Arrow Rock Literary Journal

Adam Arnold

Adam Arnold is a senior at Lindenwood University majoring in English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing. He plans to pursue a career in writing and publishing, with the hope of publishing fantasy novels someday. In his spare time, Adam loves to read, play D&D, and play video games such as Dark Souls. He also enjoys sewing, leatherworking, and the casual study of medieval arms, armor, and swordsmanship. He is often found enjoying the color purple and geeking out over swords, magic, and dragons.

AJ Costa

AJ is currently a junior at Lindenwood University, majoring in English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing. Fiction is his favorite genre, with a love for fantasy, sci-fi and horror. He also enjoys writing poetry about his stories, or about his life. He is currently working on getting his work published, and is steadily writing during his free time. When he’s not writing, he can be found playing video games, listening to music, hanging out with his friends, or spending time with his family. He is working towards becoming and editor post-graduation and is excited to continue his education!

Amber Budd

Amber Budd is a senior at Lindenwood majoring in English Creative Writing. After graduating in May, she will attend Lindenwood’s MFA in Writing program and plans to pursue an English PhD in the future. When not in class, Amber spends much of her free time reading and writing (her three cats serve as live-in beta readers), playing video games like Horizon or Spirit of the North, and crocheting while watching Star Wars. She plans to write her first sci-fi novel while pursuing her MFA but also hopes to branch out into fantasy afterward. You can find her on her website: 

https://amberbuddauthor.com/

Andy Rashleigh

Andrew (Andy) Rashleigh is currently a junior at Lindenwood University, majoring in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. He is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and will become President of Lindenwood’s Creative Writing Club in the Fall of 2025. Andy likes writing fantasy the most, particularly fantasy filled with adventure and action. However, he also enjoys writing other forms of speculative fiction, realistic fiction, and comedic pieces. When not writing, he can be found reading, playing video games, watching television, and taking walks. Andy’s favorite book is Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, his favorite video game is Super Mario Galaxy, and his favorite television show is SpongeBob SquarePants. He does not have a favorite walk. After graduating, he wants to start writing fantasy novels aimed for young adults.

Bree Stock

Bree Stock is a Junior at Lindenwood University. She is pursuing a major in English with a Creative Writing emphasis. Bree is an active member of the sorority Phi Sigma Sigma and Lindenwood’s Creative Writing Club. After graduating, she plans on pursuing a career as an author and is currently working on her first book. Bree spends much of her free time reading, writing, and drawing. Currently, she has a couple of published pieces and is super excited to get more of her work out into the world.

Chloe Rafada

Chloe Rafada is currently a senior at Lindenwood University, majoring in English with minors in Spanish and Secondary Education. She is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta and the women’s bowling team here at LU. She enjoys playing sports, baking, and crocheting in her free time. Chloe also writes poems but is not yet ready to publish. While attending courses at Lindenwood, she aims to receive her TEFL Certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). After graduating, Chloe will move to Spain and teach English at the secondary level.

Georgia Coomer

Georgia Coomer is a senior at Lindenwood University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing. When not immersed in detective novels, Georgia can be found experimenting with new baking recipes, following the latest season of Kamen Rider, or planning her next adventure. Her creative approach to editing is influenced by her diverse interests and experiences exploring different cultures. Georgia aspires to use her writing and editing skills to build a career in publishing after graduation.

Helen Ball

Helen Ball is a junior at Lindenwood, and this is her second semester as an editor for Arrow Rock. She is double majoring in English (with a literary emphasis) and Philosophy & Religion. Outside of her classes, Helen works as a tutor at the Writing Center, plays violin in Lindenwood’s orchestra, and is part of Alpha Chi Honor Society. She is also a member of the Philosophy Club and enjoys studying existentialist philosophy and logic proofs. In her free time, she can often be found reading a Dickens novel, baking, or having a picnic. Helen is working towards becoming an editor and, upon graduation, would eventually like to earn a graduate degree in rhetoric and composition.

Holly Burchett

Holly Burchett is a senior at Lindenwood University and is happy to return for a second year of editing for the Arrow Rock Literary Journal. She is an English major with an emphasis in Creative Writing and double minors in Theatre and Art History. When she’s not writing, you will likely find her in the theatre, acting, or cozied up at home reading, playing video games, or working on a new embroidery project. After graduating in the Spring of 2025, Holly plans to write her first novel while continuing to work on smaller projects along the way. She has been previously published in the 16th edition of Arrow Rock with her short story “Alligator”.

