Masthead

M.J. is a lifelong writer and reader of the speculative as well as Editor in Chief at the Kismet Magazine. He is also a library worker, bookseller (at Morgenstern Books), and an armchair folklorist. His writing is speculative, fantastical and whimsical in nature, and centers on themes of family, food, Appalachia, queerness, belonging, and nostalgia. M.J. calls Bloomington, Indiana, home with his two cats.

Sarah has been scribbling things since she was two, and organizing things long before that. Based in Bloomington, Indiana, she is an ambitious perfectionist by day, a perpetual literatus by night, and a jaded Midwest angel around the clock.

Bry Best is a Ph.D. candidate and reader of speculative literature at Indiana University. They are a long-time editor and believer in the fantastic. They are one of the co-founders of Kismet.

Dan is a writer and reader since he used to get yelled at for reading under the covers. He studied Creative Writing at Indiana University and holds an MFA in Fiction Writing from Wichita State University. His work has been published in Mikrokosmos, The Free Library of the Internet Void, and Snapdragon Magazine. When he isn’t writing or editing something from the growing pile of projects on his desk, he’s either out in nature looking at funny mushrooms or at the gym lifting heavy things.

Gloria M. Colom Braña completed her Ph.D. in Folklore at Indiana University.  Colom Braña also has degrees in historic preservation and architecture. Her research centers on the effects of modernization on vernacular architecture and people’s relationship to space in Puerto Rico. She has also worked on illustrations and loves to watercolor in her spare time.

Gloria M. Colom Braña completed her Ph.D. in Folklore at Indiana University.  Colom Braña also has degrees in historic preservation and architecture. Her research centers on the effects of modernization on vernacular architecture and people’s relationship to space in Puerto Rico. She has also worked on illustrations and loves to watercolor in her spare time.

Kassandra Darnell is a writer and editor based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She earned her Bachelor’s in Communications and Journalism from the University of Indianapolis before briefly moving to London, England, to complete her MA in Creative Writing and Publishing from Kingston University London. While she is currently working as a Content Creator for a local personal injury law firm, her passions outside of the office include reading and writing her own creative projects. If she isn’t stuffing her brain with something literary-related, Kassandra can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons, creating her own cocktail recipes, or gallivanting through local artisan markets.

Rita is a freelance editor based in Bloomington, Indiana, whose clients range from independent authors to organizations like the American Historical Association and PEN America. When she isn’t lost in the Internet Archive, she’s likely birding with her husband, admiring her two dogs, or thinking about a party-size submarine sandwich.

Amy is an editor, ceramic artist, and lifelong fanatic for genre fiction. She believes that independent art and literature make the world go round. Amy lives in Indianapolis with two cats.

Kelly is a senior studying at Indiana University with a personal passion for the arts. She’s super excited to explore what the writing community in Bloomington, Indiana, has to offer and hopes you enjoy Kismet!