Contributors of Horizon Review, Issue 1

Chandra Bales and her husband live in the mountains east of Albuquerque, enjoying the seasons, forest, and wildlife, despite not quite enjoying the challenges of navigating snow and ice. But they persist! With degrees in the sciences, Chandra now delights in creative writing and Old English courses at the UNM Department of English. Her poetry recently appeared in Frogpond, Kingfisher, Tandem: The Rengay Journal, and Crossing Bridges: A Haibun Anthology.

Hakim Bellamy served as the Inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of Albuquerque (2012–2014) and served as the Deputy Director for the Department of Arts & Culture at the City of Albuquerque from 2018–2022. Both a W. K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellow and a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, Bellamy has held adjunct faculty positions at UNM and the Institute of American Indian Arts, and also served as the Creative Writing Chair at New Mexico School for the Arts. A National Poetry Slam Champion, Bellamy has performed his work in at least seven countries and continues to leverage his art to transform his communities. See what else he is up to at hakimbellamy.com.

Kelvin Beliele's poetry and short fiction have appeared in RFD, Poetry Today, Tandava, Encore, The James White Review, FirstHand, Honcho, and Advocate Men, among others. Born and raised in Enid, Oklahoma, he has taught American literature and expository writing at the University of New Mexico and at Oklahoma State University. Beliele currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Molly Goehring Burke is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and designer. After graduating with a degree in Letters, Arts, and Sciences from Penn State Harrisburg, she was voted Harrisburg Magazine's Best Mixed Media Artist in 2022 and is one of the founding members of Japansylvania, a virtual exhibition of artists from around the globe. In Spring 2024, Molly moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was featured in the New Mexico Painter’s Exhibition in Las Vegas, NM, and taught classes for children/adults at the Harwood Art Center. In Fall 2024, she was selected to be an Albuquerque ArtsHub Fellow. Molly’s work explores her journey with mental illness, chronic illness, and her Catholic upbringing. Bold colors are a staple in her creations, whether they come in the form of recycled fabrics, splashes of acrylic paint, or scribbles of oil pastel. Her exploration of the abstract mixes with her love of linework creating dynamic pieces which entertain the intuitive while staying grounded in the representational.

On "At The End of The Day"

"'At the End of the Day' is a mixed media self portrait. It is about connecting with the messy, surprising, and unorthodox aspects of the self."

Ty D. Camp is a firefighter, paramedic, philosopher, and writer (www.linkedin.com/in/tydcamp). A native of Roswell, NM, Ty has also lived in Kentucky and Texas, where he earned an MA in theology from Asbury Seminary and an MA in philosophy from Texas A&M. In addition to his fifteen years in the fire service (thirteen in Albuquerque), Ty participates in his local firefighter union, contributes scholarly philosophical work at the annual Canadian Hermeneutic Institute (most recently in the 2025 online issue of the Journal of Applied Hermeneutics), and co-organizes monthly public philosophy conversations at FUSION for the Albuquerque Philosophy Collective (Instagram: @abqphilcollective). When he is not with his family or driving the fire truck, Ty can be found doing jiu jitsu, writing, or looking for new ways to have philosophical conversations.

Victoriano Cárdenas (he/him) is a trans poet from Taos, New Mexico. He graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2020 with a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. During the creative writing program at UNM, Cárdenas served as Poetry Editor (2018–19) and Editor in Chief (2019–20) of Blue Mesa Review. He currently serves as a Board Member for the Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS). Cárdenas’ debut poetry collection, Portraits as Animal, was published in 2023 by Bloomsday Literary Press, and was a finalist for a 2023 Lambda Literary Award in Transgender Poetry. Cárdenas' novella, Casa de Sueños, was selected as the winner of the Stephen Graham Jones Horror Novella Prize. He currently lives in Albuquerque with his dog, Dio, writing horror screenplays, poetry, and short fiction.

