About Us

Wyvern Una Holland, or just Vern, is a queer & trans writer and editor. They have a BA in Creative Writing, a minor degree in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, and love for writing and reading about queer rights and bodily autonomy. Currently, they live near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in the process to getting into Graduate school. They are the Editor-in-Chief of the digital publication, The YEW Journal, a division of the Young Eager Writers’ organization, dedicated to helping young writers get their footing in the publishing world. You can find their work in odyssey, Unwritten, Sanctuary, Headwaters, ode to Queer, and The YEW Journal.

Desirée Brown is a poet & writer. She received her B.A. from University of North Carolina-Charlotte and her M.F.A. from New York University. Her work has appeared in Hedge Apple Magazine, Unlikely Stories, The Woven Tale Press, Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine, and The Scene & Heard Journal. Today she lives in Atlanta, Georgia teaching college courses in English and Creative Writing, managing the Young Eager Writers Association & Conference, and writing poetry.

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Desirée specializes in editing contemporary poetry and academic essays.

Jessica Stiehm is an emerging Asheville writer. You can find her work so far in Headwaters Creative Arts Journal. She graduated during a pandemic and her dream is to write a queer fantasy novel and edit books. If you want to see the occasional cat picture, or offer her a luxurious book deal, then follow her Instagram @tardigradebabe

Sophia Nitsche is a writer and artist involved with organizations that allow writing to be more accessible to people of all ages. This includes work by disabled, LGBT, and racial/ethnic minority authors. She received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina Asheville, where she studied English and Journalism. She has been published in several literary journals and worked as an editor for Headwaters Creative Arts Journal. Sophia explores and enjoys a wide range of genres, with a special interest in science fiction and surreal themes.

"Hi! My name is Rouen, and I’m an intern at YEW. I’m a high school senior from New Jersey who plans to major in English and Theatre. I love writing of all kinds, but my favorite genres are poetry and horror. I also enjoy playing music, going to concerts, and theatre."

Atticus Hogan is a student at UNC Asheville working towards his Bachelors in English, with a focus in Creative Writing. He enjoys writing fantasy, mainly in short story form, and is focused on constantly improving the quality of his work while helping others to do the same. In the future, Atticus hopes to become a published author, working towards that goal one step and one day at a time.

Raul Ojeda graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at El Paso with a B.A. in creative writing, and they hope to put that knowledge to use as an editor. They’ve been writing ever since they learned that there was nothing stopping them from putting words to paper. They love writing prose, and narratives that no one else can enjoy quite as much as they can.

Serah Jacob loves to devote all her time to writing, but you will usually find her hunched over homework at 3 AM. She is passionate about queer rights and getting through high school with passing grades. Her weekends are spent wandering through downtown Denver and hiking.

Megumi Jindo is an upcoming junior in NYC and has been published in various magazines like Write To Roar (her school magazine), Revolution Publication, Poet2Poet, Cathartic Literary Magazine, and Taking Root: The Girls Write Now Anthology. In addition, she has been Real Simple's top 15 winner submission on Girls Write Now and Scholastic My Life With...essay, top 5 winner submission on Girls Write Now, and has received one gold key award and two honorable mentions from Scholastic Arts and Writing. Currently, she is part of the Girls Write Now program and is producing more poems—aiming to help this country and its people through her love of writing and music.

Selina Li is a writer and an artist who was introduced to the magical worlds of books through the words of Rick Riordan and Mary Pope Osborne. She aims to show other young peoples the freedom reading and writing can bring in an otherwise arid world. Her favorite genres are fiction, sci-fi, and historical novels and she loves to read with her cat, Otis, curled up by her side. Selina is also an avid tennis player and enjoys playing the piano recreationally. 

Shaifali Nagase is a twelve year old living in Costa Rica. She has been writing since before she can remember and loves writing fantasy stories, especially ones with queer characters. She enjoys doing art and marvels at the ways it is possible to create with just a pencil and paper. In her free time she does homework, talks to friends, and plays with her two cats. Her goal in life is to right the wrongs in society, and she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.