Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Matthew Louis Garrell is a Master's student at Dartmouth studying Creative Writing. He has received the MALS Thesis Research Grant, the Guarini Alumni Research Award, the Leslie Center for the Humanities Professional Development Fellowship, and the Leslie Center for the Humanities Research Fellowship in support of his thesis: “Samozvanet (The Pretender).” He received his BFA in Fiction and minor in Psychology from Emerson College in 2020. Born on the Black Sea in Sochi, Russia, he is a member of the last generation adopted from Russia to the U.S. as a result of the Dima Yakovlev Act. Matthew often publishes under his birth name, Alikzandr Malakov, to honor his heritage. He writes diasporic fiction typically exploring the Russian community. Matthew grew up in Weston, Massachusetts and is passionate about literary fiction and education. Currently, he instructs Ph.D. and Master's students as a Graduate Peer Tutor at the Student Center for Research, Writing, and Information Technology. He also teaches privately and has worked as a Teacher’s Assistant for Hussein N. Kadhim’s course on Modern Arabic Literature in Translation in addition to working one-on-one with ESL and neurodivergent students across academic disciplines. He also co-hosts the Dartmouth Writers Society's writing workshop on the executive board, and recently completed Oxford University's Advanced Creative Writing Summer Program while directing their Peer Writing Workshop. Finally, Matthew engages in on-going learning opportunities through the Future Faculty Teaching Series, the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity Workshop, the Dartmouth Future Faculty Learning Community, the Dartmouth-CIMER Mentoring Series, and the Dartmouth Course Design Institute. When not tutoring or working on his thesis, he is often found caring for his peace lily, Bertrand, or skinning up the White Mountains in search of the freshest powder. Matthew intends to pursue an MFA and Ph.D. before moving on to a professorship.
Managing Editor
Jasmine Shirey received their BA in Literature and Neuroscience from Claremont McKenna College where they received the ‘Best Overall Achievement in Literature’ and the ‘Best Thesis in Gender Studies’ awards. Upon graduating, they received the Napier Fellowship Award, the Elbaz Fellowship, and Davis Projects for Peace funding to work with the Forum for African Women Educationalists – Zimbabwe Chapter (FAWEZI), which they did from 2018 through 2020. After FAWEZI, they worked as the Operations Director for Movement Labs, a social justice messaging organization in the United States. In 2021, Jasmine joined MALS as part of the ‘Cultural Studies’ concentration. They have worked as a TA for Dartmouth’s Writing 2-3 courses (2021-2023), a course on German fairytales (2022), Modern American Drama (2022-2023), and a critical writing workshop seminar in Dartmouth’s Comparative Literature MA program. Their research lies at the crossroads between semiotic theory, collective memory, and ‘Developmentalism’ as it relates to US Imperialism.
Editorial Board Members
Erin E. Bennett is a writer and illustrator currently living in Wilder, Vermont. Her work, both written and visual, can be found in journals such as Horse Egg Literary, Fairy Piece Mag, and High Shelf Press, among others. She works as Administrative Assistant to the Leslie Center for the Humanities at Dartmouth College.
Maria Iriondo is a second year MALS Student with a concentration in Creative Writing. She’s the managing editor of a bilingual, yachting, and lifestyle publication and a podcast and television producer. As a creative writer, she’s interested in historical fiction, mainly post-Franco Spain.
Anmol Gandhi was born in Mumbai. She began writing as a teenager and chose to pursue a degree in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of Vienna. During her time as the president of Uni-Verse Creative Writing Society, she lead the publication of its third annual anthology Silence, which featured prose, poetry, and illustrations from over fifty young, international artists. Her creative works have been published in several anthologies and she has worked in media and journalism for half a decade. She regularly wrote for The Times Group before becoming an editor at Sportskeeda. However, she would like to focus on her creative endeavours and pursue a career in entertainment after MALS.
Lilabeth Martchenke is a MALS student whose interests focus primarily in fiction of the urban fantasy and the intersection between myth and legend and present day. They are utilizing their time here at MALS to take a deep dive into Celtic Mythology and work on integrating that influence into their own work. After graduating from the MALS program they intend on pursuing a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature with a focus in Celtic Mythology and publishing their own book series as well. In their spare time they enjoy engaging in cooperative story telling activities such as DnD and other TTRPGs where they GM several different games in their own homebrew world and setting.
