About Our Contributors

Carter Anolick is a recent graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, where he received a bachelor’s of art in graphic design. Shot during his Alternative Photography class, one of his final classes taught by department chair Hideki Kihata, Carter’s composition “Gateway” illustrates the Van Dyke process of film development. Capturing one of the many alleyways of downtown Bay City, Michigan, the piece exemplifies the city’s raw qualities and what made him want to visit time and time again. Carter currently resides in Oxford, Michigan, where he continues to search for the perfect career to showcase his passion.

Stuart Barbier lives in Bay City, Michigan, and teaches rhetoric and composition at Delta College. When not teaching or doing all that teaching requires, he enjoys working on his 128-year-old house, both inside and out. He feels that maintaining an appropriate balance of physical and mental work within the complexities of these activities, let alone life, would be difficult without the welcome respite of poetry, whether his own or others’.

Austin Bauer is a poet from Bay City, Michigan. He is passionate about creating community around poetry where writers can share their work with each other. He is happily married and is enjoying life as a new dad.

Alexis Beauchamp is an ambitious old soul with a vivid imagination who considers herself to be a child at heart. A Bay City, Michigan, native, she has spent time adventuring out west. Her free spirit and thirst for adventure keep her optimistic and lighthearted most days. She loves all things mysterious, beautiful, and wild. She enjoys spending time in nature, where most of her inspirations find her, and has a deep love for humanity as a whole. She is in the process of publishing her first children’s book and is enjoying every step along the way.

Grace Biber is an eighth grader at Holy Cross Lutheran School in Saginaw, Michigan. She loves to write, sketch, and perform in plays. She is very fun-loving and has a happy-go-lucky kind of personality. She loves reading and writing fantasy books. She someday hopes to go to Yale and major in law and English. She aspires to be a lawyer and an author when she gets older.

Mark Brenner teaches 6th–8th grade E.L.A. at Holy Cross Lutheran School in Saginaw, Michigan. He is a board member of the Saginaw Bay Writing Project. He is happy to have “Goodnight Moon” published, so people can learn about a cherished time that he shared with his boys, whom he loves with all his heart.

Mark Sheffield Brown (markbrown@delta.edu) is an associate professor of English and director of the Honors Program at Delta College. He earned an M.F.A. in creative writing at Boise State University and a Ph.D. in film studies from Wayne State University. He is a poet, book maker, and film reviewer. Mark lives in Midland, Michigan, with his wife and three daughters.

Madeline Bruessow is a reporter, editor, and award-winning poet. A student at Saginaw Valley State University, she is currently working towards her B.A. in rhetoric and professional writing with minors in creative writing and philosophy. She lives with

her family in mid-Michigan and has been writing for as long as she can remember. When not working on her next piece, she enjoys drinking too much coffee, spending time with her imagination, and wandering aimlessly in the woods.

Devin Kemani Butler is an aspiring artist at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), with a focus in graphic design and photography. He has spent the last four years of his college career developing many different graphic and photography pieces that show his creative strength and passion for the arts. In 2019, he won an award for “Exceptional Improvement–Photography” during the SVSU Student Art Exhibition. To see more of his digital graphic and photography work, visit his self-made website and take a look at his online portfolio: http://webp.svsu.edu/~dkbutler/index.html.

Benjamin Champagne lives inside a 100-year-old building with one window. All of the light he receives comes from the glow of a screen. None of this is important in the face of a hologram. He subsists on 1’s and 0’s. Recently found in Ang(st), Willowdown, Beyond Words, and Atelier du Soleil, Benjamin Champagne is an interstitial artist working across mediums—music, poetry, essay, video, booking shows, running sound, whatever he fancies. He is currently the event coordinator at the Saginaw Art Museum. He uses the internet a normal amount, just like you. He can be found on Twitter and Insta @peskykiddd.

Matt Chappel is a fifth-year student at Saginaw Valley State University majoring in English literature. In 2018–2019, he was a member of the school’s Roberts Fellowship program. Outside of academics, Matt is a husband, an odd-jobs-man, and a poet. He aspires to write professionally and is inspired by nature and the culture of small-town living.

Josh Crummer is a Saginaw Valley State University alum and writer-of-all-trades currently based in Midland, Michigan. He is the author of local superhero comic M-Zero, and his poetry has been featured in Cardinal Sins, Sky Island Journal, Temenos, and more.

