The Palouse Review is the biannual arts and academics journal of the Washington State University Honors College. We accept submissions from current and former honors students from throughout the Western Regional Honors Council. Our editors are looking for carefully crafted, evocative work that demonstrates the literary, artistic, and academic excellence of our broader honors community.

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The Palouse Review, May 1^st 2026 Edition

 Fiction ~ Nonfiction ~ Scholarship ~ Poetry

Photography and Visual Art

About Our Authors

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Hello and Welcome from the Editors of The Palouse Review!

With the final days of the school year flying by, and students working up a storm to prepare for their final exams, it is refreshing to take a moment and enjoy the beautiful spring atmosphere. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the Palouse, we watch the sun leaping over the clear blue skies, flowers accentuating the lush green grass and trees, and enjoying the town over the weekend instead of wrapped in furry blankets at home.

I joined The Palouse Review this spring at the request of our Faculty Editor, Colin Criss. I was informed that the team was searching for web editors to help manage submissions, and build the very webpage that you are reading this on! As a third-year student in software engineering, I was excited to provide my expertise, and expedite the webpage creation process. I originally assumed that my work would be isolated from the rest of the team, but this team works as a singular, cohesive unit. The Palouse Review is an amazing project to be a part of, because of the dedication of the editors to review and procure high-quality works for each edition, and the close knit, cooperative culture that permeates every meeting. Meetings balance socializing with productivity; the editors are free to express their opinions, and we constantly work to improve the quality of work for this project.

We received many thoughtful and beautiful works this semester, and it is my honor to present the Spring 2026 edition of The Palouse Review. This edition contains stories that will transport you into the mind of the author. There are poems of unique style and rich imagery. You will find pieces of art depicting nature and society alike. We present academic papers that are informative and captivating. Our publication compiles the works into five major categories: fiction, non-fiction, scholarship, poetry, and visual arts. I implore you to peruse this edition to your heart’s content, and if you feel inspired, please consider creating your own works to submit to the next edition of The Palouse Review!

I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank all the editors on The Palouse Review. Their effort and passion for this publication make it all possible – they are the reason we can create these editions semester after semester. Of course, student editors will come and go, and so I would like to highlight our graduating editors and their contributions. We wish them the very best in their future endeavors.

Ursula joined TPR in 2023, and was this semester’s Poetry Executive Editor and a Nonfiction Editor. She majored in English Education.

Sarah joined TPR in 2023, and was this semester’s Fiction Executive Editor and a Poetry Editor. She majored in Biology Pre-Med.

Keagan was this semester’s Marketing Executive Editor and a Poetry Editor.

Leo joined TPR in 2022, and was this semester’s Visual Arts Executive Editor. He majored in Electrical Engineering.

Martin joined TPR in 2026, and was this semester’s Nonfiction Assistant Editor and a Web Editor. He majored in Computer Science.

Happy reading,
James Abitria | The Palouse Review Web Assistant Editor 

May 1^st, 2026

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Fiction

One More Day
by Madeline Pojar

Souls that are deceased are allowed to come back to live for one more day once every century in their human bodies the day they passed away.

Nth Time’s a Charm
by Sareena Bajpai

Amalie has always seen romance and dating differently from her mother, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t willing to give it a try when love finds her naturally.

Blue Scented Candle
by Emma Goldthrope

A girl sets off a smoke alarm and goes on an expedition to a candle shop to find the scent she’s been searching for. Through the help of the candle store worker and the ex that left her, she finds and replaces all that she has lost.

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Nonfiction

Rustic Plum Cake
by Kathleen Williams

The rustic plum cake came to me at a time of deep loneliness and isolation and has been recreated throughout this period of young adulthood as a means to foster connection. Witness the variations of the cake as a coming-of-age recipe transforms into a lifelong classic.

Active Shooter
by Samantha Veres

On Thursday, November 14, 2019, at Saugus High School, a student brought a handgun to campus and opened fire on the quad. The shooter injured five students, killing two, before ending his own life. “Active Shooter” tells the story from the perspective of myself and my friends who survived those horrific hours. Years later, as I enter the teaching profession, memories of that day stand at the forefront of my mind, along with the growing dread that it will happen again.

