About - The Prompt Magazine

About

THE PROMPT

The Prompt is a creative community that showcases unique voices.

People hungry to create. Writers. Podcasters. Artists.

Maybe even you.

Our mission

We’re here to inspire creators to create. The Prompt is a place to put your best ideas and creative output.

It’s a place to get inspired. To share your voice, your best ideas, and your unique perspective.

What’s your story? We can't wait to hear it.

"YOU CAN'T USE UP CREATIVITY. THE MORE YOU USE, THE MORE YOU HAVE." — Maya Angelou

Meet the

PROMPTERS

The Prompt Staff

Josh Bard is a guy. A sports guy, an ideas guy, a wise guy, a funny guy, a Boston guy, and sometimes THAT guy. Never been a Guy Fieri guy, though.

Gordon St. Raus peaked at 15 and is mostly held together by masking tape.

Gordon St. Raus

Sarah Razner is a reporter of real-life Wisconsin by day, and a writer of fictional lives throughout the world by night.

The editor-in-chief of this magazine, who should, in all honesty, be a gym teacher. Don’t sleep on your plucky kid sister.

Kelaine Conochan

Mike Stiriti once dreamed of anchoring SportsCenter back when that was a thing. Now he just tries to be funny.

Jesse B. Stone loves science and writing. Apologies if you were looking for the "Jesse Stone" played by Tom Selleck in the CBS movies.

Jillian Conochan is a professional amateur; writing and editing just happen to be two current pursuits. Opinion range: strong to DNGAF.

Jillian Conochan

Dennis is an aspiring English teacher and still listens to ska music. He lives in Portland, Oregon, which is fine, just not in the same way that DC is fine.

Erin is the 2003 West Reading Elementary Geography Bee champion, a TV obsessive, and never not thinking about Buffalo sports.

Heather Shaff is a cyclist, writer, and mom based in Boston. She's fascinated by all things growth, motivation, and learning... and will drop everything for chocolate ice cream.

N. Alysha Lewis is an editor and blogger with author aspirations whose love can absolutely be bought with french fries.

N. Alysha Lewis

Billy Hafferty is probably still hanging out of the passenger side of his best friend's ride trying to holler at you.

Scott is an ISTJ with an MA, and is usually MIA or AFK IRL. Interrobang him and win a prize.

Devin is passionate about writing, reading and remaining in emotionally harmful relationships with losing sports teams. He suffers quietly (except on Sundays) with his loving wife and daughter in Rhode Island.

Devin Householder

A wizard of pop culture. A prince of snark. A delightful addition to any dinner party.

Dr. Daniel H. Farkas is a molecular pathologist who has published extensively and spoken on the topic internationally. Dan Farkas, on the other hand, is an itinerant New Yorker living just outside The D. His joys in life come from creative writing, photography, the music of his youth, his wife and kids, and sometimes the NY Rangers. #LGM

Thomas Viehe prefers pop over soda, loo over toilet, fall over autumn. He lives with his wife and dog in a remote part of the country, Washington, D.C.

Jay Heltzer writes attention-challenged fiction, plays bass trombone, digs sloppy fountain pen sketches, and is in pursuit of the perfect cheeseburger.

The official podcast of The Prompt, featuring Davo and Cali, former college roommates, as they agree, disagree, and break down the issues of the day. Intro track used with permission from the badass GoGo Brass Funk band, The Brass-a-holics: www.brass-a-holics.com

That's Debatable

Jack O'Shea was voted "Most Likely to be a Great Dad" in high school. He likes to drink Mountain Dew in his spare time.

Sydney Mineer believes in Harvey Dent. She is the #1 bull terrier spotter in Los Angeles and is fluent in both Seinfeld and Spongebob references.

Ryan is an editor and semi-pro author with life goal of having enough money to buy the cool things people make in DIY videos.

A freelancer, fiction writer, podcast listener, fantasy reader who sometimes remembers to write for herself on occasion. She has a BA in English and Management, and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Copywriter, fiction author and PR professional from D.C. who scribbles in answers on trivia night and shouts at her Playstation. Sips hot tea or coffee from a Studio Ghibli mug. Paces while brainstorming. Conquers hot sauce.

Ariel Cross is a fantasy author and blogger with a love for representation and subversion. To them, happiness is a warm glass of mead on a cold day.

Writer of societal manifestos, ransom notes, bomb-making manuals, secession declarations, new constitutions, and children's picture books.

John hosts a long running comedy radio show titled Papa's Basement. He also performs standup and improv and drummed once for a Unitarian church.

John Papageorgiou

Cal James is an author, improviser, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. His memoir, “I Guarantee You Love, Fame and Legacy” follows his journey through self-realization as a comedian.

