BUONGUSTAI

BUONGUSTAI:

BRERETON-KARABETSOS

Tamara-Lee Brereton-Karabetsos is a versatile Australian-Greek writer and mental health advocate based in Greece. Her acclaimed fiction, poetry, and essays bridge science and vulnerability. An Editorial Spotlight choice for Instant Noodles, IHRAM, and Rock Salt Journal, her work has also been highlighted by The Little Things Mag. Find her on Substack and Instagram @tamaraleewrites.

BERN

Alan Bern received an MA in Creative Writing, English Literature, and Translation from Boston University studying with poet Anne Sexton and classicist Donald Carne-Ross. Alan is a Pushcart nominee and has published three books of poetry and a hybrid fictionalized memoir, IN THE PACE OF THE PATH, UnCollected Press, 2023 about growing up in Berkeley, California, where he still lives, and was a librarian. Alan has a chapbook because lack, July 2024, from back room poetry,  and a full-length hybrid of his poetry, prose, and photos, based on his relationships with his second home, Italia, especially Napoli and the South, Dreams of the Return, Old Scratch Press, 2025– Find Alan.

DAUGOVISH

Oleg Daugovish earned his Ph.D. in 2001, and has been researching the delicate lives of California strawberries. He documents his discoveries in peer-reviewed journals. Aside from writing about plants, Oleg completed a humorous memoir about growing up in Latvia during Soviet times and many non-fiction pieces.

D’ERRICO

Chris D’Errico is an artist, writer, and musician whose writings, music, and art have appeared in various analog & digital mediums for the last three decades. He dropped out of college to become a blue collar working stiff, and has zero academic credentials, but recently earned a Certificate in Cannabis from College of Southern Nevada. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, D’Errico has spent the past twenty-six years writing and making art in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has also worked as a restaurant line cook, a neon sign maker’s helper, and a pest control operator, among other vocational adventures.

DOYLE

Anthony Doyle Anthony Doyle was born in Dublin, Ireland. He now lives in São Paulo, Brazil, where he translates fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays from Portuguese. He is the author of the novel Hibernaculum (2023), a science-fiction category finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and Independent Author Network Awards in 2024; the poetry book Jonah’s Map of the Whale and Other Poems (OSP, 2025), an Eric Hoffer Award finalist in the poetry category; and two children’s books in Portuguese, O Lago Secou (2013) and O Livro de Sereias Surpreendentes (2025). He is a founding member of the Old Scratch Press short-form writing collective. Find Anthony.

DRAKE

Ginny Drake spends her days collecting unusual ideas and asking “what if?” Her work blends folklore, speculative fiction, and a fascination with physics and liminal places. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely experimenting with new recipes or wandering the strange spaces where ordinary life brushes against the impossible.

DU PREEZ

Marco du Preez was born in Cape Town. His father was a soldier and his mother a florist. He followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the South African Air Force and has served as a soldier for twenty-seven years. He holds a BA degree in Public Administration, and Honours degree in International Relations from the University of Pretoria. He is married, has two sons, and lives in Pretoria.

DUTTAGUPTA

Dr. Suvajeet Duttagupta, a nanotechnology PhD from IIT Bombay, embarked on an unexpected journey into the world of art. He’s recently found the confidence to send out his distinctive horror-adjacent stories to collect rejections and other badge of honours. His work has appeared in various online magazines with several new pieces forthcoming in multiple anthologies scheduled for 2026. Find his work. Find Suvajeet.

FERNANDEZ

Beatriz Fernandez is a member of Old Scratch Press. Over the past ten years, her work has been nominated for the Pushcart prize four times, and has been published in anthologies and journals as various as Label Me Latina/o, Prime Number Magazine, Strange Horizons, and Whale Road Review.  She’s authored three poetry chapbooks: the most recent, Simultaneous States (2025), includes poetry set in Puerto Rico as well as speculative poems.  Her eco-science fiction flash fiction piece, “Flow Time,” appeared in a 2025 Florida-themed anthology by Gaslamp Pulp.  “The Coquí Captain,” a reimagining of the Frog Prince from a Puerto Rican perspective, is scheduled to appear in an upcoming children’s anthology of reimagined fairy tales.

