BEFORE YOU /// Nia Johnson

BEFORE YOU

///Nia Johnson

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staff biographies.

MELISSA MARTIN

Editor in Chief

AUSTIN DEMEGLIO

Associate Editor

Austin DeMeglio is a senior at UNC Charlotte. He is an English major focused in creative writing. He also has a minor in Diverse Literatures and Cultures. Austin loves video games almost more than books. He also enjoys writing poetry from time to time. Watching a good show is a good way for Austin to not be productive. Austin hopes to be a published author one day. Until that day happens, he will continue to connect with the natural and digital world.

Melissa Martin is a senior pursuing dual majors in English and Psychology, and double minoring in Linguistics and Cognitive Science. When not reading books for class, Melissa can be found reading books for fun. She aims to work for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, researching best practices for educating children through media.

ELISSA MILLER

Volunteer YESIKA SORTO ANDINO

Volunteer

APRIL LIN

Designer

April Lin is a senior at UNC Charlotte studying Graphic Design with a minor in Japanese. She enjoys finding new shows to binge, traveling, and taking naps. Her talents include: looking tired, illustrating, and eating a lot of food without gaining weight. April hopes to be a graphic designer for an organization that focuses on being sustainable and eco-friendly.

ANDREW WALKER

Content/Copy-Editor

Andrew Walker Watson is a junior International Studies Major. He loves Brazilian rap music, discovering useless facts, and, naturally, writing. If he could ever stop staring out into space, he would like to start a global movement to change the world and guest host Saturday Night Live.

DANIEL JOHNSON

Content/Copy-Editor

Daniel Johnson is a third-year Philosophy major with a minor in Public Health and Math. His hobbies include music, reading, and watching any manner of film. Daniel’s goals include practicing medicine, artful entrepreneurship, and all manner of leisure.

CLAIRE HAMBRICK

Promotions Coordinator

Claire Hambrick is a freshman

Communications major with a minor in women & gender studies. Besides working at Sanskrit, she spends her time doing photography, listening to music, and planning movie nights with friends. She plans to one day be an editor in chief of a high paced culture and arts magazine.

LITERARY-ARTS 109

ART JUDGES

Karen Shinn is an alum of UNC Charlotte with a BFA in Graphic Design & Photography and minor in Art History. She is a former Editor of Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine, through which she met her husband, Adam. Karen loves traveling the world, experiencing new cultures, and documenting them through her and her husband’s blog: Appetite + Adventure. Nathaniel Lancaster is a North Carolina native and alum of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a ’09 BFA in Painting. Much of his personal work is a ponderance of propositional absurdity of everyday life. When not writing third person autobiographical statements, he enjoys clean living, eating healthy and waking up early. Tina Alberni has been practicing as an artist, administrator and teacher in the visual arts field since the early 1990s. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in art education and has received awards, exhibited and sold to collectors on several continents. Alberni is a fulltime artist. Her bi-cultural heritage and upbringing weaves into the fabric of her art. Her current works are reactions to present-day events and plights of endangered animals. LITERARY JUDGES

Edison Angelbello is a poet, filmmaker, and student living in New York City. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from UNC Charlotte in 2019, and he currently studies at the Writing Program at Columbia University. Edison’s work has been published in Sanskrit and Atlantis: A Creative Magazine. He also creates marketing and event videos. For more information on his work, visit edisonangelbello.com. David E. Poston is the author of three poetry collections, most recently Slow of Study (Main Street Rag). His book reviews appear regularly in Pedestal, and he is a co-editor of Kakalak. Christopher Davis is a Professor of Creative Writing (Poetry) in the English Department at UNC Charlotte. He is the author of four books of poetry: The Tyrant of the Past and the Slave of the Future, The Patriot, A History of the Only War, and the recently-published Oath. His poems have appeared in many prominent journals and anthologies.

CONTRIBUTORS

literary.

Claire Scott is an award-winning poet who has received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations. Her work has been accepted by the Atlanta Review, Bellevue Literary Review, New Ohio Review, Enizagam, and Healing Muse among others. Claire is the author of Waiting to be Called and Until I Couldn’t. She is the co-author of Unfolding in Light: A Sisters’ Journey in Photography and Poetry. F.S. Blake is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. His first chapbook, Terminal Leave, is available from Finishing Line Press. Blake has also been nominated for the Georgia Author of the Year award. A Bronze Star decorated U.S. Army veteran, he is a published photographer, traveler, advanced SCUBA diver, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and proud husband and father.

