Kevin Brown is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University. Upon graduating with a BS in Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2011, Kevin worked as a Research Assistant in the Social Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Colorado, Boulder. However, Kevin decided to scrap the research career and pursue writing. He has worked as a bookseller, a flower delivery driver, a stage technician, and a medical assistant all while honing his writing style, which he considers both comedic and sad. He enjoys editorial pursuits and establishing state-of-the-art platforms for aspiring artists to publish their work.
Allie holds a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern California, and is currently pursuing her MA in English and her MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University. When she is not writing fiction of her own, she is most interested in the cultural consequences of capitalism, as well as the way that we navigate gender expectations in literature. She also enjoys teaching. As an instructor of written inquiry in Chapman’s rhetoric and composition department, she is often intrigued by the multimodal implications of texts in our digital environment and discussing those implications with passionate students. When she is not busy doing the academic hustle, she likes to read sad books, ride her bike, and laugh at her husband.
Carly Taylor is a first-year in the MFA Creative Writing program, focusing on poetry and nonfiction. She earned her bachelor’s in Creative Writing and Dance Studies from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where her enthusiasm for collaboration and interdisciplinary art were also sparked. She is originally from Boulder, Colorado. Her writing can be found at Rag Queen Periodical, Door Is A Jar Magazine, and Allegory Ridge, among others.
Danielle Shorr is a current MFA student forever trying to make the transition from poetry to fiction. Along with a full length book of poetry titled Beyond Existing, her poetic work has been published in The New Verse News and Calliope, and her contributions include content for Mtv, FoodBeast, and Sauté magazine among others. When she’s not staring in awe at her newly installed bookcase, she’s most likely consuming short story collections or curating her list of Orange County’s best eats. She currently works as a tutor at Chapman’s writing center.
Karina Trejo is fascinated with all things relating to the human brain, human development and behavior. Hoping to understand more about what connects us and makes us human, she received her BA in Psychology and Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton. She is currently chasing after her dream to share diverse experiences through story telling in the MFA in Creative Writing program at Chapman University. She is also the Graduate Assistant for the Promising Futures Program. Given her intersecting identities and being a strong proponent of inclusivity and growth, she believes that stories with representative characters can change the world.
Matthew Goldman is pursuing a dual master's degree at Chapman University in Creative Writing and English. He writes both fiction and creative nonfiction, and is afraid of the word ``poetry.`` Matthew enjoys craft beer, trivia night, and living a modern life with his pitbull, Rocko.
I am part of the Dual Degree Program at Chapman University. I am working toward my MA in English and MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction). I went to University of California, Irvine and hope to eventually obtain my PhD and continue teaching at the university level.
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.
Phoebe Merten is currently working towards her MFA in Creative Writing and MA in English at Chapman University, the natural followup to her BFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Lighting Design. She writes poetry and prose and tends to disregard the distinction between the two. She prefers precise and loving use of language, with each word collected and fondled like a jewel. Her current projects of varied genre focus on love, connection, and the inherent dangers therein.
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.
Before coming to Chapman University, Mazi Sinclair worked in the media/entertainment industry as a Senior Media Production and Marketing Coordinator at PLITZS Fashion Marketing, where she edited fashion brand videos for the company to distribute on their social media platforms, as well as held auditions for models, TV hosts, videographers and photographers. She also worked as a Filmmaker’s Assistant the New York Film Academy where she was able to assist students with developing their own stories.
Aysel Atamdede holds a BA in English and a minor in Studio Art from Santa Clara University, and is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman. As an undergrad at SCU, she established the Imaginarium VR lab, teaching students to design, build, and publish 3d animations and video games. She is a writer and voice director for The Sketch Fellows, a podcast produced by her and her friends in their spare time.
Christopher Hines is currently pursuing his MFA in Creative Writing by night and programming by day. As an author, he is interested in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and is currently delving into Digital Humanities as a programmer. Introduced to computers at a young age, Christopher grew up almost parallel with the development of the modern internet and was born the same year as the WorldWideWeb. Christopher has experienced traditional hand-coded HTML website development as well as modernized content management systems, of which he prefers the latter.
Tonika Reed is both a journalist and writer pursuing her Masters in English Literature at Chapman University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Integrated Media with an emphasis in Writing and Publishing from Biola University. She loves to tell stories that heal and liberate. Her academic interests include cultural, aesthetic, philosophic studies. Her goal is to work in journalism or publishing as a writer editor, or a sort of tech liaison.