Contributors

Writers

Olivia Alger is in her second year at Interlochen Arts Academy as a junior creative writing major. She is from the Chicago area, but has lived in Wisconsin and Minneapolis as well. She has received three Silver Keys and two Honorable Mentions from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and her work has been published in Teenage Wasteland, Inklings Literary Magazine, The Anthology of Young American Poets, and two editions of The Red Wheelbarrow. She has also received recognition as a Merit Winner and Finalist in short story from the National YoungArts Foundation. She has found that great movies, bad jokes, good music, odd dancing, and exciting glasses are some of the things that define her and inspire her writing. Olivia is the author of "Let's Take a Trip So We Can Go Underwater."

S. Makai Andrews is a senior at Interlochen Arts Academy, born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She tends to spend her time jumping between lake and ocean, and is never seen without a mason jar filled with caffeine. Her work has been recognized in multiple genres in the 2015 and 2016 Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards and has been published in Teenage Wasteland, The Nosiy Island, and Beautiful Minds Magazine, among others. In the future she hopes to further her studies in creative writing and psychology. Makai is the author of "Belly Fat."

Sarah Arnett is a senior creative writing major at Interlochen Arts Academy. Her work has been featured in The Interlochen Review, The Red Wheelbarrow, and The Albion Review. She was the winner of the 2014-2015 Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest, and she has also received several accolades from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, including two Gold Keys, two Silver Keys, and two Honorable Mentions. She has also been an editor for The Red Wheelbarrow and The Interlochen Review. Sarah is the author of "An Irretrievable Serenade."

Allegra Negro-G. is a seventeen year old junior, majoring in creative writing at Interlochen Arts Academy. She's from Springfield, Illinois. Allegra is the author of "One on One, Father to Son."

Sarah Mims Yeargin is a junior creative writing student at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. This year, she received a Silver Key and an honorable mention in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and an honorable mention in Hollins University's Nancy Thorp poetry contest. Her work has also appeared in Teenage Wasteland Review. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, sleeping, and playing with her cat, Zeus. Sarah is the author of "Abdomen of my Mother, the Avocado."

Anna Sheppard is a senior at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. She has won numerous awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and her work is published or forthcoming in The Adroit Journal and Teenage Wasteland Review. She was a runner up in the Skylark Poetry Contest and in the Muriel Avellaneda Prize for Young Poets. She loves crime TV shows unironically and spends most of her time wishing she was with her twin sister. Anna is the author of "Abecedarian Examining Why I Am Not an Addict," "On Phytoplankton," and "Diatribe from the Birdhouse."

Emma Camp is a sophomore at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, AL, and is in the creative writing department. Her work has been featured in Canvas, Cadence, TeenInk and Girlspring. She is also the recipient of a National Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She is a clinical Shakespeare buff who enjoys community theatre in her small amount of free time, and dreams of one day directing a production of Romeo & Juliet performed entirely by cats. Emma is the author of "Box Step Americana."

Alexa Curnutte is a junior creative writing major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Jackson Springs, North Carolina. She has received several regional Gold Keys, a National Medal in fiction, and an American Voices Award nomination from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She has been a Merit Winner for short story in YoungArts, a finalist in the 2015 Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest, and received The TWR Prize for Young Writers. Alexa’s work has appeared in the literary journals The Red Wheelbarrow, The Interlochen Review, Teenage Wasteland, and Polyphony HS. Alexa is the author of "Life Moving Forward."

Marieke De Koker is a young South African filmmaker currently in her junior year at the Interlochen Arts Academy, studying motion picture arts. She is fascinated with characters and their psychology, and the realism of such characters plays a big role in her screenwriting. Marieke is the author of "Stutz Bearcat."

Meridian Donnelly is a junior at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, AL. She is a creative writing student whose poems are most often inspired by the various translated works of Russian author Yevgeny Yevtushenko. More specifically, she is inspired by "Fury". She has received the judge's special recognition from the Alabama Writers' Forum in the High School Literary Arts Awards and Scholarship Competition, and has been published every year in her school's literary magazine since 2012. Meridian is the author of "Hesitation."

Blue Fay is a creative writing student at the Orange County School of the Arts. He has been recognized as an Honorable Mention by YoungArts for his poetry in 2015 and 2016. His work has appeared in Wilde Literary Magazine, Inkblot, and Hanging Loose Press. He was also a finalist for the University of Idaho Hemmingway Festival Writing Contest. Blue is the author of "Amalgamations."

