Alejandro Heredia is the author of the chapbook You’re the Only Friend I Need (Gold Line Press, 2021), a collection of short stories that explores themes of queer transnationalism, friendship, and (un)belonging in the African Diaspora. Alejandro’s work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Lambda Literary Review, Auburn Avenue, and elsewhere. He currently writes a monthly column at Tasteful Rude Magazine. 

Jared Lemus is a Latinx writer, Tin House Scholar, and recipient of the Nordan-Kinder Award in fiction. His work has appeared in Story, The Pinch, The Kenyon Review Online, PANK, Cleaver, and Joyland, among others, and is forthcoming in The Porter House Review and The Cimarron Review. He is an MFA graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, where he currently works as an adjunct professor in fiction and creative writing. You can find him at JaredLemus.com

Eman Quotah is the author of the novel Bride of the Sea. She grew up in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, and Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Toast, The Establishment, Book Riot, Literary Hub, Electric Literature and other publications. She lives with her family near Washington, D.C.

This essay was adapted from the author’s David and Sherry Berz Endowed Lecture, given at George Washington University in December 2021. Translations of Quranic verses are from Dr. Mustafa Khattab’s Clear Qur’an translations, with a few adjustments.

Lisa Teasley is the author of the acclaimed novels Dive and Heat Signature, and the award-winning story collection, Glow in the Dark, published by Bloomsbury. Teasley’s new story collection pubs in September 2023 on Cune Press. Lisa’s essays, stories and poems have been much anthologized. A visual artist as well, Lisa Teasley’s painting “Clymenza” was on the cover of the Fall 2021 issue. “Study of Vinzula,” is the cover art for the current 2022 issue.

Toni Kirkpatrick was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant mother and white father. She writes under the name Toni Margarita Plummer and is the author of the story collection The Bolero of Andi Rowe and a contributor to the anthologies East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte and Latina Outsiders Remaking Latina Identity. A Macondo Fellow and graduate of the Master of Professional Writing Program at USC, her short fiction has been published in Kweli, Aster(ix), Somos en Escrito, The Acentos Review, LatineLit,andLatino Book Review. After moving to New York City, she embarked on a career in publishing and serves on the board of Latinx in Publishing. A former board member of Kweli, she now helps put on Kweli’s various programs for writers.

Digital Launch Reading I: Prose