Stevie Billow (they/them) is a writer, educator, and creative organizer originally from rural Vermont. Stevie graduated from Smith College in 2019 with a BA in History and Art History. In 2020, they earned their MA in Teaching from the Universidad de Alcalá. Their work has previously appeared in Meat for Tea: The Valley Review, On the Run, The Blood Pudding, and Fauxmoir among others. They are the founder and an active member of a multimedia arts collective called Rotary Arts (@rotary_arts on Instagram) that showcases collaborative work by emerging LGBTQ+ creators. More of Stevie’s writing and projects can be found via steviebillow.com.
What does being selected for this fellowship mean to you?
Being selected as an Emerging Writer Fellow is a life-changing opportunity for me! There have been precious few moments in my life where I've been able to prioritize writing. Thanks to GrubStreet, I know I’ll finally have access to resources that will take my work to the next level and lay the foundations of my writing career. I have long admired GrubStreet’s dedication to marginalized writers and am so excited to join this community! I intend to use this year to explore authenticity in writing, reading, and as part of Boston’s creative ecosystem.
Malik Thompson (he/him) is a Black queer man from Washington, DC. His work is featured, or forthcoming, in MQR Mixtape, Voicemail Poems, Poet Lore, and other places. He has received support from Lambda Literary, Obsidian Foundation, Cave Canem, Brooklyn Poets, and other organizations. He can be found on Instagram via the handle @latesummerstar.
What does being selected for this fellowship mean to you?
As a writer who hasn't studied at the university level, I thoroughly cherish opportunities to learn and refine my handle on craft. I am honored to have been chosen by the folks at GrubStreet to join their community and receive a year of concentrated support for my development as a writer. Being selected for this fellowship means that I am entering a writing community that is excited about my work and my work's future potential, the highest form of praise for an emerging writer. I hope to make long-lasting connections with my fellowship cohort that are nurturing, and I am excited to witness the growth I've undergone once my tenure as a fellow has ended.
As an emerging writer and activist, divina (he/they) has been attending classes with Grubstreet since they were 14. divina is currently working in Representative Mary Keefe’s office researching and writing for a bill that will ensure incarcerated people’s rights to education. In addition to their work in Massachusetts Policy, divina is working for Educators for Excellence in community organizing for a bill to protect teachers from layoffs. divina’s life experience within the department of children and families, foster care system, and being system-involved has informed not only their political action, but writing. divina’s goal is to create a series of essays that approach systemic issues from an intersectional lens, shedding light on their experience and the inadequacy of child welfare systems in Massachusetts for young people in crisis.
What does being selected for this fellowship mean to you?
This fellowship is an incredible opportunity to me, especially as someone who never considered their writing as important and impactful. The impact that this fellowship will have on me, through building community and confidence cannot be understated. I am really honored to be able to take part of a community that genuinely and sincerely sees, understands, and wants to see me succeed because that sort of kindness is really rare to see.