Top Row: Jessica Hendry Nelson, Sage Klein, Amya Hankton, Gwen Hall, Jenna Massey, Matt Schroeder, J.A. Holm
Second Row: Dyson Moyer, Devon Walker-Figueroa, Jack Flanagan, Benjamin Harris, Bhavya Bhagtani, Jolene Lopez
Third Row: Anna Leonard, Sara Caskey, Kylie Grunsfeld, Jesse Lacy, Caroline Gunn, Rachel Schneeberg
Fourth Row: Sydney Landen, Carleigh Lacroix, Isabel Blatt, Marianna Dionysiou, Mollie Donovan, Megan McDermott, Vivian Hughes, Sebastienne Brower, Jenna Scott
Bottom Row: Connor Walker, Tanasha Searls, Leslie Angel-Lopez, Lydia Babcock, Rabeetah Hasnain, Abby Clark, Charity Witcher, Ellie Moonis
Faculty Editors
Jessica Hendry Nelson
Editor
Jessica Hendry Nelson, faculty editor, is the author of Joy Rides Through the Tunnel of Grief (University of Georgia Press, 2023), a memoir-in-essays and the winner of the AWP Sue William Silverman Prize in Creative Nonfiction. She is the author of the memoir If Only You People Could Follow Directions (Counterpoint, 2014). which was selected as a best debut book by the Indies Introduce New Voices program, the Indies Next List by the American Booksellers’ Association, named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Review. She is also coauthor of the textbook and anthology Advanced Creative Nonfiction: A Writer’s Guide and Anthology along with the writer Sean Prentiss (Bloomsbury, 2021). Her work appears in the anthology Bending Genre, edited by Nicole Walker and Margot Singer (Bloomsbury, 2023), as well as the Threepenny Review, Prairie Schooner, Tin House, the Los Angeles Review of Books, North American Review, the Rumpus, the Carolina Quarterly, Columbia Journal, Painted Bride Quarterly, Crab Orchard Review, PANK, Drunken Boat, and elsewhere. She is assistant professor of creative writing at Virginia Commonwealth University and also teaches in the MFA program at the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
Devon Walker-Figueroa
Faculty Poetry Editor
Devon Walker-Figueroa, faculty editor, is the author of two poetry collections, Philomath (Milkweed Editions, 2021) and Lazarus Species (Milkweed Editions, 2025). Devon is the former poetry editor of The Iowa Review and has, over the years, worked in an editorial capacity with such publishers as Tin House Books; Four Way Books; Copper Canyon Press; Conduit Books and Ephemera; Narrative Magazine; and and Killscreen, a journal of interactive arts.
Senior Editorial Staff
Rabeetah Hasnain
Managing Editor
Rabeetah Hasnain, managing editor, is a second-year MFA candidate in creative nonfiction and fiction at Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds an MS in education from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in political science from Appalachian State University. Rabeetah is currently writing her debut linked story collection and an essay collection. Her nonfiction appears in LMNL Anthology.
Sam Schieren
Faculty Fiction Editor
Sam Schieren, faculty fiction editor, is a lecturer in Virginia Commonwealth University’s English Department. Winner of the Barry Hannah Prize in Fiction, his stories have been published in The Iowa Review, Notch, Wigleaf, Southern Humanities Review, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere.
Lead Editors
Bhavya Bhagtani
Lead Poetry Editor
Bhavya Bhagtani, lead poetry editor, is a second-year MFA student in poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds a BA in journalism and filmmaking from Symbiosis Centre for Media & Communication, India. Her work appears in Sundog Lit, The Hyacinth Review, The Alipore Post, and elsewhere. She previously served as poetry editor at Dust Poetry Magazine.
Jesse Lacy
Lead Nonfiction Editor
Jesse Lacy, lead nonfiction editor, is a second-year MFA candidate in nonfiction and fiction at Virginia Commonwealth University. They are a writer from the Shenandoah Valley currently residing in Richmond, Virginia. You can read their lyric essay, “Roadmarks,” in Roxane Gay’s emerging writers series at The Audacity.
