2024-2025 Staff

Katy Didden

Katy Didden is an associate professor and director of the Creative Writing Program at Ball State University, where she teaches workshops with a special focus on poetry and creative writing and the environment.

Blake Murray

Blake Murray is an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing and one of the current Managing Editors for The Broken Plate 2024-2025. In his free time, you can find him reading Sci-fi and Fantasy novels, writing poems and memoirs, or hanging out with his freeloading feline roommate King Meatball. After graduation, Blake hopes to travel abroad before entering the workforce as a proposal writer or an editor.

Jason Holtzman

Jason Holtzman is a junior at Ball State University, majoring in Media Promotion and Management with a minor in Creative Writing. He is joining the Broken Plate 2024-2025 as a Managing Editor after time as an editor on various other publications. Jason writes occasionally, reads continually, and is always learning. He looks forward to working in the publishing industry after college but is specifically interested in comic book editorial work.

Aleaha Patton

Aleaha Patton is a junior at Ball State University, majoring in creative writing and double minoring in studio art and fashion. This will be her first year as part of the Design Team for The Broken Plate. With the experience gained from The Broken Plate, paired with her degree, she hopes to pursue a career in the publishing industry.

Kailey Glass

Kailey Glass is a junior at Ball State University majoring in English. Kailey is part of the Design Team and Promotions Team for The Broken Plate 2024-2025. She plans to use her English degree to pursue editing and publishing in the architectural business, using her associates degree with CAD. She enjoys reading romantic books, specifically Colleen Hoover, and writing her own poetry and creative fiction. In her free time, she enjoys arts like cake decorating, painting, theater, and drawing.

Natalee Bohanon

Natalee Bohanon is a senior at Ball State University who has an English Major with a concentration in Creative Writing and minors in both Professional Writing and Strategic Communications. She is proud to be a part of the Website and Design Team at The Broken Plate for 2024-2025. She enjoys gaming, reading, and writing in her free time. In addition, she hopes to become a novelist writer and editor.

Aaron Picklesimer

Aaron (Pickle) Picklesimer is a senior at Ball State University with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Film Screenwriting. Within The Broken Plate 2024-2025, he acts as the Lead Prose Editor as well as a member of the Promotions Team. He writes all sorts of stories of fiction and fantasy, designing fantastical worlds to explore and share, striving to be a published novelist, able to find his stories on shelves. You can catch him talking about his favorite authors Pierce Brown and Brandon Sanderson, reading a new book, or writing his own story.

Anna Smith

Anna Smith is a senior at Ball State University majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Psychology. She is a Prose Editor at The Broken Plate for 2024-2025 as well as a part of the Website Team. She is currently working on various fictional works, mostly horror/thriller/mystery. In her free time, you will find her reading, writing, gaming, or leading worship at her church.

Anthony Cates

Anthony Cates is a junior at Ball State with a major in Creative Writing and a minor in New Works for the Stage. He acts as the Social Media Manager and Prose Editor for The Broken Plate 2024-2025. He also serves as the Casting Director on the YouTube series BSU Tonight and acts in plays with the Performance Collaborative at Ball State. He hopes to one day be a playwright, but in the meantime, he’ll be working on his own projects, for the screen, the stage, and the page.

Cole Southerland

Cole Southerland is a senior at Ball State University with a concentration in Creative Writing. He is a Prose Editor for the Broken Plate for 2024-2025. He hopes to write his various fictional stories and let the world see them. You can find Cole enjoying playing video games, chilling with his cat Midnight, listening to music, and reading and writing.

Julie Creech

Julie Creech is a senior Creative Writing major at Ball State University. This is her first year with The Broken Plate and she is proud to be the Website Team Lead and a Prose Editor. Her first published work was in the 2022 edition of this very journal. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in the publishing industry. When she isn’t writing, she can be found crocheting, drawing, reading, gaming, and watching anime.

Kya Twitty

Kya Twitty is a senior at Ball State University, majoring in English with a minor in Philosophy. She is a Prose Editor for The Broken Plate 2024-2025. She is excited to be working on a collection of nonfiction essays and has been dabbling in writing fiction. After college, she hopes to pursue a career in the publishing and editing industry. She spends her free time crocheting, gaming, and hanging out with her cats.

Jackson Smith

Jackson Smith is a Philosophy and English Major with a concentration in Creative Writing at Ball State University. This is his first year at The Broken Plate, and he is excited to be a Poetry Editor! In his free time, you can find him reading, writing and completing his penultimate draft of his first novel, The Creativity Club, playing games, walking outside, or nerding out with friends.

Julissa Garcia

Julissa Garcia is a senior at Ball State University majoring in Journalism with a minor in Creative Writing and Political Science. She is a Poetry Editor at The Broken Plate for 2024-2025. She spends her free time writing poetry and nonfiction while also reading all sorts of genres. She enjoys creating art whether it be drawing, painting, or crocheting, and if she is not doing any of these she is likely knee-deep in her law studies. After completing her undergraduate degree she plans to pursue a career in Criminal Law while also pursuing her dream of becoming a nonfiction writer.

Rosemary Dongu

Rosemary (Ro) Dongu is a Poetry Editor for The Broken Plate 2024-2025. They are a fourth-year English major with a creative writing concentration. This is their first year being involved with The Broken Plate. Their first publication was through a non-profit organization on the complications of coming out of the closet. They enjoy writing poetry, music, and short stories, using fiction and non-fiction elements. Their current project is writing a musical with a fellow writing friend.

Sean Malloy

Sean Malloy is a senior at Ball State University. He is majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in both Educational Technologies and Music Theory. He is a Poetry Editor for The Broken Plate 2024-2025. He spends his free time writing various poetry pieces, playing saxophone, and even writing the occasional piece of music. After earning his Bachelor’s degree, Sean plans to pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts and ultimately find a job teaching poetry at the collegiate level.

Victoria Mayeaux

Victoria Mayeaux is a senior at Ball State University with a concentration in English literature and a minor in creative writing. She is a Poetry Editor and a member of the Social Media Team for this year’s 2024-2025 issue of The Broken Plate. She spends most of her free time writing stories and poems, with a few breaks in between to read others as well. Victoria plans to pursue a career in writing and publishing.