ABOUT US | Fearsome Critters

WHO WE ARE

Fearsome Critters was started by a group of undergraduate and graduate students at Northwest Missouri State University. It was named for the legendary creatures invented by early American lumberjacks. The journal is now run by a collection of individuals of various identities and backgrounds, and is not housed at any one institution. True to its Millennial and Gen Z roots, the journal is maintained through online connections and remote work. Each year, we seek young creators with a passion for poetry, prose, and visual arts to be showcased in our multimedia arts journal, both available in print and online. Fearsome Critters is completely self-funded and hopes to one day grow large enough to sufficiently compensate its contributors.

Korbin Jones: Editor-in-Chief

Korbin received his B.A. in Spanish and in Creative Writing from Northwest Missouri State University. He is a current M.F.A. candidate in Poetry at the University of Kansas. His translation of Pablo Luque Pinilla's poetry collection "SFO" was released in 2019, and his debut collection of poetry "songs for the long night." also came out that year (QueerMojo). His chapbook "MOONSICK," a queer coming-of-age story in verse, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press (January 2020).

Merkin Karr: Editor of Nonfiction

Merkin earned her B.S. majoring in Writing and minoring in Political Science from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Nonfiction at Florida Atlantic University. She writes true crime with a focus on the victims and their families rather than glorification of the perpetrators. Merkin, a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor herself, spends her free time educating people about healthy relationships, sex, and self love.

Nino Cipri: Editor of Fiction

Nino Cipri is a queer and transgender/nonbinary writer, editor, and educator. They are a graduate of the 2014 Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and earned their M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Kansas. Nino’s story collection HOMESICK won the Dzanc Short Fiction Collection Prize (2019), and their novella FINNA is forthcoming from Tor.com (2020). One time, an angry person on the internet called Nino a verbal terrorist, which was pretty funny.

Kelley Lewis: Editor of Poetry

Kelley received her B.A. in Literature and in Creative Writing from Ohio Northern University. She is pursuing her Master’s in Practical Theology and Social Justice at The Methodist Theological School in Ohio. A proudly black queer woman, Kelley seeks to lift up all people through advocacy, love, writing, spirituality, and service.

Lucia Iglesias: Editor of Visual Art

Lucia received her Bachelor's in Literary Arts and German Studies from Brown University. She studied abroad in Germany, and spent a few years working in Iceland before returning to the U.S. to pursue her M.F.A. in Fiction at the University of Kansas.

Kim Sternberg: Content Assistant

Kim received her associate's degree from The Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Northwest Missouri State University. She later completed her B.S. in American Sign Language-English Interpretation at Rochester Institute of Technology. An accomplished slam poet, she now works as an interpreter and is proudly asexual.

Marisa Lucas: Content Assistant

Marisa received her B.A. in Creative Writing and Literature from Ohio Northern University. She is a pursuing her Master's at the University of Findlay, where she is studying Rhetoric and Writing. Her writing often focuses on mental illness and physical disability. She is the author of the poetry collection Cyclamen and Rue (CreateSpace, 2018).

Angel Ette-Umoh: Content Assistant

Angel was born in Nigeria and now lives in Portland, Oregon, where she works and spends her free time studying writing and astrology. She is a proud Leo and loves to craft aesthetically-pleasing social media accounts across various platforms.

Hannah Soyer: Head of Outreach

Hannah received a B.A. in English and in Journalism from the University of Iowa. She is a disabled creative writer, journalist, and the creator of the This Body is Worthy project. She also founded Freedom Words, a program to design and implement creative writing workshops specifically for students with disabilities. She is currently pursuing her M.F.A.

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RETIRED STAFF

BAILEY WEESE

editor of prose (vol. 1)

ANTHONY PROCOPIO ROSS

editor of poetry (vol. 1)

KOHL MOUTRAY

content assistant (vol. 1)

ANNA BAGOLY

content assistant (vol. 1)

SHANDY GUFFEY

content assistant (vol. 1)

LUKE ROLFES

advisor (vol. 1)

RICHARD SONNENMOSER

advisor (vol. 1)

Korbin Jones: Editor-in-Chief

Korbin received his B.A. in Spanish and in Creative Writing from Northwest Missouri State University. He is a current M.F.A. candidate in Poetry at the University of Kansas. His translation of Pablo Luque Pinilla's poetry collection "SFO" was released in 2019, and his debut collection of poetry "songs for the long night." also came out that year (QueerMojo). His chapbook "MOONSICK," a queer coming-of-age story in verse, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press (January 2020).