FITZGERALD

Jane H. Fitzgerald is a retired middle school history teacher, who is now a writer. She has written four books of poetry including, Notes From the Undaunted. She has been featured in many print journals and online sites including Instant Noodles, Your Daily Poem, Isele Quarterly Magazine, Little Old Lady Comedy, and Green Ink Poetry. Jane hopes that her writing creates a bridge of understanding to others. She loves her family, friends, writing, and working with colors, and enjoys living in Florida. Find Jane.

FLEMING

Robert Fleming (b. 1963) is a visual poet and digital artist from Lewes, Delaware. He is an editor @ Old Scratch Press and Instant Noodles magazine. His books are White Noir (an Amazon bestseller) and Con-Way in 4 in 1, #4. He is an award-winner: 2026 Semifinalist People’s Artist, 2025 Massachusetts poetry Olympics silver and bronze medals; 2022 San Gabriel Valley CA-broadside, 2024/2021 Best of Mad Swirl poetry, Delaware Press: poem (third, two honorable mentions [HM]), graphic design: 4 HM, photography: 1 HM; nominations: 2025 Best of Short Fiction; 2023 Blood Rag Poet, two Pushcart, and three Best of the Net. Find Robert.

FOCARILE

Dean Christopher Focarile is a poet and novelist.  Dean earned his M.B.A. from the NYU Stern School of Business and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.  He is currently working on his (mostly) poetic memoir.

FRATER

Ron Frater resides in a small town in the picturesque beauty that is New Zealand’s South Island, where he lives with his partner, an excess of dogs, and a self-opinionated parrot. He writes across a range of genres. Find Ron.

FULCHER

R. David Fulcher is an author of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and poetry. Major literary influences include H.P. Lovecraft, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allen Poe, Fritz Lieber, and Stephen King. Fulcher’s first novel, a historical drama set in World War II, Trains to Nowhere, and his second novel, a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories, Blood Spiders and Dark Moon, are available from Authorhouse and Amazon. David’s work has appeared in numerous small press publications including Lovecraft’s Mystery Magazine, Black Satellite, The Martian Wave, Burning Sky, Shadowlands, Twilight Showcase, Heliocentric Net, Gateways, Weird Times, Freaky Frights and the anthologies Dimensions and Silken Ropes. His most recent work is the poetry collection Howling Into the Void (May 2026). Other titles include the DPP collection Halloween Party 2019. A passion for the written word has also inspired David to edit and publish the literary magazine, Samsara, which has showcased writers and poets for over a decade. Fulcher resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife Lisa, and their rambunctious cats. Fulcher’s short story collection, The Pumpkin King and Other Tales of Terror, is also availabe Stateside on Kindle Vella where the first episodes are free! Fulcher’s new horror collection Asteriod 6 is now available. Find David.

HOFFMANN

Sharon Hoffmann is a writer based in Atlantic Beach, Florida. Publications include New York Quarterly, Beloit Poetry Journal, Alice Walker: Critical Perspectives, Isle of Flowers, South Florida Poetry Journal, Assignment, Letters, Poetica, Wild Roof, Sho, Qu and other magazines. Awards include fellowships from Atlantic Center for the Arts, Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs, and three Pushcart nominations.

KALOURIA

Tonia Kalouria a former soap actress and language teacher, is an Ohio poet whose anthologies include Thriving, Yonkers, A Glass of Wine With Edgar, Quoth the Raven, Lifespan IV, Love, Nothing Ever Happens in Fox Hollow, Evermore, Purr and Yowl, Poems From the Lockdown, The Ohio Bards 2026 Anthol, A Cosy Romance, Tales from the Bedside, and Way Words, Habits, Anth. She has poems in littleoldladycomedy.com, Lighten Up, The 5-2 Crime Poetry Weekly, The Literary Vegan, The Nature of Our Times, and Poets for Science, among others.

KAPP

Kenneth M. Kapp lives with his wife in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writing late into the night in his man-cave. He enjoys chamber music and mysteries. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Price. His stories have appeared in more than one hundred publications worldwide. Find Kenneth.

KOUAGHEU

Josiane Kouagheu is a journalist, writer, photographer, painter and poet from Cameroon. Her works have appeared or are forthcoming in Brittle Paper, African Writer Magazine, Kalahari Review, Frontier Poetry, Prairie Schooner, The Nomad review, Apricity Magazine, Al Dente Journal, Double Dutch Magazine, Barzakh Magazine, Up North Lit and elsewhere.

