The Nemadji Review collects and studies original literary and artistic works from students, faculty, community members, and alumni of the University of Wisconsin-Superior for a yearly print publication, and regular website features to enrich and engage our literary community.
If you’re a UWS students who would like to be involved with The Nemadji Review, email Professor Julie Gard at jgard1@uwsuper.edu.
Staff
Managing Editor: Hannah Copenhaver
Editor-in-Chief: Sara Valentiuk
Design Editor: Bailey BeBeau
Digital Content Editor: Preston Meys
Social Media Coordinator: Charlie Lydon
Editor: Annie Showers-Curtis
Editor: Caitlin Hill
Editor: Elise Lawton
Editor: Gretta Sokup
Editor: Hailey Evans
Editor: Jack Gilbert
Editor: Jim Schaefer
Editor: John Falenschek
Editor: Jordan Rader
Editor: Kate Merrill
Editor: Renton Hamilton
Faculty Advisor: Julie Gard
Get to Know the Staff
Hannah Copenhaver is a fourth year English major with a writing minor. She loves writing poetry and reading all genres of books. In her free time, she enjoys researching topics of interesting, hanging out with her cat, and finding new ways to get creative.
Sara Valentiuk is the Editor-in-Chief of The Nemadji Review, and a non-traditional student at UW-Superior majoring in Writing and English. In her limited free time, she enjoys reading literature, writing poetry, and spending time in nature with her two kids.
Bailey BeBeau is this year’s design editor for The Nemadji Review. As a junior at UW-Superior pursuing a degree in writing, Bailey enjoys working on her current dystopian novel that discusses challenging Christian themes and how they relate to today and perhaps tomorrow. In her free time, she can be found spending time with friends and being in nature.
Preston Meys (he/him) is this year’s Digital Content Editor for The Nemadji Review. He is a Junior at UW-Superior double majoring in Writing and English. In his free time, he enjoys reading and writing, making art, and exploring the world through literature.
Charlie Lydon is a transgender veteran and writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from Lindenwood University. Through poetry and creative nonfiction, she explores identity, resilience, and transformation, inviting others to reflect on their own journeys. Her work has appeared in the Duluth/Superior Pride Zine and The Nemadji Review. In addition to her creative work, she serves as a grant writer for Trans Northland, a nonprofit providing peer-to-peer support and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ communities across the Twin Ports and beyond.
Annie Showers-Curtis is an editor with The Nemadji Review. In May 2025, she graduated from UW-Superior with a bachelor’s degree in writing. She has a passion for working with other writers, which she pursues through her work with the Nemadji.
Caitlin Hill is a ‘non-traditional’ student at UW-Superior studying for a degree in English and a minor in writing. This is her first year with The Namadji Review and is enjoying working as part of the editorial staff. In her free time, she loves reading, various arts and crafts, and anything that gets her outdoors.
Elise Lawton is an online student at UW-Superior double majoring in Writing and Computer Science.
She is very excited for her first year working with The Nemadji Review. In her free time, she enjoys
creating art, playing bass, and spending time with her cat.
Gretta Sokup is a sophomore at UW-Superior majoring in Writing and minoring in Multimedia Journalism. This is her first year working as an editor with The Nemadji Review. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time in nature, and playing with her dogs.
Hailie Evans is an alumna of the University of Wisconsin-Superior who graduated with a B.A. in English and Writing in Spring 2025. She is currently a 1L law student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Hailie is an editor for The Nemadji Review, and this is her third year working with the journal. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, playing basketball, listening to music, and working on her in-progress sci-fi fantasy novel
John Falenschek is a non-traditional student here at UW-Superior. He’s a senior senior, 68 years of age, graduating spring 2026 with a BA in Writing, and an individual minor in History/Philosophy. He is working on a novel at this time and hopes one day to be published. His writing passions are action/spy genres, travelogues, and historic non-fiction. He lives outside of the Twin Cities with his wife and their cat.
Jordan Rader (They/She), a recent alum of UWS, finds themselves currently residing in Dayton, Ohio. Completing their degree in Environmental Sciences and Writing, they are now working as an environmental education programming assistant for a local Park District. This will be her fourth year with The Nemadji Review. They are beyond excited to pass the baton of the presidency onto the next class of writers and to see what this edition of the Nemadji has in store!
Julie Gard is Professor of Writing at UW-Superior, where she teaches creative and academic writing, and a published author of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Her prose poetry collections include I Think I Know You, Scrap: On Louise Nevelson, and Home Studies, and she is a recipient of the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award and Many Voices Project Prize. Her poems, stories, and essays have appeared in Inside Higher Ed, Blackbox Manifold, Superstition Review, and other journals and anthologies. www.juliegard.com
Land Acknowledgment Statement
In honor of the Anishinaabe people, the original peoples and caretakers of this land, we would like to recognize that the University of Wisconsin-Superior inhabits the land of the Ojibwe people. We honor and celebrate ancestral Ojibwe land and the sacred lands of all indigenous Peoples.
The Nemadji Review 