Joshua Hammond

Joshua Hammond has been reading since he was two years old. He reads books, comics, short stories, webcomics, manga, poetry, interviews, articles, and labels on chip bags. He also regularly listens to audiobooks and podcasts. He loves learning new things and is currently trying (miserably) to teach himself to draw. Josh is extremely passionate about art and hopes the human aspects aren’t lost as artificial intelligence develops. In 2024 he recieved an Associate’s degree of English from Saint Charles Community College. He’s currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Spanish at Lindenwood University (y puede hablar un poco español). He has work published or has work forthcoming at Justacuppa, Plot Twist Press, and Sufferer’s Digest. You can find his website here and his literary magazine here. You can also follow him on Bluesky, Instagram, or Twitter.

Kaylee Hamilton

Kaylee Hamilton is a junior at Lindenwood University majoring in Creative Writing with a full scholarship. She loves experimental poetry and reading it as well, and dystopian novels and classics. She loves going outside, animals, experimenting with her writing, taking walks, watching The Walking Dead and others, drawing and painting and plans to get a degree for that.  She also enjoys philosophy, particularly ethics, and religion, and social issues.  Kaylee Hamilton was published in Elevation Review in 2021 Issue 4, Havik Magazine in 2021, and YouthThinkClimate in 2021. Her poetry was also published in Starkville Area Arts Council Juneteenth Art Competition 2022, Currents in 2023, SLCL Celebrating Poetry Anthology in 2021 and Socratic Society in 2024.  Also, Kaylee also shared a poem with Congress regarding child tax credits. Kaylee Hamilton wants to be a professional fine artist, professional writer, activist, and literary magazine editor.

Here’s her website link: https://www.473hamiltonk.com/

Kristiana Carl

Kristiana Carl is a twenty-seven-year-old aspiring writer with a great love for words. She completed her first “novel” at six years old, and dreams of publishing as many pieces as she can in her lifetime. She has already written and completed one book of poetry, as well as 3 nonfiction essays and 5 short stories, one of which was selected to be written as a screenplay and made into an upcoming indie film.

When she is not writing, you may find her drinking a London Fog tea at a coffee shop with a book in hand, outside hiking and photographing nature, or cruising the streets in her in-line skates.

Marvin Mezera

Marvin is a junior at lindenwood university and is pursuing and English degree with a focus on creative writing. He’s a writer and comic illustrator who self publishes his work online. He focuses on a few larger projects, including a novel and a graphic novel, but enjoys writing shorter stories on the side. Outside of illustrating and writing, Marvin enjoys listening and playing music (primarily cello), playing video games, and playing D&D. After university, he plans on working at home and focusing more time (and money) into his passion projects while taking commissions on the side.

Nico Behrens

Nico Behrens is a junior at Lindenwood University majoring in Philosophy and Religion with a minor in Creative Writing. They often can be found working on stories focusing on family relationships, queerness, and mental health. In their spare time, they enjoy listening to electronica, playing Pokémon, and bouncing ideas off their friends in the creative writing and philosophy clubs. They also love to hang out with their two cats at the end of the day. They have been published at Turtle Way under their deadname and hope to publish more works in the future, especially the novel and novelette they are currently working on. They can be found on Tumblr and, albeit currently inactively, on Instagram and Twitter (X).  

Sydney Parker-Coyne

Sydney is currently a junior at Lindenwood University pursuing an English degree and exploring psychology courses to appease her ADHD and needing to adhere to multiple interests. She has not yet been published but has presented three of her creative writing pieces at several school events at Saint Charles Community College. Her passion for writing started very young when she learned to read and write and her favorite Vacation Station teacher explored the ideas of writing small stories and she hasn’t stopped since. When she’s not at school, you can find Sydney working endlessly at one of her many jobs, playing D&D, trying to go outside, exploring photography, dogsitting, or playing a random video game. After graduation, Sydney hopes to split her time as an English adjunct professor and a DBT therapist (she’s a workaholic and she’s tired).