zaUM
THE 27Th EDITIOn
Zaum Contributors
We would like to extend a special thank-you to all writers and artists who submitted to Zaum for our twenty-seventh edition. Your passion and creativity keeps us going and we are excited and proud to showcase your works.
Lauryn Ige
Author of "Love Bites" (Spoken Word Poetry)
Lauryn Ige is currently a junior at Santa Clara University with a communication/psychology double major and a minor in creative writing. She hopes to one day have a career that combines her three loves: writing, people, and creativity! Once, she was a poetry finalist in a contest for Hollins University's Literary Festival. Lauryn loves writing poems and stories that speak from the heart (commonly about love and mental struggles) and is so thrilled to have her work featured in Zaum 27 because being a published author is an ultimate dream. Let her know if you have any writing contests or competitions!
Nidhi Agrawal
Author of "NOUN" and "CADAVER" (Poetry)
Nidhi Agrawal is a competent communication design professional with extensive experience in design, corporate communications, strategic marketing, and content management. Nidhi’s writings have been featured by Quadrant Australia, Girl Talk HQ, eShe Magazine, University of California, Riverside, Say it Forward, Chicago School of Arts, Lewis Clark State College’s literary journal, St. Francisco University’s journal, The Elevation review (Kneeland Poetry Inc.), The Dillydoun Review, Xavier Review Press, California State Poetry Society, Signal Mountain Review- The University of Tennessee, Chronogram Magazine, Letters (Yale University), Setu Journal, Spill Word Press South Asian Today, Indian Periodical, Rising Phoenix Review, Life in 10 minutes press, Ariel Chart, Women's Web, Women for One, Lekh, Garland Magazine, and Muse India. She is the author of "Confluence".
Katelyn Roat
Author of Crime of Three and Garbage, Trash, Loneliness (Prose/Fiction)
Katelyn Roat is currently enrolled at Sonoma State University majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Film Studies. She’s afraid of pinecones. Once, she grabbed one and was stung by something (probably a spider) and now she’s afraid of picking one up.
Naheda Nassan
Author of "To my father who will never reconcile with the country that raised him" (Poetry)
Naheda Nassan is currently studying Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise and Creative Writing at Virginia Tech with plans of becoming a physician. Her work has previously been seen in The Oakland Arts Review and Silhouette. She spends her free time ducking other Jeeps and giving water to the Virginia Tech football team.
Abigail Selby
Author of "Reverie," "hyphae," and "Lychee Jelly" (Poetry)
Abigail Selby is a recent graduate of Sonoma State University's English and Creative Writing Program. Previously, she studied at Mills College and Santa Rosa Junior College, earning two additional degrees, a vocational certificate, and subsequent addiction to espresso. She is interested in all forms of art, and can't seem to decide on just one, so her list of hobbies continues to grow (maybe one day she'll commit to opening that Esty store for stickers and zines).
Isaac Corey
Author of "Messy Ode to Analingus," "Dragger," and "Safety" (Poetry)
Isaac Corey is currently studying creative writing at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, having transferred from the University of Wisconsin –Milwaukee/Waukesha, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. A man of few words with a dry sense of humor, Isaac appreciates brevity and simplicity—the concise expression afforded by poetry. He writes poetry; he does so
adequately.
Brendan Lentini
Author of The Mighty Oak (Prose)
Brendan Lentini has recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Oswego, having gotten his Bachelor’s in Creative Writing & Cinema and Screen Studies. During his time as a student, he was a Creative Intern at American High and subsequently a Production Intern on-set of the upcoming Hulu release, “Miguel Wants to Fight”, as well as having been awarded the St John Kincaid Award for Best Screenplay in the 2022 SUNY Oswego Creative Writing Awards. An avid writer, he hopes to write powerful, heartfelt, and comedic literature that can be adored and laughed at by many.
Nathan D. Metz
Author of "To Comprehend" and "Compression" (Poetry)
Nathan D. Metz (he/his) is studying English and History at Santa Clara University. His work has been published in Prometheus Dreaming, Ample Remains, and other great journals. He has received scholarships/fellowships from the Elk River Writers Workshop and the Canterbury Program and is currently the Poetry Editor for the Santa Clara Review. He loves poetry and he loves you.
Taylor Marie
Author of "things lost after the divorce" and "swaddle" (Poetry)
Taylor Marie (she/her) is currently completing her baccalaureate degree in English Creative Writing at Fresno State University. Upon graduation in Spring 2023, she plans on pursuing an M.F.A in Creative Writing at Fresno State as well as her passion for three-hour naps between courses and work. When she is not spending days attempting to complete poems from a single murmur that came to her on a random Tuesday night (which she likely forgot to write down), she loves spending quality time gushing over her newborn nephew and girlfriend. This is her first ever submission and she is beyond grateful to be a part of the ZAUM 27 collection.
C J Brady
Author of "Forbidden Portal" (Poetry)
C J Brady is currently studying English at Fresno State University and working in the Special Collections department of the library. She is interested in many forms of media, and recently won a bronze medal from the international Audio Engineering Society for her work in putting sound to visual media. She also spends far too much time on Youtube, collecting strange videos to recommend to her friends and family, like songs about roasted garlic summer sausage.
Jose Lepe
Author of "Summer Nights" (Poetry)
Jose Lepe is a current undergraduate student at Chico State University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English. Prior to this, he served in the Navy as a medic for five years while taking online
courses and writing throughout his enlistment. He grew up in San Fernando, California, and does not recommend supporting the military industrial complex.
Teddy Cleek
Author of Dirt (Short Story - Fiction)
Teddy Cleek is currently studying at Santa Rosa Junior College, planning to transfer in the fall. Their work has been published in Made Local and the Kings River Review. When not listening to indie music by depressed women, you can find them hugging cats or making earrings out of Christmas ornaments.