Yet, Something Remains
by Lucas de Paula

A Tremendous Way of Being
by Stella Van Buskirk

“A Tremendous Way of Being” focuses on my emotional experience with unrequited love while doubling as a tool to for envisioning the life I want to create for myself.

Tetris
by Katie Crabtree

Tetris highlights the similarities between a classic fast-paced puzzle game and the struggles of everyday life. Sometimes the game may decide to go easy on you. But sometimes all of the pieces are too much to juggle, and all it takes is one mistake for it all to come crashing down.

Grief in Two Days in One Week
by SJ Devereaux

A piece of creative non-fiction about the process of grieving through two deaths in one week. Through the formatting of a schedule, laying out every routine, the piece grapples with the process of breaking down and figuring out how to heal from death.

Time Passing Like the Tides
by Sierra Anderson

A love letter to the salt-soaked shores of NorCal, a young woman balances her relationships, copes with nostalgia, struggles with her identity, and finds inner peace, all from the vantage point of an annual family camping trip in Fort Bragg. (Note: all names of real people have been changed).

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Scholarship

Bare-Knuckle Bastards: Examining Classism in British Bare-Knuckle Boxing Across Time
by Meriel Griffith

Bare-knuckle boxing is commonly considered a dangerous underground sport, yet centuries of British history show the importance of this snubbed martial art. This paper examines how bare-knuckle boxing served the lower class of Britain by providing them a means of escaping, if only temporarily, the poverty that defined their communities. It also investigates related power dynamics involving the aristocracy, and concludes that when things get scrappy, the wealthy almost always come out on top.

The Shrieking Practitioner of Suffragitsu: Champion of Women, or Societal Saboteur?
by Meriel Griffith

This paper examines the growth of jiu-jitsu in England, particularly as it pertains to the women’s suffrage movement. Jiu-jitsu was adopted by suffragettes in the early 1900s, and served as a means of physical and intellectual defense against sexism in the fight for women’s rights.

Multilingualism and the Construction of Identity in Postcolonial Morocco
by Nina Elmoyan

This paper examines how French colonialism created lasting linguistic hierarchies in Morocco. Despite independence and Arabization efforts, French remains a marker of class and a gateway to professional success. Drawing on Phillipson and Bourdieu, and grounded in an interview with a Moroccan French language educator, it proposes that multilingualism does not dissolve colonial-era inequalities; rather, it forces individuals to navigate a community where languages carry unequal social weight.

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Poetry

Pilgrims of the night
by Lucas de Paula

A Villanelle About Caffeine
by Jesse Hopkins

This is a villanelle I wrote as part of an assignment for my Creative Writing class, taught by American author Michael Gills. The villanelle focuses on some of the side effects of caffeine.

The SLUG Haikus
by Jesse Hopkins

Twenty haikus, split into three segments, all focusing on the Salt Lake Underground (SLUG) Magazine and what helps define both the magazine and the local underground scene, from the music to the events, to the people who support the scene.

The Dirty House
by Katelynn Larsen

For the Anniversary of my Death
by MariCruz Aguilar-Gallup

Returning
by Samantha Veres

Returning is a poem about loss and the melancholy that comes with returning to a place that has been irreversibly changed.

Nesting
by Samantha Veres

Nesting was inspired by a series of dreams, images, and conversations that stuck in my mind after visiting my sister.

When We Were Kids
by Samantha Veres

The poem, When We Were Kids mixes childhood memories with the stories and make-believe games that once meant the world to me.

After The Journey
by Samantha Veres

After the Journey explores the suddenness of emotional memory, and the tension between public joy and private sorrow.

Caramel Wrapped Blades
by Bethany Davis

“Caramel Wrapped Blades” explores the contradictions of love shaped by abuse, where tenderness and violence coexist in the same space. Through vivid, sensory imagery, the poem traces a childhood marked by fear, survival, and silence, as the speaker navigates a volatile home and becomes a protector for their siblings. Ultimately, the poem interrogates themes of forgiveness, faith, and hypocrisy, exposing the tension between private suffering and public redemption.

