lorenz writes with, against, and through the contradictions he encounters, which allows him to explore the different silences in his life through his poetry. His spoken word performances are painfully heartfelt as well as magnificently healing. An awkwardly adorable poet who can be caught doing hip-circles before a poetry reading.

Lourdes Figueroa is poet. Her poems are a dialogue of her lived experience when her family worked in el azadón in Yolo County. The words el azadón are used by the ones who work in the fields — the work of tilling the soil under the blistering sun. She is the author of the chapbooks yolotl and Ruidos = To Learn Speak, completed during her Alley Cat Books Residency. She received her MFA in Poetry at the University of San Francisco. She is currently one of the ReGen artists at Galeria de la Raza.

Maestro is a poet and the event coordinator for Highland Island, Le Boule (2011-2012) and has worked as an assistant editor for Resurrection Magazine. He is published in Still Water's Anthology by Still Waters Press, Drifter Zine, Resurrection Press, and The Coachella Review. He rides bikes and destroys spin classes when not singing salsa to himself at the Offbeat Bar.

Mai-Linh Hong is a Vietnamese American refugee poet and scholar. Her debut poetry collection, Continental Drift, won the 2025 Trio Award and will be published by Trio House Press in 2026. Poems appear or are forthcoming in Copper Nickel, Waxwing, Minnesota Review, Wildness, and elsewhere. She is coauthor and coeditor of The Auntie Sewing Squad Guide to Mask Making, Radical Care, and Radical Justice (University of California Press, 2021). Raised in Virginia, she now lives in California's Central Valley and teaches literature at UC Merced. 

Maria Guerrero is a Chicanx poet and educator from Hunter’s Point. She is also one of the organizers of the San Francisco International Flor y Canto Literary Festival.

Mariah Gabler was born and raised in Fresno. She is a Master's student in Literature at Fresno State. Her literary interests include issues of gender, war, and trauma especailly through feminist and queer perspectives. One of Mariah’s biggest passions as an Autistic adult is educational accessibility for students in the Arts and Humanities. On a typical day, you can find Mariah enjoying a good book next to an open window or coaxing the feral cats on Fresno State’s campus into friendship.

Mary Yang is a student at California State University, Fresno, with sights on achieving her MFA in Forensic Behavioral Science. She enjoys writing about life experiences ranging from love to sadness and everything in between. When she is not writing, she is playing board games and crocheting.

Mateo Perez Lara (they/them/theirs) is a queer, non-binary, Latinx poet from California. They have a pamphlet titled Glitter Gods, showcased with Thirty West Publishing House. They have an MFA in Poetry from Randolph College. They run Blastbones Poetry Events in Bakersfield, California. Their work has been published in The Maine Review, The Acentos Review, and elsewhere.

Matt Abraham: Awarded Pulp Detective's Best Newcomer of 2015, Matt Abraham currently lives in Stockton, California where he splits his time between being a father, husband, and author. Currently he's finishing his series, The Northland Mysteries, which stars Detective Jake Carter and his partner Dr. Nafissa Rayan. 

Matt Robles is a writer and artist born and raised in Fresno, CA. His work is deeply influenced by music, fatherhood, and the personal experiences that continue to shape him. With a voice that blends honesty, reflection, and rhythm, Matt explores themes of love, growth, and identity through poetry and performance. He helps facilitate No Filter Open Mic, a monthly community event that creates space for raw, authentic expression. Whether on stage or in his writing, Matt strives to connect, to heal, and to be present. His art is a reflection of the life he’s lived—and still living.

Mauricio 'Soul on Fire' Moreno is an award-winning poet and writer from New Jersey. He is the cohost of Trenches Full of Poets, a monthly reading series in Long Beach. He published his first full length poetry book “Anatomy of a Flame” in 2023 and is a recipient of an Honorable Mention from the International Latino Book Awards. He writes about his experiences as a Colombian-American, son of immigrants, and to understand the world around him. 