After many years of restless seeking, Beth Escott Newcomer now lives a quiet life with her husband and a pack of dogs in rural Fallbrook, California. Her stories have appeared in a good number of quality literary journals. Her story “Tightrope” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2014. To support her writing habit, she manages an eponymous graphic design and communications firm and sells plants in the family cacti and succulent nursery. Mary Louise Kiernan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in Written Media from The State University of New York. Writing workshops she has attended include Finding Our Voices: Women and Creativity, with the late Lucille Clifton; The Omega Institute, with Sharon Olds; The New York State Writers Institute, with Peg Boyers, at Skidmore College; and the 2016 Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, with past U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera.

Saramanda Swigart completed an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a supplementary degree in literary translation. Her work has received an honorable mention from Glimmer Train and a 2017 Pushcart Prize nomination. Saramanda is working on translating some of the more salacious stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Saramanda teaches at City College of San Francisco. Valerie Griggs earned an MFA in CreativeWriting at Brooklyn College (1986), studying with John Ashbury and William Matthews. She enjoys being a part of the vibrant community of poets in Long Island, NY. She currently works as a full-time writing consultant and adjunct English instructor at Molloy College. As a singer/songwriter, she recorded 3 original music CDs. Alessio Zanelli is an Italian

poet who writes in English and whose work has appeared in some 170 literary journals from 15 countries. His fifth original collection, titled The Secret Of Archery, was published in 2019 by Greenwich Exchange (London). For more information please visit www.alessiozanelli. it.

Iris Litt’s most recent book of poems is “Snowbird” from Finishing Line Press, inspired by her winter home on Anna Maria Island. She has had many poems, stories and essays in literary magazines. She has taught creative writing as adjunct at SUNY/Ulster, Bard College, NY Public Library, etc. Woodstock, NY, is her upnorth home.

Rochelle Shapiro’s novel, Miriam the Medium (Simon & Schuster, 2004), was nominated for the Harold U. Ribelow Award. Her poetry has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, and she won the Branden Memorial Literary Award from Negative Capability. Spry Magazine nominated her poem for the Best of the Net. She currently teaches writing at UCLA Extension.

Frank Richards has attended numerous workshops, including the Algonkian Novel Writers workshop, Writers Online Workshops, Gotham Writers Workshops, and workshops at The Writer’s Center in Maryland. Frank is currently taking writing and literature classes toward an MFA. He lives in rural Virginia with his wife and an assortment of rescued cats and German shepherds.

Bonnie Larson Staiger was the inaugural recipient of the Voices of the Plains & Prairies Poetry Prize for her debut chapbook, Destiny Manifested (NDSU Press, 2018) as well as the 2019 Independent Press Award: Distinguished Favorite. Living on the edge of the Badlands brings balance to her professional life as founder and chairman of the board of Staiger Consulting Group. Ellen Lager is a member of the League of MN Poets and the Federation of State Poetry Societies. She has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota. Her favorite haunt is a lake cabin in northern Minnesota.

Shawna Ervin is a Pushcart nominee and an MFA candidate in the Rainier Writers Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University. She is studying nonfiction and poetry. In 2017 she attended the Mineral School residency thanks to a fellowship from the Sustainable Arts Foundation. Recent publications include Tampa Review, Raw Art Review, Euphony,Talking River, Summerset Review, Hiram Poetry Review, and Steam Ticket. Her poetry chapbook, Mother Lines, was published by Finishing Line Press.

Anna Grace Thrailkill is an English Major working on her undergrad at UNC Charlotte. She has worked in journalism

and finds great fulfillment in all writing pursuits. After she finishes her B.A. in Creative Writing, Anna Grace hopes to work in a field related to publishing and editing. In her spare time, Anna Grace finds joy in baking for her small business, cuddling with her kitty, and taking care of her extensive houseplant collection.

Katharine Gregg is a retired secondary school teacher. She has previously worked in book publishing and publicity, as a self-employed writer, and as the managing editor of Sacred Fire magazine. Gregg has a BA in English from Bennington College; an MA in English from Mills College; an MFA from Vermont College; and worked on a Ph.D. in English at UC Berkeley. James Adams was nominated in 2007 for a Pulitzer Prize for his collection, Noble Savage: Poems. His poems have appeared in or are forthcoming in Rattle; Light: A Journal of Photography & Poetry; The Muse (India), and other publications. His work has been translated into Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian. He is a co-editor of the forthcoming anthology Elusions: Refugee Poetry (WaterWood Press, publication expected 2020).

A Little Piece of Me (2014), received numerous positive reviews and has a five-star ranking on Amazon. Stephen Geller is an internationally known pathologist, chaired the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, for twenty-two years, and served as professor of the Department of Pathology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. Geller maintains an active blog at www.stephenageller.com.