¢ould ¥ou €ven notic£
by Julian Ozaeta

In the piece “¢ould ¥ou €ven notic£,” I, as a poet, attempt to attack those forces—those individuals—who profit from the world’s unraveling, the people’s struggling. I ask the reader, directly or indirectly: How have you been active, or inactive, in our shifting, modern society? How have you turned a blind eye, and when might you choose to finally bear witness?

Grieving
by Julian Ozaeta

“Grieving” is a poem concentrated on the global plight of conflict and violence—war. While composing these verses, I pictured myself in the piece’s subject, tired and tainted by the blood of battle. I feel that this points to poetry’s possibility to be a mirror; in reading such distinct voice and verbiage, one may grow one’s self-concept, their empathy.

My Dearest Cosmonaut
by Giancarlo Guevarra

Dedicated to my love, Madeline Pojar.

Atlas with no Sky
by Lucas Sugui III

This poem re-imagines the Atlas myth for a world without grandiose meaning, tracing the exhaustion of carrying weights too vast to be legendary and too ordinary to be witnessed.

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Photography and Visual Art

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About Our Authors

Alexander Barran
Washington State University

Alec studied Computer Science at Washington State University. He enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors, using his camera to document his experiences. At Washington State, he was also a member of the Track and Cross Country programs. He is now pursuing a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence at Johns Hopkins University.

Anaya Ali
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Anaya Ali is a junior studying Biological Sciences who also has a passion for art. She enjoys photography, mainly wildlife photography with birds, as well as poetry and creative writing as an outlet to destress, focusing on fiction.

Bethany Davis
Colorado State University, Pueblo

Bethany Davis is an English major at Colorado State University Pueblo whose work is shaped by an unconventional path through the service industry, the United States Army, and the roofing field—experiences that sharpened her voice, resilience, and commitment to advocacy. Her writing explores identity, justice, and the lived realities of marginalized communities, informed in part by her own experience of intermittent homelessness as an LGBTQ+ youth. A featured reader in CSU Pueblo’s SoCo Reading Series and a speaker at the university’s Veterans Day ceremony, Bethany approaches storytelling as both craft and service. She is currently pursuing a future in law, using her writing to amplify underrepresented voices and to bridge personal narrative with broader social change.

Cadence Ashworth
Montana State University, Bozeman

Cadence is studying fish and wildlife management and showcases wildlife in her photography. She loves the outdoors, animals, and nature. She captures many animals that she encounters on her hikes and camping trips.

Emerson Randall
Arizona State University

Emerson is a first year undergraduate student at Arizona State University studying Biological Sciences and Cross-Sector Leadership. Passionate about life and how it organizes itself, she creates to better understand what it really means to be human.

Emma Goldthrope
University of Utah

Emma Goldthorpe is an honors student at the University of Utah, who uses personal experiences and fictional worlds to dive into what it means to be human. Each word vibrates with an intentional grip on the heart. She uses reader-focused foundations to build a universal understanding of the senses, our brains, and those around us.

Giancarlo Guevarra
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Giancarlo Guevarra is a third-year computer science student at UNLV. He has previously been published in the Palouse Review for “Death of a Memory.” His favorite genre to write is Creative Nonfiction.

Iris Jenssen
University of California, Santa Barbara

Iris Jenssen is a third year Art and Environmental Studies student at University of California, Santa Barbara. She specializes in painting and is currently investigating themes of catalytic moments, ecological relationship building, and mystery.

Jesse Hopkins
University of Utah

An English Sterling Scholar from his high school and a majoring Film & Media Studies and English undergraduate at the University of Utah, Jesse Hopkins is a proud Kearns High School graduate. He lives in West Valley City and Kearns, UT, where he recently served as a script supervisor for a short film, “Chrysalism” (dir. Anya Gorder).

Julian Ozaeta
Santa Clara University

Julian Ozaeta is a poet, musician, and student from Daly City, California. His work with the written and spoken word has been recognized and awarded by his high school’s literary magazine, The Quill; the Daly City Youth Poet Laureate Program; San Mateo County’s Poetry Out Loud Competition; the Bay Area Creative Foundation; and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He is currently a first-year biology major in the University Honors Program at Santa Clara University.