Megan Bohigian is the author of the poetry collection Sightlines. Her poems are anthologized in the book Shadowed, Unheard Voices, and published in journals including The Comstock Review, Whiskey Island Magazine, and In the Grove. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Fresno State, and has taught prose and poetry writing in the Fresno area. She was the City of Fresno Poet Laureate from 2021-2023.

Mia Amor Hernandez is a writer and filmmaker; she attended Fresno State University getting her bachelor's in English literature. She recently completed the Fresno Art Beat program with CMAC and is excited to continue making films around the central valley. She loves the outdoors, theatre, and vintage clothes. She likes to write creative nonfiction, short stories and poetry surrounding nature, space, and relationships. 

Michael Cantu, from Reedley California, is a recipient of an MFA from CSU Fresno in the heart of California’s Central Valley. His writing explores the difficulty of life and the understanding of one’s self. His work has appeared in: HAIS: a literary journal, Flies, Cockroaches, & Poets, Kaleidoscope Literary Magazine, and Rising Phoenix Review. He is a winner of the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. When not creating, he works as an English teacher helping underserved youth find their voices. He is supported in art by his loving wife, daughter, and extended family, all long time inhabitants of the California Central Valley.

Michael Jasso is a Visalia based Spoken Word artist with 14+ years of community engagement. As a poet, emcee, workshop Facilitator and slam coach he has performed across California & beyond. For over a decade he has led Visalia's LoudMouth Poetry Jam, connecting local talent with the global poetry scene.

miguel ángel ángeles is a xicano poet who writes poems about trauma, family, dragons, and most recently the HOLOCAUST in Gaza. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from the University of California, Riverside. His poems have been published in Nahualliandoing Dos and Esperanzas Desesperadas: Desperate Hopes: Writing from NY Writers Coalition's Workshop at Mano Mano. He is currently a second year grad student studying Poetry in the Creative Writing MFA program at Fresno State. He lives in Lindsay, California.

Mimi Tempestt (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and daughter of California. She has a MA in Literature from Mills College, and is currently a doctoral student in the Creative/Critical PhD in Literature at UC Santa Cruz. Her first book, the monumental misrememberings, is published with Co-Conspirator Press//The Feminist Center for Creative Work (2020). Her works can be found in Foglifter, Apogee Journal, Interim Poetics, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. Her second book of poetry “The Delicacy of Embracing Spirals” was published in 2023 by City Lights Books.

Monica Arreola-Camacho was raised in the Central Valley to an agricultural working family and a single mother. Monica found herself escaping life’s hardships as a Spanish speaking immigrant kid through art and later through written words. While homeschooling her two kids she reconnected to her roots and culture and is now on a mental health journey to heal the generational traumas and cycles in her matriarchal line.

Nannette Potter is the award-winning author of the BLADE BROUSSARD international thriller series. An adventuress at heart, she lives vicariously through her fearless and impetuous characters who balance their lives on a knife’s edge. When not writing, Nannette treasures time with family and travels the globe, where she dreams up future high-stakes conspiracies. She lives with her soulmate and husband Mark in California’s Central Valley, where she’s an active member of Sisters in Crime and Central Valley Fiction Writers.

Naomi Leon graduated from Bakersfield College with her AA's in American Sign Language and Liberal Studies. She also holds a BA in Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies from Fresno State. She writes poems and journals as a creative outlet. She hopes to become a speech and language therapist after completing graduate school. 

NeFesha is an arts professional and advocate with a belief in the transformative and healing power of the arts. Currently, serving as the Director of Programs for CA for the Arts, NeFesha has worked as an Arts Administrator and Community Organizer in Philadelphia, PA, before moving to Fresno, CA. NeFesha’s experience in nonprofit and creative community development led her to consult with Fresno- based nonprofit organizations such as Another Level Training Academy, and she served as the executive director at the African American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley. NeFesha serves as the Chapter President of the Fresno (CA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and is a performing and visual artists curating culture to preserve and celebrate African American heritage and folk traditions. Additionally, she participated in the Museum Professionals Seminar with the Studio Museum in Harlem, further honing her skills and expanding her perspective on art and museum practices. NeFesha earned her B.A. in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. in Urban Studies from Eastern University, where she is currently advancing her scholarly pursuits as a Ph.D. student in Organizational Leadership.