Patrick Bahls is a Professor of Mathematics and Director of the University Honors Program atthe University of North Carolina, Asheville. He is an ardent believer in the ability of a well-written poem to say more than any mathematical theorem.

A writer, photographer, painter, and creative writing facilitator, Laurie Reiche lives part-time in London, where she concentrates on photgraphing the city, particularly Virginia Woolf’s Bloomsbury. Reiche is the author of The Dance of the Carbon-Atom (Mellen Poetry Press, 1996) and has won first place in several contests, including the riverrun Literary Publication of the University of Colorado Poetry Competition.

In addition to several poems forthcoming this year, Christopher Kuhl has several collections of poetry, includingmost recently one on the Holocaust (2019), and just released, It’s Like Asking Who the Ocean Is. Three more books are scheduled for 2020. Individual poems and short stories have been published in Tulane Review; Alabama Literary Review; Big Muddy; and Round Magazine. He asks, in a nutshell, why we

don’t fall off the earth.

Emily Sanders is an English Graduate student who enjoys gothic horror fiction, vampires, and the uncanny. An old soul, she spends her time collecting vinyls and comic books, and drinking overly sweet coffee at antique bookstores. She loves writing short stories and poetry with her rescue pitbull, Winnie, cuddled up next to her. Gale Acuff has had hundreds of poems published in several countries and is the author of three books of poetry. He has taught university English in the US, China, and Palestine.

Paul Hundt is a retired lawyer who writes exclusively in the personal essay/creative non-fiction genre. His efforts have been published in the Palo Alto Review, Notre Dame Magazine, Ducts.org, Oxford Magazine, and The Massachusetts Review.

art.

Kelly Byas is a sophomore at UNC Charlotte where she studies architecture. When she’s not in studio, she enjoys running, swimming, and reading. Kelly is very thankful for her friends and family and loves to spend time with them.

Danielle Walden is a sophomore pursuing a BFA in Illustration. Danielle, an avid anime lover, enjoys watching YouTube, reading webcomics, doing yoga, and studying French and Japanese. Her main goal is to create amazing stories to share with people in the hopes that they can be as inspired as she is when viewing others’ artworks. Anna Johnson is a junior studying special education. She loves to draw her favorite Kentucky basketball players and other people who inspire her. She posts her work on her Instagram @MarbledArt. Aiden Williams. Architecture student intertwining necessary actions with hobbies including biking, cooking, reading, and working on a zine called A Dollar and Thirty Five Cents Spelled Out. Can be found seeking out a place that serves Singha or perfecting his secret broth recipe. Andy Romero is currently pursuing an MFA degree at the University of Washington. He holds a BFA from Brigham Young University-Idaho and a Post Baccalaureate from the University of Florida. Romero has also been a Resident Artist at San Diego State University. He recently received a merit award in the 11th International Art Competition based in Salt Lake City and has been included in the 2020 NCECA Juried Student Exhibition.

Zainab Elrahal was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, and is a sophomore attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is currently pursuing her B.F.A in Ceramics. Zainab has always held a passion for creating artwork

and strives to explore many different media separate from her specialties. She has been recognized in art shows at UNC Charlotte and Scholastic ceremonies.

Carolina Quintana is an Illustration major who loves to create imaginary worlds and characters that not only inspire others to create but also remind them of their inner child. She loves watching cartoons and reading comics, and she strives to make stories that will move others to act or to feel something different. Whenever she has free time, she likes to watch movies, eat pancakes at iHop, and go out with friends.

James Bourke is a graphic design student and fine artist attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. They have been an art student their whole life which evolved into their gravitation toward graphic design. As a trans artist and designer, their work revolves around the existentialism of human journeys, thoughts, personhood and identity. More of their works can be seen at jamesbourke.myportfolio.com or on their Instagram @jamesbourkedesign

Malik J. Norman is from Mineral Springs, North Carolina. He is pursuing a degree in the COA+A BFA concentration Photography program. In his composition he explores his southern Black identity while investigating the resilience of Black gold. Josephine Justin was born in Tamil Nadu, India and moved to the US when she was a baby. She enjoys creating art that captures the moments and feelings of everyday life but also what it’s like being an immigrant. In her free time, she likes spending time with family and friends or reading a good book outdoors. As a political science major at UNC Charlotte, she hopes to create a positive impact in her community.

Lillian McKenzie is currently studying Illustration, Art History, and Computer Science here at UNCC. She cares about showing the inner workings of human emotions and relationships through her art. She tries to focus on her communication skills within her work to create a strong dialog with the viewer. In this way, she hopes to spark conversations and new ideas for those she reaches.

