We are thrilled to share the recent success stories of our writing community!

Meredith Z. Avakian, director of community outreach & engagement

Meredith served as the host of Asbury Book Cooperative’s “Story Time” back in November, reading three children’s books to local youth and their families. On April 12, Meredith returns to ABC as the mediator for a special presentation with Thin Glass author Christine Degenaars.

Allan Bass, program participant

Allan recently completed a first draft—about 20 chapters—of a memoir about his week at Dodger Camp. He shared two chapters with his writing coach and she was very enthusiastic about the project.

Roux Bedrosian, program participant

Roux made it to the final round of NYC Midnight’s Annual Scary Story Challenge. The contest started back in October, and she was given 48 hours in each round to write a 400 word scary story that included a specific character, action, and “scare.” There were somewhere around 3,500 writers at the start, and Roux is part of the final 115. Winners will be announced next month. Roux also had a recent poem published in Obindo Literary Magazine (page 60).

Skyla Bicca, PWN Teen intern

Skyla was accepted into Bennington College with a major in literature.

Diane Bier, program participant

Diane had many publications:

“Secrets“ Libretto, Dec. 2025
“Bloody Backlash” DoubleSpeak, Jan. 2026
“The Son” Double Speak, Jan. 2026
“The Hardest Secret” Double Speak, Jan. 2026
“Be the Change“ Steel JackDaw, Feb. 2026
“On Our Backs“ Moonstone Arts ICE Anthology, Feb. 2026
“Dark Night” Moonstone Arts Latinx Anthology, coming April 2026

DeAnna Brandon, program participant

DeAnna shared her blood cancer diagnosis journey, in writing, to her local theater. They displayed it and her photo in the lobby in honor of a play they were presenting. The production depicted a cancer patient who lost his battle to blood cancer. The funds raised from the production are being raised to support our local cancer center.

Lisa Carlson, program participant

Lisa applied for an appointment at the Emily Dickinson museum this summer, an NEA sponsored position.

Gabriela Lewis Celis, PWN Teen intern

Gabriela is a runner up in the Latin American & Native American Polyphony Lit.

Jennifer Devi Chauhan, executive director

Jennifer Devi Chauhan had the honor of being a part of the “Today Is the Day. Live It!” East Coast book launch as a contributing author. She sat alongside dynamic individuals who are making a tremendous difference in shaping our world into a better place and who will inspire all of us with their stories. “Today Is the Day. Live It!” is now available at bookshop.org as well as other retailers.

Mimi Cross, writing instructor

Mimi’s new song Serena, written by Mimi and former PWN student Gloria Barone, was released this February.

Jeffrey Delano Davis, program participant

Jeff’s piece “Motorcycling New Jersey’s Pine Barrens: Fire Roads and Fellowship” was published in Go World Travel Magazine, Jan. 22, 2026.

Liz deBeer, writing instructor

Liz had many publications:

“Cappy’s Crabs” Sudden Flash, November 2025
“Who’s That Girl?” Red Rose Thorns, Nov. 21, 2025
“Our Mole” Red Rose Thorns, Nov. 21, 2025
“Six Steps to Forget Your Past” Does It Have Pockets, Dec. 1, 2025
“Cracked Pie Crust” Instant Noodle Lit Magazine, Dec. 1, 2025
“Who Deserves a Break?” Flow Magazine, Dec. 1, 2025
“At the Edge” Bending Genres, Dec. 9, 2025
“Missing Pieces” & “Soiled Landing” Persimmon Tree, Winter 25-26
“The Man with a Shoe Box” Literary Garage, Jan. 14, 2026
“Slippery Memories” The Hootlet’s Nook, Jan. 15, 2026
“Tropical Moments” The Hootlet’s Nook, Jan. 15, 2026
“Water Tower Views” Flash the Court, Feb. 6, 2026
“Trespassing” Literally Stories, Feb. 19, 2026
“Family Portrait” Five Minute Lit, March 6, 2026
debut chapbook – a novelette in flash – coming out in April

Gay Norton Edelman, writing instructor

Gay’s illustrated haiku book, Just This, is officially out!

Jennifer Gaites, writing instructor

Jennifer’s creative nonfiction flash essay, “When the Ultrasound Technician Says, ‘Something’s Not Right…’” was published in Tahoma Literary Review.

Meg Glasser, program participant

Meg’s piece “The Weakest Link” was published in Blood and Honey, January 2026. Her piece “Taffy” is forthcoming this spring in Months to Years.

Wendy Goodman, program participant

Wendy’s personal essay “Eclipsed” was published in The Woven Tale Press.

Ann Marie G. Halstead, program participant

Ann Marie’s poem “Voices in the Mirror” was named Poem of the Month by the editors of Spillwords Press in August 2025 and was also nominated for Publication of the Year (Poetry) by Spillwords Press Awards. She also had an article published in Medium (Fourth Wave) in September 2025 and “Atmospheric Dread” in RVA Magazine in January 2026.