Sanyukta Shiv Kumar is a graduate student at Dartmouth College who writes creative short fiction and poetry, primarily about social issues. She did her Bachelor of Arts (Research) from Shiv Nadar University, India. While there, her pieces got published in various publications and websites. She hopes that her pieces guide the readers to take an empathetic approach to places, people, and their issues. In her free time, she reads books, knits and narrates.
Faculty Advisor
Anna Minardi has been working at Dartmouth since 2001. A senior lecturer in the French and Italian department, she served as language course coordinator while teaching Italian at all levels. She holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine and completed her MALS degree in 2010 with a thesis in Creative Writing. In 2014 she was invited to join the MALS program to teach a course on methodology as it pertains to the writing process and joined the Clamantis team. In Winter 2020 she started co-teaching a course entitled “Writing Nature: Reflections from Within and Without,” which gave her an opportunity to explore with students one of her lifelong interests, the intersection of the sciences and humanities.
Associate Editors
E. Chandlee Bryan, M.Ed. works in Career Services at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. She studies creative writing, the medical humanities and healthcare co-production methods between patients and providers. Chandlee has a fondness for paper and digital archives, knitting circles and building community.
Chennelle Channer is a graduate student at Dartmouth College in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program, with a concentration in creative writing. She is an Assistant Editor for the Clamantis Journal, and a Student Success & Accessibility Specialist at the Geisel school of medicine. Chenelle is interested in written work around themes such as immigration, language, womanhood, and black familial structures. Originally from Jamaica, she considers herself an island girl at heart and is still getting used to the New England weather. When she is not writing you can find her walking a path down to Quechee Gorge and maybe taking a quick dip in the water if it's not too cold.
Vivian Milan is a grad student in the MALS program from Easton, PA. She graduated from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia with a B.A. in English and minors in music and journalism. Her favorite form of writing is creative nonfiction, but she loves to read short stories, novels, the news, and memoirs. In addition to Clamantis, Vivian is a member of the Dartmouth Writers Society and is the Co-Chair for the Graduate Student Council's CARE (Committee for Addressing Racism and Equity). Her writing inspirations include James Baldwin, Lemony Snicket, Ray Bradbury, Jesmyn Ward, and Mindy Kaling.
Arina Petrova is a second-year MALS student. Having a bachelor’s degree and career in economics, she recognizes how finance contributes to people’s lives. Motherhood developed her worldly wisdom and emotional intelligence. MALS as a program and diverse environment expanded her intellectual horizons and contributed to a more humanistic understanding of society.
Rebecca Shepard is a first-year MALS student, concentrating in Creative Writing. She earned her undergraduate degree in Independent Studies, primarily concentrating on Psychology and Counseling, from Plymouth State in 2021. Rebecca is a successful small business owner, operating a busy professional proposal and grant writing consultancy. With a deep appreciation for the mountains of New Hampshire, Rebecca hopes to incorporate her passion for hiking and outdoor exploration into her MALS coursework.
Vibha Vasanth is a baking enthusiast with a knack for making awful messes when she tries to cook up a storm. She is a lover of witty sarcasm, soaking up the sun and taking in the chill of fresh air. She likes to read and write children's/YA fiction, fantasy and mystery stories, and sitcoms are her go-to for a good laugh.
Sarayah Villasenor is a graduate student in the MALS program studying Creative Writing. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois but is enjoying the inspiration that comes from the New England atmosphere. She is a lover of coffee, poetry, fantasy, and cats.
Nida Zehra is a first-year MALS student in the Cultural Studies track. She hails from Karachi, Pakistan and has a BSc with Honours degree in Social Development and Policy and a minor in Comparative Literature from Habib University, Karachi. Nida worked as a journalist and later as a content developer in the communications department of her alma mater before joining the MALS program. She enjoys reading fiction, nonfiction, and critical essays, and hopes to start a cultural magazine of her own someday.
