2023 Northern Lights Journal Contributors

Introducing the 2023 Northern Lights

Welcome to the fifth issue of the newly reintroduced Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal! The staff of UW-Green Bay’s Practicum in Literary Publishing course is thrilled to present the incredibly creative works of our fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Since 2019 when the journal was brought back to life, it’s garnered amazing attention from our UWGB community. This year saw a record-number of submissions! Our team had a difficult time deciding on which pieces to include, even after completely filling up our extended online content area. And while finding ourselves especially short on time, we also managed to put together Marinette campus’ bi-weekly e-newsletter The Driftwood, including the first ever April Fool’s Day issue. Our editorial staff collaborated both in-person on the Marinette campus and via Zoom to UWGB’s three other locations. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but our team persevered and made it happen together.

On behalf of our advisor and our editorial staff, we say a very warm thank you to the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay’s Student Senate for funding this incredible showcase of UWGB talent.

Grace Desotell and Aidann Woodcock
Northern Lights Co-Editors-in-Chief

View 2023 Issue

Staff List

Co-Editors-in-Chief

Grace Desotell (Marinette campus)
Aidann Woodcock (Manitowoc campus)

Editorial Staff

Kayu Brooks (Green Bay campus)
Kana Coonce (Manitowoc campus)
Emma Krueger (Green Bay campus)
Syd Morgan (Green Bay campus)
Jasmine Puls (Green Bay campus)
Ariel Rutten (Green Bay campus)
Andrew Wiegman (Marinette campus)

Advisor/Graphic Design

Tracy Fernandez Rysavy

2023 Contributors

Leovardo Aguilar (Untitled Art, "Little John Broom Man," "Personal Amplexus") has spent most of his life haunting the shores of Lake Michigan, with occasional breaks to visit rural and mystic locations in Old Mexico. Leo attends the Sheboygan campus.

Roshelle Amundson ("Kindred," "In the Amber Glow of Gaslight") is an English/Humanities professor at UWGB-Marinette. In her spare time, she may be found with windows down, moon-roof 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 ("The Principles of Art") began digital photography at the age of six. Since then, she has expanded into film photography and has been published three times. She attends the Green Bay campus.

Andrew Becker ("Boethius Journal") says, "I originally wrote this for an assignment in one of my college courses, but I have been advised (by Patti Jo Wagner, one of the librarians on campus) to submit my piece to Northern Lights. We were supposed to write our own personal spinoff of Boethius's The Consolation of Philosophy, so I wrote a short story delving into my views of perfectionism. Andrew attends the Manitowoc campus.

Paeyton Bengtson ("The Right Path") says, “I have been through a lot of trauma in my 22 years of life, more than most people will never have to go through. My poems hold the deepest parts of my thoughts and soul. I picked my top poems [for Northern Lights] that I thought many people can relate to.” She attends the Green Bay campus.

Karen Bergen ("Can You Even Hear Me?") says, "I'm a 20-year-old student at the Green Bay campus. I'm currently majoring in Biology with a minor in Education hoping to teach at the high school level."

Serenity Block ("Carved") is a senior at UW-Green Bay studying Writing and the Applied Arts. She worked as co-editor-in-chief of Northern Lights for its 2022 issue along with being both a genre editor and chief copyeditor at Sheepshead Review. She attends the Green Bay campus and is an alumnus of the Marinette campus.

Chasity Bunting ("Lady Like") says, “I write in hopes to reach the people who need to hear their feelings voiced. I needed to hear words like mine when I was younger, and I hope to make a difference with the power of words.” She attends the Marinette campus.

Kyle Charniak ("Sunset") says, “ I am a freshman at UWGB’s Green Bay campus. I love to write short stories and poems in my free time.”

Katy Clifton ("Lashing Out" (front cover), "Flashbacks") says. “I’m currently a student at UWGB-Marinette pursuing an Art major and an Education minor. I like to explore mental illness, the effects of domestic violence, and other related issues in my work as a way to cope with my own struggles. I hope to bring awareness to such issues and share my story through my work.”