Thomas Crowe (he/him) is a staff writer at Horizon Review. Having worked on the magazine since the Spring of 2025, he has helped in the process of publication all the way from conception to final print. He is a recent graduate from UNM with a B.A in Classical Studies. He has been published in several journals, including Signal Mountain Review and Danse Macabre, as well as an eldritch horror-themed anthology called Lovecraftiana. His creative focus has largely been on novels, short stories, and poetry. He lives in Santa Fe with a rambunctious Aussie shepherd named Kip, who has an adorable overbite.

Camille Cunningham is a visual artist in Albuquerque, NM. She has a BFA and an MA in Marriage and Family therapy, and clinical art therapy. She is also a licensed mental health professional in private practice. Her artwork uses collage and acrylics on small wood panels. Camille examines how women have been historically represented, through her artwork. She exhibits locally at Mariposa Gallery and has been selected to exhibit at Strata Gallery in their 2026 Small Works show.

On "Medusa and Her Sisters"

"'Medusa and Her Sisters' resonates with me in particular because of the ongoing challenge to be accepted as a full fledged individual with agency in a patriarchal world."

Adriana Maresma Fois is native of Albuquerque, NM, with Cuban and Paraguayan roots. She has an impressive thirty-five year career as a professional flamenco Spanish dancer/choreographer, touring with various companies around the world. Adriana has a BA in Fine Arts with concentration in photography and dance from the University of New Mexico. She began painting during the pandemic, since she couldn’t perform, as a tool for meditation and healing. It ultimately led to her discovering a new talent and way to express her imagination!

On "Compasión" and "Feria De Jerez España"

"'Compasión' is piece showing that we’re not alone, there’s a hand out near you, to hold you, to help you. 'Feria De Jerez España' depicts a couple enjoying dancing sevillanas, a typical folk dance of Spain, during the city fair, with all the music, colors, lights, and electric atmosphere.

Carla Forrest paints luminescent works inspired by direct observation of nature and life. Forrest attributes her love of expressionistic mark-making to her undergraduate study of sculpture and modernism. She is a first-generation Ukrainian American who is captivated by the color and value contrasts of contemporary impressionist works. Honored as a Local Treasure by the Albuquerque Arts Business Association, Forrest’s personal artistic mission integrates awareness of environmental conservation, community connectivity, and creativity. A portion of her artwork sale proceeds are donated to nonprofit organizations that align with said artistic mission.

On "Pirouette"

"My Nature Dance series, of which this piece is from, renders the ephemeral essence of nature's cadence, inviting viewers to immerse in its harmonious rhythm and timeless grace. These studio paintings evoke fluidity through brushstrokes and capture nature's poetry of movement in whispering winds through mountains, sky, swaying trees, grasses, and the dance-like rippling of water. I approach painting as an observer of the soul, enlightening the viewer about the presence, wonder, and dignity of nature and life. I want the viewer to value a place, a person, a space of spirit and heart while bringing this illumination into their personal environments."

Des Fox is an author, musician and artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their work has been featured in The Weekly Alibi, Every Day Fiction and Fiction Vortex. They have also self-published comic books and folk albums and have been known to pontificate on dreams and queer spirituality via their YouTube channel, "amdrag.”

Thelma A. Giomi, Ph.D., has been a writer since she was able to form letters. Writing is as intrinsic to her as breathing. Through her work as a therapist and her writing, she weaves a constructive acceptance of reality with an indomitable spirit. She has won awards for both her poetry and her novels. Even though she has spent years meeting the challenges of living with Lupus, a chronic illness, she has published five anthologies of poetry, two novels, and edited a brief memoir of her sister’s writing. Thelma belongs to numerous writing organizations. She is currently working on a memoir and a sequel to her novel, Shatter My Heart, while always listening for that moment of inspiration for her next poem.

Stephani Grilo (she/her/hers) is a playwright and short fiction writer located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since 2009, Stephanie has been working within the theatrical community of Albuquerque as an actor, director, and playwright. She received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of New Mexico in 2017. Her plays have received several staged readings and small University productions. She has taught playwriting and screenwriting at Central New Mexico College since 2020 and is currently the creative writing and theatre teacher at the Digital Arts and Technology Academy.