Assistant Editors
Jessica Laura Arman is a Dartmouth MALS student with a concentration in Globalisation Studies. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Manchester in England. She previously apprenticed as a reporter covering investigative stories. You can find her by-lines at The Diplomat, Concord Monitor Newspaper, WhoWhatWhy and Emerald Magazine.
Daryna Gladun is an award-winning poet, conceptual artist and translator from Ukraine. She writes in Ukrainian and English. Her poems have been translated into 27 world languages. She is the author of three poetry collections and numerous artworks exhibited in numerous European countries. She has participated in International Literary and Art Festivals, Art Residences, Fellowship and Scholarship Programs in Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. Daryna Gladun currently is a first year MALS student (Creative Writing concentration).
Lee Mayes... I don't know this Lee Mayes feller, but I figure he might just be that screwy author, P.F. White. That guy's a real nut, you know? He smiles too much, and he's married to a witch- no fooling! He's been published something like twenty times too, across a dozen joints, and won an award here or there, but it's the eyes that really get you. There's something in there, like a wasp rattling around in a tin can. You can see it watching sometimes. Maybe that's where the stories come from. Lord knows I can't explain 'em otherwise. I hear the fella got into Dartmouth a while back, the MALS program I think. I figure by now he's probably just about done, but that's what worries me. I don't like to think what happens next. Whatever's in there won't stay put forever. Sooner or later he's gonna write the wrong words and then, well....
Andrée Solé is a current student of the Dartmouth Masters of Liberal Arts in the Creative Writing concentration. She has a Bachelor of Speech Therapy from The University of Queensland (Australia) and an MBA from the Melbourne Business School (Australia). Her thesis is writing Northern Gothic Modern Fairy Tales. Combining the humanities and health care is an area of focus that also informs her study and career aspirations.
Alumni Editors
Teresa Lust is the author of A Blissful Feast, Culinary Adventures in Italy’s Piedmont, Maremma, and Le Marche, published by Pegasus Books. Her previous book, Pass the Polenta: and Other Writings from the Kitchen, was published by Steerforth Press. She holds a master's degree from Dartmouth College and currently teaches Italian for the Rassias Center for World Languages at Dartmouth.
Ashley Riley graduated from the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program at Dartmouth College with a concentration in Globalization Studies in 2021. She received a bachelor’s degree in Great Books and History from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, Canada in 2019. Ashley is a first-generation undergraduate and graduate alumna and is currently the Admissions Coordinator for the MALS Program. When she is not devoting her time to the MALS Instagram page and promoting student engagement, Ashley enjoys painting and traveling.
Mariejoy San Buenaventura completed her MALS degree in 2006 with a focus on creative writing. She is a lecturer at Mahidol University International College in Thailand, teaching courses on poetry, fiction, creative writing, and environmentalism in fantasy literature. Her work has been published in Literary Imagination and in the anthology Family Matters by Nivasini Press, among a few others.
Ed Ting is a well-known amateur astronomer whose works have appeared in Sky&Telescope, Skywatch, Discover, and Popular Mechanics magazines. He is a National Science Foundation Ambassador to Chile, and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. His science-themed YouTube channel gets two million views a year. In addition to his science writing, Ed’s creative works have appeared in literary journals. He is a past winner of the NH State Flash Fiction contest, and was selected as Writer-in–Residence at the Noepe Center for the Fine Arts in Edgartown, Massachusetts in 2016. Ed holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, an MFA from New England College, and a MALS degree from Dartmouth, where he produced an award-winning thesis on astronomical imaging.
Cover Art
Jennifer Campbell Cormack is a South Carolina artist and writer with a B.S. in Architecture from The Georgia Institute of Technology and a MA.LS degree, with a concentration in creative writing, from Dartmouth College. A member of the Oil Painters of America and the Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild, her painting collections can be found in businesses, schools, and residences throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North & South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Edinburgh, Scotland. She teaches art and English to students in grades K-12.
Contributors
E. Chandlee Bryan See under ‘Associate Editors.’
Howard Carter is a consultant and attorney who has degrees from Boston University (BA 1989), MCLA (BA 2014), Dartmouth College (MALS 2016), and Albany Law School (JD 2019). Howard is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL Master Chief. He is a veteran of the Kosovo campaign, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Trans-Sahara). Howard was awarded the Dartmouth MALS Byam Shaw-Brownstone Thesis Excellence Award for his thesis on understanding and identifying propaganda.
