CONTRIBUTOR BIOS
Born and raised in Victoria, BC, Emily Briar is an avid fantasy- and cat-lover.
She currently lives with her family and two cats.
Robin Carrico is a 21-year-old trans comic artist living in Victoria, BC. He is a
student at Camosun and competed the comics and graphic novels course in 2023.
His pieces often reflect his life and experiences as a queer and autistic person.
MJ Connelly (he/they) is a Camosun student in the Associate of Arts in English
program. He was born and raised on the traditional and unceded territories of the
lək̓ʷəŋən peoples. When not reading or writing, he can be found riding his motorcycle
or supporting the performing arts through labour. Post-graduation, they intend to
complete their BA in Professional Communications at Royal Roads University.
Phoenix Guzzo is an artist, student, and uninvited settler from Tk’emlúps te
Secwempemc territories. He studies visual arts at Camosun College. His artistic
practice encompasses painting, drawing, and photography. Phoenix is the recipient
of the Shemilt Family Cultural Engagement Award (2024) for demonstrating
exceptional awareness of and respect for cultural matters. His work utilizes suitable
material to consider time, relations to past and future; space, connecting to nature;
personal experience, subjectivity and interpretation; and their intersections.
Micah James is a Camosun College alumnus and current UVic student studying
anthropology and archaeology here in her home province of British Columbia. She
has been writing stories since the second grade and poems since the third and hopes
she will be able to find an avenue to share more of her work with others. Micah is
inspired by the works of L. M. Montgomery and the beautiful surroundings of the
place she calls home.
Kae S. Kendal-Macleod has been a writer of creative non-fiction for 15 years.
While they specialize in prose, they have enjoyed experimenting with freeform poetry.

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Kenzie Kiefert is currently a 20-year-old Visual Arts student at Camosun. She is slowly
trying to make her way into the film industry to be a director/actress. She is hoping to
eventually publish a book of poetry.
Emma Kollman is a 22-year-old aspiring writer and slam poet who resides on the land of
the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. She is a 2020 Artemis Secondary Graduate. During
her time at Artemis, Emma competed with the school’s slam poetry team, coming in 3rd
at the Victorious Voices Youth Arts Festival in 2019. Emma is currently finishing her first
year of an Arts & Sciences degree at Camosun College.
Amelie Lorenz is a collage artist, writer, and English student at Camosun, originally
from Merritt, BC. Her recent work focuses on themes of womanhood and mental health,
often with a fantastical twist. If she is not using her Xacto knife to hack away at ‘90s
magazines, she is either found reading or engaged in various old lady activities.
Gracie Marsman is a multimedia artist living on the traditional and unseeded territories
of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ lands. When creating, Gracie is often inspired by the
natural landscapes around her, as well as magic and folklore. Her art often explores the
subconscious—linking feelings and experiences together. When Gracie is not creating, she
is pouring cozy drinks and snuggling up with her pets and a good book.
Max Orlowski (they/he) has been enrolled at Camosun since 2023 and is currently taking
various creative writing classes in order to improve their writing abilities. He has goals to
become an author and graphic novelist in the speculative fiction genre. When Max is not
writing, he likes to spend time drawing, listening to music, and playing video games.
Grace Patterson is a lover of all things literary. Currently a first-year student at Camosun,
Grace is looking to obtain her Bachelors in writing. In her spare time Grace can be found
watching movies, baking, or playing with her cats.

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Miles Patterson is a West Coast poet and all-around creative. He has mostly
used poetry to talk about his inner experience and the difficulties of life, while
occasionally writing funny poems as well. Miles is the founder of Expressions:
Spoken Word Calgary (now called All The Way Up: Spoken Word Calgary). He
also enjoys photography and filmmaking. Miles graduated from the Motion Picture
Production Program at Pacific Design Academy in 2023.
Emma Poole is a Camosun alumnus currently studying psychology at the University
of Victoria. During her time at Camosun, Emma rediscovered her love of writing in
which she enjoys touching on her life and personal experiences. Outside of writing
and her studies, Emma enjoys music, including singing and playing the clarinet,
flute, and ukulele.
Eva Marie Richard is a proud mother of three wonderful children, and a military
veteran. With life experiences, she brings warmth and humour into all she does.
Retired now, Eva Marie enjoys taking art and language classes and sharing laughs
with others.
Zara Rodger is a third-year Camosun student in the accounting program, with
several writing programs under her belt. She is identifiable by her bright pink hair
and the constant presence of a book. When not reading (rare) or writing, she can be
found crocheting, running after her dogs, or harping about plot holes. This is Zara’s
first time having her work published, so she hopes you enjoy it!
Lucía del Pilar Saldaña Grajales immigrated from Mexico to Canada. Moving
to Canada led to some challenges: the one she least expected was to see her family
transition from united to separated. Losing her family home—the place that once
held us together—has made her reflect on the memories we shared and what remains.

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Uvia Smith-Wood grew up in the scenic town of Nelson, BC, before relocating
to Victoria for university. In 2023-24, while attending Camosun College, she
was honored with the Shemilt Family Non-Fiction Writing Award. Currently,
Uvia is studying English and Creative Writing at the University of Victoria.
A passionate writer, she draws inspiration from both her personal experiences
and the richness of her imagination. When she’s not studying, you can find
Uvia travelling around the world.
H. S. Stavropoulos was born and raised in a small Greek village in the middle
of Oakland, California. They write from the crossroads of life as the child of
Greek immigrants, and an outsider who lives between two worlds. Genres include
mystery/murder, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and weird fiction/horror.
Vem Stevens is a curious creature who seeks to find the intersection of living
life with beauty and fullness, pain and passion, grief and existential dread—all
organized and colour-coded. They are waiting to splash vibrantly into the present
moment with a squirt of paint, chime of bells, or burst of prose. They have a deep
interest in plants, love, bodies, and the ecology of how we relate to ourselves, each
other, and the world.
Jasmine Wagstaff is a 22-year-old college student. She writes a lot about her
experiences with mental health and substance abuse, focusing mostly on the
recovery side of things. The poem she wrote is about loss and letting go, and
those things she still can’t let go of. She’s very open about her recovery journey
and she likes to think she can use her experiences to help others overcome their
hardships as well.
Sydney Young is an interdisciplinary artist and a current student at Camosun
in the Visual Art Program. Her current works explore the use of photography,
video art, and installation. She explores themes of feminism and identity through
upfront imagery and using light as a lost language between herself and the viewer.

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