Poet, photographer, and mosh pit enthusiastic Cari (she/they) is a second-year MFA poetry candidate at the University of New Hampshire. She received her BA in English with a concentration in writing from Worcester State University in 2022. During her undergraduate study, she attended the Salem Poetry Seminar at Salem State University, where she discovered a deep affection for love poetry.

Cari is the author of two poetry chapbooks: Only the Pretty Lesbians Go to Heaven (2024) and Late Night Train Lights (2018). Lately, she has been admiring the work of writers such as Dorothea Lasky, Yōko Ogawa, and Dianne Seuss, though her work is highly influenced by 2010's gothic metal.

If not busy writing about the intricate dramatics of love or the fine art of yearning, Cari can be found wandering aimlessly around New England, stealing inspiration from every coffee shop and club venue she can find.

Caleb (he/him) is a poet, journalist, and lord of the living room with a burning passion for a half-soup, half-sandwich meal deal. He is a second-year MFA poetry candidate at the University of New Hampshire, where he also received his BA, in English and Journalism, in 2021. Previously, he’s worked as assistant editor at New Hampshire Magazine, reported for America’s Test Kitchen’s “Proof” podcast, Down East Magazine, and Beer & Weed Magazine, and published poetry with Polaris Literary Magazine and Write on the DOT. 

With respect to brevity, the following is a list of things Caleb loves, in no particular order: Richard Linklater flicks (but especially Dazed and Confused); an ice-cold Miller High Life; quoting Vince Vaughn at random; pick-up basketball; “The Man” by Roc Marciano; shooting the breeze; and the illusion of free will. His favorite writers include Jesse Nathan, Mekeel McBride, Helen Oyeyemi, Bob Kaufman, billy woods, and Yusef Komunyakaa. When he isn’t holding court at a dimly-lit watering hole or embracing his youth, you can find Caleb out on the town, digging the scene.

Steph (she/her) is a writer, audio editor, and second-year nonfiction MFA student at UNH. She bounced around her undergrad years and eventually received her BA in Communications from UMass Amherst in 2017. She has previously written for The American Gardener and spent five years producing podcasts for Heinemann Publishing. She has since gone on to work on several independent shows and explore the world of creative nonfiction. When not writing or splicing waveforms, you can find her listening to music, working on her latest embroidery project, or enjoying New Hampshire’s famous 18 miles of coastline.

Sophia (she/her) is a second-year fiction writing MFA student at the University of New Hampshire who has been writing funny little original stories and fanfiction since the age of ten. In 2022, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s degree in history with a focus on North American and Eastern European history. In recent years, she draws upon her background in research to fuel her creative fiction work. Her writing is often influenced by the Slavic mythology, folklore, and fairytales she grew up on as a daughter of Ukrainian immigrants.

When she isn’t writing, you can find Sophia wandering through the woods, sampling chai lattes at every café she comes across, listening to Euro pop music, skiing down the nearest mountain, or knitting yet another pair of socks.

Skylar Miklus is a second-year poetry MFA candidate at the University of New Hampshire. They received their B.A. in Philosophy from Dartmouth College in 2022, where they studied poetry under Vievee Francis and rediscovered their lifelong love for writing. Skylar draws inspiration from writers such as Jill Bialosky, Hilary Plum, Aricka Foreman, Tiana Clark, and Melissa Febos. Their work has appeared in Electric Literature, Defunct Magazine, Rogue Agent Journal, and elsewhere. 

When not writing or furiously working toward their monthly reading goal, you can find Skylar rock climbing, hitting the queer bar for karaoke, or wandering an independent bookstore.

Haley is a poet and second-year MFA student at the University of New Hampshire. Haley is originally from the Blue Ridge Mountain region, where she attended the University of Lynchburg, receiving a BA in marketing and graphic design. Apart from serving as Barnstorm's Arts Editor, she is this year's Graduate Assistant for the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival. 

If not out on a walkabout writing poems for the birds and the trees, you can find her with a coffee in hand, probably still thinking about the birds and trees and definitely the moon. Writers who inspire her currently are Mary Oliver, Robin Kimmerer, and Galway Kinnell.