CURRENT MASTHEAD BEHIND TABULA RASA REVIEW
EMMA CHRISTENSEN
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Emma (she/her) graduated from the University of Mary Washington with B.A. in Creative Writing and a B.S. in Psychology, along with a minor in Digital Studies. She writes prose that focuses on the intersection of the human condition and chronic physical and mental illness, a topic that she is all too familiar with. She has a dozen prose publications circulating in journals such as The Emerson Review, Furrow Magazine, Periphery Journal, and Abbey Review, among others. You can usually find her baking cookies, crocheting crooked blankets, or doing something equally warm for her soul. Read her work at emmcsnyderwrites.com.
KENDALL WACK
Editor-in-Chief
Kendall (they/she) is a Chicago-based Queer, neurodivergent writer and editor with a double B.A. in English-Creative Writing and French Literature & Language from Loyola University-Chicago. They have found that the written word is one of the most powerful ways for like-minded people to connect, and they aspire to use their voice to break down taboos and the barriers they create. You can find her work in Diminuendo & Cadence, Heroica, Eclipse Zine, The SOUR Collective, Poetically Magazine, and Moyé Magazine. She’s terribly honored to be part of the incredible literary magazine that is Tabula Rasa Review. Find them on Instagram at @hopelesspoetesse.
GRETEL VALDES
Lead Marketing Editor
Gretel is an eccentric Las Vegas local with a life or death passion for poetry. Her massive appreciation for the catharsis writing has brought her has been the most rewarding therapist yet. This year, she’s furthering her role as an editor for the Tabula Rasa Review team by taking on more responsibilities in regards to the publication’s final design and structure of its fourth issue. Currently, she is working on her first full poetry collection. You can find her amongst the Oregon daisies in the meadow or down at Boulder Beach in Vegas, skipping rocks alongside passing thoughts.
RACHEL MAKINSON
Lead Marketing Editor
Rachel Makinson is a UK-based writer and editor, with a BA in English Literature with Creative Writing from Newcastle University. Her work has been featured by several magazines and journals, including Otherwise Engaged Literature and Arts Journal, Marrow Magazine, Bright Flash Literary Review, Scribbled, Tabula Rasa Review, and the London Independent Story Prize. Rachel joined the Tabula Rasa Review editorial team because of her admiration for the inclusive and accessible space it creates for writers.
CARLY JO HELM
Associate Managing Editor
Carly Jo Helm is a multi-genre writer from Dallas, Texas. They hold a B.A. in History from the University of North Texas and survive capitalism by working as a copywriter. Their poetry has been published in JADE&COMPASS, Nomadology Review, and The Mad River, among others. This is their second year with Tabula Rasa Review, and they are excited to read more work on the wonderful mystery that is the human condition. Aside from googling synonyms, Carly loves to read, explore local parks, and dote on their guinea pigs. Find them on Instagram at @carlyjohelmwrites.
ALEXANDRIA PIETTE
Associate Managing Editor
Alexandria Piette (she/her/they/them) is a lesbian writer and student based in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Although they are pursuing their degree in Social Work with dreams to advocate for harm reduction, creative writing has been their lifelong passion project, carving a pathway of poetry. Her work has been featured in Sunday Mornings at the River, Querencia Press, New Words Press, and Scavengers, among others. Her debut poetry chapbook, Tell Me Where it Hurts, is set to indie release in June of 2026. At Tabula Rasa Review, they aim to uncover the rawness and rarity of the human experience. You can find them on Instagram, @apbooksart.
KAILA GALLACHER
Associate Marketing Editor
Kaila (she/her) is a disabled and chronically-ill poet and editor currently residing in Ontario, Canada. Her first chapbook, “mo nighean: the universe inside the comma” – an exploration of chronic illness and motherhood, was published by The Soapbox Press in 2022. Her poetry can be found, most recently, in The New Quarterly and Poet’s Pulse. She was previously the Editor-in-Chief of The Artichoke, a free-press magazine out of York University’s Winter’s College where she is currently finishing up degrees in Creative Writing and the Humanities. Kaila is beyond excited to be joining the team at Tabula Rasa Review and is looking forward to being a part of such a beautiful and inclusive creative community. She can be found on instagram at @thistlesthornsandpoetry and on her Substack “A Poetic Nature”.
