THRESHOLDS: Issue Contributors

Arno Bohlmeijer won a PEN America Grant in 2021. He is a novelist and poet, writing in English and Dutch, and has been published in six countries. His U.S. publisher is Houghton Mifflin. His novel Narrowly (2025) is about rare solidarity, tolerance, and integration. www.arnobohlmeijer.com

Kevin Browne’s photos have been published in Nightingale & Sparrow, Plum Tree Tavern, Littoral Magazine, Vernacular Journal, and elsewhere. He lives in southern Wisconsin.

Neil Carpathios is the author of seven full-length poetry collections, most recently Lifeaholics Anonymous (Kelsay Books, 2023). His book of original aphorisms, The Lost Fragments of Heraclitus (Wipf and Stock), was also released in 2023. Neil teaches creative writing at the University of Mount Union in Ohio.

María DeGuzmán is a scholar, professor, photographer, writer, and music composer. Her photographic work has been exhibited at The Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Massachusetts), Watershed Media Centre (Bristol, England), and Golden Belt Studios (Durham, North Carolina). She has also published photography in many journals. SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mariadeguzman

Marvin Garbeh Davis, Sr. is a Liberian writer and poet whose fiction, nonfiction, and poetry examine the intersection of memory, labor, faith, and the human condition. His work draws richly from rubber plantation histories, river communities, and Liberia’s shifting landscapes, bearing witness to the enduring spirit and the political absurdities of post-war Liberia.

Denise Gilchrist is a poet based in southeastern Pennsylvania whose work explores thresholds within domestic and remembered spaces—where girlhood meets womanhood and the past presses into the present. Her poems have appeared in Paterson Literary Review, Tiger Leaping Review, and Floating Acorn Review. Her chapbook Blue Veronica is under consideration.

Erica Goss is the author of Landscape with Womb and Paradox (Broadstone Books, 2026) and Night Court. She has received numerous Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, and a 2023 Best American Essays notable. Publications include Colorado Review, The Georgia Review, Creative Nonfiction, The Indianapolis Review, and North Dakota Quarterly. Website: ericagoss.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/erica.goss1

Erin Gottwald is a Brooklyn-based writer and dancer whose essays have appeared in publications such as Yankee magazine, Snapdragon Journal, and Penumbra Online. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Bay Path University. You can find more of her writing at eringott.substack.com.

Sarah Harley Sarah Harley is a writer and high school teacher from the UK who supports refugee students in telling their own stories. Her work has appeared in Mud Season Review, Sonora Review, Bluestem Magazine, and other journals. She’s currently working on a novella,The Age of Consent. sarahharley888.com

Trelaine Ito is originally from Hawaii, but, true to form, he saw the line where the sky meets the sea and it called him, so he currently lives and works in Washington, D.C. Website: trelaineito.com | Instagram: @trelaine | Bluesky: @trelaineito.bsky.social

Kelila Johnson is a queer, neurodivergent writer from Southern California. This is her first published work. When she’s not writing, Kelila can be found listening to an audiobook, walking a neighbor’s dog, or singing with a local chamber choir. More of her work may be found at https://substack.com/@kelila.

Joy Krinsky’s writing journey began in 2019 with her spouse’s obituary and eulogy. Publications include Herstryblg.com, EpistemicLit.com, Perhaps There Is Hope: A Tisha B’Av Supplement (Academy for Jewish Religion), and The Linden Review. “In One Box” was a Best of the Net 2025 nominee. Joy lives in Portland, Maine.

Andrea Nicki is a poet and philosopher whose work blends lyric intensity with social analysis. She is a professor of ethics and a visiting fellow in ethics and creative writing at Birkbeck, University of London. She is finalizing a multidisciplinary book under contract with Bloomsbury Press and is at work on a poetry collection.

Leah Oates holds a BFA from RISD and an MFA from SAIC Chicago, and earned a Fulbright Fellowship at Edinburgh College of Art. In addition to solo shows at Susan Eley Fine Art, The Brooklyn Library, and MTA Arts, Leah has been in group shows at Edward Hopper House, Pen and Brush, and Wave Hill.

Karol Olesiak is a queer, disabled, award-winning poet, writer, and activist. Karol is also the editor of www.soldiersforthecause.org, a veterans antiwar blog that started as an affinity group for Occupy Wall Street. Karol has two chapbooks: The Airplane Game, available from Moonstone Press, and Saturday Morning Crusades, forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in September 2026. www.karololesiak.com

Laura Ollerenshaw has an MA in creative and critical writing from the University of Gloucestershire. Her work has appeared in The Humber Literary Review, HuffPost, Mountain Life, WestWord, and Brevity’s nonfiction blog. She lives in Alberta, Canada. Website: lauraollerenshaw.ca | Instagram: @laura_ollerenshaw_writer

Meredith O’Brien is a Boston area writer and the author of six books, including two novels and a memoir. Her work has appeared in myriad publications including The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Pangyrus, and Intima. She teaches creative nonfiction and journalism in Massachusetts.

Joshua Peralta’s first book was the novella 3rd & Orange (2022). “Concentration” comes from a forthcoming collection of poetry called Gross Americana, illustrated by Mike Boheem of Dopecat. Joshua is also working on a new biographical portrait of writer John Fante’s early years in southern California. Learn more at Joshuaperalta.net.

Jasmin Rivas is a Puerto Rican mother and writer/poet living in Southbridge, Massachusetts, and the president of Jaz-Yoga/Health and Wellness. Jasmin believes writing gives voice to the experiences of the people she advocates for and the things she cannot forget. A chapter of her work-in-progress was recently published in the Latina anthology ELLA Poderosa.

Lisanne Rogers has an English literature degree from the University of Western Ontario and an LLM from Fordham University. Her essays have been published in Motherwell, The Good Men Project, USA Triathlon, and White Wall Review. A mountain enthusiast, she lives in Old Snowmass, Colorado. Website: lisannerogers.com | Instagram: @lrogers426

Suzanne Strempek Shea is the author of twelve books, including her forthcoming memoir, Compositions: A Memoir in 42 Essays by 1 Kid on Her 8 Years in Catholic School, Handed in 60 Years Late, out Sept. 1. Her essay in this issue is from a dementia-related work in progress. www.suzannestrempekshea.org

Karen Sullivan is a former ship captain, marine biologist, science teacher, and federal agency spokesperson who likes sailing small boats to distant places. She has written briefing materials for three cabinet secretaries and two U.S. presidents.

Andrea Vassallo is a 2020 graduate of the Stonecoast MFA Program. She has been named a Maine Literary Awards finalist, nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and cited as a Best American Essays notable. She lives on the coast of Maine.