Bridget Therese Cusick is a junior at Saginaw Valley State University majoring in graphic design and art. She enjoys spending time with her parents and seven siblings in Oxford, Michigan. Some of her hobbies include soccer, crochet, and piano.

Brenna Dean is a college freshman and graduate of Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, in Saginaw, Michigan, where she worked with her wonderful peers and English Language Arts teachers to grow as a creative writer. Her work is heavily influenced by her family and by environmental and social issues. She cannot thank her family, friends, and teachers enough for contributing to her growth as a writer and a person.

Julie Debats is from Bay City, Michigan, and is studying to be an elementary teacher. During the pandemic, she has learned how to paint and has practiced writing poetry. She takes great pride in learning and trying new things no matter how big or small. Julie is very excited to start her teaching program and can’t wait to be certified in teaching.

a bachelor’s in secondary education with a double major in English and theatre from Saginaw Valley State University. She hopes to become an influential teacher, one who shows her students that poetry can be a healthy outlet to explore emotions. She wants to show them that other great poets explored the same feelings; she hopes that then her students won’t feel so alone. She has found great comfort in writing poetry especially in this time of uncertainty. She hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Andrew Dudewicz is a recent graduate of Heritage High School in Saginaw, Michigan, and a current freshman at the University of Michigan, where his intended focus is on history and political science. He has participated in student government and in oratory, business, writing, and Model U.N. competitions. He also has experience as both a math and writing tutor. He loves writing in general and is working on several projects including a novel and other poems. He is also a voracious reader, gobbling down historical books and biographies; his favorite novels include Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.

Drew Eastwood graduated in Fall 2020 from Saginaw Valley State University with a bachelor of arts degree in art and minor in graphic design. He was born and raised in Michigan, but it wasn’t until his senior year in high school when art got a hold of Drew, compelling him to pursue it as a career. He has a passion for anything related to art, and his favorite ways to work are printmaking and painting (it’s a close tie). He plans to take a year off to further develop his work related to social and economic classes and their relationship with historic wealthy/royal portraits. Drew plans to attend graduate school after his hiatus and has his eye set on schools either on the West or East coasts; in Boston, Massachusetts; or in Los Angeles, California.

Devonn Fernbach is a 31-year-old mother of four. She has an associate’s degree in applied science from Davenport University. She states she has never really been creative, but she started writing poetry one day during a dark period in her life and she immediately felt better.

Cbxtn Fig, a.k.a. Dandylion, a.k.a. Baxton Alexander, a.k.a. Alexander Verdoni, is thinking about changing his name to Ezre Fish. He writes for the Saginaw Art Museum’s blog, Eye on the Arts, and participates in community organizing.

Kelli Fitzpatrick is an author and educator based in mid-Michigan. She writes fiction, poetry, and essay, and her works have been published by Simon and Schuster, Flash Fiction Online, Dunes Review, Sequart, ATB Publishing, and others. She is a winner of the Star Trek Strange New Worlds contest and currently writes for the Star Trek Adventures role-playing game from Modiphius. She is a strong advocate of the arts, public education, and gender rights and representation. Kelli can be found at KelliFitzpatrick.com and @KelliFitzWrites.

Joshua Gillard is a poet and student of creative writing at Saginaw Valley State University. He has been writing since high school and claims one previously published poem in Still Life. He hardly comes out of his bedroom, and he has a cat named Nicky. Some poets with whom he has been impressed lately include Kaveh Akbar, Andrea Gibson, and Jenny Xie.

Run, Michigan. She has lived in Michigan for most of her life. She has always loved writing, and it’s one of her biggest dreams to become a child author. Normally, she writes short stories in the fantasy fiction genre. This is one of her first attempts at poetry.

Hannah Gradowski was born and raised in Bay City, Michigan. She is currently a senior at Saginaw Valley State University and will be graduating in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in English education, an English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Langauges (TESOL) certificate. Hannah’s passion for the English language can be perceived through her writing as well as through her ability to teach English learners. After graduation, she plans to continue writing while traveling around the world teaching English.

Bruce Gunther is a retired journalist and freelance writer who lives in Bay City, Michigan, with his wife, Trish. He’s a graduate of Central Michigan University and has had poems published in Still Life, Dunes Review, Ariel Chart, and Modern Haiku.

Katy Haas is a collage artist and poet from Bay City, Michigan. Her recent text-based work can be found in perhappened mag, angst zine, and Club Plum Literary Journal, and recent image-based work can be found in Taco Bell Quarterly, Atelier du Soleil, Afternoon Visitor, and other publications.

