Meet our Masthead
Editor-in-Chief: Sydney Kelso
Sydney is a second-year grad student at Kansas State University. Though she is in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication track, she also enjoys creative writing. While in her M.A., she is researching digital rhetorics, rhetorics of aesthetics, and rhetorics of nostalgia. She also teaches Expository Writing I at K-State. In her free time, you can find Sydney hiking, running, or reading outside on her balcony (with her cat Phantom next to her).
Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Aidia Kite
Aidia is a second-year English Graduate student in the Creative Writing Concentration and serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Expository Writing I at K-State. Aidia received their B.A. in English from K-State in the fall of 2024, and their academic interests include, but certainly are not limited to: comics, time, trauma theory, experimental literature, etc. They write in a range of styles and genres, although they do have a soft spot for poetry, comics, and slipstream fiction. In their sparse free time they love to play video games, spend time with their very proud (and chubby) cat Smudge, and listen to progressive metal music.
Poetry Editor:
Maria Tardiff
Maria is a second-year English grad student at K-State. She is part of the Literature concentration, studying Victorian era elegy and Thomas Hardy. In her spare time, Maria enjoys evening walks and good conversation.
Fiction Editor: Caitlyn Crane
Caitlyn is a 2nd-year graduate student in K-State's M.A. English program in the creative writing concentration. She is from Texas. Caitlyn primarily writes fiction with a focus on fantasy and classical mythology, but she also occasionally writes poetry in metered forms. In true English major fashion, Caitlyn's main hobbies are reading, writing, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Nonfiction Editor: Hannah Stubenhofer-May
Hannah is from Kansas and attended Emporia State University for her undergraduate degree. She lives with three little kitties that dictate her house. At ESU, she was an editor of Quivira Literary Mag. and Flint Hills Review.
Art and Audio Editor: Taylor Axtell
Taylor is a graduate student in English at Kansas State University. She is in the second year of her program and is studying literature; specifically, she is passionate about how to best promote literacy for middle school students. This year, she is the art editor for Touchstone Magazine, and she is excited to be a member of the team!
Readers
Fiction Reader:
Hope Trampski
Hope is a first-year graduate student concentrating in literature. She is a big fan of gothic literature and contemporary fiction! She has spent about half of her life in Indiana and finished her undergraduate degree from Purdue University last winter. She hopes to continue her education after graduate school to pursue a PhD.
Fiction Reader:
A.J. Ellis
A native of Vermont, A.J. is a second-year master’s student on the creative writing track. His undergraduate focus at St. Mary's College of Maryland culminated as a series of climate-fiction stories, but nowadays, his writing tends to focus more on social issues. In his free time, A.J. enjoys cooking (and eating!), making music with friends, and traveling around the world wherever and whenever he gets the chance.
Fiction Reader: Lee Ellwood
Lee is a first-year master’s student in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication track. They got their BA in English Literature and Music from K-State. They are interested in fantasy novels and literary editing. In their free time, Lee enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time with their cat Mimzy.
Fiction Reader: Avery Hansford
Avery is a second-year grad student at Kansas State University. Her educational focus is on literature with a focus on Medieval romance. On top of being a grad student, she also teaches English 100. Avery has a love for psychological thrillers, silly movies, and Stardew Valley. In her free time, you can find her spending time with her cat, watching movies, and reading.
Poetry Reader:
Chinyere Umejiego
Chinyere is majoring in cultural studies. She thinks of music and an extension of herself since it makes up for about 55% of her emotions. She also loves reading fantasy books with an edge of violence.
Poetry Reader: Lily Hansen
Lily is a second-year undergraduate student. She spends most of her time writing nonfiction and poetry. She loves music, October, and is a Paddington Bear enthusiast. Joan Didion is her greatest inspiration.
Poetry Reader: Tori Steichen
Tori is a sophomore undergraduate student studying electrical engineering, with a concentration in electronics and communication. Their long-loved interests are grammar, art, and poetry, but their love of audio operation and mechanics brought them into their major through avenues such as theatre, radio, and live sound. In their free time, they enjoy making jewelry, writing poetry, and enjoying late night movie marathons with friends.
Nonfiction Reader:
Cariana Kut
Cariana is a grad student in the Creative Writing Concentration with a focus on fiction. Her research interests include Detective Fiction, Victorian Lit, Narratology, and Children’s Lit. When she’s not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, watching tv, and crocheting.
Nonfiction Reader:
Haley Bell
Haley got her undergrad degree from Siena Heights University in Michigan. She is currently in her first year of the cultural studies English graduate program here at Kansas State University. She loves to read Gothic literature, feminist theory/literature, environmental literature, and postcolonial theory, but she also likes some less heavy reads as well, like the Sarah J. Maas romantasy universe. Outside of reading and writing she likes to exercise, travel, and go to concerts.
Nonfiction Reader: Alaina Motes
Alaina Motes is a first-year graduate student and instructor at K-State. Her concentration is in Creative Writing, focusing primarily on fiction. She reads all genres, but finds herself coming back to fantasy and mythology. Her writing spans across the theories of feminism, disability studies, queer studies, Marxism, and postcolonial and race studies. She interested in viewing the ancient worlds with a modern lens in order to see the continued human experience.
Nonfiction Reader: Ruth Okon
Ruth is a second-year master's student in the department of English at Kansas State University. She is a lover of critical theory and also has a keen interest in film and cultural studies. When she is not completing assignments, writing papers, or putting teaching materials together, she is most definitely watching soccer or keeping up with a reality TV show.
Art Reader: Rachel Koontz
Rachel is a second-year graduate student at KSU. She studies within the Literature Track. Her work and thesis focuses on travel narratives in Victorian literature. She is passionate about literary history, the gothic, and travel literature.