Meet our Masthead
Editor-in-Chief:
Margo Loiser
Margo is a long-time lover of music and poetry, but they've been increasingly enthusiastic about art, fiction, and nonfiction works since joining Touchstone staff! They received their BA in English at the University of Florida and they are currently in their second year of the English Master's program here at K-State. They are incredibly excited this year to work again with Touchstone's staff and to seek out and spotlight KSU and Manhattan community writers!
Co-Editor-In-Chief / Manager of Publication:
Maggie Steuer
Maggie is currently pursuing her MA in Children’s Literature and serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Expository Teaching I. Maggie received her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University in the Spring of 2020 and hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In her research, she specializes in adaptation studies, with a focus on how womanhood and gender are perceived through girls’ detective fiction. In addition to working at Touchstone, she serves as the Secretary for ChALC. When she is not sprinting from one job to the next, she enjoys sewing, knitting, embroidery, and stress baking while watching various Pride and Prejudice adaptations.
Poetry Editor:
Aimee Lamoureux
Aimee is a second-year graduate student studying Poetry on the Creative Writing track. She holds a B.A. in history from NYU and a M.A. in life writing from CUNY. She is from the northeast. She likes books, the beach, and the Boston Bruins.
Fiction Editor: Destiny Munns
Destiny is a second year English graduate student and instructor at Kansas State University. She studied as an undergrad at the University of Florida where she earned a degree in English with a minor in Classical Studies (she briefly considered a minor in Business before discovering her complete inability to do math). On the off chance she isn't teaching Expos Writing II or studying for her own classes, she spends her time knitting, cuddling with her cats, or in a Dracula-based research spiral.
Nonfiction Editor: Gabriel (Gabe) Padua
Gabe is currently a second-year graduate student in the Kansas State's English Department. One of his biggest interests is theory, specifically postcolonial theory applied to a Filipinx context. More specifically, he is interested in how the literature we read shed light on BIPOC experience, and with that what kind of ideas we can derive from such stories. He believes that the stories we tell are important, but the ideas and frameworks informed by such theories are just as important, hence the decision to read non-fiction for Touchstone. In his free time, he likes to read, learn new things, watch professional wrestling, stuff himself with food, and sleep like bears do in the winter.
Art and Audio Editor: Sierra Knipe-Cron
Sierra is a second-year M.A. student at K-state on the cultural studies track. Previously, she received her B.A. from Rogers State University in Claremore, Ofrom Rogers State University in Claremore, OK in Liberal Arts, English-focused, with a minor in humanities, studying women’s literature, comparative religion, and art. Her current academic interests include Indigenous Fiction and Women’s media, but she enjoys consuming all kinds of creative works in her personal time. She was recently married and lives with her husband and their cat, Timmy, and dog, Mina.
Social Media & Communications Manager, Art Reader, and Poetry Reader:
Zoey Dutcher
Zoey is a second year graduate student on the Creative Writing track! She adores poetry, but her studies focus on Nonfiction writing. Zoey loves literature and writing deeply, and finds joy in photography, nature, and people as well. She is very excited to be a part of Touchstone Magazine!
Readers
Fiction Reader:
Cat Torkelson
Cat is a senior undergraduate student at K-State majoring in Creative Writing and Spanish. In her free time, she loves reading, baking, writing fiction, taking walks, watching anime, and playing DND. She hopes to someday be an editor and a published author.
Fiction Reader:
Hoora Ghanbari Adivi
Hoora is from Iran, where she completed her undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s in English at K-State and work as Graduate Teaching Assistant. She has a passion for writing short stories, narratives, and lyrical prose.
Poetry Reader:
Maranda Haile
Maranda is a first-year graduate student pursuing her MA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in poetry & creative non-fiction. She holds a BA from Kansas State University. She also serves as a GTA for Expository Writing I. Maranda finds joy in writing, singing, reading, film, art, and theater. She also enjoys traveling the world and learning about other cultures.
Poetry Reader: Nava Eghdami
Nava is a first-year graduate student and instructor at K-State, where she is pursuing an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing. Her passion for poetry paved her way to be on this journey, leading her to read, write, and publish as well as to try to let the world know that “not just a poem, but even a word can change the world…”. Her love for literature has evolved as she engages with topics such as memory studies, posthumanism, and the intersection of literature and art, which are among her key academic interests. With her incredibly optimistic outlook, Nava believes in finding the silver lining in every situation, a theme she loves to express through her creative writing, particularly in her poetry. In addition to writing, she enjoys multitasking and indulges in painting, designing, and baking.
Nonfiction Reader:
Faezeh Rostami
Faezeh is from from Iran and earned her bachelor's degree in English from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. She is currently a master's student at K-State, studying English with a focus on Cultural Studies. She has taught for over six years, and is now an ENGL 100 instructor at K-State. She enjoys literature, films, and food!
Nonfiction Reader:
Jeffery Jones
Jeffery is a first year graduate student on the Creative Writing track. Having earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Studies from Oregon State University, he also brings 30 years of experience in business and procedural-based writing from a career in business administration from such high-profile companies as Deloitte & Touche, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, The Doheny Eye Institute at University of Southern California, and The William Morris Agency. Jeffery resides in West Los Angeles his husband and partner of 21 years and their two Bengal cats.