JESSIE KRAHN
Associate Marketing Editor
Jess is a writer, editor, and YouTuber based in Toronto. She holds a B.A. (hons.) and an M.A. in English. Her criticism has appeared in The New Review of Film and Television Studies, The Malahat Review, and other venues. Jess’s full portfolio is available at www.jessiekrahn.com. Jess joined the team at Tabula Rasa Review in the hopes of learning from and assisting emerging writers as they find their voices.
EVELYN KRONFELD
Assistant Managing Editor
Evelyn Kronfeld is a Baltimore-based writer exploring trans femme cultural production, mental health, and political organizing. Her work has been featured in Blind Field Journal, It’s Going Down, Right Hand Pointing, Bitch, and Grim Magazine. She loves electronic music, autofiction, history, and queer cinema. She is completing her bachelor’s in Film and Media Studies at Towson University. Her Instagram is @evkronf.
KIRSTIAN LEZBUSKI
Assistant Managing Editor
Kirstian is a poet and critic from Winnipeg, MB in Treaty 1 territory, as well as queer, neurodivergent, a mother of two, and a recovering academic with an MA in Cultural Studies. Her poetry is informed by her experience living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in the Anthropocene and her work in local governance. Her work has been featured in The Vermin, Otherwise Engaged, Prairie Fire, and Milk Bag Magazine. She’s thrilled to provide service to the literary scene in Canada through her work with Tabula Rasa Review.
MELANIE MCGEHEE
Assistant Managing Editor
Melanie (she/her) served as CNF editor for two issues of RIVER AND SOUTH, Wilkes’ Literary Magazine, and continues to volunteer there. She is also a reader for The James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Melanie’s essays and poems have appeared in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Fall Lines, Peregrine Journal’s Caregiving Folio, Hippocampus, and The Sunlight Press. Melanie is a lifelong resident of South Carolina, with an accent that proves it. Her favorite place to be is home with her husband Andy, enjoying morning coffee or an afternoon nap. She was first drawn to Tabula Rasa Review because of the title and its distinctive aesthetic. She can’t wait to start reading your submissions!
THEODORE RIOS-GROVICH
Assistant Managing Editor
Theodore Rios-Grovich (they/them) is a nonbinary lesbian writer and editor who is expecting to graduate in May 2026 from SNHU with their B.A. in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in Fiction. Teddy’s writing tends to explore sapphic love, queer and trans identity, and the lengthy and imperfect process of growing and healing. They are absolutely ecstatic to be joining the editing team at Tabula Rasa Review, and they’re excited to dive deeper into both their editing work and appreciating the human condition. You can find them on instagram @teddyswordsalad.
MAYA MARIA
Assistant Managing Editor
Maya Maria is a New England based poet who writes about overcoming generational pain, identity, and the chaos of womanhood. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with an unofficial focus in Sociology. Her published work can be found forthcoming or in The Worcester Review, Door is a Jar Literary Magazine, Tabula Rasa Review, Naugatuck River Review, and Anti-Heroin Chic, among others, and she placed third in the 2024 Beals Prize for Poetry competition. She is thrilled to be joining Tabula Rasa Review and continue her passion: discovering writing that explores and captures the human condition.
KIRA RUSSELL
Assistant Marketing Editor
Kira is from the West Coast of Canada, and holds degrees in both English Literature and
Creative Writing. She has had her poetry published in zines such as Ghost Girls Zine and Tiny Wren Lit, as well as has had her academic work presented at the Northwestern Undergraduate Conference on Literature. She believes that every writer has a unique voice and perspective to share, and can’t wait to help the Tabula Rasa Review team support and highlight each of these voices.
ELISE WILLIAMS
Assistant Marketing Editor
Elise is a writer and creative based in Rochester, New York, having been published in local outlets, including (585) Magazine. Through her work, she has developed a deeper connection to the people, places, and perspectives that shape her city. She primarily focuses on community profiles and small businesses, highlighting local organizations and entrepreneurial voices. She is drawn to creative writing that evokes vivid imagery and carries emotional weight, especially that which is grounded in real or relatable experience. Elise values storytelling that feels honest, immersive, and intentional, and is especially interested in pieces that allow readers to resonate deeply through perspective and tone.
SARIN
CHAIMATTAYOMPOL
Assistant Marketing Editor
Sarin is a sophomore at Tufts University studying English and Psychology. She has loved writing from a young age and is currently exploring short fiction, screenwriting, and playwriting. She developed a strong interest in arts and culture through writing and editorial work at The Tufts Daily, and in marketing through supporting nonprofits in her community. Sarin is excited to join Tabula Rasa Review, where she looks forward to spotlighting its talented writers and their work.
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