Jane Hammons grew up in Roswell, New Mexico and attended the University of New Mexico where she received a BA and an MA. For thirty years, she taught writing at UC Berkeley before retiring, first to Austin, Texas before finally returning to New Mexico, where she lives in Albuquerque. Over the years she has been published in a variety of magazines, journals, and anthologies: Alaska Quarterly Review, Columbia Journalism Review, San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Southwestern American Literature, and most recently in The Main Street Rag and Yellow Medicine Review. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

Jaime Humberto Herrera Montero grew up in Ciudad Juárez, México, crossing the border to El Paso frequently (sometimes several times a day). Growing up bilingually and biculturally is an integral part of his identity. While he is well aware of the dangers of constantly crossing the border, he knows the richness and beauty of being able to do so. His writing focuses on the borderspace in which he grew up, and which manifests in all of us this constant moving between two (or more) spaces.

Rymer Hewitt is an emerging author who seeks to write stories that share a theme of hope. Writing has been a passion of his since the first time he could string simple words together. As a recent graduate from The University of New Mexico, the author plans to continue learning and writing, with plans to pursue an MFA degree in the future. In the interim, his main focus is to continue working on short stories.

Alonso Indacochea is a filmmaker, technologist, entrepreneur, and immigrant from Lima, Peru. Alonso has produced and directed several award-winning short films, founded successful technology companies, developed software products, and led community organizations, events and initiatives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a co-founder of the Dust Wave art collective.

On "The Darkest Place"

"Shot on location at the México–U.S. border, The Darkest Place is an experimental mini-documentary highlighting the International Dark Sky Reserve, one of darkest, but also one of the most surveilled, places in the world. This piece was submitted in solidarity with American immigrants from around the world"

Susan Schack Jensen has broad experience in Fiber Arts and Communications, including leadership in several Guilds. Susan was an editor for a zine called Roaring Lamb and created a networking website for hand crafters.

Amiel Katz is a queer poet from Houston, Texas. Her work is rooted in lived experience and historical research to (re)imagine just futures. Amiel's poems are published or forthcoming in Bat City Review, Gather Magazine, and Nowhere Girl Collective.

Sandi J. Ludescher is a New Mexican painter and printmaker celebrating the distinctiveness and sometimes quirkiness of everyday people and their struggles. Growing up during the unrest of the 1960s has influenced quite a lot of her work. She is widely known for her emotional and expressive portraits, figurative paintings, drawings and etchings, sometimes with social commentary. Sandi had exhibited her work extensively and has works in public and private collections worldwide. www.adifferentpainter.com

CJ Mathis' stories and poems have been published by Brilliant Flash Fiction, Abyss and Apex, Camden Park Press, Public Poetry, MetaStellar, and others. His short fiction received a recent Pushcart nomination and inclusion in The Best Small Fictions 2023 anthology. He writes in multiple genres, publishing novels in a space fantasy series, and dabbling in poetry. He lives in the Dallas area with his wife and their rescue superhero dog Saber-Girl. He calls his sourdough bread starter “Ursula” (K. Le Guin), and cooks crazy-good Cajun food for a Midwest Yankee. MFA 2022. Kenyon Review Fiction Workshop 2024 and Poetry Workshop summer 2025.

Idris Parker. Originally from North Alabama, Idris is an artist studying at the University of New Mexico. They moved across the country to New Mexico at the age of eighteen because they knew their future could only move forward in an environment with creative opportunity. They got their first job shortly thereafter at an art museum as an apprentice. After almost three years of practical experience in museum studies, they were chosen by staff to present on a panel at the 2026 Annual Conference for the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. They consistently use their creative background to inform their museum work, and in turn their museum work inspires many of the pieces they create.

On "Spark Flash" by Idris Parker

"I specialize in conceptual and representational illustrations that focus on queer identity and uncommon shapes of beauty. I often use the technique of stippling, which is a form of linework that uses only pointillism. Many of my concepts are also inspired by knolling, which is a form of still-life that involves arranging inanimate objects in a defined, analytical format. I make drawings of fleeting mundane objects, all placed together under a common symbolic theme, joined together in the beauty of the immense detail created by a million tiny dots. Strangely, it was my artless upbringing that left me with the lesson that informed my artwork the most: every mundane object has the capacity to be beautiful if you stare at it for long enough."