Marilyn Copley Hilton
Author of "Drought," "Coasting Down Craney Hill," "How to fold a Kimono," and "Stoplight on Lawrence" (Poetry)
Marilyn Copley Hilton's poetry and short fiction have appeared in Mid-American Review, Glassworks, Chariton Review, Sky Island Journal, The Nebraska Review, and Reed, and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She's also the author of the award-winning novels Found Things and Full Cicada Moon. A former technical writer and editor, she holds a MA degree in English/creative writing.
Hayden Demmon
Author of "I saw a ghost" and "something like a gift" (Poetry)
Hayden Demmon is currently completing an Associate of Arts for Transfer degree in English from the College of Alameda. He previously attended University of California, Riverside before leaving to pursue other opportunities, and in Fall 2023 he will be studying English with a concentration in Creative Writing at San Jose State University. This is his first time being published. He’s wanted to be a “real” writer ever since he was seven, and can’t wait to brag about this to his students, his D&D group, and his dogs.
Ross Goodwin
Author of One Man Dystopia (Prose - Literary Fiction)
Ross Goodwin, having an Associate of Arts for Transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College, is slated to finish his Bachelor of Arts with a focus in Literature from San Francisco State University in 2023. Fitting his school studies between gaming, artistic monomaniacisms, and flights of cinematic fancy (binge watching Netflix) is no easy task, yet he always comes out the other side unscathed. No wonder he often thinks 'just one more' before clicking the next episode of Wednesday or letting the next Overwatch match load.
Website: therossthatwrites.com
Felicia Quijano-Beck
Author of "Hamster Wheel" (Poetry)
Felicia Quijano-Beck is currently studying History and English Literature at Sonoma State University and has plans to attend law school after she graduates. In the 2021-22 school year, she studied abroad at Kingston University in London, where she published three pieces of writing in Ripple, the Kingston student anthology. In addition to creative writing, she loves reading Shakespeare, and her all-time favorite literary work is Hamlet. Like Hamlet, she is but mad north-north-west; when the wind is southerly, she knows a hawk from a handsaw.
Gideon Devendra
Author of Thanksgiving (Prose - Fiction)
Gideon Devendra is a student at Santa Clara University studying Sociology, Creative Writing, and Cinema. He is a lover of video games, movies, and all things storytelling. He will be graduating in June of 2023.
Nicole Ashley
Author of "****" (Poetry)
Nicole Ashley is a junior studying at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Her major is integrated strategic communications and she is minoring in multimedia communication and creative writing. She self-published a collection of poems titled “when waves break” in 2020 and she is currently working on her second collection. Nicole hopes to one day, travel the world, once she buys a car of course.
Jordyn Libow
Author of "Abecedarian on Girlhood" (Poetry)
Jordyn Libow is a sophomore at Emory University majoring in English and Creative Writing, and minoring in Business. Jordyn’s love of writing, and specifically poetry writing really blossomed in her poetry writing workshop class this past semester, which was her first formal instruction in poetry writing. Jordyn is also very passionate about creative nonfiction, and is heavily involved in Emory’s student newspaper, The Emory Wheel. When not writing, you can find Jordyn singing karaoke or drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Johannes Lily
Author of She (Prose - Fiction)
Johannes Lily is a current student at Santa Rosa Junior College, studying to transfer to a Creative Writing or Japanese program (they still haven't decided which). When not debating the fate of their future career, they spend their definitely limited time doing the most essential of writing tasks—thinking about writing. Sometimes, when the planets are aligned and the Moon is in Virgo (or something), they acquire the discipline to pen an outline, or even a first draft.
Ali Gervacio
Author of How to Stop your Unhealthy Yarn Obsession (Prose)
Ali Gervacio is a Spring ’22 graduate from SSU with a BA in English Creative Writing. During her time at SSU, she was Zaum 26’s past Senior Editor. In the past, her personal narrative “Horns” was published in The Wall 2020, Saddleback Community College’s Literary Journal. Today, Ali is still plagued by her yarn obsession. Her closet is flooded with countless yarn balls— She even hides a secret stash in her garage. She thinks no one knows about it, but everyone does.
Aly Gerdes
Author of "i for you" (Poetry)
Aly Gerdes is powerlifter and "Elder Emo" who loves live music and mosh-pits extending from Dubstep and House all the way to Pop-Punk and HxC. She is currently an MaT candidate at San Jose State where she is researching "Student Engagement: Infusing Visual Art into High School English Language Arts" at her student-teaching placement. Her career goal for the near future is to finish her credentialing and land a full time teaching position. In the future, Aly will pursue a Masters in English and likely a PhD so she can instruct college literature. Aly also has work published at the REVIVAL SSU, the Riverbed Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Hey Young Writer among others.
Gwenyth Wheat
Author of "Hometown Bar," "Climate of Girls Tea Parties," "Talking to the Sidewalk," "For Geraniums on My Fingertips," "For Pick Me Up Songs," "Comparing Battery Life," and "Grandpa Told Me to Go Get My Fortune Read" (Poetry)
Gwenyth Wheat recently received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire this past winter and works as an account assistant writing copy for an advertising agency. As an early career poet, she has poems published and forthcoming in None of the Above and The Poets’ Touchstone. She is looking forward to continuing to make her way in the poetry community. In addition to writing, she loves laughing with her three sisters and
improving her skills as a Google Calendar expert and chai latte connoisseur.
Amanda Phoenix
Author of "Melting Fish Bowl" (Poetry)
Amanda Phoenix is a fourth year student at SSU majoring in English and Psychology. She has articles published in her hometown’s local newspaper and poems in collaborative poetry books. She loves incorporating things she learns in psychology into her writings.