Meet The Team

Jay Paine has too many curiosities to finish his undergrad in a timely manner, but he’s currently sold on this creative writing thing. An enthusiast of philosophy, Jay often overindulges in existentialism. When he’s not grappling with the meaning of life, you can find him reading a sci-fi novel or penning a poem. 

Amber is studying creative writing in her junior year at Utah State. After graduating, she plans to work in editing and publishing and write novels on the side. In her free time, she enjoys playing Tetris, taking naps, and taking day trips to Salt Lake to thrift and try new food.

McKinlee is an English Technical Communication and Rhetoric major from Boise, Idaho. Outside of school, her day-to-day life includes trying to create a perfect playlist for every occasion, getting way too invested in pop culture, and despairing over which books to add to her collection.

Kj is an English Creative Writing Major at USU. She loves reading books that need to be mourned after finishing. When she isn’t reading or writing she spends her time exploring nature with her dog, brewing coffee or tea, painting, thrifting, and curating her dream art collection.

Deren is an aspiring author currently studying at USU. He loves to read everything that he can get his hands on, but has a soft spot for fantasy. He believes that everyone has a story to tell, and he wants to help those aspiring writers in every way he can. When Deren isn’t reading, you can find him watching movies or working on books that he hopes will one day be published.

Melissa is an English Literature major at Utah State University. She loves writing, reading, and music. Melissa always has a list of books to read that is a mile long, and a writing project complete with its own playlist of classic rock (anything Tom Petty, really). 

Will Clark is an English Literature major at Utah State University. He enjoys rock climbing, hiking, reading, and writing. He is from California but has spent the last 4 years in Logan. He finds it far too cold up here, but he likes the mountains. He likes to read science fiction but also enjoys fantasy and the classics. When he's not reading something for class or writing essays, he can be found watching movies (his favorite is currently the new Dune), thrifting, or sketching.

Eli is studying creative writing and molecular biology at Utah State. He's a total nerd, so if he's not reading the newest Brandon Sanderson book or playing a game of chess, you can probably find him working on his own novel, playing Magic: the Gathering, or skiing in the wintertime.

Danielle is an English Technical Writing Major at Utah State University with a minor in Folklore. She has always loved stories and has tried to absorb them throughout her life by either reading, writing, or watching TV. When she isn’t bogged down with schoolwork she also enjoys sports and being outdoors as well as traveling anywhere in the world she can go.

Adelaide is a freshman at USU who hasn't decided what she's doing with her life. She loves learning about just about everything and can't decide what to major in. She was born in Logan but has lived in many places including Amman, Jordan. Living overseas made Adelaide realize she loves travel and new experiences. She loves storytelling of all forms, movies, shows, musicals, plays, art, and of course books. Adelaide hopes that she can one day craft stories as powerful as the stories that have impacted her. 

Jonathan Walker is a Creative Writing/Print Journalism double major who caught the writing bug in junior high and decided to let it consume both his hobbies and his career. When he's not reading or writing, he's probably obsessing over a new folk album or eating Cookies and Cream ice cream.

Ashleigh is a junior at Utah State University studying English with a teaching emphasis. In her free time, she enjoys writing fiction and poetry, playing guitar, and spending as much time as possible in the mountains. She speaks French and is learning Spanish and Korean. She aspires to become a writer and professor

Katie is an English major with an emphasis in literature at Utah State University. When she isn’t doing homework, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, crocheting, and playing with Photoshop. As an aspiring editor and author, Katie has always loved reading and writing and takes every opportunity she can to exercise both skills.

Preston is a student of philosophy and English literature at USU. He enjoys making various teas and soups, writing poetry, and reading. He particularly likes continental philosophy and modernist literature.

Paige is a junior majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing, and minoring in visual art. She’s a hopeful romantic with a penchant for second-hand books and first-hand adventures with the people she loves. She collects rocks, words, and memories, and has to stop to pet every dog she sees. You can usually find her on a hike, lost in a book, or writing poetry. 

Paul Burdiss is a current undergraduate student at USU pursuing a major in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing. He works in both fiction and poetry, and hopes to become a published author soon. Outside of classes and writing he has an interest in foreign film, retro videogame consoles, model construction, and tabletop RPGs. His favorite fiction subgenre is space fantasy

Gregory is an undergraduate at USU with a focus on Creative Writing. He is originally from a small town in West Virginia but moved to Utah in 2021. In July 2018—halfway between Baltimore and Nassau—he competed (and won) in the Princess Cruise Lines weekly bellyflop competition. He was disappointed to learn there was no prize for winning. When he’s not competing in pointless competitions, he enjoys photography, reading, and sailing small boats around buoys.

Bio

Russ co-authored the book On Fly-Fishing the Northern Rockies: Essays and Dubious Advice. He received the Frederick Manfred Award for creative writing from the Western Literature Association, and both edits and contributes to howsmallatrout.wordpress.com and Braidedbrook.com. His essays have appeared in Eat Sleep Fish and The Huffington Post. He teaches writing at Utah State University.

Charles is the co-editor and co-translator of Ta Duy Anh’s The Termite Queen, forthcoming from Penguin Random House Southeast Asia, and two collections of Vietnamese short fiction, Wild Mustard and Family of Fallen Leaves. He earned his Ph.D. in creative writing from the University of Denver and teaches fiction writing at USU. Among other venues, his work has appeared in The Literary Review, Words Without Borders, Foreign Policy, ISLE, Flyway, and saltfront.

Millie Tullis is a poet and folklorist from Northern Utah. She received an MFA from George Mason University in 2021 and is currently studying Mormon Folklore at Utah State University. Her creative work has been published in Sugar House Review, Rock & Sling, Cimarron Review, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Psaltery & Lyre, an online journal publishing literature at the intersection of faith and doubt.

Robb Kunz hails from Teton Valley, Idaho. After receiving his MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho, Robb returned to his parent’s farm to cut grain and hay, fix fence, and hone his skills as a small-town barista. He currently teaches writing at Utah State University. Robb enjoys television, books, seltzer water, and cross-stitch.