Rae Cupples Champagne, Fierce Like an Oak Tree
Rae Cupples Champagne, PhD
Rae Cupples Champagne, PhD
I am a former English professor who's had a successful corporate career working with words. As a creative writer, my focus has primarily been Southern literature. Growing up in rural, central Louisiana has provided a wellspring of story ideas. I wish I could pursue them all. I love to study the unique sayings, rituals, religious pulls, family expectations, and ties to place that affect people more heavily in the deep South. Most importantly, in every story, I love to watch for the moment of grace that is offered to someone, usually at great cost, after a colossal failure. Redemption always comes through suffering. If you grew up in the South, then, surely you know what I mean. Externally, I'm typically very stoic, a "still waters run deep" kind of person, but on the inside I'm a bulldog. I've never lacked the courage to step out and do a new thing. Thoughts on my writing are always welcome. You can contact me via the links below.
Rae Cupples Champagne is a freelance writer. Though she’s spent more than 20 years working in corporate communications, her academic career and writing passion focus upon the American South and the peculiar traits of Southerness. A native of Sharp, Louisiana, she currently lives in Tyler, Texas with her husband.
Jay Youngdahl (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Jay Youngdahl is a Southern lawyer, artist, and writer. As a lawyer, he represents workers and unions in their struggles for solidarity and justice. As an artist he engages in “participatory action art,” often through photography, collage, and conceptual exhibitions, making art which arises from the political and legal activities of his life, As a writer, he has written academically and for the popular press and is the author of “Working on the Railroad, Walking in Beauty: Navajos, Hozho, and Track Work.” Jay is an anti-war US Army veteran of the Vietnam War era.
Katja Bartholmess (Issue, I, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Katja Bartholmess’s life started behind the Iron Curtain, in East Germany. Once the Berlin Wall fell, she started exploring the world that used to be closed off to her. These diverse global experiences have shaped her unique narrative voice. From working as a barista in London, a background actor in Tokyo, and a staff reporter in Pretoria, to earning a Master's in Cultural Anthropology and British and American Studies from Humboldt University Berlin, her journey has been fueled by a deep curiosity about people and cultures. Katja spent over a decade in New York City, where she crafted compelling narratives for brands across industries as a copywriter and creative strategist. As the founder of the German chapter of the international sustainable business organization, B Lab/B Corps, she championed sustainability through education and connection. Two years ago, she decided to dedicate herself entirely to her first love: storytelling. She resides in Los Angeles.
Arthur Jackson V (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG and forthcoming chapbook of poetry)
Arthur Jackson V is a San Francisco artist. Born and raised in the Bay Area by a warrior mother who filled the room with good music. A lot of which inspired Jackson’s story telling. Eryka Badu, Jill Scott, Tears for Fears those are just a few of the voices warming his ears. Jackson loves language and discovering new words to further his connection not only to himself but to people who don’t know they are not alone. It’s all about language. . . And music, and, raw brutal honesty about the human condition.
Jonathan D Dyson (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Jonathan is a lifelong fan of Epic Fantasy and enjoys ingesting stories of the fantastical from many sources. From a young age, he dove into Tolkien's Legendarium and continues to enjoy this world with his children. He has spent nearly two decades traveling the globe, living and hearing exciting stories, and experiencing the wild landscapes of this world. In his spare time, he ingests any tale, mythology, urban legend, and even fantasy video game storyline that aligns with those curiosities. In his spare time, and to keep his creative process flowing, he indulges in poetry.
Jessamym Violet (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Jessamyn Violet is a writer out of Venice Beach, CA. Originally from Massachusetts, she graduated with a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College. She went on to earn an MFA in Creative Writing from California College of the Arts. Her poetry book “Organ Thieves” was published by Gauss PDF. She’s placed short fiction in Ploughshares, Lit Angels, 805 Art + Lit, Adelaide, and more. Her debut novel Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar was published by Three Rooms Press in April 2023.
James Rickman (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
James Rickman is an L.A.-based editor, writer, and musician. When he's not staring at a laptop, he's rockin' in the free world with the Cinnamon Boys, his Neil Young cover band.
Liliana Hazel Navelgas (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Liliana Hazel Navelgas is an English major at Westfield State University with roots in both New York City and Manila. She enjoys cooking, classical singing, and strength training in her free time.
Ayana Sueishi-Hague (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Ayana Sueishi-Hague is current working towards an animal technology degree and has been creating art from an early age.
Josh Greenbaum (Issue 1, 2024 of the Journal for WLG)
Josh Greenbaum has been writing poetry and assorted prose-like stuff for decades, specializing largely in unpublished works. When not braving the streets of Berkeley on his bike, he can be found hiking, breathing fresh air, and cooking. He writes at the Left Margin Lit writers’ workshop, where he is currently working on his first unpublished novel, an excerpt from which will be published in the next JWLG.