Staff

Dr. Susan McCarty’s story collection, Anatomies, was published in 2015 by Aforementioned Productions. Her essays have appeared in Lithub, Ecotone, Creative Nonfiction, the Iowa Review, Utne Reader, and other publications. She has an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and a Ph.D from the University of Utah. She is an Associate Professor of English at Oakland University.

Mena Hannakachl, Creative Nonfiction Editor

Mena Hannakachl is a senior majoring in Professional and Digital Writing. On campus, she serves as an Embedded Writing Specialist, similar to a TA, offering personalized writing support to first-year students. Her dedication to mentorship extends to her role as a peer mentor at the Center for Multicultural Initiatives.

Mena is also a published author, with her recently published memoir essay, titled “What Chaldean Girls Are.” Beyond her academic pursuits, Mena aspires to go to law school and eventually be a civil rights attorney. In her downtime, Mena enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and makeup artistry.

Zach Pedigo

Zach Pedigo is a senior at Oakland University majoring in creative writing with a specialization in fiction and minoring in theater. While he has a primary focus in fiction writing, he also enjoys reading and writing poetry which is how he found himself as one of the poetry editors for this volume. In his free time, besides reading and writing, he enjoys photography, listening to music, going to concerts, and discussing Taylor Swift. After graduating, he plans on taking a year off of school to work on MFA applications.

Keegan Deloney

Keegan Deloney is a senior at Oakland University, majoring in English and minoring in French language. After graduation, she hopes to be an author while taking on copyediting or other writing/editing work. While she appreciates the analytical side of writing, she also enjoys most creative pursuits. Some of her favorites include singing, arranging videos, drawing, role-playing, and – of course – writing and reading. Her favorite genres to work with tend to lean into fantasy and/or romance. She is currently working on her debut novel Puppet (working title), a fairytale retelling.

Hope Greve

Hope Greve is a senior at Oakland University majoring in Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction, and minoring in English. She will graduate in April with her bachelor’s and will be building her portfolio before pursuing an MFA. She is a mother of three beautiful children and spends most of her time with her loving husband and family. She enjoys reading, writing, music, video games, puzzles, and nature.

Santino Fanone, Art / Graphic Design Editor

Santino Fanone is the current Art and Graphics Editor for the Oakland Arts Review. A junior, he is working with a major in Creative Writing and a minor in Graphic Design. As such, he enjoys both writing and participating in the visual arts. His favorite things to read are pieces with bits of absurdism or unique voice. Previously, he has been an editor for student-led Oakland publication Swallow the Moon.

Gus Perezrios

Gus Perezrios is a senior at Oakland University majoring in Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction, and a minor in Film. He enjoys reading and writing, and seeks to find a profession in storytelling. In his free time he’ll often play games, watch movies, or listen to music.

Taya Alani

Taya is a senior studying creative writing with a specialization in fiction as her major and digital media production as her minor at Oakland University. She thinks storytelling is the “coolest” and “most important” method of communication developed by humans over the centuries. She does a lot of things, likes to do a lot of things, used to play the drums, and likes bright colors in cartoons. She never learned how to type correctly, so while she can type fast, she cannot type accurately. She would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to modern technological advancements for spell check and nothing else except for online fan fictions written in dubious taste that undoubtedly showcase “zest for life.” Taya has also mastered taekwondo in her mind’s eye. 

Rachael Neal

Rachael Neal is a post graduate student. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Oakland University. After graduation she attended the Denver Publishing Institute to learn more about working in the publishing industry. While in search of a full time job, she is working on the Oakland Arts Review as one of the Poetry Editors. In her free time she enjoys collecting (and reading) books. Her favorite genres are women’s fiction, romance, and fantasy. Soon she hopes to find a job in book publishing or maybe open her own bookstore. 

Anna Schmidt

Anna Schmidt is a senior at Oakland University with a major in English and a minor in Creative Writing. In her free time, she enjoys reading (shocker), traveling, and baking. Her favorite musicians are Taylor Swift and Hozier. Anna hopes to take a break from school after graduation to travel and see the world. Her bucket list destinations include Scotland, Ireland, Turkey, Jordan, and Japan.

Hannah Perry

Hannah is currently pursuing a double major in Creative Writing and Environmental Science. She works as a Writing Consultant at the Oakland University Writing Center, as well as being an assistant editor on OU’s in-house undergrad journal, Swallow the Moon. In her free time, she loves to be outside as much as possible, especially during the warmer months. She watches more TV shows than she probably should, loves to bake, and wants to continue writing as much as possible. Post-graduation, Hannah hopes to work in something that involves writing in a major capacity, as well as continuing working towards getting published.