LECKER

Richard Lecker  is an aspiring writer of nonfiction and poetry and caregiver for his mentally challenged sister Martha, who has inspired him to chase his dreams.

LEWIS

Alecia Lewis is a Central Louisiana poet who shares her poetry in open mic nights both in person and virtually. She has been the featured poet at Nervous Ghost Arts Night and Time to Arrive open mic,  Her works have been published in Verbatim, Underland Review, Mocking Heart Review, The Ladybug Zine, Mythlu Magazine, Instant Noodles from Current Words Publishing, Bayou Blues and Red Clay anthology from Local Gems Press, Roots and Ruin from Arcana Poetry Press, The Fib Review from Muse Pie Press, The Salt in the Wound Anthology from Underland Review, and The One Poem Only Podcast.   She was January 2025’s featured poet in 318 Central digital magazine.  She was crowned Poet Laureate in Poetry AEX’s 2025 scavenger hunt. 

LUTWICK-DEANER

Rachel Lutwick-Deaner enjoys a bookish life. She has degrees from Colgate University, North Carolina State, and Queens University of Charlotte. She teaches English at Grand Rapids Community College. Rachel has published recently at Harpy Hybrid Review and Streetlight Magazine. Her book reviews can be found on Instagram @professor.ld.

MARIL

Nadja Maril’s prose and poetry has been published in literary magazines that include, Lunch Ticket, Spry Literary Review and Across the Margin. Her chapbook Recipes from My Garden, a compendium of poems and short essays centered around herbs, a kitchen garden, and family memories was published September 2024 by Old Scratch Press. A former journalist and editor, Nadja has an MFA from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine and lives in Annapolis Maryland. You can follow her “Addicted to Writing” posts on Substack  and by visiting Nadja’s website.

ORTON

Sarah Rakel Orton (she/her) is a graduate of the University of Utah’s Creative Writing MFA program. She is currently working on a short story collection of fairy tales reinterpreted through a horror lens. She lives with five antisocial cats, one elderly dog, two rambunctious boys, an overabundance of collectibles, and a patient husband in the heart of Salt Lake City. All of her hobbies involve sitting indoors, so don’t expect to find her enjoying any of Utah’s outdoor activities. Her stories have been published in The Sun Magazine, The Reprise, Surely Magazine, The Summerset Review, and Tales from the Moonlit Path. Find Sarah.

PATRA

Cithara Patra currently lives in North Carolina with their family. They spend much of their time writing and studying languages. They’re also a big fan of things from the ocean, dachshunds, and making brand new meals. In their spare time, they travel and check out brand new places to eat.

PLENCNER

Athena Plencner grew up on the East Coast. She moved out to San Diego, California during her sophomore year of high school and vows that she may never leave. When she isn’t exploring new worlds on the page, she’s busy creating them—writing fantasy drawn to imaginative realms and stories that explore what lies beyond the familiar. Away from the keyboard, she finds inspiration on the trail, fueled by long runs and adventures that keep her moving as fast as her ideas. Find Athena.

POSNER

Tina Posner lives in San Diego, California, by way of Austin, Texas, and her native New York City. Her work has appeared in River Heron Review, Oyster River Press, Mantis, Ocean State Review, and more, as well as in multiple anthologies. She works in educational publishing, where she has designed award-winning instructional programs and written over a dozen poetry and nonfiction books for young adults. She holds an MFA in poetry from Pacific University. Find Tina.

RIPPEY

PB Rippey’s writing appears in, ZYZZYVA, Chaparral, The Pedestal Magazine, Phoebe, The Chattahoochee Review, Askew Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. She is currently enrolled in Bath Spa University’s Masters in Writing for Young People program, and is a devoted genre-jumper. Find PB. 

SENAPATI

Saroj Senapati is a writer based in Bengaluru, India, with a background in mechanical engineering and over three decades of experience in production, tool design, and MSME project studies. After retiring from industry, he turned to freelance writing, educational tool development, and digital publishing. His creative work explores resilience, community, and the mystical intersections of technology and imagination. He has authored reflective essays, fiction, and poetry, and is currently focused on flash fiction projects that blend speculative ideas with human emotion. Saroj values clarity, accessibility, and the enduring power of storytelling.