‪Poet Brian McGackin is the author of BROETRY and DEATH IN THE RICK. He lives in Los Angeles and drinks a lot of Guinness.‬

Jenny Zaret is a writer and instructional designer living in Maryland. She watches more than the recommended daily allowance of anime.

Sam Hedenberg is a humor blogger living in Northern Virginia. When he grows up, he wants to be a writer or quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jessica is a former stage actor who now has a real paycheck, health care and 2 strapping Yankee kiddoes. She’s lived in NYC, Chicago, and DC but prefers a Maine crabcake above any other.

Jessica Dunton Fidalgo

Keven obsesses, nearly to the point of madness, over a new interest every two years. So far, his interests have included Latin, drawing, skateboarding and photography.

Jess Lulka is a Boston-based creative. When she's not writing or editing, you'll find her at any bookstore, art museum, or looking at cat pictures.

Boasting with Philly pride, I’m a loud-mouthed Italian mama striving to achieve the perfect combination of marketing guru with a hint of Julia Child, Martha Stewart, and Beyonce.

MK once drew herself as Michael Jordan’s daughter for back-to-school night to tell her parents she no longer wanted to be theirs.

A New Yorker in Seattle, Anthony can be found drinking coffee in the rain, yelling at televisions and chasing his 3 year-old. His book, IntersectionALL is due for release in early 2019.

Anthony Rogers-Wright

Baltimore native who is always searching for that next adventure and a new story to tell.

Natalie is a lawyer and mom trapped in Texas. Wildly outspoken about the separation of church and state, she can quickly kill a dinner party but always brings good wine.

A writer, actor, and director living in Los Angeles just waiting for anybody to let him do those things.

Katie is a comedian and copywriter, living in New York to chase her dreams of becoming the official spokeswoman for Bengay.

Michael Maiello is a New York-based playwright, author and humorist. His work has appeared in McSweeney's, The New Yorker, and Weekly Humorist. He has two plays available through playscripts.com.

Michael Maiello

From chasing ice cream trucks to serving as a lawyer, professor, dancer, and activist, I'm on a mission to educate and inspire others to be their best selves.

Earth To Planet is the brainchild of a brainless child who lives on a densely populated West Atlantic island. Follow the pixels at www.instagram.com/earthtoplanet

Earth to Planet

Jennifer Racusin is a writer with a runaway imagination, an artist making huge bird puppets, and a teacher teaching the future how to think.

Jennifer Racusin

Mikael Johnson is a writer, performer and paralegal. He once hit (2) home-runs in a game while playing baseball in Europe—he may have “flipped” his bat after hitting the second one.

Pythia Defool was conceived during the Dust Bowl and now lives in the Whispering Oaks retirement community just west of Memorial Park Cemetery in Tampa Bay. She’s excited to contribute to The Prompt.

11 in a 21-year old body with an 81-year old soul. Just trying to follow God, wear neat socks and be 1 percent less worse than yesterday."

Melanie Civin Kenion is spending her retirement writing poetry, traveling as much as possible, and playing Rummikub with her grandson.

Melanie Civin Kenion

The number one authority on giant squids and can eat 6-14 boxes of pasta a day according to a recent Twitter poll.

Kelonnie (she/they) is an aspiring writer and otherwise creative person who enjoys poetry, overthinking gender stuff, and surviving last night’s off-the-wall dreams.

Kelonnie Harris

Jessie Rosen is the writer behind the blog 20-Nothings and storytelling series SUNDAY NIGHT SEX TALKS. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her dog, and the complete works of Nora Ephron.

John Barnes has a B.S. in geography and recently severely burnt his thumb playing with fireworks in a storm drain in Northern Virginia.

Ex-college hooper turned sports person. Life goal: be the voice of a key character in an animated movie, like Crush in Finding Nemo.

Thinks of himself as the love-child of Tim Riggins and Max Fischer.

David is Principal of DL DeAngelo Consulting, providing research and advisory services to advocacy and political organizations.

Lauren lives in DC and knows the name of every dog on her block, but none of the humans.

A lover of life from upstate NY. Currently DC chillin'. Days spent at the intersection of sport & youth development or sun & pavement.

Mike Vaughan-Cherubin

Meg's taste in TV ranges from angsty tween to middle-aged British lady. Known for getting in fights in defense of the Lost finale.

A proud Ohio boy living in the 410. Aspiring world traveler. Constant singer of all of the songs. My faith, family, and friends keep me grounded. Work hard, love harder. Go Bucks. Glory glory, Man United.

David is a pastor, magic bean buyer, and aspiring mystic. He lives in Iowa City with his wife, two soccer-playing sons, and two budgies named Lizzy & Jane.

David Borger Germann

Shalen Lowell is an author and poet from southern Maine. They were also voted least likely to be an ENTJ Slytherin, but here we are.

Marybeth knows the correct movie quote and the filmography of the actor who said it; she does not need to look it up.

