YALDAs
Louissa Chanin (she/her)
Mentored by Katie Fowley
Louissa Chanin is a writer from Jersey City, New Jersey. More than trying to capture any one subject, she aims to mine some grain of beauty, truth, or comedy from the unadulterated moment. She hopes one day in her writing to achieve the fearlessness of Eileen Myles, the tenderness of Ilya Kaminsky, and the wild charm of Ed Smith - until then she is more or less content writing like herself. She is a student of Fashion Business at FIT and a constant questioner of things to come. However, she believes they may imminently include a senior rescue Chihuahua.
Malia Maxwell (she/her)
Mentored by Farnoosh Fathi
Malia Maxwell is a writer from Seattle, Washington. Her poetry is often inspired by the core people in her life, whether that’s her family, other strong women, or her favorite living and long-dead authors (s/o Gertrude Stein). Malia’s top three favorite trees are, in no particular order: Douglas firs, Alaskan yellow cedars, and Western red cedars. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in English Literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Stanford University.
Yovana Milosevic (she/her)
Mentored by Farnoosh Fathi
Yovana Milosevic is a Serbian-Romani-American poet from Denver, Colorado. Yovana holds a bachelor's degree in English-Writing, and her poetry focuses on the intersections of immigration, feminism, bodily autonomy, and the consequences of its absence. She currently lives in Denver and loves spending time going on walks with her dog, Luna.
Via Niforatos
Mentored by Elizabeth Zuba
Via Niforatos has been writing poetry for three years. she also spends time working on visual art, which she hopes to continue studying at Sarah Lawrence. her lifetime aspiration is to become a mermaid.
Lulu Priddy (they/them)
Mentored by Farnoosh Fathi
Lulu Priddy is a writer and visual artist who experiments primarily with poetry, drawing, and watercolor. Lulu’s work tends to explore the body, using imagery of nature and the corporeal to blur the line between the alluring and the revolting. Lulu graduated from Scripps College in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies. They’re currently pursuing various artistic and occupational pursuits. Lulu is the author of the chapbook Swallow, Low (2015).
Madhumita Rajagopal (she/her)
Mentored by Ananda Naima Gonzalez
Madhumita Rajagopal grew up in Calgary, Chennai, and Kuwait, where she was first introduced to different literary traditions. She draws inspiration from her favorite writers (Kahlil Gibran/Marie Howe/Sarojini Naidu), her experiences as a Bharatanatyam dancer, and the people in her life. In her free time, Madhumita enjoys cooking, watching period dramas, and trying to pet every cat she meets.
Rheana Riego (she/her)
Mentored by Katie Fowley
Rheana Riego is a Jersey City native with proud Filipino heritage. Her favorite pastimes include printmaking, watching Criminal Minds, and moshing in punk basement concerts in Brooklyn (pre-pandemic.) Rheana is currently rocking out at Bard College as a freshman. In her Alternate Worlds: The Disaster Has Already Happened course, she has been thinking deeply about the anthropocentric understanding of reality. She is feeling particularly inspired by the concept “Survival of the Fittest” from On the Origin of the Species, along with some subconscious notion of existentialism from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” As a poet, she loves to incorporate word jazz––the rhythmic profile of lines that emanate a presence of sound that is memorable and pleasurable!
Caroline Sasso (they/he/she)
Mentored by Farnoosh Fathi
Caroline Sasso is a poet, playwright, director, and actor. They are interested in reclaiming and democratizing exclusionary traditions in literature and the performing arts, particularly surrealism, poetic form, and Shakespeare. He believes in the value of shock and obscenity in art, and her pieces often include elements of body horror, camp, gore, horror cinema, and the grotesque. They are currently developing an adaptation of Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy, set 100 years post-zombie-apocalypse, which will be performed by the Stanford Shakespeare Company this spring. He is the author of the one act play Spaceships and Stardust and the chapbook Five Trains of Thought and an Apple Slice (Ugly Duckling Presse). They attend Stanford University and are working towards a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing (Poetry) and Theater and Performance Studies on the Theater Making track. She is a YALDA Web Editor.
Savon Williams (she/her)
Mentored by Alex Cuff
Savon Williams is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. Savon’s poetry is often derived from her own experiences as a woman of color or from mystical and ethereal fantasies that keep her awake at night. Savon’s favorite things to do in her free time include but are not limited to; Performing deep, gut-wrenching monologues in her room for no one in particular, talking with the moon (she’s a great listener), and watching Tik Toks. She is currently pursuing a B.A in Psychology with a concentration in Developmental Psych and Elementary School Teacher Certification from Lawrence University.