Contributors

Jane Bernstein will retire this year from Carnegie Mellon University, where for thirty-five years she was a member of the creative-writing program. She looks forward to writing more and expanding her definition of “home” to include both New York City and Harpswell, Maine. (janebernstein.net)

Shuly Xóchitl Cawood lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, where she writes, teaches, and doodles—all while raising two parti poodles and a dwindling number of orchids. Her latest poetry collection, I Am Trying to Love the Whole World, is forthcoming in fall 2026.

Lisa Glatt is the author of the novels A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That and The Nakeds. The leeches doctors applied to her mother’s chest decades ago still haunt her and stir up words. She lives in Long Beach, California. (lisaglatt.com)

Heather Lanier is the author of four poetry collections and a memoir, Raising a Rare Girl, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. She lives in the Garden State, and although she does not garden, she’ll gladly listen to you talk about yours.

Alison Luterman is busy practicing descending minor thirds, going to qigong, and teaching creative-writing classes. She lives in Oakland, California, where there’s a taco truck at the foot of her street. 

Naomi Pitts is a North Carolina State University researcher whose work focuses on stormwater infrastructure and sustainability. A cancer survivor, she is also a passionate advocate for medical research and expanded patient resources, especially for underserved communities.

Craig Reinbold’s writing has been published in AGNI, Guernica, and the 2025 Pushcart Prize XLIX anthology. He became a nurse after giving up on being a writer, but apparently one can do both. He works in the emergency department of a hospital in southeastern Wisconsin.

Joe Wilkins grew up playing pretend on the high plains of eastern Montana. His latest book is Every Sky at Home: Essays on Landscape and Family.

Abbie Brandao lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a houseful of kids and pets. She is delighted that her loquat tree is full of fruit and wishes she could share a jar of jam with you.

Gina Easley is a photographer who also dabbles in writing and abstract painting. She’s inspired daily by the nature she sees outside the window of her home workspace in Eugene, Oregon.

epli is a documentary photographer living in Lafayette, California. Though her heart and bones are at home in the Northeast, her spirit is most alive out west. Her latest project honors trans, butch, and nonbinary parents throughout the country. (homemadefamilyalbum.com)

Candice Estep is a Texas-based photographer who grew up showing livestock and riding ewes with her sister, competing to see who could stay on longer. (Being dragged along still counted.) (candiceestepphoto.com)

Zach McMahan lives in southwest Colorado with his lovely wife, his adorable little daughter, and their fluffy dog, Mancha. He’s a full-time nurse and a less-than-part-time family photographer.

Suzanne Pedersen lives in the Denver, Colorado, area. Through her photography, she aims to meld the solitude she finds in the natural world with the vulnerability of self-portraiture.

Reuben Rios lives in Chicago, Illinois. Every summer, he tries to spend as much time as possible outdoors—preferably at the beach. Follow his year-round adventures on Instagram: @organicindustrial.

Naomi Stolow left a long e-commerce career in London for a better life in the British countryside, by the sea. She lives in an old, renovated milking parlor and loves taking pictures of wildlife, nature, and occasionally people.

Fadi Taher has spent over fifteen years seeking out images that speak to our shared humanity, from ancient pillars casting dramatic shadows to quietly dignified portraits. He lives in San Diego, California.

Terry Wild lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his partner, Jean. After a long career as a commercial photographer and musician, he still enjoys taking photographs and continues to make music with the Young at Heart Big Band. (terrywildstock.com)

Kris Chambas is a retired pediatric nurse practitioner and former pastry chef. She lives on a lake in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and loves spending time with her grandchildren and their yellow Lab, Odie. She snapped our June cover photo on a humid morning in a cattle barn at the Wisconsin State Fair.