Nikolai Garcia grew up in South Central Los Angeles; works in East Hollywood; drinks in Downtown L.A.; and has been sleeping in Compton for 15+ years. His poems have been published in Huizache, Razorcake, Mobile Data Mag and various other journals and anthologies. His new chapbook, All the Sad Music, was published by DSTL Arts this year.

Oswaldo Vargas is a former farmworker, a 2021 recipient of the Undocupoets Fellowship and featured in the Poem-A-Day series by the Academy of American Poets. He has been anthologized in Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color and Puro Chicanx Writers of the 21st Century, among others. His work can also be seen in places like Narrative Magazine, The Common and The West Trade Review. He lives and dreams in Sacramento, CA.

Papi is a multidisciplinary artist. He/Him/ Prince, is someone who captivates the stage he walks on.
He is a 18x Berkeley Slam Winner
2x San Jose Slam and Loudmouth Slam Winner 
2x Gold Beams Competition Winner
1x Gold Beams Freestyle Winner
In 2023, he gained national recognition at the Bigfoot Poetry Festival placing 3rd place with the Berkeley Slam Team
A member of the 2025 Loudmouth Slam Team. Dancer, Actor, Model, Host, Comedian , Musician, Teaching Artist in Schools all over the bay and the Published Author of his new book: Theme of Identity. “A work of art delivering the artistic process, felt in such a way thought only possible, when you create the art.”

Peter is from Porterville, CA, and is currently in his second year of Fresno State’s MFA program for Creative Writing, Poetry. He loves critters, writing, and coffee, and hopes to be a professor at a college one day. He moonlights as a slot attendant at a casino and daylights as a writer. 

Peter Lechuga: Peter Lechuga is a Chicano wordsmith, teaching artist, musician, PlantBasedgod, and Karaoke King born and raised in Southern California. As director of the non-profit, LionLike Creative Education, he teaches future generations the power of poetry, while creating a safe space for them to express themselves, find their own voice, and become published authors. He is the co-founder and editor of the new literary zine, ILL Poetry Anthology. 

Phyllis Brotherton holds an MA and MFA in Creative Writing from CSU-Fresno. Her work appears in Under the Gum Tree, Essay Daily, Pithead Chapel, After the Art, Brevity Blog and elsewhere; was twice nominated for Best of the Net, and placed 3rd in Streetlight Magazine’s Essay/Memoir Contest. She is proud to have participated in a reading panel of local authors at AWP16, “Worlds Within the Other California,” and at Fresno’s Lit Hop.

Rebeca Abidail Flores is a Salvadoreña and Mexican American artist from Fresno, CA. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco. She is currently a Creative in Resident at The Ruby.

Rhiannon Cielos Chavez is a trans-masculine whitewashed Mexican from Los Angeles, California. He received a BFA in Creative Writing from Southern Oregon University. There, he read his first chapbook, Beer Hunter (Armadillo Pussy Press), at the 2023 Oregon Fringe Festival. Rhiannon is the Development and Operations Assistant at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center. Their work has been published in the chapbook anthology, One Poem Festival: An Anthology Celebrating 20 Years of Letras Latinas 2004-2024, as well as in Jefferson Journal, Drifter Zine, Systemic Dreaming, Main Squeeze, and more.

Ron Morgon writes dark fantasy with a bit of horror and is a past winner of the International Vampire Film & Arts Silver Stake Award. She’s best known for her supernatural suspense series The Chosen, which includes MONSTER, WATCHER, RUNNER, and the upcoming SEEKER, along with the related novellas THE LAST TRACE and THE GAMES MONSTERS PLAY. You can find Roh and her books on Amazon, Facebook, or her website, www.rohmorgon.com.

