Bllu Catalano can be found most days walking in wellies. Then she changes shoes to pursue creative writing at MCC and attend Writing and Book Club meetings. An Emerson College alum, Bllu enjoys being part of literary ventures. She’s been a travel writer, teacher, amateur historian, and professional student. She splits me-time between family, farming, and flights of fancy.

Adam Coffey is currently a student pursuing an English degree. He is heavily passionate about reading and writing, and he mostly specializes in fiction but also enjoys poetry and songwriting. His biggest goal is to make things that people will enjoy and be influenced by.

Andrey Goubanov is a student at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts, pursuing an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts, World Languages. He began writing poetry in Russian during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and later developed an interest in writing poetry in English. As a bilingual poet, Andrey enjoys experimenting with translation, weaving his works between Russian and English while embracing his ethnic identity and deeply personal experiences. Andrey’s poetry is heavily influenced by Japanese culture, particularly anime and manga, and he often incorporates Japanese language into his work.

William Jewell is a student at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Massachusetts, currently studying Creative Writing. He enjoys writing fantasy-fiction, poetry, as well as just writing anything in general. Having shared at open mic events previously, he is eager to share his literary work with readers abound!

Tom Laughlin is a professor of English and Coordinator of the Creative Writing Program at MCC.  He was a founding editor of Vortext, a literary journal of Massasoit Community College, a volunteer staff reader for many years for Ploughshares, and he has taught literature classes in two Massachusetts prisons. His poetry has appeared in Green Mountains Review, Ibbetson Street, Drunk Monkeys, Pensive, Main Street Rag, and elsewhere. His poetry chapbook, The Rest of the Way, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2022.  His website is www.TomLaughlinPoet.com

Livkate Mejias is a student at Middlesex Community College, Lowell, Massachusetts, majoring in Creative Writing. She never thought writing was her thing, until finishing her first year at MCC. She writes poetry, fiction, and anything coming to mind. Her work has previously been published in Communal Resilience, a Massachusetts Poetry Anthology. Using her words, she hopes to inspire others by connecting her life through her creations. Her free time consists of reading, writing, gaming, or going to bookstores and cafes. She hopes to own a bookshop someday!

Paul Melkonian is a reader, writer, and student living and working in the Acre Neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts. He is graduating from Middlesex Community College in May with a Liberal Studies degree. He has been accepted to the English/Creative Writing program at UMass Lowell and looks forward to starting there in September.

Sreya Pyles

Michelle Whalen is a student at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts. She is a Liberal Arts & Sciences major with a concentration in Creative Writing, which she is using to augment her previous career as graphic designer-turned-Marketing Director. A severe medical event paused her life in 2021, and now she seeks new skills to help bring more purpose to her work. Her heart is split between her hometown of Boston and her adopted home of Tampa, Florida, where she spent twenty-five years. In her downtime, Michelle would rather be outdoors in nature than anywhere else, regardless of the season..