Travis Parkin's journey began in the late 1990s as a collector of contemporary and pop art, driven by a deep appreciation of beauty in all its forms. In 2008, he founded Guerrilla Graphix, a graphic design firm and pop culture emporium with locations in Albuquerque and Taos. Today, he works almost daily in his 1,000-square-foot studio in downtown Albuquerque, usually with a 400-song Spotify playlist—Abstract Art Studio Instrumentals—playing in the background. He has benefited greatly from instruction by artists such as Nicolas Wilton, Adele Sypesteyn, José Trujillo, Julie Schumer, and Taos artist Jill Rounds, as well as from the creative influence of New Mexico artists Kevin Tolman and Guilloume. Most of Travis’ paintings are created with premium acrylics, though he occasionally uses high-grade house paint—as Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso once did—to tone canvases. Collectors often describe his style as Classical Abstraction: a mode rooted in the early-to-mid 20th-century pioneers of abstraction, defined by restraint and a cerebral approach to composition.

Claire Patton grew up in Texas. As an only child, she was left mostly on her own, running wild on the mean streets of the Dallas suburbs. Claire studied English at the University of Dallas. After a disastrous attempt at teaching, she attended a physical theater school overseas. Returning home afterwards, Claire bootstrapped indie theater productions. She brought original plays to festivals in the US and Canada. Now she lives in rural Colorado, where she works as a writer and screenplay consultant.

Linda Piper holds a PhD in Language, Literacy, and Socio-Cultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. She is founder and artistic director of the former Tapestry Players (Albuquerque, NM) and Black Arts Center Repertory Company (Houston, TX). https://about.me/lindapiper

Rose Marie Prins' mixed-media paintings and sculptures have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums, cultural centers and galleries throughout North America well as in her native country, South Africa. Her work is in public, corporate, and private collections in the United States, Canada and Europe including the Museum of Encaustic Art, Cerrillos, NM; Jonson Gallery at the University of New Mexico, Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Alfonso Architects in Tampa and many more. rosemarieprins.com

Anthony Rodriguez, an Albuquerque native, has spent his whole life living amongst the wonders that comprise the southwest. His love for this landscape has inspired him to embark on a photographic journey cataloguing the wonders of New Mexico and the desert. He is currently working towards a degree in nursing while enjoying camping, birding, and spending time with family and friends.

On "El Gran Rio Seco"

"This piece is to showcase the effects of drought and climate dysregulation. What used to be a flowing river providing water for the inhabitants of the bosque is now just a dried-up bed of clay. It was taken on 35mm film Kodak 200 color film, with Pentax k1000 camera and 50mm lens."

Keith Sanchez, originally from Belen, New Mexico, spent his youth amidst the civil war and stunning landscapes of El Salvador. Alongside his wife, Ana Romero-Sanchez, he co-directs the Youth Arts Ambassadors “Cuentistas” program, providing free arts education for local youth. A career musician, Keith was the lead singer and songwriter for the underground band Stoic Frame, which achieved a #1 single on R&R’s Rock en Español charts and had music featured on platforms like MTV Latino. He develops culturally rich curricula for his students, emphasizing New Mexican heritage and community literacies. Above all, Keith is a devoted father to his two creative children, Ella Mercedes and Tobias Morrison.

On "On The Stage Alone"

"I first began writing this song in 2009. I've revisited it because it is oddly the one that I have never recorded, though it is the one my wife has urged me to record many times over. The final verse was written this year. The protagonist of the song isn't a single person or thing, though it was inspired by a homeless woman who would sit in the concrete hallways of the University of New Mexico, playing her guitar and singing to no one and everyone at once."