Jenna Cornell ("My Terms") is a 2007 graduate of UW-Green Bay’s Marinette Campus and a 2011 graduate of UW-Green Bay. She holds an MFA in Creative & Professional Writing. The Northern Lights Journal was the first literary publication to showcase her work, and Jenna also enjoyed being a student editor of the publication during a spring semester while at Marinette campus.

Grace Desotell ("The Box Elder Tree") is a senior in the Writing & Applied Arts program on UWGB’s Marinette campus. When she’s not doing homework, she’s either vanished off the face of the earth or is outside enjoying a long nature walk.

Matthew Freitag (untitled photo) says, “Walking in the woods as a therapeutic activity led me to the discovery of native fungi that grow seasonally in the Midwest. Studying microbiology, I find that these organisms are especially fascinating in the ways in which they interact with their surrounding environments. Some of them, such as Chicken of The Woods (Laetiporus) exhibit beautiful color patterns.” Matthew attends the Sheboygan campus.

Mike Fugate ("Dolomite") says, "A former UW-Marinette student and a 2011 Northern Lights Journal contributor, I am just a beat-down prison guard with a love for Life that really enjoys this journal."

Lily Greeley ("M.L.") says, “I’m a writer aspiring to make the world more poetic and more open to experiences/ideas. I write chiefly to speak my truth, or shed light on horrors endured, and I encourage you to do the same. Trans rights are human rights, and you have value.” She attends the Green Bay campus.

Alyssa Hannam ("Seasonal Longing") is a writer and communications specialist based in Madison, WI. Her writing has been published by The Borgen Project, and she has had poems published in the Red Ogre Review, New Note Poetry, and Troublemaker Firestarter. Alyssa was the first to receive an “Excellency in Playwriting” award from UW-Green Bay.

Kayla Johnson (Existing Loudly) is a UW-Green Bay psychology alumna currently living in Western Wisconsin, working as a mental-health therapist. When she is not working, you can catch her writing poetry, birding, and practicing yoga.

Dana Jurecki ("Aurora Borealis") attends the Green Bay campus. Dana created “Aurora Borealis” with oil paints.

Ella Kakatsch ("Flowers" and "City") attends the Manitowoc campus.

Emma Kolar ("Juice WRLD" and "Purple Rose") says, “ I am a student majoring in Design Arts at the Manitowoc campus. I have had a passion for art all my life and am working to get my art out in the world.”

Eddy Laning (untitled art 1, 2, and 3) says, “I created [the art that appears in this print issue and the online exclusive content] my Senior year of high school, in relation to my experiences with religion in my childhood and how my faith has brought me here. Mental health and Catholic guilt are the focal point of these pieces.” Eddy attends the Green Bay campus.

J.E. Leddon ("Leverage My Life") says, “Born in Alabama and raised in Tennessee, I’ve been in Wisconsin in just over a year going for a major in Design Arts with a minor in Creative Writing at the Green Bay campus. My current life wasn’t my first choice, but it has allowed me to broaden my horizons farther than I thought I ever could, and I am looking forward to exploring the world!”

Erin Mader (untitled art) is a UWGB alumnus (Green Bay). Erin drew the art piece in this issue in oil pastels.

Avalon A. Manly ("The Traveling Salesman") 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.

Abigail Marquardt (untitled art 1, 2, and 3) is a current student at the Green Bay campus and an alumnus of the Marinette campus, and she is going for a degree in Studio Arts with a minor in Education with hopes of being an art teacher. She primarily crochets in her pieces and enjoys looking and remembering the nature that surrounded her in her childhood for inspiration.

Kenny Nelson (untitled photo) is a Junior at the Green Bay campus majoring in Business Administration and minoring in International Business. He is one of the UWGB Student Ambassadors Co-Directors.