Cristian Ponce is an Early College of Engineering student interested in computer and data science who is also an enthusiast photographer. His photography is usually focused on nature on campus, however, it also covers nature in California, South Carolina, and Detroit, as well as interpretations of local art in Windsor, Ontario.

Teresa Deanne Lopez is an Illustration student at UNCC with a love for creating art in colored pencil. She plans to become a children’s book illustrator and hopes to illustrate colorful and

amusing stories that will inspire children everywhere. She also enjoys crafting with Washi tape, journaling, and teaching Sunday School. Alayna Gorospe is currently a senior pursuing a degree and career in Graphic Design. Aside from digital work, she has a passion for film photography and fiber arts. Her work aesthetic is very detail-oriented, clean and is represented in all the work she does.

Millicent Read was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a second-year Illustration BFA Major here at UNCC. She prefers to work in graphite but is learning to love all sorts of mediums! If she’s not working on any art you’re bound to find her watching Star Trek.

Julius Shumpert is a BFA Painting major who is interested in exploring themes in religious art and how we relate to iconography in the modern world. Emily Coulter is a physics and philosophy major who still can’t solve crosswords without cheating. She has been observed making armies of origami cranes, cooking cuisine she doesn’t have the tools for, and abusing 3D printers for her instrument collection. Currently advocating for a Makerspace chicken to keep her company.

Maggie Burgan received degrees in Studio Art and Art History from UNCC with extended coursework in Psychology. Her interests are in museum work, non-profit community arts programming, and art therapy. Currently, she is working as the Public Programs Coordinator at the Mint Museum. Maggie values the creative process and its ability to facilitate learning, healing, and community building.

Aslin Chavarria Ayala is a sophomore pursuing Photography here in UNCC’s Art program. Her favorite thing about photography is experimenting with different styles and trying to gain better skills. She plans to continue finding her own style and putting her life into her work.

Mirelys Colon is a Freelance Illustrator based near Durham, North Carolina. Mirelys is a recent UNC Charlotte graduate with a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Illustration. She loves comics, animation, and video games. Mirelys’ favorite genre is definitely fantasy. She loves creating characters and telling stories. She hopes to someday be a part of the media she reads, watches, and plays every day. She is slowly working on a comic of her own.

Kelly Gilbert is a junior pursuing Graphic Design at UNC Charlotte. The first time she stepped into a painting studio, the instructor encouraged everyone to chuck paintbrushes at the wall. This experience, along with countless hours spent watching Studio Ghibli

films, has shaped the way Kelly approaches her practice. She tries to include the same spunk and whimsy into every project, while creating explorative atmospheres viewers can momentarily get lost in. Catherine Traina is 20-years-old and an artist. She is from Florida and moved to North Carolina seven years ago. As a child, she loved Van Gogh and Picasso’s works because of the vibrant colors and how these colors served as beautiful lenses to see the world through. This gave her an artistic passion which she used to fuel her exploration into new media like oils and acrylic paints.

Mekayla Johnson is a prospective Graphic Design major from Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Robert Salazar-Guevara is a Mexican-American photographer from Greensboro, NC. Robert sees photography as a way of capturing history and his own memories. Because of this, he rarely goes somewhere with the intention of taking photographs. He simply carries his camera around and captures his own real life experiences. None of the photographs taken by Robert are staged in any way. They are all real moments from his life.

Isabella Trivette is an 18-yearold art student from Greensboro, NC. She really enjoys drawing and designing characters from traits, themes, and random thoughts in her brain. She draws in a more anime/cartoony style due to her influences from anime and pop culture. Besides drawing, she also really loves sewing and cosplay.

Crystal Zapata is a graphic design student who loves being able to break away from the computer from time to time to get her hands dirty making a physical work of art.

Lindsey Nash (Riggs) is a photographer and graphic designer from Charlotte NC. She has been photographing for 10 years now and loves learning new photographic processes and trying new things. Street photography is where she feels most at home, but she is always excited to step outside of her comfort zone and try something new and exciting.

Miss Asantewaa Hooks: dragon slayer, graphic designer, professional empress and shower singer, a 20-year-old Senior at UNC Charlotte.

Sheree Davidson is a Junior at UNCC, majoring in Illustration. Her goal as an illustrator is to show others how she perceives the world. Illustration has given her the freedom to explore beauty and boldness. By doing this she hopes to influence others so they develop their own interests in the art world.