Mónica Sánchez is a multi-generational New Mexican and longtime professional theatre artist. She spent 2 + decades in California including a year in residency with El Teatro Campesino, before continuing to hone her acting chops in San Francisco, then Los Angeles where she continued to work in theatre, television, and film. She has facilitated numerous community engagements, theatre workshops at home and internationally, and is a former professor of higher education. She holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Albuquerque, NM, where she continues her work as playwright, actor, director, and educator in independent, professional, and community projects.

Claire Christine Sargenti Pi'kssíí Aakíí  (she/they/fae) is an award winning interdisciplinary artist and author who is currently in residence at the De La Vega Gallery in Tucson, Arizona.  Her work has been seen at the New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, as well as in galleries, theaters, digital spaces, and print publications throughout America and Europe. She is the author of Noble Moon Tarot Deck & Grimoire, Vagina Book, and Interludes: A New (Orleans) Play. She has published in Rougarou Journal, Lumina Journal, and San Diego Poetry Annual, among others. Her work has raised funds for various charitable organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, and Doctors Without Borders.  She creates to inspire understanding, equity, and love for Earth and all of her creatures.  www.clairechristinesargenti.com @clairevoyantspirit

On "Luz Escondido"

"The human eye can detect light between 400-700nm. This range makes up what we consider to be visible light and the colors of the rainbow as we know it, based on the trichromatic or three-primary color system.  Above 700nm is infrared, an invisible world that humans can’t see.  Animals, however, can see whole spectrums of light that are inaccessible to humans, with some animals seeing in a tetrachromatic, or four-primary color system.  This means that not only do animals see the world in a vastly different light than we do, some animals can see more colors than we can even comprehend.  Photographing the Sonoran Desert in infrared light gives us an idea of how our desert dwelling neighbors experience their surroundings, and serves as a reminder that the desert and its mysteries are not for human consumption alone.  There is much more to the desert than meets the eye, and it is my hope that viewing the desert in a whole new light will foster a sense of stewardship and wonder for the desert and all living beings who call this place their home."

Larry Schulte is a mixed media fiber artist, who retired to Albuquerque in 2015 after more than thirty years living and creating in New York City. He has served as an administrator and instructor at Parsons School of Design. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of both The Textile Study Group of New York and of Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists in NYC. He has had multiple art residencies at The Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, IL. He is included in collections of the Museum of Nebraska Art, Library of Congress, New York Public Library, and New-York Historical Society as well as numerous other public and private collections.

On "Another World" and "Eclipse"

"My work is about nature, mathematics, and pattern. It follows in the footsteps of the Pattern & Decoration movement as well as the grids of minimalism, but with a nod to the beauty and structure of nature. Particularly, the Fibonacci Sequence (a mathematical structure found in nature) is used as a basis for the size and weavestructure. The work is about the beautiful structure of nature."

Anna Seipert is currently attending Southern Utah University as an English Rhetoric major after receiving her Associates at Snow College. She has previously been published in Weeds: the Literary Journal of Snow College. She is also an editor for the Kolob Canyon Review. Anna is passionate about reading, writing, and collecting eccentric button-up shirts.

Judy Wilson Slack. While living and working in Iowa City, Judy built a poetry foundation from Writers’ Workshop students who taught in the Saturday and Evening program at the University of Iowa. For several years, she has been in a writing and poetry group where they discuss contemporary poems. Reading and writing go together.

Carolyn Shayte (they/them) is an artist, writer, art therapist, and avid nature lover living in Pojoaque, NM. Originally from Baltimore, MD, Carolyn moved to Santa Fe, NM in 2019, and hasn’t wanted to leave since. Their poetry and art have appeared in multiple zines, The Purple Poetry Book, Wend Poetry, HYSTERIA, The Poetry and Fiction Issue of Baltimore City Paper, and Into the Unknown Together: A Community Climate Anthology for New Mexico.

On "Home"

"I approach collage in an intuitive way, often allowing the found images to communicate with me and guide their placement in the composition. I work a lot with colors and textures. The process can feel like a call and response, with me finding themes and meaning in the process as much as the finished piece. Common themes that show up in my collages have to do with home, belonging, connection, the body, interdependence, and nature."

