Ari Schill (they/them) Newsletter Editor / Interviewer, is a Black, queer & gender expansive, multi-genre writer & facilitator who lives in Portland, OR. They use poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction to highlight themes including race, family and adoption, drawing on the intersectionality of gender and Blackness because they are inextricably connected. Ari believes in the importance of advocacy, education and community support; strives to amplify the voices and stories of Black queer and transgender people; and are committed to cultivating meaningful connections with like-minded creatives. Inspired by writers and activists like Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, Barbara & Beverly Smith and Demita Frazier, they value bringing a Black queer feminist lens to their writing and daily life. Ari has a degree in Psychology and Human Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University, and loves socializing, dancing, going to the beach, writing, and reading fiction and Sci-fi in their spare time.