Marybeth McDonough

Dave Berry is funny and a writer, but not related to Dave Barry. Those are different names and that would also just be weird.

Mike Taylor is a writer living in Washington, D.C. He has the soul of a poet and the toenails of a long distance runner.

Justin is a composer and producer in Brooklyn, NY who is both tall and coordinated. His heart occasionally explodes with love, etc.

Justin D. Wright

Matt Guttentag is looking for his keys.

I’m a California boy who’s an undergrad at Howard University. I religiously work out, write, and turn up with my squad. #BlackLivesMatter

Jacqueline Frasca is the editor-in-chief of East Coast Ink literary magazine. A poet from Boston, her friends often call her "Forest Witch."

Jacqueline Frasca

David once performed a feminist rap version of "Gaston" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast on a soccer field in DC. Today he lives in London and searches for a wilting rose. (Not the flower but the eligible British viscount, Sir Wilting Rose).

David Leipziger

Seth Monk is a former Buddhist monk and energy healer living in the Boston area. He is CEO and Founder of Spirit Monkeys, an organization that runs global transformational retreats.

Lover of learning, nerdy ideas, dry wit, cooking and eating delicious food and generally going back to what brought her joy at the age of 8. She lives in NY and is a consultant and runs a project called Dinner & Dialogue (dinneranddialogue.org)

D. Anner is an editor and writer who is always running away from the stories in her mind. They find her eventually.

Sheeva Azma is a freelance science writer, MIT and Georgetown alum, and founder of the science writing company Fancy Comma, LLC. Learn more about her at www.sheevaazma.com.

Poet, publisher, author, and businessman whose books include “Sleeping Dogs: A true story of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping …” “Sandy: Chronicles of a Superstorm,” “Fashions & Passions,” and “End Game.” He lives in the Southern Tier of New York.

Ben is a bit of a nomad with a mild case of ADHD. He hopes to squeeze in some writing between hiking, work, and video games.

You're all familiar with surly economist Emily Thomas? Well, this is her delicious side hustle: corcoranstreetkitchen.blogspot.com.

Corcoran Street Kitchen

Cecelia is an amateur storyteller, writer, and adult. She hopes to go pro in all three someday.

Cecelia Halpert

Love running and my family. Like beaches, food, most sports, and the Orioles. Retired and living in Hermosa Beach.

Jenna Billingsley, equal parts morbid and funny, with a twist of awkward.

Jenna Billingsley

Creator of National Pasquinade (nationalpasquinade.com), a so-called humor magazine. Still perfecting ways of making ceiling wax.

Nicole Prince is a North Carolina native with a deep love for writing, literature, and her four affectionate, mischievous dogs. You can find her traveling the world, or close to the dessert table.

Nicole C. Prince

A Baltimore-born writer who has come to realize the best time to eat lunch is 12:37 p.m.

Greg Tindale is a dad who loves writing about his kids. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Tom O'Gara was born in Boston, lives in LA, and has never met a nap that he didn't like. He writes non-fiction.

Natasha Gural is a fallen literary scholar and veteran award-winning journalist and editorial executive (AP, Dow Jones) who misses the old school newspaper and wire service hustle. Her creative pursuits include covering global fine art for Forbes. No doubt her literary breakthrough will strike as the Earth implodes.

Jenna Godfrey is too chill to be a hater. Too hype to wait for later. Too lazy to make another rhyme.

Kimberly Lee enjoys day spas, rose gold, and yoga pants. She’d love to use words like harbinger and zeitgeist in a quick, saucy comeback.

I am Poseidon, Gay God of the Sea, master of waters, bringer of earthquakes, lord of all horses and all who are horsehung. Polytheistic/polyamorous/ENFJ.

Ángel loves boom-bap hip-hop, high-level high-low post play. In a constant state of craving a burger and beer. Accent on the A is never expected but always appreciated.

Ángel Bolivar Torres

Daragh Fleming is a 25 year old writer from Cork, Ireland. He writes thought-provoking fiction that flirts heavily with the bizarre, runs a mental health blog over at thoughtstoobig.com, and his first collection of short stories, The Book of Revelations, was published in summer 2019.

Connie (she/they) studied at Stanley Lanford where she also read poetry at bougie cafes as alter ego Constance Veneer. They blog at The Pigeonhole as themself.

Connie Thompspon

When he's not training to best Michael Phelps' records, Michael Alexander is writing, coding, editing YouTube videos, painting, playing electric guitar, singing David Bowie songs, dancing, performing standup comedy, competing in chess, hiking, or playing with his goddess dog (and canine sister) Athena. A native New Yorker who moved to Portland, Maine on May 1, Michael is a fifth-grader with deep ties to the art world. He enjoys visiting galleries and museums, discussing all genres, especially contemporary art, with artists, gallery owners, and curators.