Tristan Harman is a 19-year-old reader, writer, and avid follower of Still Life. He was introduced to creative writing by his teacher Jared Morningstar, and he developed his writing style under guidance from his classmates. His preferred form of address is “My Future Supreme Overlord,” and he’s fond of shepherds’ pie. Tristan is currently working towards an associate of science degree at Delta College.

Caroline Helmstadt is a junior at Saginaw Valley State University where she is majoring in English education and minoring in history education with an endorsement in social studies. Writing is an important, expressive form for Caroline, particularly for capturing significant moments and ideas. In her spare time, she enjoys such activities as hiking, biking, and tending to animals—anything to embrace the outdoors. Caroline would like to thank her partner and best friend, Julien, for his unwavering support and love, not only of her writing, but in all aspects of life.

Denise Hill is a stay-at-home teacher, other than making weekly runs to the store for barrel-aged stout for her loving husband. The COVID-19 pandemic helped her realize the joys of being an introvert and how to live without toilet paper. When she retires, Denise hopes to travel more or just stay home. She’s not sure yet. No matter what, her commitment to the Detroit Lions remains as steadfast as her love of poetry and dogs.

Karen Lulich Horwath is a writing teacher at the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy in Saginaw, Michigan. She loves seeing young writers develop their skills, and she truly geeks out over revision work. In all other news, her mantra is “I would rather be hiking.”

Katherine Huber is a senior currently finishing her final semester at Saginaw Valley State University, where she will be receiving her B.F.A. degree in photography. Her

photographs were created using the alternative photographic processes of cyanotype and Van Dyke Brown. While these processes are different from anything she’s ever done, she plans to continue to experiment with these alternative processes in the future.

Joshua Jordan, from Midland, Michigan, writes poetry on roofs, in basements, and... about various creeks. His dream is to marry rich and write all day. He graduates from the University of Michigan this spring.

Deda Kavanagh lives in Bay City, Michigan, near her sister, Rosemary, The Lady Who Paints. Deda’s chapbook, Bicycle Through a Covered Bridge, was published by Finishing Line Press. She received an Honorable Mention in the 2009 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award competition and has had poems published in Patterson Literary Review, The Liberal Media Made Me Do It, Poets for Living Waters, and, most recently, Still Life and Walloon Writers Review.

Rosemary Kavanagh’s 2020–21 solo exhibition at Studio 23 (in Bay City, Michigan) was titled “My Bay City Family Tree” and encompassed oil portraits of family members who lived in Bay City since 1847, as well as her father’s World War II letters written to all who lived there during that time. Her poem “A Box of Diamonds” is based on her father’s experiences as a double agent and pilot in Europe during World War II. Two of her painted dresses were accepted into the juried show “50 Michigan Artists.” (One paper dress, a flamenco dress, features “Coca Cola” and is a visual protest for the women in Spain who work in Coca Cola factories under dire conditions; her other work, “Afghanistan Dress,” won an honorable mention.) Rosemary loves to write and has been keeping journals with poetry inclusions since 1979, when she moved to and lived in Ireland for eight years. Her humorous stories and sometimes sad poetry have been published in Connecticut and Rhode Island newspapers. She has exhibited in museums and galleries for the last 30 years.

Matthew Kowalski graduated from Saginaw Valley State University in 2020 with his bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a minor in graphic design. Matthew is passionate about photography and video, and he aspires to use his creativity in the world of broadcast communications.

Maggie LaVictoire is 23 years old and has been writing since she was young— however through special influences in her life, she has begun to pursue publication of her works. She thanks Jared Morningstar and Mark Brown for influencing her and giving her hope. Her poem “you’re killing me” is dedicated to Lucis Poppenger, for giving her “the feels.”

Chris Lucka is a retired high school guidance counselor. She has been a member of Mid Michigan Writers since the mid-1980s and enjoys writing poetry and working as a freelance editor. She is pleased to be included in Still Life. Enjoying travel, Chris looks forward to the days when she and her husband, Dave, can do that again. An avid reader, she also enjoys tennis, swimming, sewing, and visiting her children and grandchildren downstate (outdoors and socially distanced during COVID-19).

writes poetry and short stories that reflect his interests and observations of the world. In addition to literature, Morningstar loves music, playing guitar, late-night diner experiences, and long road trips. His first book, American Fries: Poems and Stories, was published in July 2020 by Alien Buddha Press. He lives in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with his wife and children.

