Janean L. Watkins - Editor in Chief
Janean L. Watkins began her writing career with Wright Times newspaper in Chicago, IL. She is currently the Editor in Chief for Seeds Literary Arts Journal at Northeastern Illinois University, as well as, the Event Driven News editor for the NEIU Independent. She is currently constructing a trilogy fiction novel and a college navigation guide for teens. In May 2010, Janean celebrated her first national publication with an essay featured in Ebony Magazine.
Lakeesha J. Harris - Poetry/Lyrics Editor
Lakeesha J. Harris is a mother, poet, and published essayist. Lakeesha attends Northeastern Illinois University where she is an honor student of Women’s Studies, McNair Scholar, Lincoln Laureate, and a Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. This year she received the “Excellence in Poetry Award” from the English Department of NEIU. Her recent essay, “Defining the New Black Family”, was published in the May 2010 issue of Ebony Magazine. Currently, she is seeking publication for her collection of poetry entitled, “The Rise and Fall of Breath”.
Stephanie Jirka - Secretary/Arts Editorial Team
Chakira Hamilton - Finance Manager
Chakira Hamilton, at age 20 is the youngest member of the .:Seeds:. family. She is a Social Work and Communications, Media and Theater double major. Her passion for literary arts stems from her love of reading and acquiring/sharing knowledge. She is currently actively involved in several literary arts initiatives including the Independent newspaper.
Alison Greer - Arts Editor
Alison Greer is a Fine Arts and Women's Studies double-major with hopes to someday utilize art as a form of activism and as a tool for grassroots endeavors. Her creative work has allowed her to flourish in many areas. For example, she has directing summer art programs all over the country. Alison is a humanist, a feminist, and a progressive thinker who delights in the literary and artistic portions of different cultures. As the Art Editor for .:Seeds:. Literary Arts Journal, she is excited to see her peers’ artistic creations and ideas come to life.
Vasilka Atanasova - Fiction Editor, Poetry/Prose Editorial Team
Vasilka E. Atanasova (Vasi) is a Communications, Media and Theatre major at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), with the aspirations of become a journalist and a writer. Vasi has three years of undergraduate work in Classical Philology and is now a Senior Staff Writer for the Independent at NEIU. In her near-to-no free time, she is writing non-fiction, short stories, essays and poetry. Recently she began writing plays as well. Joining the Seeds team is another tread in her writing career. This venture presents her with the challenge of evaluating other writers’ work and meeting other creative minds. Currently, Vasi works at Firman Community Services Inc. as an External Affairs Assistant; supporting the External Affairs Department of an organization providing human services to at risk families and children. Through this, she finds inspiration.
Galini Gkartzonika - Fiction/Prose/Poetry Editorial Team
Galini Gkartzonika is an international student at Northeastern Illinois University. After having completed her bachelors in psychology, she moved to Chicago and she is currently a graduate student in the Linguistics department of NEIU, as well as a copy editor for the NEIU Independent. Being a writer herself, she is interested in different kinds of human expression through writing, prose, fiction, and poetry.
Miguel Bustamante -Fiction/Prose Editorial Team
Miguel is an English major at Northeastern Illinois University who also holds a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology. His love for literature drew him back to study the nature and evolution of prose, verse, and drama. His fascination with manipulating words to create great prose has also compelled him to write works of fiction, essays, and non-fiction.
Amy Woolard - Prose/Poetry Editorial Team, Copy Editor
Amy Woolard has been writing prose and poetry since her teens, concentrating on fiction and free verse. She has been an amateur editor and writer since the early 1970's. Her ambition is to be a paid, published author. Currently, she has been published in a Literary Magazine known as the Awakenings Review. She graduated from Truman College with an Associate in Arts Degree (with honors) in May of 2008. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, and was also honored during her attendance at Truman College with a Recognition Award from the American Association of Women in Community Colleges. She is currently attending Northeastern Illinois University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. (BAIS).
Jacob Grossman - Poetry/Prose Editorial Team, Hip-Hop Editor
Jacob's academic stint began at Columbia college where he studied Modern and African dance. Jacob decided that dance was not the path he wanted to take, occupationally, and is currently studying Sociology at Northeastern Illinois University. Jacob has been writing short stories, poetry, and spoken word - sporadically - since his youth. He is also an avid hip-hop fan, who has been a freestyle lyricist since his younger years. As an editor of the Seeds poetry/hip-hop team, he hopes to select quality, "conscious" works/lyrics that uplift the NEIU student body.
Farheen Mashhood - Fiction/Essay Editorial Team
Sarah Kosmin, Layout Editor
Sarah is a senior at Northeastern Illinois University, double-majoring in Psychology and Philosophy. She serves as president of NEIU’s Feminist Collective, and works part-time as an AmeriCorps member through Literacy Volunteers of Illinois, tutoring detained juveniles. Although her pursuits are largely academic, she finds significance in the profound depth that art often speaks. She enjoys language, photography, and contemporary art (installations, paintings, performance art, etc. If it’s contemporary, she’ll take it!).
Vivian Shelton - Poetry Team, Website Design Team
Vivian W. Shelton- Is a poet at heart, who appreciates all dimensions of artistic creativity. She's a senior at NEIU, and the Treasurer of Student Government Association. She is majoring in Communications Media, and Theater - with a minor in Media. She was introduced to Seeds by the brilliant founders, and became part of the club in an attempt to express and experience art in its purest forms.
Nicholas Patrie, Fiction/Prose Editorial Team
Nic Patrie is a history major that loves to write. With extensive experience in the Arts, Nic is excited to be a part of Seeds and looks forward to sharing in the creative energy of our community. He’s interested in history, social justice and nerdy stuff and he likes to incorporate it in his fiction… all at once, if possible. You can find his “Married Gamer” blog on screwattack.com (nic920) and, if you ask him, he’ll show you some of his short stories.
Jorge Montiel