Megan McDermott
Lead Art Editor
Megan McDermott, lead art editor, is a first-year MFA student in poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the author of Jesus Merch: A Catalog in Poems (Fernwood Press, 2023) and two chapbooks, Woman as Communion (Game Over Books, 2022) and Prayer Book for Contemporary Dating (Ethel Zine and Micro-Press, 2022). Her poetry has been published in a variety of journals, including Amsterdam Review, Maine Review, U.S. Catholic, the Christian Century, and more. She also serves as a poetry reader and book review editor for Psaltery & Lyre, a journal dedicated to works pushing at the borders of sacred and secular.
Trey Burnart Hall
Lead Podcast Editor
Trey Burnart Hall, lead podcast editor, is a second-year MFA student in creative nonfiction and poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a Richmond-based musician, producer, educator, and organizer, chairing the Parallel Listening Series at Gallery5 and hosting the EarthFolk Old-Time Jam. His writing has been published or forthcoming in Sonora Review, Cold Mountain Review, and The Oregon Hill Review.
Anna Leonard
Lead Media Editor
Anna Leonard, lead media editor and associate podcast editor, is a second-year MFA student in poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her poems are published or forthcoming in The Florida Review, Southeast Review, Frontier Poetry, and elsewhere. She is also a reader for Yellow Arrow Publishing. Her debut album, Paint It Blue, is available to stream on all streaming platforms.
J.A. Holm
Lead Copyeditor
J.A. Holm, lead copyeditor, is a second-year MFA student in poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds a BA in creative writing from Bucknell University where he was an editorial intern for West Branch Magazine. His work appears or is forthcoming in Bellevue Literary Review, New Letters, Shenandoah, Sonora Review, and other places.
Jenna Massey
Lead Fiction Editor
Jenna Massey, lead fiction editor, is a second-year MFA student in fiction at Virginia Commonwealth University. You can read a poem by Jenna at poets.org.
Matt Schroeder
Managing Editor Emeritus
Matt Schroeder, managing editor emeritus, is a poet, educator, and third-year MFA student in poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. His poetry appears or is forthcoming in RHINO, Gulf Coast, Arts & Letters, Poet Lore, Grist, and elsewhere.
Associate Editors
Lydia Babcock, associate poetry editor, is a first-year MFA student studying poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds a BA in creative writing with a minor in theatre arts from the University of Toledo. She was a featured poet in Metroparks Toledo’s 2nd annual 5 Poets, 5 Parks event. Her work has previously been published in The Mill.
Sara Caskey, associate creative nonfiction editor, is a first-year MFA student studying creative nonfiction and poetry at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is originally from Rhode Island. She received a BA in literary arts from Brown University, where she worked as a senior staff writer for The Noser, the campus comedy newspaper, and played trumpet in the Brown Band.
Guinevere Hall, associate art editor, is a first-year MFA fiction student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds a BS in game design, with a focus on concept art, and a BA in gender studies from Indiana University. Gwen is an interdisciplinary visual artist specializing in illustration, sequential arts, and visual development.
Interns
Fogo Adeniyan, fiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring 2027 with a BA in English. She graduated from Brightpoint Community College in 2024 with an AS in computer and general science.
Tori Baker, fiction intern, is a freshman undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the fall of 2029 with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing.
Henry Bingman, podcast intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BM in music education.
Julia Bonilla, poetry intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in 2027 with a BA in fashion merchandising and a minor in creative writing.
John Bottas, creative nonfiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing a BA in English. He has previously reviewed and copyedited for Randolph-Macon College’s Literary Journal The Stylus and interned at West Trade Review.
Mollie Conner, fiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in 2027 with a BA in English and minors in creative writing and professional writing.
Caitlyn Dixon, podcast intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BS in mass communications with a concentration in media production.
Sophie Ennis, creative nonfiction intern, is a senior undergraduate at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the fall of 2026 with a BA in both English and political science.
Alexa Garcia, fiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and a minor in professional writing and editing.
Vivian Hughes, poetry intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing.
Riya Karri, fiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in 2027 with a BA in English and minors in creative writing and professional writing and editing.