Lauren Dana Smith is an artist, writer, and art psychotherapist living in Taos, New Mexico. Smith’s research-based, multidisciplinary practice utilizes sculptural, digital, video, and sound compositions to process land and body politics through a feminist lens. Smith studied painting and received her B.A. from Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, New York. Smith is a faculty member at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where she received her M.P.S. in Creative Arts Therapy and Creativity Development. Smith’s work has been exhibited and published regionally, nationally, and internationally. Smith has also published and presented widely within the fields of psychotherapy, art therapy, traumatology, pediatrics, and palliative medicine. Smith is a Co-Founder of the Taos Abstract Artist Collective.

On "Choreo #9"

"My work analyzes and deconstructs consciousness, collective experience, and existential presence using an arts-based research practice that centers video, sound composition, large-scale sculpture, and alt-narrative development. With a practice rooted in psychodynamic theory, critical pedagogy, relational neuroscience, Jungian symbology, sociocultural critique, social-action, arts-based community organizing, and intergenerational trauma repair, Smith’s work tests the boundaries we choose and those we don't."

Jordan Solis is a writer and poet based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their work explores identity, impermanence, and the spaces between belief and observation. Their work often draws from the landscapes and histories of the American Southwest. Jordan’s poetry is informed by a background in activism, philosophy, and contemplative practice. They are particularly interested in the intersections of gender, culture, and social justice. They approach language as both terrain and vessel, seeking the quiet resonance in everyday moments.

Rin Tara (they/them) is from southern Colorado, and currently lives in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. When they are not in the water, they are writing about the water.

Maria Trunk grew up in Central Florida, but ever since she first set foot in the Chihuahuan Desert she’s never wanted to live anywhere else. In El Paso, Texas, she worked for open space preservation and native habitat restoration, and then in 2017 she co-founded Blue Tubes Studio in Socorro, New Mexico. Her art practice is grounded in a landscape where illusions and contradictions are laid bare, their edges not softened by gentle light or kind vegetation. She uses a variety of visual media (alternative process photography, video, watercolor) to prod at embedded relations that are often overlooked, ignored, or deliberately obscured. See more at www.bluetubesphoto.com

On "Blowing" and "Knife's Edge"

"These pieces come from my 'Knife’s Edge' project in which I set photographs of the human figure alongside common objects from everyday life to make digital/analog, single-exposure cyanotype prints. Through each pairing I tried to depict some aspect of the tensions we negotiate as self-aware beings, the 'knife’s edge' we walk between nature and culture, real and ideal, hope and despair. Cyanotype is a way of making photographic images with no need for lenses, a darkroom, or even a camera. An absorbent support (usually paper) is coated with an iron salts solution that, when exposed to ultraviolet light, turns from pale yellow-green to a rich, permanent blue."

Kimberly Wahpepah was secretary of the Parents Teachers Organization at Gallup Head Start. While in Gallup she made the Proclamation Against Human Trafficking at a City Council meeting. She is currently the Street Outreach Director for Moms Demanding Action and is a Human Trafficking Specialist with Aunties for Justice. As an advocate for MMIWR she has helped to find twelve missing relatives and seven traffickers and nine drug houses. Wahpepah has lobbied at the Santa Fe Capitol on behalf of MMIR on several occasions and was interviewed during the Women’s March as part of the #noDapl Water is Life protest in Albuquerque. She is an Ambassador Parent for EPICS and is employed at the Law Offices of Darlene Gomez in Albuquerque.

Dave Weirdly is the Lead Scenic Artist at FUSION. He has done murals for Meow Wolf and FUSION. He is currently working on five Graphic Novels and already self published Astro-Monk in The Awakener. Dave has a line of toy robots manufactured called Squat-Bots, and has previously sculpted a Tlingit-like totem pole for the Sea Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Dave was also the Prop Maker for Red Moon Theater Chicago. He has had many art exhibitions nationally through his paintings and scenic art contributions at FUSION in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On "Northern Eye"

"This painting is from a series I'm doing called Oddballisim. They would be considered by some Low Brow or Neo Surrealism. I consider this work, as well as the other in the series, to be portals into the Imagination."