Jasmine Puls ("Out of Frame," "Trippy Tunnel," and "Ghostly Bridge") attends the Green Bay campus. She says, “My photo was taken in high school during my AP art and photo-editing classes. This piece means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy it.”

Noah Purzycki ("Still a Sketch" and "It's All a Bit Too Much") is a third-year art student with an emphasis on photography at the Green Bay campus.

Carli Reinecke ("A Bus Ride Through Seattle") is the campus librarian for the UWGB-Marinette campus. Prior to moving back to Wisconsin, she attended graduate school in Seattle, which inspired the poem.

Morley Remitz (untitled art) says, “I am a freshman majoring in Animal Biology. I am interested in ornithology and love birds. In my free time, I enjoy drawing and created a series made with pen, ‘Birds of Wisconsin.’” She attends the Green Bay campus.

Keith Rose (untitled photos 1 and 2) is a senior at UWGB-Marinette. He says, “My passion is wildlife photography. I love walking through nature and watching wildlife. It’s very calming and peaceful.”

Kathryn Schuchardt ("Stolen Smile") says, "I'm a junior at the UW-Green Bay campus studying elementary education. In my free time, I love to be creative in many forms including writing, painting, nail art, and drawing."

Cora Schuessler (untitled photo) says, “I’m in my second year in pursuing an elementary education degree! I’m very passionate about photography to a point that I made it into a hobby job!” Cora attends the Sheboygan campus.

Vanessa Stalvey ("Eclipse the Sun") is currently a Rising Phoenix student attending both Lincoln High School as a senior and UWGB’s Manitowoc campus as a sophomore. After completing her associate’s degree, she hopes to get a major in Writing and Applied Arts and a minor in Psychology.

Rebecca Stanzel (untitled photo) says, “I got my first Canon camera this year. I’m still working on angles and lighting with the camera.” Rebecca attends the Manitowoc campus.

Rebecca Stewart ("Click" and "Devotion") is a third-year English major at the Green Bay campus with a double emphasis in English Literature and English Education and a minor in Education. If she isn’t on her paddle board or hiking with her fiancée, you can find her reading, writing, or spending time with her little brothers.

Victoria Stock ("Smiley Fries") attends the Sheboygan campus and created “Smiley Fries” in Intro to 2D Design. Victoria says, “I hope this piece brings you a bit of nostalgia.”

Gretchen Vanderwall ("Tonight") graduated from UWGB (Green Bay campus) in 1998. She has worked in bookselling, banking, insurance, food service, retail, and warehouse inventory/logistics. She is a single mom and cancer survivor who writes poetry for beauty and healing.

Mark Wanek (untitled photo) attends the Green Bay campus. Mark says of his photo, "This was a spontaneous trip to see the northern lights. I’m so glad we went."

Joseph David Warner (untitled photos 1 and 2) is a transfer student from the Green Bay campus. He is studying for an art major, with the studio art emphasis.

Kaitlin Wieberdink ("Faces" back cover) is a senior studio arts major at the Green Bay campus. She says, “My emphasis is ceramics, but I also enjoy making colorful illustrations!”

Andrew Wiegman ("Haiku" and "The Leaves Still Fell") attends the Marinette campus. Andrew is physically incapable of
complimenting themselves and is a certified “Silly Fella,” whatever that means.

August Wiegman ("If I Win, You Win") (they/them) is a graduate of UWGB. During their time at the UWGB-Marinette and Green Bay campuses, they helped revive Northern Lights and worked as Editor-in-Chief of Sheepshead Review.

Rebecca Wieskamp (untitled photos 1 and 2) says, "I am a second year at the Sheboygan campus finishing an Arts and Sciences degree in May 2023. I was inspired by my sister-in-law to start taking up photography."

Exclusive Digital Content!

We weren’t able to fit all of the best submissions this year into our print pages, so we created an online space for them. Visit the Digital Exclusive Content for additional poems, short stories, photos, short stories, and digital stories from UW-Green Bay students and faculty/staff.

View Bonus Content