John Michael FlynnA resident of central Virginia, John Michael Flynn is currently an English Language Fellow with the US State Department in Khabarovsk, Russia. His most recent poetry collection, Keepers Meet Questing Eyes (2014) is available from Leaf Garden Press.From 1993-95, he taught at the Balti State Pedagogical University in Moldova, and he’s nurtured a mild obsession with the place ever since.

 

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Richard GilbertRichard Gilbert is the author of Shepherd: A Memoir, a story of dreams, loss, fatherhood, and farming. His essays have appeared in Brevity, Chautauqua, Fourth Genre, Orion, River Teeth, and Utne Reader. He has taught creative nonfiction writing and journalism at Ohio State, Indiana University, Ohio University, and currently at Otterbein University, where in addition to teaching essay and memoir writing, he has created a popular class around the theme of the relationship between humans and nature.

 

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IMG_0157Davis Goodrich lives in Colorado, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. He loves drawing, reading, swimming and bouncing on the trampoline. His work has appeared on his mom’s Instagram feed (#dfgart), in multiple sketchbooks and all over his school work. He finds inspiration in nature, books, and movies.

Jenn Goodrich is a graphic designer, mom of three, wife and semi-capable multi-tasker.  Some of the bigger clients she has worked with are TJ Maxx, Wachovia Bank Propel Fitness Water, and Hillshire Farm. Now a freelancer, she has branded Sol Simple Foods (Nicaragua), The Wine Goddess (Chicago), ModLux (Denver), Whitney Plantation (Wallace, LA) and many, many others. Being a champion of her children’s talents has been one of the best surprises of motherhood.

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Headshot_ProximityAnnalise Mabe works in nonfiction, poetry, and comics as she pursues an MFA at the University of South Florida. Her work has been published in Crab Fat literary magazine and featured in ZO’s Poetry Exposé. It is also forthcoming in Cahoots. She reads for Sweet Lit Magazine and is constantly crafting various pieces of her own. She lives in old Seminole Heights with her boyfriend, Kevin, and her cat, Moose.

 

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 Shahé Mankerian’s recent manuscript, History of Forgetfulness, has been a finalist at four prestigious competitions: the 2013 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition, the 2013 Bibby First Book Competition, the Quercus Review Press, Fall Poetry Book Award, 2013, and the 2014 White Pine Press Poetry Prize. Shahé serves as the principal of St. Gregory Hovsepian School in Pasadena and the co-director of the Los Angeles Writing Project. As an educator, he has been honored with the Los Angeles Music Center’s BRAVO Award, which recognizes teachers for innovation and excellence in arts education.

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Fefa Whitman Myer grew up in Bedford, New York and now  lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Born in New York City on July 17, 1923, she has wanted to write all of her life. The Victory Garden is her first published piece.  She attended the ‘American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1941 and joined the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1945, until she was married to Samuel Clarendon Myer in 1946. She and her husband and three daughters lived in Princeton, New Jersey, San Francisco, Ventura, California, and the island of Bermuda.

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Mary Laura Philpott is the author and illustrator of Penguins with People Problems (June 2, 2015, Perigee Books), based on her Tumblr, The Random Penguins. She is the founding editor of Musing, the online literary magazine for Parnassus Books, and she contributes periodically to The New York Times, The Toast, and several other publications. She lives in Nashville with her family.

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IMG_4269Ellee Achten is a writer and editor in Southeast Ohio. As a magazine journalist, she is now exploring the world of creative nonfiction. In 2015, she will be attending the Master of Arts program in creative writing at Ohio University.

Though tests say she is allergic to cocoa, Achten will readily confess to daily consumption. So far, so good.

 

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Jenni_Simmons_headshotJenni Simmons (@jennisimmons) is a creative nonfiction writer, and the editor of the Art House America Blog. Her writing has appeared in Comment Magazine and The Curator, among others. In addition to the liturgy of this strange and common meal, Jenni also notices liturgy in her everyday life, including the liturgy of coffee shops in Houston, Texas, where she often writes. She plans to write a book of these liturgies one day.

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Photo Contributors for this issue include the many talented artists featured on Unsplash.com, a phenomenal free photo-sharing site, as follows: Lukasz Szmigiel (chard), Maja Petric (grapes), Dominik Martin (lemon tea), Neha Deshmukh (cherries), Padurariu Alexandru (coffee), and Sonja Langford (green beans).

Flickr photographers John Sam Chou (lobster), Summer Huggins (gourds), Bill Keaggy (pbj), James Charlick (church), Steve Mohundro (biscuits), enso-on (cafeteria), Fritz Jaspers (kiwi), Sarah Nault (broken glass), Gherstoaga Iulian (Moldova),  and Ashley Anne (Armenian coffee) are also featured. In “Hai La Masa,” photos appear courtesy of Carrie Kilman (herbs) and Kathy Kimpel (apricots).

The photo featured with “Victory Garden” belongs to the Library of Congress, and the wood grain photo was taken by Towles Kintz.