.WRITERS.ON.WRITING..Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #33
Jordan Nishkian
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?
I’d love to sit at a long banquet table with all my female ancestors and learn about their lives. But if I had to choose just one, I would pick my great-grandma (I miss her). If I need to choose one living person, I’d pick The Rock. He looks so kind and family-oriented, plus the cheat day meals he posts are incredible!
What are you currently working on?
I recently published my first book, Kindred, I’m preparing for the next issue of Mythos literary magazine, and I’m currently trying to master my dad’s pilaf recipe.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
More.
Jordan is a native Californian and a firm believer in the Oxford comma. She contributed “Papa’s Aftershave” to Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. VI, No. 1 RENASCENCE. Currently, Jordan is the content strategist for a digital marketing agency in Orange County, the founder of Mythos magazine, and the co-founder of Ink and Quill Publications.
The pieces she enjoys working on the most are works of fiction, poetry, and short stories. When she's not working or wrapped up in her passion projects, you can find her curled up in a comfy chair with a book in her hand and a pen in her hair.
Find her at wordsbyjordan.com or on Instagram @wordsbyjordan.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #32
María Elena Montero
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Say everything.
Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power.
My second-grade teacher was obsessed with having her second grader, my classmate, learn Spanish. So, she arranged “play dates” that were really undercover tutoring sessions. My directive was to speak only Spanish. I learned quickly the more I engaged in conversation—no matter the subject—the longer our playdate, which sometimes involved cookie making to translate the ingredients and the process. For a second grader . . . it was everything.
What is the first book that made you cry?
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison . . . still makes me cry.
María Elena is an AfroLatina of Cuban-Dominican descent and fluent in Spanish, rumbao, and bachata (not necessarily in that order). She is a Yellow Arrow 2022 Pushcart Prize nominee; we are so proud of her!
You can find María Elena at meechiemail.com and her CNF “Four Quarters” in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. VI, No. 2 issue on ANFRACTUOUS. She also took part in “An Exploration of Belonging: The Anfractuous Reading.” Find her part below. The full reading is available on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #31
Raychelle Heath
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Even if only one person is able to receive your offering, it’s worth putting on the table.
What is the first book that made you cry?
The first book that comes to mind is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. That book was full of so many hard truths, but I’m so glad I read it.
What are you currently working on?
Preparing for my podcast (Black Women in Wellness), my next round of meditation workshops, and taking a staycation somewhere nice.
You can find Raychelle’s poem “lineage” in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. VI, No. 2 issue on ANFRACTUOUS. She also took part in “An Exploration of Belonging: The Anfractuous Reading,” just released. Find her part below. The full reading can be found on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
When Raychelle is not writing, she is engaging with the wellness community as a certified Kripalu Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Mind Body Meditation instructor. Visit her website to find out more.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #30
Melissa Nunez
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Don’t stop. Your words matter.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A coyote: adapt, persevere, survive.
What is your writing Kryptonite? Your most interesting writing quirk?
Lack of sleep and stressful days are very problematic for me as a writer. I am unable to focus and connect with my creative energy. I also get very obsessive with the words I use, especially in my shorter works. I will go through my pieces and highlight words and phrases I’m not convinced are the best fit and make a list of alternatives. I will have my writing friends work through these with me until I feel good about each one.
Melissa contributed her nonfiction piece “What is Mine” to Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. VI, No. 1 issue on RENASCENCE. And most recently, Melissa wrote “Alight,” which was included in EMERGE: Coming Into View. Both publications are available in the Yellow Arrow bookstore. You can find her prerecorded reading of “Alight” on Yellow Arrow’s YouTube channel.
Melissa also has a flash essay, “Je Vois la Vie en Rose,” that came out in Issue 7 of the online magazine eucalyptus & rose. Her essay, “Silent,” is forthcoming in Issue 21 of Minerva Rising.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #29
Rissa Miller
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
My inner writing voice is typically wracked with insecurity. Despite many successes over my entire life, I can still hear those little girls on the playground that called me “dumb and ugly” and really, my own fear is the obstacle. However, there’s also compulsion. If I’m not creating something, my dreams become overwhelmingly lush. They are almost too much to handle, and I don’t mean nightmares (those, too, sometimes). I have to find ways to work through the storytelling that happens in my dreams. Otherwise, they scream at me. This is the loudest inner voice and often wins over my fear and insecurity.
What is a book you wish someone would write?
A few years ago, I had a dream about telling the story of someone’s life through the eyes of animals that knew them. Not just pets, but all the animals that knew them—like the squirrel outside the window looking in or the mouse that lived in the attic. It would be a number of different perspectives of the same human, from many animals’ points of view. It’s a book I’d love to read—if you cross paths with such a thing, let me know!! :)
Who is your greatest writing influence?
If you asked me this at different points in my life, I’d answer differently. Today, as I sit here, I’d say my critique group from Maryland Writers’ Association. The current members are Ali V., Ali N., Melisa, and Robin, but it also included Mark, Susan, Peter, Eileen, Nancy, and another Susan. The reality is, I love being part of this group and though only three are published authors of full-length books, each one offers/offered me deep insight into my work and myself.
Rissa’s many storytelling mediums include writing, photography, dance, food, and tasseography. She contributed the CNF “Vampire” to Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. V, No. 1, RESILIENCE, about her experiences with ulcerative colitis. And most recently, she wrote “The Ring,” which was included in EMERGE: Coming Into View. Both publications are available in the Yellow Arrow bookstore.
You can find her prerecorded reading of “The Ring” on Yellow Arrow’s YouTube channel. You can also find Rissa on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or connect with her at rissawrites.com.