Ruben Mejia, also known as Charlie Hazel, is a Chicano poet and artist based in Fresno, CA. His work blends vulnerability, grit, and love, often exploring identity, place, and personal transformation. He’s just a regular person trying to make sense of the world—like you. Ruben believes in creating space for raw expression and connection through art and poetry. His writing has been published in various literary journals and speaks to both survival and softness. He shares his work at www.canibeyourpoet.com. More than anything, he just wants to see people spread their wings.

Sadie Gleason is an artist, writer, and teacher born and raised in Fresno. She has a BA in animation and an MFA in creative writing, both from Fresno State, and a webcomic called Cat Island that’s available to read for free on Webtoon. Her current project is a novel/comic hybrid about a lonely furry porn artist who summons the demons who cursed her as a baby to help her deal with her abusive guardian angel.

Sally Vogl taught visually impaired students in Africa via the Peace Corps, and later in California. After earning an MFA in creative writing from Fresno State, Sally taught poetry in California prisons for five years. Sally was a finalist for The Comstock Review Poetry Contest in 2009. Her poems also appear in Gemini Magazine, Lunch Ticket, and The Main Street Rag.. She has published creative nonfiction in Stone Voices. Sally is currently working on a collection of prison essays. 

Samina Najmi teaches multiethnic US literatures at California State University, Fresno. Her personal essays have appeared in over thirty literary journals, including World Literature Today. Her essay collection, Sing Me a Circle: Love, Loss, and a Home in Time, won the 2024 Aurora Polaris Award in creative nonfiction and was published by Trio House Press on Oct 1, 2025. Daughter of multigenerational displacements, Samina has lived in California's Central Valley since 2006 and watched with wonder her children, her students, and her citrus grow. For more on Sing Me a Circle and Samina's other publications, visit saminanajmi.com.

Sammy Herrera is a Mexican-American educator, poet, spoken word artist, and zine queen from the San Gabriel Valley. She has reached many new stages with her recent comeback to poetry writing on topics such as feminism, racism, working with children, mental health, love, and heartbreak. She’s been eagerly making a name for herself by placing 1st place in both the OC Poetry Slam in October and Pomona Slam in December. Sammy is currently working on her manuscript for her debut poetry collection, how to stay afloat: the art of drowning. 

Sean Andersen is a longtime local of the valley and a writer who occasionally enjoys reading his work aloud to both strangers and friends. As an educator, he is fond of witnessing the sparks of creativity and joy towards learning and life. 

Selwyn Borges is a poet, a wife, Titi, and friend. They can often be found scolding their cat for trying to get outside and roaming the stacks of different branches of the LA Public Library. 

Sharon K. McClain is an MFA candidate in creative nonfiction at California State University, Fresno. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in The San Joaquin Review, Academy of American Poets, and Under the Sun. She supports her writing habit by working as a yoga therapist and medical librarian. 

Shelby Pinkham is a non-binary bipolar cancer survivor. They have received fellowship from Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Brooklyn Poets, Lambda Literary, and CantoMundo. Their work can be found in Honey Literary, ctrl + V, The Offing, and elsewhere. They teach at Clovis Community College, and they are currently working on their single-subject teaching credential.

soledad con carne is a casually queer, intergalactic chicanx punk poet, working/poor multiple high school drop-out, co-founder of Cucatlicue Collective, San Fernando Valley parking lot cryptid, and blatant smoker sharing-trauma-with-their-mother. Their debut chapbook, SFV OR DIE, Foo, published with Lilac Press in 2024.

Stefan is a queer fiction writer studying in Fresno State’s MFA Program for Creative Writing. He is in his third year, working on his thesis of a queer YA novel about a gay transgender teenager living in 2011. Stefan is a two-time Andres Montoya scholar and 2025 Creating Writing Prize winner with publications in the 2019 and 2025 San Joaquin Review.

