The Avalon Literary Review
Contributors Summer 2021
Lisa Ashley's writing is informed by her work with incarcerated youth and her life experiences in rural New York,  Montana, and the Pacific Northwest. She lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington, where she writes poetry and is a spiritual director. She has been published in The Tishman Review, Amsterdam Quarterly, Last Leaves, The Journal of Undiscovered Poets, Dwelling Literary and has work forthcoming in The Healing Muse.   
 
Abdulmueed Balogun is an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a 2021 HUES Foundation Scholar, longlisted for the 2021 Ebarcee-Prize and shortlisted for the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (BBPC) February/March 2021.

Calvin Becker (www.calvinbecker.com) is a poet, musician and singer/songwriter from Calgary, AB, Canada. His work explores themes, emotions, and ideals in an essentialist style searching the depths of the human quandary. His poetry has been published in the USA & Canada and his music & lyrics have been performed/played in the USA, Germany & Canada.

Ruth Berman’s work has appeared in many general and literary magazines and anthologies. Her novel, Bradamant’s Quest, was published by FTL Publications. She was one of the contributors to Lady Poetesses from Hell (Bag Person Press Collective). Recent publications include Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Whistling Shade and Indefinite Space.

Moni Brar is an immigrant, writer and farmer living on the unsurrendered territories of the Treaty 7 Region and Syilx Okanagan Nation. Her writing explores diasporan guilt, cultural identities, and trauma. Her most recent work is forthcoming in Passages North, CV2 and Prairie Fire. Find her on Instagram: @monibrar

Llyn Clague lives in Sleepy Hollow, NY. His poems have been published widely, including in Ibbetson Street, Atlanta Review, Wisconsin Review, California Quarterly, Main Street Rag, New York Quarterly, and other magazines. His eighth book, Up Close And Nuclear, was published by Main Street Rag. Visit www.llynclague.com

Dominick Copas teaches high school and wishes he had more time to read. Although he would enjoy writing the Great American Novel, he is probably writing about love. His work has appeared in Dazed Starling of California Baptist University, and he continues to submit work to magazines across the country. He graduated from California Baptist University (regrets it), and he received his teaching credential from Cal Poly Pomona (doesn’t).

Julian Grant is a filmmaker, educator, and author of strange short stories, outlaw poetry, full-length novels/non-fiction texts and outsider comix. A tenured Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago, his work has been published by Dark Fire UK, Quail Bell, Crepe & Penn, Alternative History Magazine, The Chamber Magazine, Clever Magazine, Peeking Cat Literary Journal, Danse Macabre, Fiction on the Web, CafeLit, Horla, Bond Street Review, Free Bundle, Filth Literary Magazine, Horror Sleaze Trash and The Adelaide Literary Magazine.  

Robert Hasselblad of Mount Vernon WA has been writing poetry since college days, half a century ago.  Recently retired from 43 years in the lumber industry, he devotes time to writing, walking, reading and speculative napping.  Recent poems can be found in The Big Windows Review,  Tipton Poetry Journal, and K’in.  Follow on Twitter @rafh49. 

Robert Hirschfield is a New York-based poet and freelance writer. His work has appeared in Salamander, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, The Moth, Noon, The Iconoclast and many other publications. His chapbook, The Road To Canaan, was published by Presa Press in 2019.

Deborah Kent began her literary career as a writer of young-adult novels and nonfiction titles for middle-grade readers. Her essays have appeared in Persimmon Tree, The McGuffin, Damselfly, and in several anthologies. She edits the quarterly magazine Future Reflections, published by the National Federation of the Blind for parents and teachers of blind children.

Lauren Koong is a student at Lamar High School in Houston, Texas. Her work has been recognized by the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, as well as the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/15/learning/it-took-a-global-pandemic-to-stop-school-shootings.html) She is also the editor-in-chief of her high school newsmagazine, Lamar Life (www.lamarlife.org) 

Reed Kuehn has called Wisconsin, Washington DC, North Carolina, and Colorado home, but currently lives and writes in Rhode Island. As a combat veteran with a background in medicine, he’s fairly new to writing short prose fiction. His work has appeared in the Adelaide Literary Magazine, The Raven Review, The First Line, and So It Goes.

R. Mullin is a Mississippi writer. He labors under all of the disabilities that condition entails.

Carl “Papa” Palmer of Old Mill Road in Ridgeway, Virginia, lives in University Place, Washington. He is retired from the military and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enjoying life as “Papa” to his grand descendants and being a Franciscan Hospice volunteer. PAPA’s MOTTO: Long Weekends Forever!

Author of the novels Lily Steps Out and Feminine Products, and the short story collection Alterations, Rita Plush is the book reviewer for Fire Island News. Her stories and essays have been published in The Alaska Quarterly Review, MacGuffin, The Iconoclast, Art Times, The Sun, The Jewish Writing Project, The Jewish Literary Journal, Kveller, Jewish Week, Down in the Dirt, Potato Soup Journal, The Best of Potato Soup 2020, Flash Fiction Magazine, Broadkill Review, Backchannels, LochRaven and Chicken Soup for the Soul. She teaches memoir at the Fire Island School and Queensborough Community College. http://www.ritaplush.com

Marilee Pritchard is a retired RN who lives in the Chicago suburbs and likes to cook, play the piano, and create poetry that tells a story, uses accessible language, and employs beautiful imagery. She is a member of the Second Saturday Poets in Palatine, IL. Recent and forthcoming publications include: Paterson Literary Review, After Hours, Passager, and Naugatuck River Review.

Veronica Reilly-Granich writes fiction, essays and nonfiction and has had her work published in The Alabama Literary Review, Diverse Voices Quarterly, and Educational Leadership.  With a strong interest in the way the unseen impacts everyday life, she writes about emotions, supernatural creatures, love and how people relate to one another in the midst of the chaos of existence. Her writing is fueled by chai tea and classical music; conversely it is frequently interrupted by her cat and two young daughters. Learn more at www.veronicareillywrites.com 

Bryan Starchman is an author, published playwright, and educator living in San Francisco. In the past year his short fiction has been featured in The Saturday Evening Post and in the literary magazines Litro, After Dinner Conversation, In Parentheses, Scribble, Apracity, The Good Life Review, The Write City Magazine, Flumes, Some Scripts and The New Plains Review. Learn more about Bryan at www.bryanstarchman.com 

William Thierfelder is a retired Professor of Arts and Humanities who lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is a lecturer, writer, and artist. He returns every autumn to his hometown of New York City where he continues his work as a docent and fossil explainer at the American Museum of Natural History.

John Tustin’s poetry has appeared in many disparate literary journals since 2009. fritzware.com/johntustinpoetry contains links to his published poetry online.

Before teaching English Composition in Maryland, Josh Young was a writer and videographer for a local television station, a landscape photographer, an independent film maker, and a theater stage hand. He is currently working on his seventh novel.