2022 Northern Lights Journal Contributors

Letter from the Co-Editors

Introducing the 2022 Northern Lights

Welcome, readers! We are very excited to share with you this year's issue of the Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal, presented by the Practicum in Literary Publishing course at UW-Green Bay's Marinette Campus.

This year, our editorial team hails from all three location campuses. To bridge geographic gaps, we met online to create the Northern Lights and also to produce our bi-weekly campus e-newsletter, The Driftwood. This came with its fair share of technical challenges—poor internet service, anyone?—but our team's earnest dedication pulled through. We have been privileged to pore through such creative and amazing submissions, and it is this talent that has made making the Northern Lights a total joy. We hope these featured pieces, from our UWGB students, faculty, and alumni, will inspire you as much as they've inspired us. Enjoy!

We'd like to thank the Marinette Campus Student Senate for funding, and all who made this year's journal possible.

Serenity Block and Shannon Ribich
2022 Northern Lights Co-Editors in Chief

View 2022 Issue

Editorial Staff

2022 Co-Editors-in-Chief

Serenity Block (Marinette campus)
Shannon Ribich (Sheboygan campus)

2022 Editorial Staff

Sydney Hansen (Marinette campus)
WIll Kosmal (Marinette campus)
Grace Kraniak-Desotell (Marinette campus)
Jake Puestow (Manitowoc campus)
Conner Tuthill (Marinette campus)

Contributors

Roshelle Amundson ("That Girl", "Obdura", "Through the Fog") is an English/Humanities professor at UWGB-Marinette. In her spare time, she may be found with windows-down, moonroof open, and loud rock music on her to way to refuel in the quiet; foraging in the woods or walking the shores of Lake Superior or Lake Michigan; her pockets full of rocks and fossils.

Kira Ashbeck (Untitled Photo) says, “My love for photography began when I got my first digital camera at six. Since then, I have tried an additional medium: film. If you are interested in seeing more of my work, you can follow me on Instagram @photography_bykira.” She attends the Green Bay campus.

Serenity Block ("Echo", "Nectar") is a junior studying Writing and Applied Arts. In her spare time, she loves to travel and explore nature, which often inspires her writing.

Sirene Borowczyk ("Pluto's Moon Remains") says, “I am 21 years old. I’m majoring in Animal Science to be a Veterinarian, or something in that field. In case no one has said it recently, I love you. You’re doing great. Take care.”

Ethan Craft ("Playing Your Instrument") is an undergraduate at UWGB majoring in English. He was born in Emporia, Kansas, but has lived most of his life in Green Bay. He is pursuing a career as a novelist, and it’s his first time contributing to Northern Lights.

Gabriel Guevara ("The Man in the Woods") is a creative who works on all forms of art —visual arts, musical arts, and extensive amounts of programming. He likes to write down short stories or even poems from time to time.

Marissa Helgesen (Untitled Art 1, Untitled Art 2) says, “I’m a biology major, but I also love drawing and painting. I primarily use India Ink, but I also use colored pencil, watercolor, and marker.” She attends the Green Bay campus.

Grace Kraniak-Desotell ("Song of Mother", "3-0-4") is a junior in Writing and Applied Arts. When not working toward her education, she enjoys writing, walking wildlife trails, and hanging out with her husband and cats. She attends the Marinette campus.

Verity Maeve Langan (Front cover: "The Spirit of the Phoenix", "The Bomb", "The Rhino", "Scotty's Travel Guide to Life") is a fine artist in visual arts, painting, sculpting, sewing, and creative nonfiction writing and poetry. She says, “For me, life began at 40. I’m pursuing a degree in writing and enjoying the tranquility of my little cabin in the woods up north.” She attends the Green Bay campus.

Avalon A. Manly ("Familiar", "Remedy and Requiem") lives and teaches high school English in Colorado. She is an adjunct with UWBG while she works on her Ph.D.; she specializes in Gothic and horror narratives. When she’s not writing or working, she enjoys hiking with her dog or watching the latest streaming horror anthology with her cats.

Mindy Mensen (Untitled Art 1, Untitled Art 2, Untitled Art 3) says, “I’m currently a senior at the Green Bay campus, though I should be graduating this May with my BFA in the Writing and Applied Arts program. I have loved writing for as long as I can remember and have amassed quite a collection of poems and short stories that I’ve written over the years. My favorite genre is fantasy—the more magic the better. I also enjoy drawing and using graphic design to illustrate my stories and dabbling in nature photography.”

Jake Puestow ("The Bargain") was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He's majoring in Writing and Applied Arts and hopes to become a successful writer of screenplays for the stage and the camera in the future. His other major interests include music, art, and history.

Michelle Rowell ("Night") graduated from UW-Green Bay (Green Bay campus) in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in English Education. She has been teaching English at Marinette High school since that time.

Katelyn Rusk (Untitled Art 1) attends the Marinette campus and is a psychology major with an art minor. She loves to draw and to go on adventures with her dog. She also loves to hang out with friends and see what kind of mischief they can get into.

Amy M. Shaffer (Untitled Photo) says, “I am a 1991 graduate of Marinette High School, and this is my first semester of college (Marinette campus). I love hiking, photography, and encouraging others to live their dreams!”

Hali Simon ("Cornucopia", "Donkers": Back Cover) attends the Green Bay campus and is part of the Class of 2025. She says, “I am an avid, optimistic creator of all things art. My love for travel, nostalgia, cheer, and family is what drives me to create building + travel art pieces. To me, creativity is a way to discover myself, new art ideas, and what the world has to offer."

Sofia Terranova ("Dismal Days at the Church in Auvers-sur-Oise", "Storge") says, “I am a student at the Green Bay campus working towards my BA in English - Creative Writing and my BFA in Writing and Applied Arts. I am close to graduating and plan to move towards a Master’s with the ultimate goal of becoming a literature professor.”

Ongnia Thao ("Threads", "Everlasting") says, “I’ve always been too shy to show off my poetry, and I decided to take a chance. I hope someone out there can find comfort in my poetry like I do.” She attends the Sheboygan campus.

Conner Tuthill ("The Void, It Always Remains", "The Dwindling Flame") says, “I am a junior Phoenix (Marinette campus) who is seeking to attain an AAS degree. I enjoy studying nature and am often found foraging and hiking during the summer. I also enjoy learning about other cultures, philosophies, and religions, and I am a bit hippyish.”

August Wiegman ("Apocalyptic Lessons", "before life, before death") (they/them) is a recent graduate from UWGB. During their time at the UWGB-Marinette and Green Bay campuses, they helped revive Northern Lights and worked as Editor-in-Chief on Sheepshead Review.

Kaylieph Williams ("See Me") spends her free time reading, painting, and creating. She enjoys the winter months the most as she hadn’t had experienced a true winter growing up in California. She attends the Green Bay campus.