THE EXHIBITION
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THE EXHIBITION •
‘Maggots Bellies’
Brian Gotta is a San Diego-based poet and author with a BA in English Literature from Indiana University. His poetry has appeared in Third Wednesday, Pink Ochre, Watertower Press, The Soliloquist, AC/DC Lit Magazine, and The Big ?, with additional work forthcoming in Blue Villa Magazine, Effable Press, and Cabbage Patch Magazine. BrianGotta.com | @booksbygotta Best wishes, Brian Gotta brian@booksbygotta.com.
‘To the flower that I picked on the walk home’
Ashley Anderson is an American poet, born in Akron, Ohio, living in County Wicklow, Ireland. She is earning her MFA in Poetry at Carlow University, Pittsburgh, where she assisted with the exhibition and archival project of the International Poetry Forum. She has been featured in Touchstone, Progenitor, The Bridge Lit Journal, yawp, and was selected as a semi-finalist for Lefty Blondie Press Editors' Choice Broadside Series, 2025. She is a member of Madwomen in the Attic. Her writing usually encompasses the relationship she has with her childhood as a tool for reflection.
‘Through a Prism’
Lila-Josey James is a trans woman living in Brooklyn with her dog Estelle. Her recent work appears in Boudin, 6/26, CafeLit 9/26, and The Words Faire. She enjoys tea parties, getting into trouble for the right reason, and aimless walks.
‘It Might As Well Be Me’
Holly Kays lives and works in the Great Smoky Mountains region of Western North Carolina and holds a degree in creative writing from Virginia Tech, currently serving as lead writer for Smokies Life, a conservation nonprofit and boutique publisher. Previously, she spent over a decade in newspaper journalism. In addition to publishing award-winning news stories, features, and columns in multiple local and regional outlets, she is the author of two books: "Trailblazers & Traditionalists: Modern-Day Smoky Mountain People," a compilation of stories profiling the diverse people who call these mountains home, and a novel, "Shadows of Flowers."
‘NOCTURNAL NATURE’
N. Mohanarangam, born on 25 September 1973 in Chennai,Tamil Nadu, India, studied English Literature and has been passionately engaged with the English language since teenage years. As a devoted student of English Literature, they began scribing poems early in life. Inspired by many illustrious English poets, they developed a deep affinity for free verse poetry and aspire to emotionally captivate readers, immersing them in a sense of euphoria.
‘The Mountain Enters the Minutes’
Sandeep Kumar Mishra is the author of 25 bestsellers and award-winning books. He has been translated into more than 20 international languages, shortlisted for more than 50 international literary and arts awards and has been published in all 6 continents inhabited by humans.
‘Paradise Valley’
Paige Elizabeth is a writer from New Jersey living in Germany, where she is completing a master's degree in English literature and anthropology. She is currently working on her first novel.
‘An Animal Cannot Explain Its Sky’
Arben Alovic is a writer born and raised in New York City, with Albanian and Montenegrin roots. He writes poetry and short stories that explore memory, love, language, and the little things that connect us to one another. His work often finds meaning in everyday moments, where tea, flowers, books, and changing seasons become reminders of the people we’ve loved and the memories we carry with us.
‘Spoken Roadside by the Mall’
Paul Potts is a poet from Oklahoma. He was awarded the Jim Spurr Poetry Prize, won the 2026 The Howl Poetry Contest, and was a finalist for the inaugural Rowayat Poetry Prize. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing jazz on both the drums and vibraphone.
‘The Acceptance of Alan’
Ryan Rahman is a writer based in Orlando, Florida. His works have appeared in Wingless Dreamer, The Words Faire, and Neon Origami, among others. When he’s not writing, Ryan enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies, and traveling. Find him on Instagram and Linktree: ryanrahmanwriter.
‘My Favorite Poetry Is Staying Home’
Travis Hall (they/them) is a queer poet from Nebraska currently pursuing a BFA in creative writing. Their work has been featured in PilePress and Cathexis NW. They currently live with their cat Captain in Portland, OR. @maddbuttons.
‘A Special Price’
Daniel Paton has had short fiction published in multiple print anthologies and online literary journals and websites, and also writes screenplays and stage plays. Having completed his Creative Writing MA, he looks to work on new projects including, someday, a debut novel. Instagram: @danielpaton96
‘The Museum of Things the River Returned’
David Anson Lee is a poet, philosopher, and former academic ophthalmologist whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Right Hand Pointing, Braided Way, Ink Sweat & Tears, Eunoia Review, Silver Birch Press, The Scarred Tree, The Orchards, Journal of Undiscovered Poets, and Mouthful of Salt. Born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, he often explores themes of memory, identity, landscape, medicine, environmental stewardship, and the enduring relationship between human beings and the natural world. His poetry combines lyrical imagery with philosophical reflection and is informed by a lifelong interest in literature, science, and Indigenous traditions. He lives in Texas and is currently assembling a collection of poems exploring ecological responsibility, cultural memory, and hope. Substack: https://davidalee.substack.com/
‘The Dreaming’
Jason Ryberg is the author of twenty-five books of poetry, six screenplays, and a few short stories. He is an artist-in-residence at The Prospero Institute of Disquieted P/o/e/t/i/c/s and the Osage Arts Community, and is an editor and designer at Spartan Books. His work has appeared in As it Ought to Be, Up the Staircase Quarterly, Thimble Literary Magazine, I-70 Review, Main Street Rag, The Arkansas Review, and other journals and anthologies. His latest collection of poems is “And When There Was No Crawfish, We Ate Sand” (co-authored with Abraham Smith, Justin Hamm and John Dorsey). He lives in Kansas City, MO, and in the Ozarks.
‘Dear That Don’t Fear Cars
Max Polenberg is a 22-year-old writer from Long Island, New York, whose work explores the quiet moments, the big questions, and everything in between. His work explores the transition from childhood to adulthood, trauma, and what it means to actually turn survival into living.
‘The City’
Writing and creating under the name Prince Philippe, the author is working across poetry, songwriting, music, and visual storytelling. He currently based in Toronto, Canada, and originally from Italy.