Meet the Fall 2019 Staff of PCC Inscape!

---

Director of Operations & Chief Consulting Editor 
​Coco

Author of Unicorn Psychosis, Spectrum Publishing Historian, Mental Health Advocate, Poet, Writer, Speaker and Performance Artist resides in Pasadena. Recent publications include: Lummox 8, Altadena Poetry Review 2019, Animal Heart Press, and debuts most work with Spectrum Publishing. Born into a life of medical impossibilities, numerous traumas, and abuse writing provided strength and endurance to carry on. Writing has always been a secret passion since childhood. Mother of two boys, which was deemed medically impossible due to the nature of the vast medical conditions sustained throughout life. Given a life expectancy of 18 armed with determination now over 40 and fiercely fighting the day to day traumas of life through verse.

As Managing Editor my main role is to bring out everyone else's inner awesome. Which this staff makes my job easy since they are already super amazing and talented. Supporting the staff with decisions, making suggestions, assisting in all aspects when necessary and the best part reading every submission!!! I LOVE TO READ and that is an understatement!!!

Social Media outreach means keeping on top of all post, keeping the post relevant and relatable. At the same time creating a larger scope of an audience that increases our digital visibility. Capturing events and delivering updates to the public about all the amazing Creative Works that are found within INSCAPE. 

Favorite Quote:

"And maddest of all,
to see life as it is and
not as it should be." 
        - Miguel de Cervantes 

Coco's book Unicorn Psychosis is available through Amazon in both print and e-book. Follow the link below:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1081797851

Spring 2020 Issue Managing Editor
​Alicia Wilson

Alicia Wilson is a 22-year-old California native double-majoring in English and Sociology. Aspiring to work for the ACLU as a human rights and mental health advocate she says, "I started out at an art school in Oakland, CA and quickly found my way back to Southern California, where I've basically lived my entire life. I am double majoring in the hope that I can eventually combine my love of writing with my passion for activism. I have a lot of freckles, have recently started working with ceramics,  and I love my cats more than most people." Her editorial roles consist of managing submissions, reaching out to authors, and working on the website's ease of access.

Likes: poetry, processed sugar, and progress
Dislikes: stubbing her toe, the president, and when her cat drinks out of the toilet
​
If you want to learn more, you can find her chapbook, poetry, and more at  amariewilson007.wixsite.com/writelikethewind.

Publicity + Marketing Director
Maritza Oquendo 

Maritza is working towards a double major in Marketing and Public Relations. She finds all mediums of artwork to be a peek into the soul of humanity and cherishes when fear is set aside and vulnerabilities are shared with the world. Maritza feels that creative writing is vitally important to a society that is continuously relying less on in-person interactions. Creative writing brings the necessary outside perspectives back into the world of those lost in media. Her job with PCC Inscape is to assist in curating the art and photography for the Inscape Literary Magazine and assist in the development of marketing campaigns for PCC Inscape.

Blog Editor
​Kaylin Tran

Kaylin Tran is an 18-year-old Journalism major looking to transfer to a four-year university by Fall 2020. Her dream job is to be a writer or editor of a fashion-forward and politically aware digital magazine. A writing enthusiast since the fourth grade, she loves both fiction and non-fiction pieces—but if the crudely-written novels she attempted in high school are any indication, non-fiction is the area where her skills are best suited. Despite this, she still believes in the importance and necessity of losing oneself in creative work (in the best way possible). Whether it’s reading, writing, or dabbling in a bit of both, daydreaming and escaping to Imagination Land is sometimes a much needed reprieve from the taxing realities of everyday life. It also allows her to live vicariously through characters who go on exciting adventures and solve thrilling mysteries in her favorite novels. ​
Since journalism consists of straight facts and formulaic articles, diving into Inscape is a refreshing  way for her to reacquaint herself with a multitude of creative works. In addition to working alongside Cassie Wilson as the Assistant Blog Editor, Tran will also fulfill her role in the Publicity Team by creating and designing posters, flyers, and promotional items such as bookmarks and postcards. 

