Meet the Editors
David Oates
Co-EditorDavid Oates is the host and producer of Wordland, a radio program of poetry, stories, and comedy, on WUGA-FM, the NPR station in Athens GA. His published books are Night of the Potato (fiction and poetry), Shifting with My Sandwich Hand, Drunken Robins, The Deer’s Bandanna, and only thunder: a family journey (the last four, haiku). His haikai work has appeared in many journals over the last 30 years. Oates has performed amateur standup, sketch, and improv. comedy, and wrote for the comic strip Shoe in the ’80s. He is a veteran of the slam and current emcee of Athens Word of Mouth open mic. His degrees are in writing from The Univ. of Chicago and the Univ. of Illinois–Chicago. Former jobs include reporting, teaching, proofreading, and standardized-test coaching. He currently teaches creative writing with an emphasis on English-language haiku and related forms. Much of his writing is senryu and forms based on senryu. His not quite up-to-date website is davidoatesathensga.com.
AJ Wentz
Co-EditorAJ Wentz is a haiku and speculative poet living in the southern United States. She is the president of the Apple Blossom Poets of Central Arkansas. AJ holds a juris doctor, a master of public administration, and a bachlor of arts in English. She practices law by day and reads to her cat by night. Most of all, AJ spends her time longing for something just beyond her reach. Her work has appeared in Modern Haiku, Acorn, Failed Haiku, and elsewhere. She can be found online on Bluesky (@ajwentz.com), Instagram (@ajwentzwrites), and on her own website www.ajwentz.com.