Jennifer Nichols is an educator in the Saginaw Public School District. She believes in teachers, students, and lifelong learning. She loves growing as a writer through practice with friends, especially the Wandering Writers and the Saginaw Bay Writing Project Feedback and Revision Group. Although her interests change regularly, she currently reads about dragons, practices gardening, and experiments in the kitchen. Jennifer especially enjoys spending time with her husband, three sons, and their furry friend Jyn. Jennifer’s sister, Alisa, and Lake Huron were the inspiration for her piece included in this issue.

The Modern Library book of poetry became a sort of Bible to Eric P. Nisula when he was in grade school. He also began writing poetry at that time. In 1979, he joined the Saginaw Valley State University Music Department. In 1983, Dr. Nisula won first prize in the competition held by Poets of Now in St. Charles, Michigan. In 2004, his work was featured in The Rooftop Series published by Mayapple Press.

Jaden O’Berry is a third-year theatre major with a double minor in English and creative writing at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). Her hope is to one day pursue a career in theatrical lighting design. Jaden’s love for the English language and performing arts stems heavily from the influence of William Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, and Emily Brontë on her life and her upbringing. Jaden has dabbled in playwriting as well, and her one-act work titled A Not-So-Hallmark Type of Christmas was chosen to be performed in the SVSU Theatre Department’s 2020 virtual holiday variety show, Home for the Holidays.

Jolyn H. Ohlendorf is a local art teacher and 2017 Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) alumna. While studying at SVSU, she took advantage of the university’s Study Abroad services twice, travelling first to Ireland and then to New Zealand, where she completed her student teaching. Though infected with the travel bug, she remains loyal to her hometown—and continues to advocate for the charm and merits—of Saginaw, Michigan. She appreciates the opportunities provided by the Saginaw Community Writing Center and hopes for even more chances to bring attention to the beauty that surrounds her.

Michelle Perreault is a 53-year-old mother of three and a whole food/plant-based chef who likes hiking and camping. She has a passion for poetry and has been writing poetry since she was in fifth grade. She has a hope that what she writes will help people look at the world through a different lens.

Serena M. Pittman is an active member of the Saginaw Community Writing Center. She says, “The Creative Writing Group is my spin class and my quilting circle, where I go to exercise my mind and weave the remnants of characters and ideas I’ve got knocking about in my head into stories. I currently write around one poem a year. ‘Heartsong 2020’ was my contribution to the Saginaw Postcard writing challenge and was inspired by a little bird singing his heart out into a cold dark night.”

Don Popielarz is a retired attorney who is now living in St. Joseph, Michigan. Don continues to participate with the Saginaw Community Writing Center, joining its Poets’ Group through Zoom. Don volunteers at a food pantry in Benton Harbor and at Lake Michigan College as the director of men’s basketball. He describes himself as an old man who has seen too much, heard too much, and read too little.

Matthew Sauer is an 18-year-old writer from Saginaw, Michigan. He was previously published in Still Life 2019 as the winner of the Young Adult category. Matt would like to thank the Still Life publication for motivating him to write something for once.

DJ Slater is a third-year mathematics education student at Saginaw Valley State University. DJ, who prefers the pronouns they/them/theirs, is originally from a remote area of northern Michigan and finds much solace and inspiration for their poems in nature. They are also passionate about literature. In addition to being a math student, they are also pursuing a minor to teach English as a second language. They have had a long-term fascination with English and poetry.

Katrina J. Stevenson is a graphic design major in her junior year at Saginaw Valley State University; she is from Ubly, Michigan. Her inspiration for many of her pieces is a surrealistic view on the world. She likes to create artwork that is somewhat abstract and from her own vision of reality. She also hopes to evoke nostalgic emotion from the viewer with many of her pieces.

Todd Stockmeyer is a 56-year-old fourth-generation farmer from Michigan’s Saginaw County. He has enjoyed expressing himself with paper and pencil for decades. Someday he hopes to gather some of the poems and bind the pages into a book. Each year he continues to be amazed at what God does when you bury a seed in the ground. That seasonal journey inspires much of what he has written. While not toiling in the earth, he enjoys time with his wife and ever-growing family.

Suzanne Sunshower is a Detroit native living in mid-Michigan, where she enjoys filming trees and wildlife. A friend once told her that horses are naturally curious animals. If she wanted to make friends with his two horses, who were visiting her pasture, he suggested she casually stand at the fence with an apple in her hand—one or both might wander over to check her out. Well, it worked. Bob and Comet went on to spend each fall in her pasture for many happy years. That’s how she learned that tidbit of wisdom: Always let the horse choose you.