Iris Katzman, copyediting and creative nonfiction intern, is a senior undergraduate student pursuing dual degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2026 with a BA in English and a BFA in painting & printmaking, and dual minors in art history and creative writing.
Camari Lawson, podcast intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He will graduate in the spring of 2027 with an interdisciplinary studies degree and media production minor. He is also a music producer and engineer.
Jolene Lopez, copyediting and creative nonfiction intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in spring of 2026 with a BA in English and dual minors in professional writing & editing and creative writing. She has experience as the founder and editor of WILD annual literary magazine at Laurel Ridge community college, and as a staff writer for River City Fashion magazine at VCU.
Ariana Paredes, creative nonfiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and minors in creative writing and professional writing and editing.
Buffy Petrin, copyediting and poetry intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2026 with a BA in English and dual minors in professional writing and editing, and art history, and plans to pursue a masters in English in the fall. They have published work as a contributing writer for Ink Magazine at VCU, and are the current managing Literary Editor and Writing Committee Lead for the publication.
Aja Reyes, creative nonfiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and gender studies with a minor in art history.
Blake Rhodes, fiction intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University and will graduate in 2026 with a BA in English and minors in creative writing and professional writing and editing.
Rachyl Rickles, copyediting and poetry intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2026 with a BA in biology.
Ryan Sage, creative nonfiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing.
Marika Samuel, poetry intern, is a sophomore undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She writes under the pen name Sammi Yamashiro and is the author of The Peach Pit Mask: A Poetry Collection (Yamashiro, 2021). Her poems have been featured in South Dakota Review, Hawaii Pacific Review, Wild Roof Journal, and elsewhere. She will graduate in 2028 with a BS in radiation therapy and minors in health services and professional writing and editing.
Mallie Schneider, sound mixing intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BFA in kinetic imaging with a minor in sound design. She also interns at Sound of Music with John Morand, recently collaborating on a piece for RVA Mag with journalist Christian Detres. She also works as a production crew member at WVCW, the VCU student radio station. In the past she has interned as an audio consultant in And Now a Horse, an experimental screenplay by Molly McFadden, and as a PA/sound consultant on set for No Grace, a short film by Kendra Louka.
Tanasha Searls, copyediting intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She graduated from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College with an AS in social sciences and interned at the Richmond Public Library as an early learning intern. She will graduate in 2026 with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing.
Christian Sherod, fiction intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He will graduate in 2026 with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing.
Andawen Sauder, copyediting and fiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in spring 2027 with a BA in English and a minor in professional writing and editing.
Elyott Saxe, fiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. They will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing. Their work has been published in Pwatem, VCU’s student-run literary magazine.
Liv Stanton, creative nonfiction intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2027 with a BA in English and dual minors in professional writing and editing, and political science. Having taken many literature and workshop classes has given her the opportunity to intern at Blackbird with the hopes of becoming an editor.
Fig Vishton, podcast intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. They are graduating in the spring of 2026 with a major in computer science and a minor in sound design. Fig is a musician, sound artist, and audio engineering intern.
Paige Walker, podcast intern, is a junior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in 2027 with a BA in kinetic imaging and a minor in sound design.
Vivien Williams, poetry intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in 2027 with a BA in English.
Charity Witcher, poetry intern, is a senior undergraduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She will graduate in the spring of 2026 with a BA in English and a minor in professional writing.
& Many Thanks
to all the editors, staff members, interns, and volunteers who made Blackbird’s flight, volume twenty-four, number one possible.
Special thanks to Jessica Hendry Nelson for her unwavering commitment to uplifting and supporting this team. Her endless energy, creativity, and positivity made this Flight a delight to create.
Thanks to Matt Schroeder for his efforts as managing editor emeritus, for his continued support, thoughtful oversight, and consistent dedication to the highest editorial standards.
Thanks to Trey Burnart Hall for his work behind the scenes on the podcast, and for his creativity and ingenuity in all things media related and otherwise.
Special thanks once again to Ashley Brewer and Cody Whitby who helped us work out this new website, your patience and hard-work are beyond appreciated.
And to all others—Thom Didato, Alicia Bonilla, our contributors, our sincere appreciation. Your dedication, ingenuity, and good spirits make it all possible.