Lisa Hartsgrove, program coordinator

Lisa’s poem “Floral Wars” was published in Red Rose Thorns on March 6. She also wrote a short play titled “Interdimensional Feline Arachnophobia” as part of PWN’s Community Playmaking partnership with Two River Theater and Shore House. Professional actors from Two River Theater did a staged reading of “Interdimensional Feline Arachnophobia,” as well as the other short plays, at Long Branch Arts & Cultural Center. Lisa has also been featured on Influential Women.

Tina Hudak, program participant

Tina’s piece “Running to Nowhere” was published by LatinosUSA, Feb. 26, 2026.

Liz Jannuzzi, program director

Liz’s flash memoir was published in Under the Gum Tree, Issue 58. She is a featured storyteller in PWN’s March Firefly: Stories on Stage and she will also participate in North Jersey’s Listen to Your Mother series in May. In addition, Dreamscape will produce the audiobook version of her memoir Sober Mom, coming July 21, 2026.

Celine Keating, writing instructor

A piece of short fiction (related to the novel Celine worked on in the Novel Incubator) will be part of an upcoming anthology this spring by Linden Place, a historic museum in Bristol, RI.

Olivia Kenney, program participant

Olivia recently started her first weekly Substack.

Kaecey McCormick, program participant

Kaecey’s piece “Altar of Memory” was a first runner-up and accepted for publication (April issue) with Iron Horse Literary Review. Her piece “Empty Nesting Under Light of New Moon” published in A-minor Magazine. Her piece “Her Pain as Prime-Time Entertainment” was a finalist in Sublimation Annual Contest. And her piece “My Mother’s Bathrobe” was accepted for publication (forthcoming) in Screamin’ Mama.

Charlotte Meadows, PWN Teen program participant

Charlotte read a story in front of a crowd for the first time during an in-school coffeehouse.

Shibani Mishra, PWN Teen program participant

Shibani recently had an article about school shootings published to Best of SNO, one of the most prestigious student journalism sites in the country. She was also published in Issue 5 of Sonderful Writings anthology and was a winner of the Bethesda Writing Contest, set to read at the ceremony soon.

Jenny Morelli, writing instructor

Jenny had many publications and successes:

“Grocery List,” “You’re Back,” “The Pogo Stick Boy,” “The Image in My Window,” “Pepperoni” Your Sudden Flash
“Anxiety” Five Minute Lit
“Real’s Not Real,” “A Small Girl’s Holiday Wish” Spillwords Press
“November Winds,” “Our Final Moments,” “To Disappear,” “Oblivious,” “Position Available,” “Far and Strange,” “Tarnished Gold,” “Dear Orange Man,” “Glacial Palace,” “Our Only Hope,” “A Scented Memory” CC&D
“Body Language” Micromance
“The Rocking Chair,” “Hiding from the Storm” Vine Leaves Press 50-Word Stories
“A Red Hood” Hoolets Nook
“A Witch on a Swing in a Tree in the Yard,” “Beyond the Beaten Path” Mobius Blvd
“The Hatchet Lady” Livina / Midnight Ink
“Learning to Fly,” “A Load too Heavy” Red Rose Thorns
“Apple Juice“ Red Rose Thorns Pushcart Nominated Piece
Numbered Days, Infinite Hope Bottlecap Press, SIXTH chapbook!
Received PWN’s Champion of Voices Educator Award, October 2025
Featured storyteller in March 2026’s Generation Women NJ show under the theme of “Out Of My Comfort Zone”

Emma Moriarty, PWN intern

Emma’s piece “Woman, Mother, Protector” was published in HerStry. She was also a featured storyteller in March’s Generation Women NJ show under the theme of “Out Of My Comfort Zone.”

Frank Orefice, program participant

Frank submitted a humorous story to a writing contest at Asbury Book Cooperative. His film “POV—A SHADOW FILM“ is distributed on Renderyard.com.

Kim Ousley, program participant

Kim’s article “What Real Gratitude Looks Like” was published in Living with Amplitude.

Jessica Rowshandel, program participant

Jessica was accepted into the weeklong PEN America Emerging Writers Workshop, Los Angeles, which took place in November 2025. She performed two poems there. From December to February, she has had several poems accepted to Seventh Wave Magazine, Mizna, and Cinder Magazine. Publications forthcoming.

Lou Storey, writing instructor

Lou had two recent publications—a prose poem “Saturday Shopping” will be published in the quarterly issue, April 2026, of Ambidextrous Bloodhound Press, and a flash essay piece “Stopping at Roses” will be published in Bull Magazine in April, 2026.

Eileen Toomey, writing instructor

Bottlecap Press published Eileen’s poetry chapbook How to Make an Espresso Martini. Her poem “Our Dining Room Table” was accepted for publication in Contemporary Haibun Online, coming April 1. And she read with Liz DeBeer and other talented authors for Flash the Court at AWP.

Bob Varettoni, program participant

Bob was invited to be the featured poet at a photo exhibit opening in Little Falls.

Vickie Hardin Woods, program participant

Vickie was featured in The Guardian and has received an offer of representation from an agent.

Jamie Yieh, program participant

Jamie’s debut novel, Leaf, will be published by Manhattan Book Group in 2026.

Courtney Zeni, program participant

Courtney got an offer for representation from an agent and signed with Donovan Levine at Neighborhood Literary.