Fluidity Editorial Board

Alison Williams is a candidate in the MFA in Creative Writing / MA English program at Chapman University, and holds a BA in Comp Lit from NYU. Her primary interests lay in the spaces between things – hence her love of translation, intersectionality, all things digital, and, of course, interdisciplinary work. A lifelong entrepreneur, Alison is founder and CEO of the international media consultancy Raconteur, and she has two awesome daughters who keep her on her toes. Current projects include an anthology of contemporary female francophone poets, and a digital humanities research study of early women doctor's professional networks.

Lisa Ko holds a BA in English and BA in French at the University of California, Irvine. She is obtaining an MA in English and MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University. She is fascinated by the representation of women’s identities and environmental writing in 18th century studies. With interests ranging from philosophy to marine biology, she believes that observing texts through an interdisciplinary lens is essential in fostering new modes of research and learning. She is currently a graduate assistant for Chapman University, as well as a graduate mentor at The Chapman University/Orange High School Literacies Partnership.

Francine Fluetsch is the social media manager for Anastamos and a second year MFA Creative Writing candidate at Chapman University. She holds a B.A. in Literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing from UC Santa Cruz. She is a tutor at C2 Education where she teaches SAT/ACT prep and helps seniors with their college applications and essays. Her work has been published in The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, USA Today College, and Apeiron Review. She is a lover of languages and traveling and hopes to set foot on every continent someday. Upon graduation this May, she intends to write for television, teach, and hopefully crank out a novel or two.

Nate Rankin is a graduate of the University of Arkansas. He writes fiction under the nom de plume Nathaniel Heely. He enjoys fiction with a clear, authentic voice and stories that demand attention in the first sentence. Experimental and non-traditional formats are welcome so long as they are not gimmicky. He abhors cliches and adores Vonnegut’s advice to “Be a Sadist.” He is currently an MFA Fellow at Chapman University. His fiction has been published in Burrow Press Review, decomP, MARY: A Journal of New Writing and many others.

Kevin Brown is a commercially grown biped, distinguished by his shorter than average legs, thinner than average shoulders, and slender European snout. Slightly larger than a chicken, but not as aggressive as an ostrich, Kevin wants to like to swim, but doesn’t. From birth until present, he has lived at the foot of three mountain ranges across the Lower 48 and in recent months can be spotted near the Pacific Coast. When he isn’t staring vacantly out a window or planning his day around traffic, he picks up a pen and writes. He is currently working on an MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University.

Mackenna is the nonfiction editor and currently pursuing her MFA in creative writing at Chapman University. She received her bachelor’s degrees in literature and creative writing from Eckerd College. She is currently working on her thesis focused on faith and corruption in religion. When she is not obsessing over it she spends time with the people she loves. Mackenna tends to favor essays that engage in research and personal experiences over essays that speak with authority they can’t possibly have (i.e. ‘we as humans find ourselves…’) and essays that engage with ideas beyond the narrative story being told.

Laura Burns holds a BA in English from California State University, Fullerton, and an MA in English from Boston College. She is currently obtaining a Ph.D. in Education with a Leadership Studies emphasis from Chapman University, and also works as the Admissions Specialist for the Attallah College of Educational Studies. Her research interests include literature, film, media, arts-based studies, women’s studies, and leadership studies. Current projects include research into the representation of women in literature and film, particularly in books adapted to film. An obsessive reader, she also loves to travel, participating in study abroad courses in Cambodia and Peru.

Ross Johnson is an MA in War and Society candidate at Chapman University. He holds a BA with majors in English and Speech Communication from California State University, Fullerton; a JD from Western State College of Law; an MA in Political Science from California State University, Los Angeles; an MS in Management and Organization from the University of Colorado, Denver; and an MBA from Colorado State University, Fort Collins. His favorite avocations are running, global travel and politics. He is also active in Toastmasters International, and holds the designation of DTM. After graduation, he intends to run for political office.

Mike Gravagno is the Poetry and Multimedia editor, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University, holds a BA in Creative Writing- Nonfiction from Columbia University. He is a pop culture and new media obsessive, and co-hosts several podcasts, including the Super Hero Hour Hour and the Coast Conversation. He also hosts Writers’ Block, Anastamos’ show about the story and process behind the works of poets, artists, musicians, directors, and more. When it comes to poetry, Mike tends to hate rhyming and eschews over the top flowery language in favor of direct and surprising turns of phrase.

Peggy Wood is an MA Candidate at Chapman University studying 17th to 19th Century Literature. Her interests include Monster Literature, editorial theory, and studying the rise of the novel. Her primary goal is to enter a Ph.D. program. Once she graduates, she hopes to become a successful YA novelist and reputable editor.

Rachel Nicholls is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman. She also holds a BA in Literature from Cal State, Long Beach, where her love for Beat literature and Jack Kerouac blossomed. Mainly, her passion lies with poetry, however, screen writing, and fiction are two things she wants to pursue as well. As a travel junkie, she sees literal and literary exploration key, and cannot wait for the next big adventure. Currently she is working on a collection that explores the original narrative of fairytales in a modern and feminist point of view.

Meg Boyles is an MFA candidate and poetry fellow at Chapman University. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Hendrix College. She has been recognized by The Eudora Welty Foundation for her poetry. Her writing has appeared in several journals, most recently in B O D Y, Apricity Press, and The Cortland Review.