Maddie Norris

Maddie Norris, the recipient of Ninth Letter’s Literary Award in Creative Nonfiction, was the Thomas Wolfe Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill and earned her MFA at the University of Arizona. Her work can be found in Territory, Essay Daily, and Opossum, among other places.

Brett Barest

Brett Barest is a freelance writer covering beer, music, food, and entertainment for a number of publications including USA Today, iOnGreenville, Fete Magazine, and Southern Brew News. He most enjoys writing self-deprecating (and hopefully humorous) personal essays on his website, brettbarest.com.

Abby Moore Keith

Abby Moore Keith is an editor and writer based in Greenville, South Carolina. Though she’s occupied a wide variety of spaces, Abby was raised in the American South, where she finds creative inspiration. She holds a bachelor’s in journalism and global studies from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and her work has appeared in TOWN magazine, Darling Magazine, and Greenville, SC, Visitor’s Guide. Abby currently works as a managing editor for TOWN, and is a recent Hub City Press & Emrys Journal first place winner for her nonfiction essay “Resurrection Plant.”

Lindsey DeLoach Jones

Lindsey DeLoach Jones is a professional writer, editor, and teacher in Greenville. She earned a BA and an MA in English and an MFA in nonfiction from Seattle Pacific University. She has taught literature and fiction writing at Clemson University and served as Editor-in-Chief of Emrys Journal and Edible Upcountry. Her essays have been published in Paste, South Carolina Review, Literary Mama, Relief, and Ruminate. She was awarded the VanderMey Nonfiction Prize and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The prize-winning essay has since become her first memoir-in-progress.

Katie Burgess

Katie Burgess holds a PhD in fiction from Florida State and is editor of Emrys Journal. Her chapbook, Wind on the Moon, was published in 2019.

Heather Marshall

Heather Marshall is an author and teacher whose work is published in literary journals in the United States and in Scotland. Her novel, The Thorn Tree, was published in 2014. She is currently finishing work on a second novel about secrets, uncovering the truth, and belonging.