Marjorie Talaga lives in Bay City, Michigan, where she has been writing prose and poetry since childhood. Much of her writing has been inspired by real-life stories and characters she’s encountered through the various and colorful jobs she has held: soda fountain waitress; cocktail waitress; special education teacher in a prison; yoga instructor; teacher of literacy, poetry, and English; census gatherer; director of job training programs; bookseller; and writer of newspaper articles. Marjorie’s poems, stories, and articles can be seen in college publications and in work-related magazines and articles.

Elizabeth Terry is an art major at Saginaw Valley State University and will graduate in May 2021. She hopes to continue her education at the graduate level.

Elizabeth is a photographer and graphic designer. More of her work can be found at Badhatarts.com.

Imari Cheyne Tetu is a Michigan native and a 2020 graduate of the Rhetoric and Professional Writing Program at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). During her time at SVSU, Imari worked as a tutor and technical writer at the Writing Center and as a writing consultant and creative writing workshop leader at the school’s Community Writing Center. Imari is currently a master’s student at Michigan State University, where she studies technical communication, experience architecture, and accessibility and universal design. She continues to write the occasional poem or short story in her limited spare time.

A resident of Saginaw, Michigan, Pearl Thomas tries to defy negatives as she lives by positives. Anybody can do it, she says, but sometimes you become acquainted with negativity. To avoid those who dwell in negativity is the best answer. She lives by faith with her own choices, enjoying life and following where it leads to good. Her fate loves her. She likewise loves her fate. It is no doubt going to be so rewarding because good leads to goodness. Pearl wonders where would she be without poetry, awards, grammar teachers, or an artist community.

Kathleen Tighe is an educator and a member of the Saginaw Bay Writing Project. She writes mainly nonfiction, including flash memoirs of her travel experiences, and poetry based on memory. The poem “Tomatoes” focuses on a moment spent with her father in the garden of her childhood home. She is happy to share the memory with others.

Taylor Tucker received her bachelor’s degree in engineering mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is now pursuing her master’s through its Digital Environments for Learning, Teaching, and Agency Program. She is the author of the children’s book Jenny Saves a Convertible and has previously published poetry in Talking River, Still Life, Walloon Writers Review, and Ponder Review.

Jeff Vande Zande teaches fiction writing, screenwriting, and film production at Delta College in Michigan. His books of fiction include the story collections Emergency Stopping (Bottom Dog Press) and Threatened Species (Whistling Shade Press). His novels include Into the Desperate Country (March Street Press), Landscape with Fragmented Figures (Bottom Dog Press), American Poet (Bottom Dog Press) and Detroit Muscle (Whistling Shade Press). In 2012, American Poet won a Michigan Notable Book Award from the Library of Michigan. In 2020, Whistling Shade Press released his new collection, The Neighborhood Division: Stories. He maintains a blog of writing advice at www.authorjeffvandezande.blogspot.com.

Nicole Vogelpohl is a 2020 Saginaw Valley State University graduate and received her B.F.A. in photography. Currently, she is working as a photojournalist and freelancer, as well as exhibiting her artwork. Nicole is looking to pursue her M.F.A. degree in the near future.

Lauren Wells is an aspiring creative writer. Currently, she is studying criminal justice and public policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Honors College. While she intends to go into law school and pursue civil rights and immigration law,

Lauren still plans to write with whatever free time she has. Her main inspirations in her poetry and prose come from current issues and her culture. Besides activism and writing, Lauren loves sleeping and annoying her friends.

Vanessa Willette, a wife and mother of two boys, has always had a love for words. An avid reader, Vanessa has used her extra time at home this year to discover new authors to fall in love with and to continue her writing. Vanessa is beyond grateful to have found the Saginaw Community Writing Center. Never considering herself a poet, she’s ecstatic to have the amazing opportunity to have a second poem published in Still Life.

Donny Winter is an LGBTQ+ poet, educator, and activist residing in Saginaw, Michigan. In addition to writing, he teaches poetry at Delta College and composition at Saginaw Valley State University. His first full-length collection, Carbon Footprint (Alien Buddha Press), immediately debuted at #1 on Amazon’s New Release List under the Gay & Lesbian Poetry category. Winter’s poetry discusses LGBTQ+ topics inspired by his experiences living in rural Michigan. Additionally, he weaves together narratives about trauma survival and eco-awareness throughout his work.