Zine Makers: Crafting A Peer Poetry Zine

Kenna DeValor (they/them) is a nonbinary + queer writer, journalist, literary agent, and current graduate student based in Northeast Pennsylvania. They hold a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bloomsburg University. Currently, they attend Wilkes University’s Maslow Family Creative Writing MA/MFA program for Fiction, and they are writing their MA Thesis: a debut YA dark academia novel while working under the incredible YA author Allison Saft as their mentor.

In DeValor’s career, they have been published 70+ times in various art/literary journals and magazines around the US, UK, and Australia. They have been nominated twice in 2025 for Best of the Net (1x for visual art & 1x for short fiction) and once for Best Short Fictions 2026. They have their poetry collection DISCOFRUIT available at certain indie bookshops in Pennsylvania! (Friendly Alien Bookstores etc.) They also started their very own nonprofit (501c3) literary arts magazine in 2019 called FlowerMouth Press that uplifts diverse voices, which has amassed over 4,000 followers.

When DeValor is not writing, reading, making zines, drawing, analyzing banned books, or performing onstage, they are a journalist for a local newspaper, a professional tattoo artist, and a professional typewriter poet contracted with the Poetry Society of New York. They are a passionate library supporter and proud library card holder. Kenna can also be found occasionally performing their writing live on-stage, performing in theatre, and going on adventures with their fiancé, Drew.

Learn more about Kenna: www.kennadevalor.com Kenna’s main instagram @teadragonz, Kenna’s writer instagram @kennadevalorwrites, and their magazine FlowerMouth Press @flowermouthpress.

Kayla Dudley, also known as KayTheePoet, is a poet, teaching artist, creative organizer, and founder of healotry, an initiative focused on healing through poetry, creative expression, and community. Kayla has been writing poetry since the age of 11, using her work to explore identity, belonging, love, healing, and the lived experiences of Black women and queer communities. She is a current mentee and also works with Girls Write Now, contributing to the organization’s mission of empowering young women and gender-expansive youth through writing, mentorship, and creative community. Her experience on both sides of the program has deepened her commitment to creating spaces where young people can develop their voices, build confidence, and recognize the power of their stories. Kayla holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Africana Studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at The New School. Through poetry, education, and community organizing, she continues to use creativity as a tool for connection, empowerment, and healing.