Alikzandr Malakov See under Editor-in-Chief, ‘Matthew L. Garrell.’
Anna Koester is in her final year of the MALS program after starting in a part-time capacity in the summer of 2018. She is pursuing the Creative Writing track with a focus on non-fiction narratives. She previously had a piece published in the Winter/Spring 2020 edition of Clamantis titled “Calling the Stars Home.” She now resides in northeast Ohio where she works as a college counselor at a boarding school and lives with her fiancé and two dogs.
Stephen Marchand Fernández was born and raised in Madrid, Spain. He studied Spanish Philology at UNED (Universidad de Educación a Distancia) and in 2013 moved to the United States, where he has been working as a Spanish and French teacher at Groton School, Massachusetts. In 2022, he published his first book of poems, “Hacerse cuerpo,” with Open Art. He is currently a MALS student at Dartmouth College.
Lilabeth Martchenke See under ‘Editorial Board Members.’
Sanyukta Shiv Kumar See under ‘Editorial Board Members.’
Andrée Solé See under ‘Assistant Editors.’
Greyson Thomas is an aspiring author from Brooklyn, NY. He is a MALS student, focusing on Native American and Indigenous studies. He also loves Korean food.
Nida Zehra See under ‘Associate Editors.’
Ken Davis is a writer and artist in White River Junction, Vermont. He is a 2020 graduate of the MALS program in Creative Writing.
Arina Petrova See under ‘Associate Editors.’
TJ Riley is a MALS graduate student. He lives in Vermont with his family.
Al Salehi is an American poet of Persian descent. He is the founder and CEO of Glancing Interactive Solutions (a biotech company). Salehi has authored multiple patents in technology, music, and literature. Salehi graduated from UCLA and went on to study “Library Leadership in a Digital Age” at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is also an alumnus of Dartmouth College’s Guarini Graduate School, where he studied Creative Writing, in addition to completing the Summer Creative Writing Program at Oxford. His thesis is a manuscript of original poems in dialogue with Emily Dickinson on issues related to the evolving #Blacklivesmatter movements. Salehi also plays the electric violin and enjoys making people laugh. He currently serves on the board of the Dartmouth College Alumni Council - Honorary Degrees Committee. Salehi has also authored “Light Inc,” a trilogy that includes: “Of Gods & Men,” “Enter Atlas,” and “Caution: Light.” “Enter Atlas” was a Semi-Finalist for the University of Wisconsin’s Brittingham & Felix Pollak Prizes in Poetry. The judge for that competition was Natasha Trethewey (US Poet Laureate 2012-2014, and the Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for “Native Guard”). Salehi has also authored a seminal poetry collection entitled: “On the Matter of Black Lives: A 21st Century Poetic Conversation with Emily Dickinson,” in addition to “Elementally Challenged,” “Robbers, Pirates, & Terrorists,” “College Daze,” “Children Crossing,” “The Others,” and “Psyched Out.”
Kyle Singh is a graduate student at Dartmouth College studying creative writing. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and currently resides in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Ed Ting See under ‘Alumni Editors.’
Vibha Vasanth See under ‘Associate Editors.’
Irma Vlasac is a second-year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, through the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program. Irma enjoys illustrating and finds catharsis through creation, inspired by real life and by her imagination. In addition to her artwork, Irma dedicates her time to writing, painting, and her cats.
James Washington, Jr. lives in Hanover, NH and has been a staff member of Dartmouth’s undergraduate admissions office since 2000. He is enrolled in the MALS—Creative Writing program (poetry) to be completed by Fall 2023. Jim’s poems have appeared in The Anthology of New England Writers, Bloodroot Literary Magazine, Evansville Review, Lowell Review, Main Street Rag, Oyster River Anthology, Rattle, and others.
Briana Williams is a creative writing concentration with a particular fondness for writing weird things. As the daughter of a mother in the Navy, she has many hometowns, and has lived in Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida, and New York. She is in her final year in the MALS program and intends to graduate in the spring term of 2023.