Meet the Readers!

K.G. Strayer (they/them) is a trans writer and artist from Kalamazoon, Michigan and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their poems have appeared in Superstition Review, Carve Magazine, and Midwestern Gothic, among others. Their lyric memoir, Stellar Nursery: On My (Trans) Body and My Choice, debuted in 2024. Connect with K.G. on Instagram @kgstrayer.

Casey (she/her) is a student at Pitt and a youth instructor at the Boys and Girls Club. She is going to begin her graduate studies in social work in the fall and also hopes to continue writing poetry on the side.

August (they/they) has been telling stories since before they could even speak their first language. They are 29, neurodivergent, and queer, born in Northern Virginia and raised in West Virginia. They write poems and stories based on their darkest dreams and sweetest nightmares. On weekends with a lovely smelling candle, Japanese tunes, and their demon baby disguised as a cat by their side, August enjoys crocheting, painting, playing on their Switch, and word vomiting into the notes app.

Kendall Snee (she/her) is an English teacher and Pittsburgh poet — a previous Writer-in-Residence for Pittsburgh’s City Books. Her work has been featured in Voices from the Attic, Dionne’s Story for sexual assault survivors, and Pittsburgh’s Yawp magazine.

Natalie De Paz (she/her) is a bisexual, Cuban-American poet and writer born and raised in South Florida. She has a BA in English from Florida International University and an MFA in creative writing from Stony Brook Southampton. Her first full-length poetry collection, Seize the Dread, is forthcoming with Querencia Press. She also writes spicy romance as Corola De Rosa. Follow her on Instagram @gnatpoet and @coroladerosa and check out her websites at nataliedepaz.com and coroladerosa.com to stay abreast of what she’s up to!

Mackenzie (she/her) is a local queer artist who mostly writes poetry and short stories. Other ways that Machenzie expresses her creativity are through music, cooking, and fashion. Her day job is supporting after-school programs. She is a Libra sun, Aquarius moon, and Cancer rising.