Contributions
- Three Poems by Makena Metz
Read three poems by Makena Metz, our seventh and final biweekly poet of the Summer 2025 issue, along with a few words about “Charlatan.”
About the Contributor
Makena Metz is a writer & songwriter for the page, screen, and stage. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and MA in English from Chapman University. Her prose and poetry have been published with The Literary Hatchet, The Blunt Space, The Mid-Atlantic Review, Boudin, The Fantastic Other, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, Arkana, Strange Horizons, and many more. Find her work @makenametz on social media.
Author Website
Recent Links
- Poem: “Third Degree” (Boudin)
- Poem: “What I Think When You Ask Me How I’m Doing” (Breath & Shadow)
- Poems: “Tattoo,” “On the Edge,” & “19” (Defiance & Dialogue)
- Poem: “Surgery” (The Mid-Atlantic Review)
- Fiction: “The Itch” (Broker Antler Magazine)
Contributor Q & A
Can you tell our readers a little about yourself?
I'm Makena (she/her), a 30 year old writer based in Los Angeles, CA. I have a MFA/MA in Creative Writing and English from Chapman University and I work as a writer, editor, and teacher. I'm also an Aquarius, have a malti-poo named Winnie, and love to read books and drink tea.
How long have you been a writer and how did you get started?
I have been a writer for the past ten years. I started writing in college, which is when I won a contest that became my first professional break. During the Covid lockdown was when I realized that I wanted to make a career out of writing and that I wanted to go to grad school to further hone my craft. Now, I've been writing and publishing consistently, and I recently signed with a literary agent for my debut fantasy novel!
What’s an accomplishment in your writing life of which you’re proud and what do you still hope to achieve?
In my writing life, I'm proud of my consistency. A lot of people will tell young or emerging writers to write everyday, which I personally think is unrealistic and a bit ableist. Instead, find a consistent method that works for you. Mine involves a schedule of different mediums and writing different projects on different days and it seems to be working well for me. So figure out what works for you and then go after it - consistently!
A dream and goal I still have is to publish my debut book of poetry Through My Marrow, which is about being disabled, medical trauma, and living with chronic illness and pain. I'm hoping a publisher will pick it up since I've been submitting the manuscript for months!
What do you look for in a book? Who are your favorite writers?
The most compelling thing to me in a book is generally the intersection between character, story, and tone. I love narration that pokes fun at tropes and archetypes, characters who are flawed and human, and stories that take your imagination to new places.
A few of my favorite writers are Naomi Novik, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Emily Henry.
Contents
Chapbook Poem: When I Was Straight by Dustin Brookshire
“‘When I Was Straight’ prompted me to think about a common queer experience—how most parents assume their children are ‘straight’ and expect their children to live a ‘straight’ life.” Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for October 2025 along with words from the poet.
Book Excerpt: American Girl: Fort Hood, 2023 by Thea Matthews
“[W]eaving in and juxtaposing the lyrics of Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl.’ The song’s themes of desperation, wanderlust, and longing are subverted by Ana’s life and tragedy at Fort Cavazos, previously known as Fort Hood, Texas.” Read the featured Excerpt Poem for October 2025 along with words from the poet.
“It seems such a shame that a beautiful location is just gathering dust and overgrowth, and I wanted to lean into the juxtaposition of that.” Read three poems by Bryana Fern along with a few words about “Women on the Wall.”
Bodies in Transition: Sacred & Perishable by Carissa Natalia Baconguis
“There is a muscular intimacy to the ecosystem of these poems, each one of them creating as vivid a world individually as exists in the collection as a whole.” Read Gray Davidson Carroll’s full review.
“In ‘No Breaks’ I was writing about something I hope I never have to experience. … I tried to keep despair at bay and show some defiance and resilience.” Read two poems by Gerald Yelle along with a few words about “No Breaks.”
November ’25: New Staff, Issue Archive & Donations
Read a note from Editor Aiden Hunt about our new Poetry Readers, the additions of an Issue Archive and a Contributor Fund, Fall poetry submissions, and Gaza.
Chapbook Poem: Two egrets at the edge of a tidal marsh by Rebekah Wolman
“Settling on the mirror form opened the way into the parallels between the original image of the egrets, their reflection, and their ambiguous relationship and the shifting, even reversing, roles of an adult daughter and her aging mother…” Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for November 2025 along with words from the poet.
Three Poems by Alexandra Burack
“Subsequent drafts enabled me to … uncover the metaphor of exile, whose meanings are intended to move readers from an experience of alienation to one of discernment of the liberating qualities of outsiderhood.” Read three poems by Alexandra Burack, along with a few words about “To Know Blue From the Color of Snow at Dusk.”