Miilo has been doing art for as long as she can remember. Nothing stopped her from achieving everything she could ever want. Art is her life. She

loves the risks she takes, the way she thinks, the way she makes people feel with her art and more! She has a YouTube channel in which she posts all of her art timelapses. Find her at: https://m.youtube.com/ channel/UCCXnV1tZRGDVWczuL3ewgJA?itct=CBkQ6p4EIhMI_6v7kOrR5QIVk-ecCh0wOw1e&csn=OMTAXZWwOsyEhwa5ooMY&wlfg=true. Her works can also be seen at www.instagram.com/miilosart and https://miilosart.com Here’s to taking more risks and making more art! Ashley Jung is a junior at UNCC studying illustration and painting. She loves pastel color schemes, mixing oil paints, and reading obscure manga. If she’s not in her studio painting then you can probably find her running around drinking copious amounts of coffee. One day in the distant future she would like to become some kind of artist. She’s alive, not well, and can be found on Instagram @Yelhsajung.

Steven Reyes is a self-taught artist who discovered the art of self-expression through painting. Growing up he was always a quiet kid, and for about three years now he’s been able to find my voice through art. Steven has been able to meet and connect with his idols through art and is relieved that he’s finally found his purpose. Kevin Canales, 18-years-old, born in New Jersey. I am a first-generation student, with parents from Honduras. As a kid, I never thought I’d be a creative artist. I was mainly focused on video games but at 15, I discovered a hidden talent when Illustrator came into my life. Through many obstacles in life, I was able to express myself through digital art and illustration. This is my life.

Hannah Clonts is a painter who is inspired by objects forgotten or abandoned by humans. Ancient cultures fascinate her, and archaeology heavily influences her work. She experiments in utilizing nature and found objects in her paintings, resulting in unique products.

Nia Johnson is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up in Pinehurst, NC. She is a senior at UNCC graduating in May 2020. When not studying, working, or participating in clubs on campus, Nia is creating music. The song, ‘Before You,’ was written and co-produced by Nia, hoping to connect with others struggling with self-love. The music video was inspired by Spike Lee, an influential artist for Nia.

Grayson Sullivan

THANK YOU.

Contributors: Thank you all for choosing us to showcase you work. Without you all, this magazine would not be possible.

Volunteers: Thank you all for your help putting this magazine together. We wouldn’t be here without any of you.

Wayne Maikranz: Thank you for your support and the helpful advice you gave along the way.

Kelly Dudden: Thank you for your patience in answering our constant stream of questions and for always having a positive attitude.

Joshua Wood: Thank you for always coming to us in our time of need and not judging us for tainting your magazine.

Kelly Merges: Thank you for your help with circulation and encouraging us to showcase Sanskrit to the world.

Laurie Cuddy: Thank you for being a wonderful Business Manager and an important part of Niner Media.

Art & Literature Jury: Thank you for dedicating your time to helping us pick the very best work to feature in Sanskrit.

Wallace Printing: Thank you for taking our idea and turning it into a reality. Without your team, there would be no printed version of this magazine.

Student Union Art Gallery: Thank you for coordinating with us to display this year’s art and literature and for creating an amazing exhibit.

Janitors of the Student Union: Thank you for always keeping the office clean and pristine.

Students of UNC Charlotte, SAFC & Readers: Thank you for all of your support and interest in this work. We hope you enjoyed this issue.

Family, Friends & Loved Ones: Thank you for being there to support our handiwork and encouraging us to follow our passions. We love you!

To all of our incredible and dedicated staff members and volunteers, thank you! We have come a long way from our initial literature reading parties and calls for submissions of Sanskrit. We should all be proud. 120 SANSKRIT

Copyright 2020: Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine and the Student Media Board of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form electronic, mechanic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the permission of the copy holder.

Wallace Printing, Newton NC: 2,500 copies for Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine were printed on 80# Cougar Opaque. The cover was printed on White Neenah Clearfold. The back cover was printed on 100# Cougar Opaque Cover. This magazine contains 121 pages, with a trim size of 6 x 9 inches.

Typography: Charter Roman, Charter Bold, Charter Black, Charter Bold Italic, Apple SD Gothic Neo (9) Bold

Appropriated:

iMac computer Adobe Creative Cloud 2019+2020 Microsoft Office Wendy’s Fries Gallons of Coffee and Coke Blood, Sweat & Tears

Credits: Cover Design: Crystal Zapata, Melissa Martin, April Lin Artwork Design: Group effort Poetry & Prose Design: Group effort Staff Biography Pages’ Photography: Claire Hambrick Copy Editing: Group effort

Submission Guidelines: Please visit sanskritmagazine.com to view past issues, submission forms, and general requirements.