Scott Wiggerman, co-organizer of the annual Poets' Picnic at the Open Space Visitor Center, is the author of four books of poetry, Beginning and Ending with Emily: Ghazals & Golden Shovels (brand new in 2026 from Casa Urraca Press); Leaf and Beak: Sonnets; Presence; and Vegetables and Other Relationships. He conducts Wingbeats, a free in-person poetry workshop at Books on the Bosque, the second Tuesday of odd months.

Cheyenne Dakota Williams is a Diné poet originally from Virginia. She is Bit’ahnii, born from Naahiłii. Her work has been published in Poetry Magazine, MSU Roadrunner Review, and anthologized in Beyond the Glittering World: An Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms. She is an AWP Tribal Colleges & Universities Fellow and winner of the 2025 Frederick Bock Prize.

Staff of Horizon Review Issue 1

Dennis Gromelski (Publisher of Horizon Review)is a 35-year resident of Albuquerque, NM.  He is a Co-founder and the Executive Director of FUSION, the longest-lived professional theatre in New Mexico's history.  FUSION is also Downtown's 25-year performing arts complex, producing and promoting a wide breadth of multi-disciplinary arts and community events.

Recognizing the impact of the arts on community development, Dennis has been active in the creation and development of civic projects including the Downtown ABQ Arts & Cultural District, the Rail Trail, the UETF Resiliency Residency program, and the CABQ MRA Downtown Redevelopment Plan.  He is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, ME with a B.A. in Rhetoric.

Dennis is known around FUSION for his big heart, boisterous humor, and for always putting his team first. His dedication to Albuquerque and the arts is unmatched!

Leah Livingston (Editor in Chief) graduated from UNM with a B.A. in English Studies (Creative and Professional Writing) and a minor in Business Management. They also earned Summa Cum Laude honors in English for their creative nonfiction thesis, along with a host of awards in both professional and creative writing. She predominately writes creative nonfiction and poetry.

Leah moved to Albuquerque in 2004 and has been the Communications Director at FUSION for three years. They are also the promotional lead and on the voting jury for THE SEVEN, a short new works play festival. Prior to FUSION, Leah worked in nonfiction book editing and publishing for eight years.

Leah has a spouse and 2 kids (ages 8 and 6). They adore warmth and slow living and can be found lounging with coffee and book in hand, binge watching Star Trek, going on walks, or chatting with their friends. Leah enjoys reading sci-fi, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Morgan Leanor Tracy (Managing Editor) is a recent UNM graduate and writer from the south valley. Morgan graduated from UNM with a double major B.A. in English Studies (Creative Writing) and a B.S. in Psychology. She got her honors in English, earning Magna Cum Laude for her thesis, a hybrid of poetry and creative nonfiction. Although she writes in all genres, she is primarily a poet. Her work has been published in Conceptions Southwest, Flare Lit Mag, and other publications. Her self-published poetry collection, Work in Progress came out in 2023.

Joining FUSION as Managing Editor for Horizon Review, she helps manage several aspects of the magazine, such as staff oversight, marketing, social media, design, and more.

Outside of work, you can find her coffeeshop hopping, playing the daily wordle, arts & crafting, or spending time with friends and family.

Editors

Matthew Archibeque (they/them) is an Editor at Horizon Review through the University of New Mexico’s work study and internship programs. In this role, they have participated in generating content for Horizon Review’s Instagram and reviewing submissions. Though they have yet to be published, Matthew has spent the past ten years writing and curating a top-secret project that they will talk endlessly about to anyone who will listen.

While dabbling in poetry that reflects the world as they experience it, their work primarily consists of short fiction that contemplates trauma in its various shapes, the influence that power can have over individuals, and the lengths to which individuals will go to ensure the survival of themselves and their people.

Emilio Garcia Benavidez (they/them) is an Editor who reviews wonderful submissions and writes posts for the Horizon Review substack. They are a published author in AKIRA Literary Magazine 2022 Edition and the 2023-2025 GMTK Award Winning GameJam. They have above a 4.1 GPA at the University of New Mexico.