Stefan Romeo Leiva is a queer fiction writer studying in Fresno State’s MFA Program for Creative Writing. He is in his third year, working on his thesis of a queer YA novel about a gay transgender teenager living in 2011. Stefan is a two-time Andres Montoya scholar and Fresno State’s 2025 Creating Writing Prize winner with publications in the 2019 and 2025 San Joaquin Review.

Steve Ramirez: Born in San Diego, Steve Ramirez is the author of the S'ORNE SAGA. His debut novel, The GREAT MIGRATION, was named a finalist in the 2021 Wishing Shelf Book Awards for adult fiction and the Self-Publishing Review's 2021 SPR Book Awards.

Sunshine Nausea is an amateur ukulele musician/vocalist from La Puente, California. She started writing music in 2019. Most started as lyrics on a paper and ukulele strumming separately, eventually coming together in song form. The past three years she has been able to compose and perform her songs at open mics and shows. Also incorporating poetry within her lyrics at times in performance. She writes in hopes to create closure from tragedy and heartbreak. Wanting to share this with others that feel relatable to the same emotion/experiences in hopes to comfort/help form their personal experiences.

Talia Lakshmi Kolluri (she/her) is a mixed South Asian American writer telling modern animal fables about the climate crisis. Her debut collection of short stories, What We Fed to the Manticore (Tin House 2022), was a finalist for the 2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize, among other honors. Her short fiction has been published in Ecotone, Southern Humanities Review, The Common, One Story, Orion, and elsewhere. She lives in Fresno with her husband and two cats.

Taylor Seals (She/Her) is a third-year MFA poetry student at Fresno State emphasized in literary editing and publishing. She serves as an assistant poetry editor for The Normal School magazine and has been an editorial assistant for the Philip Levine Prize. Her writing centralizes external and internal human relationships. Many of the themes excavated in her work navigate Black-American generational trauma and healing, matrilineage through blood and song, and her queer experiences. Taylor’s work have appeared or are forthcoming in Zaum, Flies, Cockroaches & Poet, Poets.org, and Black Fox.

Tongo Eisen-Martin: Originally from San Francisco, Tongo Eisen-Martin is a poet, movement worker, and educator. His latest curriculum on extrajudicial killing of Black people, We Charge Genocide Again, has been used as an educational and organizing tool throughout the country. He is the author of Blood On The Fog, Someone’s Dead Already, Heaven Is All Goodbyes, Waiting Behind Tornados for Food, and Blood on the Fog. In 2020, he co-founded Black Freighter Press to publish revolutionary works. He is San Francisco’s eighth poet laureate emeritus.

Trianne Harabedian Flores is Fresno native with a BFA in creative writing from Belhaven University and an MFA from San Francisco State University. Currently a stay-at-home-mom, she has worked in independent bookstores, colleges, and as a copywriter. Trianne's creative work uses elements of the natural world as touchstones for exploring relationships, particularly relating to loss. She aims to display the different aspects of grieving, reframing ordinary occurrences to find meaning. Her poetry has been featured in publications such as The Ear, Glass Mountain’s Shards, and West Trade Review. 

Veronica S Giolli has been an author for a decade. She enjoys writing para normal mysteries. Incorporating the spirit of Native American. 
Her latest DEEP THOUGHTS are more about quick fast stories and poems with surprising endings. 

Will Freeney is a dabbler in poetry and a writer of creative nonfiction, with an MA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Sacramento State University (2008) and an MFA in Creative Writing (CNF) from Fresno State University (2022). Besides writing (and reading, the prerequisite) he enjoys cycling, jogging, and hot yoga. Will practices Nichiren Buddhism (since 1985) and an innate worship of the Sun.

Yeiri Farias resides in the California Central Valley. She loves reading romance, cozy mysteries, and horror books. Her poetry and short stories have been published or are scheduled to appear in Gypsophila Zine; Vial of Bones Zine; Flies, Cockroaches, and Poets; The San Joaquin Review, FURROW, and others. Love Me Under The Stars is her debut novel. She is a general editor at Eurydice Lit Mag, as well as the Editor-in-chief of Abundance Literary Magazine.