Director of Operations & Chief Consulting Editor 
Sean Ban

A fledgling writer and poet, Sean Ban is 24 years young. He is a recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a Bachelors in Marketing. He is an avid lover of rock music and video game music remixes. Aside from his love of music, Sean also touts himself as a casual gamer and an avid anime lover. In hopes of finding more about himself, Sean is currently exploring all avenues of writing by helping review and publish literary pieces. To bolster his writing, Sean likes to draw inspiration from everything he experiences. Earlier this year, he was in the creative writing summer program, and, with that experience under his belt, he hopes to move forward in his writing career. He also plans to gain insight on the various voices the world has to share as one of the poetry editors here at PCC Inscape.

Archival Team/ Reader
​Noah Kim 

Noah Kim is a 19-year-old English major who primarily aspires to go into the Law field after finishing the required schooling. Noah shares an underlying passion for creative works of literature. Being asked so consistently to analyze works of literature through a structured lens, Noah eventually wants to go into a field that will require even more structural analysis. He finds a deep joy in reading the creative works of others simply to appreciate the work and creativity it presents. He thinks reading and writing an ensemble of creative pieces is vitally important to consistently growing your mind and enlarging your perspective in the midst of societal flux. Noah’s job on Inscape is to primarily read, consider, and provide feedback regarding the poetry pieces up for publication in the next issue. Aside from reading, he is currently working
on re-organizing the website’s table of contents and transcribing the current contents into a more organized and aesthetically appealing page of reference.

Associate Prose Editor
​Perla Vogel

I am Perla Vogel and I study graphic design and communication at P.C.C.  I would like to participate in Inscape Literary Magazine because of the relevant and deep connection to student identity and voice.
Reading and writing is a human necessity in order to understand ourselves. We are all one humanity but we each carry our own unique experiences. The only way this can be shared throughout time and space is through the written word because it will endure the ages. This is one of the reasons why we should be reading and writing more creative works. 
Writing is therapeutic and causes magic to occur in our lives. It can help us shed off the armor we have been hiding under so we go unnoticed, so bullies won’t take our lunch away. Writing is such an honest and humble experience we should constantly endure in order to strengthen ourselves. Writing requires critical thinking and this can challenge us to the core. Once we are able to pick up the pen or type away our thoughts it is the first step to discovering an immense universe. 
​
Inscape has the capacity to reach many college students and encourage them to start their journey as a reader and writer. We need as many reader/ writers in the creative writing field. The more work there is, it is like a fountain of knowledge for those yet to come and experience our human existence. This is another reason building connection and meaning with our fellow man. 
I enjoy the works of fiction because they are an alternate universe where you can pick and choose your character and experience the many benefits of being creatively inclined. I enjoy art, graphic novels, fiction mystery and sci fiction, also like the non fiction matter of fact scientific information that may involve technology and our biology being  invaded by such.

Reading Fellow/Archival Team
​​Evan Krikorian

Evan Krikorian is an English major, working to become a teacher and to inspire creative success in his future students. Starting his second year at Pasadena City College, he is excited to further develop his writing capabilities and pursue a better understanding of the subject of English. Focusing on poetic, song, and play writing, Evan hopes to contribute greatly to the environment present within Inscape, and within the school in general.

Associate Prose Editor
​Catherine Hsu

Catherine Hsu is an English major with a challenged mind to settle with an acceptable major of choice in order to transfer to a Cal-State. In addition to English, she wishes to add a minor of either business or journalism. After schooling, Catherine’s plan is to work her way up to becoming an editor for a publishing company. Catherine enjoys creative writing that relates to the general audience. She believes that it is the best connection to the world through relatable words that hold a deeper meaning and fascinates in the idea of having similar experiences. Catherine’s job as a design assistant is to help create an astounding visualization that can portray the staff of PCC Inscape of 2019 in a professional but creative manner and as an assistant editor, help oversee the edits of the finalized submissions. 

