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 (she/her) is a poet, educator, and artivist dedicated to using storytelling as a tool for social change. A recent graduate from John Jay College with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Africana Studies, she explores the intersections of identity, justice, and healing through her work. She is the CEO/Founder of Healotry, a workshop series that invites participants to confront silence and reclaim their voices through creative expression. Her poetry often centers on love, resilience, and the lived experiences of Black women and queer communities. She aspires to continue blending art and advocacy as she pursues her graduates in creative writing and Africana Studies.