“Southland” identifies us as a strong regional literary presence in our part of California, where we intend to both contribute to and shape the literary landscape, conversation, and community. “Alibi” is a wink of a reference to the film Double Indemnity, in which characters use “taking night classes at UCLA” as an alibi.
Charles Jensen is the program director of The Writers’ Program. He’s the author of a forthcoming memoir, Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres; three poetry collections, most recently Instructions between Takeoff and Landing; and seven chapbooks. His work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Crab Orchard Review, The Florida Review, New England Review, Passages North, and Prairie Schooner. The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs designated him a 2019-2020 Cultural Trailblazer.
Jeanne De Vita has worked in publishing for more than a decade in acquisitions, content editing, and copyediting. As a developmental editor, she has worked with NYT, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers as well as aspiring writers just beginning their author journey. A former staff writer for a serial fiction app, Jeanne’s bestselling paranormal dystopian series Bug was an Amazon Editor’s Pick upon its release on Kindle Vella and she has ghostwritten several bestselling novels. She has been featured on podcasts and interviewed on topics ranging from romance novel cover art to writing craft and was the guest book coach on the Dale L. Roberts YouTube reality show Book Rescue. Jeanne holds an MFA in Creative Writing-Fiction from the University of Notre Dame and teaches writing and editing at UCLA Extension.
Lily Chan received her Bachelor’s Degree in Art from UCLA, majoring in Fine Art with a concentration in photography and oil painting. She considers herself an Angeleno by way of Cedars Falls, Iowa; Atlanta, Georgia; and Singapore. She is a professional photographer and a poet in the style of New Formalism.
Sheila Vatan is a writer and educator whose work focuses on the stories and conflicts of the Middle East and its emigres. She is a recipient of the UCLA Phyllis Gebauer Writing Fellowship program and has collaborated with her husband and partner on a number of independent films, many of which have been recognized at film festivals including Oaxaca, Cucalorus, Portland Comedy, and the Academy-Award qualifying RIFF, among others. Beyond her creative endeavors, Sheila is often found climbing rocks big and small (despite an absolute fear of heights) and trailering through the mountains and deserts with her husband and two children. They live in Southern California.
Rene Thomas, originally from Oklahoma, lives in Southern California with her husband, dog, and cat. She practiced law for nearly a decade before transitioning into a career focused on creating written marketing content for law firms across the country. In addition to her freelance work, Rene is working on her Creative Writing Certificate through UCLA’s Extension program as well as her own creative writing projects. She loves to read, write, and get lost in the woods with her husband who always carries the maps and snacks.
Aleesha Nash is a New York city-based visual artist who tells stories that help shift the inaccuracies around African Americans' cultural identity. Aleesha’s recent theater projects include Lipstick (Cherry Lane Theatre), Park Bench (Primary Stages), The Raven (The Wild Project), Lilies (The Arctic Group). Yellow Banter (The Flea Theater), We Dem Boyz (Goddard College) Black Hole Dating App (Kraine Theatre), and Yours Truly, Vincent. (Emerging Artist Festival).
Aleesha is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Director's’ Lab and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Observership program. She holds an MA from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and an MFA in dramatic writing from Goddard College in Vermont, where she received their Engaged Artist Award.
Nikkita graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Japanese. Taking an interest in art and design, she became a Graphic Designer and Writer based in Los Angeles. Currently, she is focusing on Digital Media to discover other methods of storytelling.
Amy McCrory is an essayist and ESL educator from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She has lived and taught in Moscow and Vladivostok, Russia. In her writing she explores urban culture, cinema, new media, and spirituality. She counts Primo Levi, Annie Ernaux, and Naomi Fry among her biggest nonfiction inspirations. She has previously studied in the UCLA Extension Journalism program, and is currently pursuing her certificate in Business and Management of Entertainment. You can follow her work at Amy Writes Sometimes.
Southland Alibi is the student-run literary journal published by the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension.
We seek high quality works of art, fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. We do not charge submission fees and publish on a rolling basis year-round. We welcome work from established as well as emerging creatives that will make us laugh, cry, love, or nod our heads in the wonderment or bewilderment of life.
The editorial staff is dedicated to supporting work that represents diverse viewpoints and experiences and that may also cross boundaries of genre and form.
Please submit work via: writersprogram.submittable.com/submit
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