MEET THE MASTHEAD

—2023—

Managing Editors
Acquisitions Editor
Fiction Editors
Poetry Editors
Script Editor
Non-Fiction Editors
Copy Editors
Gustafson Feature
Graduate Feature

Book Review Editor
Art Director
Designer
Portfolio Series Coordinators
AV Editors
Ad Team
Social Media Team

Web Designer
Publisher

Tammi Carto, Jack Corfield
Kirsten Dayne
Nicole Kaastra, Liz Baltzer, Barbara Burgardt
Sam Bollinger, Tianna Vertigan, Bella Hoodle
Joyce Smith
Beatrix Taylor, Zeel Desai, Nittu Prasai
Sam Bollinger, Tianna Vertigan, Kirsten Dayne
Sam Bollinger, Tianna Vertigan
Sam Bollinger, Bella Hoodle, Beatrix Taylor,
Nicole Kaastra
Taylor Iverson
Seth Scott
Chloe de Beeld
Barbara Burgardt, Beatrix Taylor, Susan Garcia
Seth Scott, Jack Corfield
Joyce Smith, Zeel Desai
Barbara Burgardt, Liz Baltzer, Nicole Kaastra,
Jayne Wright, Taylor Iverson
Tianna Vertigan
Joy Gugeler

Managing Editors

Photo of Tammi Carto, Managing Editor for Portal's 2023 Masthead

Tammi Carto

Tammi is a third-year Creative Writing student. This is her second year working on Portal, this time as Co-Managing Editor after being a Fiction Editor and on the Social Media team last year. She is working on a collection of linked short stories called Left Turns. In 2022, her poem “Inter/section” was published in Portal and she won the Bill Juby Award. Her non-fiction story “A New Leaf” is included in the 2023 issue.

Photo of Jack Corfield, Managing Editor for Portal's 2023 Masthead

Jack Corfield

Jack is a third-year Creative Writing and Media Studies student. He is Audio Editor at The Navigator producing podcasts, and is President of VIU's Creative Writing Club. His script “Slow Burn” and digital artworks “Astral Girl” and “Vaporous Rock” appear in the 2023 issue. He is Co-Managing Editor for Portal 2023 and was Poetry Editor and AV Editor for Portal 2022.

Acquisitions Editor

Photo of Kirsten Dayne, Acquisitions Editor for Portal's 2023 Masthead

Kirsten Dayne

Kirsten is a Creative Writing major in her fifth and final year, an aspiring novelist, and a sometimes-artist. Her photograph “Leaving Red” appears in the 2023 issue, as does her review of Rachel Bird. Her short story “Only Human” was published in Portal 2022. She is the Acquisitions Editor for Portal 2023, and was a Fiction Editor and the Book Review Editor for Portal 2022. She studied fashion design before realizing writing was her true passion.

Art Director

Photo of Seth Scott, Art Director for Portal's 2023 Masthead

Seth Scott

Seth is currently completing a BA in Politics and Journalism. In 2021, he received a scholarship to attend the Photo Evidence workshop in southern France. He has traveled to over 80 nations, and extensively in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Somalia, and the Sudan. He also completed The Mongol Rally, a charity intercontinental road trip from the United Kingdom to Mongolia. His photographs "Afghan Swans," "Flamingo," "Snowy River," "Mount Washington," "Pack of Cigarettes," and "Kenya Sunrise" appear in this issue. He is the Art Director and an AV Editor for Portal 2023

Editors

Liz Baltzer

Liz Baltzer

Liz is a fourth-year Creative Writing major. She earned a BA in History and English in 2011. In 2012, she moved to Yokohama, Japan for seven years and returned to Canada in 2019. She is a Fiction Editor and on the Social Media team for Portal 2023, and her short story “Shōganai” appears in this issue.
Susan Garcia

Susan Garcia

Susan is taking classes in Creative Writing, History, and Indigenous Studies after earning a Social Services Worker Certificate from UCC and a BA degree and Liberal Arts Certificate from SFU. She has been published in The Trail of 1858 and British Columbia History. Her work "Wrapped, Unwrapped, and Wrapped Again" was published in Portal 2022. This year, she was a Portfolio Series Coordinator and reviewed Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story.
Nittu Prasai