Katelynn Larsen
Portland State University

Katelynn is a junior at Portland State University studying English. She has a particular interest in creative writing, mainly fiction and sometimes poetry. She enjoys reading literature and engaging her many fields of academic interests— psychology, history, sociology, politics, anthropology, etc. Most importantly, she can’t get enough Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar Cream Soda.

Kathleen Williams
University of Utah

Kathleen is a graduating senior at the University of Utah with an Honors B.A. in Middle East Studies. Her love of baking, cooking, and shared meals is connected to everything she does. She especially loves exploring the world while doing it, dairy allergy and all.

Katie Crabtree
University of Utah

Katie Crabtree (she/her) is a junior at the University of Utah studying Political Science, Sociology, and Legal Studies. She hopes to attend law school and eventually become a criminal prosecutor. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her dog, and, of course, playing Tetris.

Lucas de Paula
University of California, Santa Barbara

Lucas de Paula is a second-year social Psychology and Economics double major at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He’s interested in the intersection of creative writing, brain sciences, and multimedia storytelling. He is on the marketing team for his school’s Fashion Club, and the Young Entrepreneurs Program nonprofit. When not doing classwork, he is traveling, cooking new recipes, working out, or playing chess.

Lucas Sugui III
Cabrillo College

Lucas Sugui is a double major in psychology and political science. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Lucas recently moved to Santa Cruz, where he is enjoying the California weather. When he is not busy with his studies, he enjoys reading, cooking, and watching sports.

Madeline Pojar
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Madeline Pojar is a second year honors student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience. Her passion for the human mind allows her to include her psychological knowledge into her hobby for creative writing, inspiring all of her projects in nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and even music.

MariCruz Aguilar-Gallup
Idaho State University

MariCruz is a freshman at Idaho State University studying Marketing and Management. In her free time, she enjoys writing, reading, and being outdoors. Through her creative work, she explores ways to express and define human emotions and experiences. In the future, she hopes to work with a small business, helping it grow through marketing while continuing to develop her writing skills.

Meriel Griffith
Western Washington University

Meriel is a junior studying Kinesiology at Western Washington University, with the goal to pursue graduate school for occupational therapy. She is passionate about justice and hopes for a career spent empowering disadvantaged people in her community. In her free time, Meriel enjoys reading, playing guitar, and hosting dinners to build community with her fellow students.

Nathan Peterson
Western Washington University

Peterson loves to make and experience art including stories, drawings and messes.

Nina Elmoyan
Glendale Community College

Nina Elmoyan is a second-year undergraduate student at Glendale Community College. She is pursuing a degree in linguistics, computer science, and foreign languages. She enjoys developing multidisciplinary research projects, specifically within the field of sociolinguistics, machine learning, as well as literature and film analysis.

Samantha Veres
Southern Oregon University

Samantha Veres is a graduate student at Southern Oregon University where she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. She uses writing to capture the small, and otherwise forgettable, moments in her life. She hopes to spark a love for creative writing in her own students someday.

Sareena Bajpai
Arizona State University

Sareena Bajpai is an honors undergraduate in Creative Writing at Arizona State University. When she isn’t frantically bringing her next piece to life, she can be found enjoying a sweet treat and a good book.

Sierra Anderson
Saint Mary’s College of California

S. Anderson is a freshman at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she pursues a creative writing degree with a minor in non-profit organizations. She’s often humming or singing, and loves playing guitar and practicing amateur photography. To Anderson, writing gives life meaning, because outside of getting overly attached to fictional characters, it also roots out the truth in all we do, and those humorously unfortunate life stories are just more material to use in storytelling.

SJ Devereaux
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

SJ Devereaux (they/them) is an English student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with their honors program. SJ is also the President of the Honors Student Council. They plan to pursue a master’s degree in non-fiction writing and work in non-profit work and/or freelance writing.

Stella Van Buskirk
Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Stella Van Buskirk is a student at Colorado State University, majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing and minoring in women’s studies. She is an active member of the Honors Program and performs with her university’s improv troupe. Beyond academics, Stella enjoys reading, playing volleyball, exploring local coffee shops, and spending time with her friends and family.

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