Art & Photography Editor
​Brittany Callejas

Brittany Callejas is a film major who is passionate about the creative field. Ideally, she would love to be a director of photography for music videos but wants to work on short films as well. To be a photographer for Vogue is one of her ultimate dreams, one of many. She loves the feeling she gets when she sees an amazing photo or great film, and can't wait for the day someone feels the same about her work. Aside from photography, she also loves performing and playing the marimba. She's been playing for about five years, and while she hates reading sheet music, she loves the satisfaction of being able to play a piece in its entirety from memory. Along with everything she also enjoys making jewelry and when she gets really old she wants to open her own little crystal shop. She loves plants although she isn't the best at keeping them very healthy. They never die on her though! She hopes to have art that makes people more empathetic to nature and all living things. At the end of the day she wants to do everything but ultimately all she really wants is to be able to be a beam of light in people's lives and help anyone and anything as much as she can. She believes Inscape is the perfect way for artists to show their work as well as get motivated to produce more art. She hopes to bless the eyes of the world by including art that is breathtaking.

Publicity Team & February 2020 Folio Issue Editor
​Mariana Gutierrez Valdez

Mariana Gutierrez is a 22 year-old Graphic Design major. She is an International student, born in Mexico City. This is her first year at Pasadena City College. She's looking to transfer to a University by Winter 2020. Her dream job is to work at Disney designing movies, CD albums, posters etc. In her free time, she loves to sing and to play piano. She also like to write passages about anything. She believes Inscape has been an incredible opportunity for all students, including her, because students can open their feelings as well as have an opinion on designing and writing.

Publicity Team & Art and Photography Editor
​Brianna Payan

I am a Business student with an emphasis in English. I’ve come from an art background and came from an Arts High school where it was like High School Musical everyday. I am the art and photography editor, which allows me to select certain art that would fit well with the Inscape pieces and I also edit them. I am also Co- publicist and will be helping to share Inscape's credo and works of art to other artistic minds out there.

Editor-at-large
Andrea Vazquez

Andrea is a 19-year-old bilingual woman who was born and raised in a Latino background, living in LA. She is currently majoring in Graphic Design and is attending PCC to get her AA in Studio art, then she will be transferring to get her Bachelor’s in Graphic Design at a four-year university. Some of her passions and hobbies include designing, music (indie pop, classic rock, classical,etc.), fashion, creative writing (poetry, non-fiction) and almost anything in fine arts. 
​She is currently working on some personal projects such as writing a literary memoir that expresses her journey through the art of writing, design, and photography. Andrea's job on Inscape Magazine is to develop relationships with Art and Photography programs on campus and also to review and select art and photography pieces for the print and online issues. Additionally, Andrea has taken on the role of Marketing and assistant designer. She's working on creating fundraisers as well as flyers and marketing materials for Inscape.

Editor-at-large
​ Amanda Ly

​Amanda Ly is a PCC student who writes now and then, in different voices and genres. She typically tends to write horror short stories, or comedy short stories. However, she has given up on writing as a profession. She has moved on and finds such enjoyment, such satisfaction, such contentment in editing, interviewing, blogging, reading, and gazing at amazing artwork. It humbles her to be able to see imaginations come alive, imagination become reality. She believes anything has the potential to be art.

Faculty Adviser
Dr. Kirsten Ogden

---

Professor Ogden is a writer, teacher, scholar, activist and performer. She believes that writing can change the world and that in sharing our stories with one another we create empathy and whole-hearted connection with others. Since taking over Inscape, Dr. Ogden has helped students develop a web-presence for the magazine, work on side publication projects like chapbooks and zines, and gain membership for the PCC Creative Writing program in the AWP Associated Writing Programs Two-Year Colleges roster of professional members. She is the Creative Writing Program committee chair and teaches Creative Writing, Composition, California Literature, Queer Theory in Literature, and Dramatic Literature at PCC.