Niche Magazine's Columns
Writing After Academia by Christopher Smith
Column 1: Writing After Academia (9/10/2011)
Column 2: Schedules (10/13/2011)
Column 3: Waiting (11/23/2011)
Column 4: Writing Resolutions (01/12/2012)
Column 5: April's Literary Journal Spotlight (4/30/2012)
Christopher Smith earned a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing from Baker University in Kansas before moving to Chicago where he earned a Masters of Writing and Publishing degree from DePaul University. He’s also completed the Second City Training Center Writing Program where he co-wrote the sketch show The Truth and Other Lies. He lives with his cat Jasmine who only moderately bothers him while he’s writing. Other passions include watching live theater, writing short plays, and watching too much NBC for his own good. His other writing can be read here and here. Read his interview about DePaul University's Master of Writing and Publishing Program here.
Read This Not That by Natala Orobello
Column 1: Old Fashion Italian Meals (9/29/2011)
Column 2: The Tale of the Unwashed Bird (10/26/2011)
Column 3: The Nuance of Thanksgiving: An Italian’s Perspective (11/23/2011)
Column 4: Italian Macaroni & Cheese (01/24/2012)
Column 5: Orobello Cooking Madness (o3/29/2012)
Natala Orobello is the author of two novels, Destined for Greatness and Forbidden: A Love Story. She has been published in Academic Leadership Journal, Florida Weekly, and Writing Currents. Many of her poems have been published as well. “To Olivia” won a poetry prize in Poets and Writers and her romantic poem We Dance won a poetry prize in Florida Weekly.
Born in Sicily, she came to the United States via New York City. “As a young girl, I found English to be profoundly difficult, yet within a few months, I learned my new language was just as beautiful as my old. During the first year, my sisters, brother. and I decided that in order to learn English quickly we needed to speak only English both inside and outside our home. That made communication almost impossible, but we succeeded. Before the year ended, we spoke fluent English. I was hooked.”
Natala Orobello is presently a Professor of English at Edison State College in Punta Gorda, Florida. She is currently writing her third novel on domestic violence. “It is a subject of which I am knowledgable.” Professor Orobello has a Master of Arts degree in English Literature and holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling. During her two year internship in Long Island, New York, she counseled troubled teens and abused women.
A Shot of Espresso by Lauryn Ash
Column 1: Just One More Kolache to Eat Before You Die (10/17/2011)
Column 2: Pisa and Pasta (11/18/2011)
Column 3: Griddle Me This (12/22/2011)
Column 4: The Scent of Randomness and Coffee (01/26/2012)
Column 5: Oh For the Love of Lamb (02/27/2012)
Column 6: Ground of Fire (o4/05/2012)
Lauryn Ash is a sophomore at the University of Iowa, where she is majoring in English and Global Artistic Tradition and Change (ISBA). She plans on applying for the Creative Writing Track Fall 2011. After a three semester internship at the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities/Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, she loves discussing different sociocultural dynamics with everyone. Her current obsessions include reading Descartes' Meditations, creating her own Mediterasian recipes, and visiting her local farmer's market for produce and pancakes. However, you're most likely find her studying Japanese, researching international politics, working out at gym, or writing under the dim lights of local coffee shoppes with double-black coffee. She hopes to study abroad in Ireland, Scotland, and/or Wales, publish a compilation of poetry or a novel, and go on to pursue a Masters degree in Creative Writing in Ireland, the UK, or the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Her other writing can be read here.
Schmooze by Rebecca Kaplan
Column 1: Simchat Torah 2010 (o3/01/2012)
Column 2: Kabbalah (05/19/2012)
Rebecca Kaplan is currently earning her Bachelor's in Rhetoric at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Freshman year, she participated in the year-long Iowa Writers Living-Learning Community. She blogged about her experiences as a student for the University of Iowa Admissions. She read her narrative essay (later published by the University of Iowa's Daily Palette) at Writers Gone Public. She won first prize in the Iowa Writers Living-Learning Community's playwriting contest. Her short story, Incommunicado, won second place in the Council for Disability's Annual Writing Contest. She also loves drawing, poetry, playing the viola and internet memes. She can be reached at rkapla3@illinois.edu. Photograph by Maricel Cruz.
If you would like to write for us, e-mail a column proposal and links and/or samples of anything you've written to: submit@nichelitmag.com.