Heather Finnegan is a senior creative writer at the South Carolina Governor's School for Art and Humanities. She is a YoungArts Finalist for Non-fiction, winner of the Malone University creative writing competition for Non-fiction, runner-up for Nancy Thorpe, and has been recognized regionally in the Scholastic Art & Writing competition. She likes corn tortillas, Russian history, and feels a suffocating need to save the planet, but not in a conceited way. Heather is the author of "The Pool."

Sianna Flowers is a senior at Interlochen Arts Academy. Before she went to school in northern Michigan she lived in a forest in central Oregon. Again and again she finds herself writing about wild women and the people that love them for reasons that are not always clear. If she is not arguing about politics she is gushing over high fantasy novels. She has had several articles published in her hometown's newspaper, The Nugget, along with a poem in the Torches 'n' Pitchforks student magazine. She received an honorable mention from Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for a critical essay. Sianna is the author of "A Lifelong Love Affair."

Kathryn Hargett is a junior at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. She is a 2015 Foyle Young Poet of the Year, and her poetry has been recognized by Princeton University, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Alabama Writers' Forum, Gannon University, Hollins University, and Sierra Nevada College. Her work can be found in the Adroit Journal, Sierra Nevada Review, Gigantic Sequins, Polyphony HS, and elsewhere. Kathryn is the author of "Pumice."

Lucy Jones is a senior creative writing major at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, AL, and a rising freshmen at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia. She has been published in Hollins' College literary journal, Cargoes, and in the Birmingham Arts Journal. She was a finalist for the Norman Mailer High School Creative Nonfiction Awards, and a semi-finalist for UNC Chapel Hill's Thomas Wolfe literary scholarship. She enjoys writing free verse and ekphrastic poetry, and short fiction. Lucy is the author of "Hunger."

Ray Kearns is a writer from central Florida. He currently attends Interlochen Arts Academy and whilst he does enjoy writing in all genres, Ray primarily considers himself a poet. He has been awarded several silver keys from the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition as well as being published in his school’s in-house journal, The Red Wheelbarrow. Ray can most often be found writing with a Dr. Pepper at his side or a pen in between his teeth. Ray is the author of "Nymphe."

Amelia Lanier is a senior at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is a creative writing major and 2015-2016 is her first year at Interlochen. She grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the North Carolina and Tennessee border. She has won a Gold Medal, five Silver Keys, and two honorable mentions in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Her favorite genre of writing is realistic fiction and her stories focus heavily on the natural elements. She enjoys walks with her dog on breaks, as well as books by Charles Frazier. You will usually find her doing strange things like eating tree bark or climbing up the sides of mountains, as well as generally avoiding the human race. Amelia is the author of "For the Time Being."

Elizabeth Lemieux comes from small town in Maine where churches outnumber traffic lights. She attends Interlochen Arts Academy as the winner of the Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing scholarship contest. Her work can be found in The Best Teen Writing of 2015, Maine Magazine, and The Adroit Journal. Elizabeth is the author of "Water Babe."

Annalise Lozier is a junior at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studies creative writing. She is a Foyle Young Poet of the Year, and her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. Her work has been published in The Jackalope, The Adroit Journal, and The Kenyon Review. Annalise is the author of "Two."

Samantha Mackertich is a senior at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA and is a creative writing major. She has been published in the Polyphony Literature Journal, attended the Breadloaf Writing Conference in Vermont, and was a two-time finalist for the Helen Creeley Poetry Prize. She also enjoys writing screenplays, short stories, and plays. Samantha is the author of "Dear Poseidon."

Shaun Phuah is a creative writer at Interlochen Arts Academy. He has been featured in the Red Wheelbarrow as well as being in the previous issue of the Interlochen Review. Shaun enjoys writing after he's downed about two swimming pools worth of coffee, and tends to write humorous prose either in realism or the surreal. Shaun is the author of "It Gets Better."

Olivia Ragan is a ninth grader at Denver School of the Arts, where she studies creative writing. She won first place in the Tulsa City County Young People's Creative Writing Contest in 2013. She has been published twice in the literary magazine Calling Upon Calliope, and she won an honorable mention in poetry in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She finds inspiration in feminist blogs, her baby sister, and overheard conversations. She's composed of blankets, mint tea, and bicycle grease. Olivia is the author of "Atmospheric Dynamics."

Sarah Rolinski is a junior at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) in New Orleans, LA and specializes in Creative Writing. She has been published in Steel Toe Review and The Noisy Island, and won second place in the Pinkie Gordon Lane Poetry Contest. She has also placed several times in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Her favorite genres are fiction and screenplays. Sarah is the author of "Odes to Pedro."

Brittany Sando is a sophomore creative writing major at Interlochen Arts Academy from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has been published by Teenage Wasteland as well as the Noisy Island Review, and was awarded a Silver Key for poetry by Scholastic. Additionally, her play placed third in the Philadelphia Young Playwrights competition in 2013. Brittany is the author of "One Too Many."