Emilio primarily writes in the Interactive fiction genre: choose your own adventure books and video games. He is currently thrilled to be learning sign language while simultaneously practicing how to cut bamboo with a katana. 

Isabella Clarke (she/her) is an Editor at Horizon Review, where she focuses on submission review, outreach, and event planning. She also studies at the University of New Mexico, where she’s finishing her English degree with a concentration in professional and technical writing. Her poetry has won both the Lena Todd Award and the Karen McKinnon Award. In her downtime, you’ll find Isabella brewing a good cup of tea, diving into a new science fiction novel, or staring at the stars through her telescope.

Thomas Crowe (he/him) is an Editor for Horizon Review. In this capacity, he assesses submissions with his colleagues and writes posts for the magazine’s substack. He is in his final semester at UNM and will soon graduate with a B.A. in Classical Studies. He’s worked as a tutor in Greek and Latin and began his work for HorizonReview as an intern.

Thomas is an aspiring writer who has published in several journals, including Signal Mountain Review and Danse Macabre, as well as an eldritch horror-themed anthology called Lovecraftiana. His creative focus has largely been on novels, short stories, and poetry. He lives in Santa Fe with a rambunctious Aussie shepherd named Kip, who has an adorable overbite.

Jas Colorado (she/they) is a third-year MFA student at the University of New Mexico and an Editor at Horizon Review. They usually write poetry, but have recently been trying out creative nonfiction. When not writing or editing, Jas can be found making endless Spotify playlists, binging cryptid and alien abduction stories, or reading out loud to their dogs, Penelope and Shakespeare.

Jeanette DeDios (she/her) reads submissions and reaches out to more folks in the writing community in hopes that they submit more submissions for her to read. She also creates social media posts and helps coordinate cool writer events.

Jeanette is an award-winning radio journalist at KUNM radio news station and an award-winning filmmaker who is always thinking, writing, or producing her next short film. When she’s not busy juggling all those aspirations, she’s also interested in writing creative nonfiction and fiction. She hopes to someday publish her memoir.

But, what she really likes doing is knitting her next scarf while her pet cockatiel bird Choo-Choo sits on her shoulder, while they watch scary movies or Gilmore Girls together all year round—but preferably in the fall. 

Nikoma Henkels is honored to intern as a Grant Writer for the Horizon Review. Currently, she is also pursuing a master's in landscape architecture at the University of New Mexico. She hopes to combine a deep love for planet Earth with her acquired skills and abilities to create beautiful natural places in the urban realm, while also restoring the health of the planet and all its residents. Her past experiences working for newspapers, nonprofit organizations and public museums inform her current projects. Any plan for a community needs to be created by the community it is intended to benefit, whether that be publications or parks. Nikoma is working to apply for grants that would expand Horizon Review’s offerings while also ensuring that its existence is secure. She loves to read and write, but has found the worlds of drawing, painting and graphic design are important mediums in landscape architecture.

Eden Mata (she/her) is a Grant Writers at Horizon Review, researching funding opportunities within the art and literature community. She also assists with social media design and outreach. Eden is majoring in Psychology and English/Philosophy and pursuing a certificate in the basics of addiction counseling. Additionally, she is an undergraduate lab assistant with the UNM Psychology department working on a study about how mindfulness impacts resilience. She largely focuses on technical writing while using a human-centered approach. Eden has worked with multiple animal rescues in New Mexico over the years and specialized in fostering litters of newborn puppies that were abandoned in rural counties.

Hannah Senteno (she/her) is an Editor at Horizon Review, focusing on copyediting and design. She is a senior undergrad at the University of New Mexico and is finishing up her English Studies degree with a concentration in Creative Writing.

Hannah spends her time reading and writing. She is most interested in writing fiction within the horror genre. She has written several short stories for her creative writing classes and plans on expanding into a novel.

Hannah loves playing the latest cozy game on her PC while an obscure YouTube documentary plays in the background.