SILVERS

Ellen Silvers is a financial advisor. While earning an honor’s degree at Brown, she was a guest columnist for the Brown Daily Herald and published The Carberry Guide to the Gentle Art of Program Planning. Ellen spends her free time walking her Doodles, baking challah, singing, and stewarding her Little Free Library. She is a member of Pitch to Published, and a founder of the Platt Writer’s Group. Ellen is in search of an agent for Take the Dog, Leave the House: The Big Sister’s Guide to Divorce. She is also working on the first draft of her novel, Silvergarten.

SMITH

BG Smith’s work has been highly commended in the National Flash Fiction Day Micro Fiction Competition (2026) and published in 101 Words, Quotidian Bagatelle, ScribesMICRO, WATG Press, Dark Moments, Trembling With Fear, among others. After retiring from a twenty-four-year career in federal law enforcement, he writes micro and flash fiction exploring the intersection of technology and human connection. His stories examine how digital advancement both preserves and threatens our most intimate relationships, focusing on memory, loss, and the ways we maintain emotional bonds in an increasingly automated world. Find BG.

SMITH

Michael Smith’s fiction has appeared in many journals, among them Fabula Argentea, Witcraft, Literally Stories, Microromance, Heimat Review, The Hooghly Review, Little Old Lady Comedy. To date, he has self-published a historical fantasy called Dinner Time, two volumes in the Gruseltal series, and three collections of short stories, Fonts, Songs, and L less than M, all available from online bookstores. Find Michael.

SUPRANOWICZ

Edward Michael Supranowicz is the grandson of Irish and Russian/Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up on a small farm in Appalachia. He has a grad background in painting and printmaking. Some of his artwork has recently or will soon appear in Fish Food, Streetlight, Another Chicago Magazine, The Door Is a Jar, The Phoenix, and other journals. Edward is also a published poet who has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize multiple times.

SWYGART

Rebecca Swygart is an amateur poet currently living in Cornwall, UK.

TERRIZZI

Joanie Terrizzi is a writer, grief coach, and mind-body medicine professor fascinated with depth, human potential, and healing. She’s a former school librarian who still reads too much; she dwells in the WNC mountains where she avoids getting eaten by bears. Joanie’s poetry has appeared in Exterminating Angels Press, Sublimation Literary Journal, and The Nature of Our Times. Find Joanie.

VAN-KAY

Lauren Van-Kay earned her BA in English from Texas A & M University Kingsville.  She lives in North Texas.  This piece,  Two Halves of a Purple Onion, is an excerpt from her first novel.  Follow her @ms.laurenvankay for updates on her writing.

VASILEV

Plamen Vasilev is a writer., writing since a very early age. His first writing piece was published in a newspaper when he was ten. Throughout the years he has won numerous writing competitions and has awards from all over the world. He also has several books published online and in US magazines. He also has earned Certificates for Creative Writing from the UK writing centre and from Harvard University.

VESPER

Vesper: Vesper (he/they) is a disabled, neuroqueer trans poet from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a MSc Creative Writing student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. His forthcoming works are Opal Age Tribune, new words {press}, Full House Literary, Lilith’s Diaries, and Coin-Operated Press. Find Vesper.

WILLIAMSON

Ashley Williamson is an Arkansan poet living in the English Lake District. An Oxford University alumna and winner of the Letter Review Poetry Prize and Superlative’s Poetry Prize, her work explores the intersection of science, nature, and the interior world. She also works as a radiographic interpreter in the aerospace industry. Her pamphlet, “Particles & Waves,” was longlisted for the 2023 Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Competition, and her writing appears in Mantis, BarBar, and La Piccioletta Barca, among others. Find Ashley.

WISNIEWSKI

Linda Wisniewski has been writing ever since she won a loaf of bread in an essay contest in parochial school. After careers as a bureaucrat, librarian, and freelance reporter for the Bucks County Herald, she fully embraced the writer’s life. The author of a memoir, two feminist time-travel novels, and an essay collection, her work has been widely published in anthologies and journals. Linda lives with her husband and two cats in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Find Linda.

ZOLA

Jim Zola is a poet and photo artist living in North Carolina.