Karly Smith attends Duke Ellington School of the Arts, in Washington, D.C.. She studies Literary Media and Communications, and has aspirations of becoming a journalist. She has been published in Teen Voices. Her favorite style of writing is journalism. Karly is the author of "Myocardial Infarction."

Lola Todman is from Red Bank, New Jersey. She is a junior at Interlochen Arts Academy. She has been recognized for her achievements in writing by the YoungArts foundation as well as the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards. Lola is the author of "Twilight Hour."

Visual Artists

Yanka Kostova is a junior and a first year visual arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She has received five regional gold keys and three national silver keys in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She had two pieces of her work displayed in the Interlochen Visual Arts Juried Show. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her family, two dogs, and five cats.

Blaine Rubenson is a second-year junior visual arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina in a community of people who value the arts, sciences, and interdisciplinary study. Blaine has received awards on the regional and national level from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and has exhibited work in numerous galleries throughout North Carolina and Michigan. She participates in many collaborative and community based art projects and will continue to do during her senior year at Interlochen. She wishes to pursue both an art practice and a future career in medicine, each area informing the other in new and meaningful ways.

Duairak Padungvichean is a third-year senior visual arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Bangkok, Thailand. She has worked to address her interests in animals and nature from different environments. She has received a Merit Award in 2015 and an Honorable Mention in 2016 in the YoungArts competition. She also received a Silver Key for portfolio in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Sam Thiele is a junior visual arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Springfield, Illinois. Her works depict her past personal experiences with domestic abuse and PTSD. She has won several awards in the 2016 Interlochen Visual Arts Juried Show as well as in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

SunWoo An is a third-year senior visual artist at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is originally from Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. She primarily works with oil painting and metals. She received several awards in the 2015 and 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She will be studying in UCLA majoring in Art this Fall.

Cristobal Ayala is a student currently attending Idyllwild Arts Academy as a sophomore Visual Artist. He is from Monterrey, Mexico, and currently lives in California. He has displayed works in multiple galleries both in the U.S. and in Mexico. His work has been displayed in the Palm Springs Melissa Morgan Fine Arts Gallery, the Parks Gallery in Idyllwild, and in other private venues. He won Third Place in the Displacement Juried Theme Show for his mural photography. He will continue his artistic pursuits all throughout high school.

Tessa O'Hern is a senior at Sisters High School in Sisters, Oregon. She received a National Silver Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 2016. Next year she plans on going to Linfield College to pursue a degree in business and design.

Kel Burchette is a three-semester senior motion picture artist at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from New York and Virginia. She likes twizzlers, long walks on the beach, and smooth jazz.

Ivy Kokoszka is a one-year senior visual arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Tawas City, Michigan. She painted a mural for her hometown's sesquicentennial. Her art was published in the Iosco-Arenac District Library Summer Reading Program brochure, and she has received first prize art awards in Tawas City. She received a regional silver key for her photography in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Her art was selected for the Interlochen Visual Arts Student Juried Show. She will be attending College for Creative Studies with a major in illustration in the fall.

Hunter Saxton is a second-year visual arts senior at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. He was adopted from Hanoi, Vietnam and has live in South Carolina for the majority of his life. He received several awards in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and has received an honorable mention in the National K-12 Clay Exhibition, 2016. Next year he will be continuing his study in visual arts at the Kansas City Art Institute with a full tuition scholarship.

Montserrat Guerra-Solano is a second year senior motion picture arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is of Mexican descent and currently lives outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has been featured as an official selection in film festivals such as All American High School Film Festival, Student Art Festival, Lighthouse International Film Festival, and the Springfield MA LGBT Film Festival. Next year, she plans to study management of creative media in order to continue her education with a combination of art and academics. Her photography work is heavily influenced by light, and the common idea of "natural".

Hannah Tenneson is a senior at Sisters High School. She received five Gold Keys in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Gunner Dongieux is a junior at both Benjamin Franklin High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Studying Visual Arts at NOCCA, he has received numerous awards and publications, including three Key awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, publications in the Riverbend Review, the Ben Franklin Portfolio, and the Ben Franklin Spring Concert Program. Along with these achievements, Gunner continues to integrate his work into the New Orleans community, by including his art in events such a Jazz in the Park: Season 7 2015, and live painting events at UNO and St. Andrew's Episcopal School. He hopes to continue his success and ambitious ventures throughout his upcoming senior year, and into his college career.

Anaïs Luo is a Belgian freshman who currently studies at Interlochen Arts Academy.