Nittu Prasai

Nittu was born and raised in Taplejung in the Himalayas of Nepal. She is now in her third year at VIU, majoring in Creative Writing. She has attended several workshops and readings around BC. "What Kind of Mother" is part of a memoir in progress and was excerpted in Portal 2022. This year she is a Non-fiction Editor and her work "The Roof of the World" and review of All of Us in Our Own Lives appear in this issue.
Sam Bollinger

Sam Bollinger

Sam is a third-year Creative Writing and English student. She is a Poetry and Copy Editor for Portal 2023 and co-interviewed M. NourbeSe Philip and Délani Valin. Her poem “Burials” appeared in Arc. Her review of But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves. and two of her poems, "Magnolia Season" and "Vertebrate Heart," appear in Portal 2023.
Bella Hoodle

Bella Hoodle

Bella is a second-year English and Creative Writing student. Her poem "Jesus Is a Water Strider” appears in this issue as does her review of Shapeshifters. She is a Poetry Editor for Portal 2023, Arts Editor for The Navigator, Editorial Assistant for Wordstorm, and Vice-President of VIU's Creative Writing Club.
Joyce Smith

Joyce Smith

Joyce is a fourth-year BA student majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing. She writes journalistic articles, short fiction, scripts, and poetry, and has a deep interest in stories that make a difference. She is the Script Editor and a member of the Ad team for Portal 2023.
Barbara Burgardt

Barbara Burgardt

Barbara is an aspiring Latin American writer and third-year Creative Writing student. This is her first year working on Portal as a Fiction Editor, a Portfolio Series Coordinator, and as a member of the Social Media team. Her work "As Strong As an Ox" appears in the 2023 issue.
Taylor Iverson

Taylor Iverson

Taylor is a third-year student majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Liberal Studies. She is interested in environmental issues, literature, and arts and culture reporting. She has published with YogiTimes, and was the Book Review Editor and on the Social Media team for Portal 2023. Her non-fiction work "Meeting Kapok" and review of From Bear Rock Mountain appear in this issue.
Beatrix Taylor

Beatrix Taylor

Beatrix has taken classes in VIU’s Visual Arts, English, and Creative Writing departments. She has hosted improv shows and is a Non-fiction Editor and a Portfolio Series Coordinator for Portal 2023. Her interview with Margot Fedoruk appears in this issue.
Zeel Desai

Zeel Desai

Zeel is a third-year international student pursuing a major in Creative Writing and a minor in Gender Studies. Her non-fiction work "Looking Back, Pay It Forward" was published in Portal 2022. This is her first year working on Portal as a Non-fiction Editor and part of the Ad team.
Nicole Kaastra

Nicole Kaastra

Nicole is a queer writer from Manitoba in her third year studying Creative Writing and History. She is a Fiction Editor for Portal 2023, as well as part of the Social Media team. Her short story "Nothing Is Cast in Stone" appears in this issue, as does her review of Cooking Tips for Desperate Fishwives.
Jayne Wright

Jayne Wright

Jayne is a third-year Creative Writing student at VIU after focusing on journalism at Kwantlen. She was the recipient of the Meadowlarks Award in 2022, has had several articles published in The Runner, and an essay published in The Octopus Spirit Journal. She was on the Social Media team for Portal 2023. Her non-fiction work "Bushed" and her photograph "Bianca’s Toolkit" appear in this issue.

Web Designer

Photo of Tianna Vertigan, Web Designer for Portal's 2023 Masthead

Tianna Vertigan

Tianna is a fourth-year Creative Writing major and Studies in Women and Gender minor. She is a Poetry and Copy Editor and the Web Designer for Portal 2023. In addition to this year’s co-authored Gustafson Feature, her poem “Shell Shocked” and review of Modern Fables are her first publications in Portal. She is also the current Copy Editor for The Navigator and has received both the Barry Broadfoot and Meadowlarks Awards.