Michael Alexander Gural-Maiello

Drew Misemer resides in the Midwest. A grad of Washington State University, he writes his newsletter and misses heckling opposing basketball teams.

Haley O'Shaughnessy

Anonymous Poster

Craig Williams hasn't stopped giggling about that fart he heard in the fourth grade.

Dan Helinek is the lesser twin. He tries to forget this by hiking very long distances. It doesn’t work.

Caroline Willett is an Avril Lavigne conspiracy theorist who has a three-legged cat that she'd love to tell you about sometime.

Caroline Willett

New York’s Highest; Artist, writer, wicked witch.

Danielle Guercio

Paul Hébert loves writing everything from prose to essays to music. But as a hip-hop artist, he's also known by his stage name, TRA1N, and has opened for acts like Fetty Wap.

Jay Vu believes that anything wrapped in banana leaves deserves a try.

Nikk writes fiction like Andy Dufresne tunnels out of prison. He can’t rewatch Office Space; it’s not funny anymore. He lives in a rye whiskey bottle that's also an Airbnb.

Jeff Estrella is a retail worker by day and a writer by night based in Massachusetts who is always looking for community, hope, and a bookstore.

Karen Gilmore is a writer from Canada. She loves black jellybeans and scented magic markers and dislikes the name Karen as much as you do.

Christine Veasey's first poetry collection “Walking Into Spiderwebs” is available on Amazon in ebook or paperback. In addition to her work on The Prompt, she was recently published in the moonstone press anthology "Disasters of War". She spent over a year living in a tent, observing the romantic and sad absurdities of life. She is currently attempting to reintegrate into society and continues writing.

Christine Veasey

Amy Bohlman (Klimoski) is a Minnesota-based writer in love with the short form including essays, poems, and stories. Find her at www.ashortgirl.com and on Instagram @ashortgirlwrites.

Tren Bren is a comedian and writer.

Meredith Chin is a writer, director, and producer living in Los Angeles, CA.

It took 42 minutes to draft this 140-character bio and, since I lack time management skills and any semblance of brevity, this is all I coul

47 year old stay at home mom/leisure wife. Glass is always half empty. Always expecting the other shoe to drop. Comes by her misanthropy honestly, via high school.

Steven M. Wells writes on rainy days, or walks his dog, and lives near Seattle.

Steven M. Wells

Jack O'Shea, Henry O'Shea, and Jack Neuheisel are to humor what Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith were to Cady Heron.

Pool Boy Comedy

Adam is a writer, explorer of consciousness, a dog owner (x2), and a pretty decent fellow if you ask him. Find him reading, reading comics, fishing, or just walking through the woods outside ATL.

Dimana hails from Bulgaria and cried when she was little, listening to Bohemian Rhapsody, because she thought Freddie's mom had died.

Dimana Kornegay

Ideal day: belly laughs at kitchen table with husband and baby, Law & Order, working with college students, bowl of ice cream, crossword.

Student, artist, activist, and writer.

Stephen Czerwinski ghostwrites their mother's yearly Christmas letter. They live in Los Angeles where they makes things for the internet.

Stephen Czerwinski

Karina is a writer based in Paris, where she reports on religion and identity. She grew up in Berkeley, previously lived in Brooklyn, and enjoys reading and taking long walks.

A lover of stories, Cass pulls them from real-world data by day and from her imagination by night. She writes to inspire, and is an advocate for girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Paper, stationery, information technology, musical instruments and flush toilets keep appearing in her gratitude journal, and public speaking opportunities excite her.

Cassandra Lee Yieng

Jillian Pierce is NYC-born, NJ-raised, New England-based. Firm believer in karma, carbs, and the beauty of the written word.

Brian Cook is an American astrophysicist at the Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. His focus is on computation-based research problems.

Kelsey attended sewing camp as a kid and now is a fish tank aquascaping hobbyist. You could say she’s always been cool.

J'Exquisite Corpse is a method by which the unlikely duo of Jillian Conochan and John Papageorgiou collaborate across time and distance to build a story brick-by-bizarro-brick.

J'Exquisite Corpse

Kathryn is an actor/hair braider/singer/crafter who has no idea how she managed to get a job as a Payroll Specialist at Johns Hopkins. She has a 4 year-old daughter named Sofia with her partner Sean.

Kathryn Falcone

New England Dude/TV DVD Guy Matt Nelson operates mattnelsonreviews.com to support the weird & wonderful of vintage & indie video fare.

LA Lewis writes things. Usually scary things, sometimes funny things, almost always weird things. His greatest wish is to be a magical skeleton.

Becky Bennett is always looking for the next binge-worthy show to watch on her 2-hour daily commute. Getting by with a little help from her friends (and family). Keep right on!

Alex and Amanda Bard live in New York with their puggle, Theo. One of them dislikes calamari, and the other hates cherries, blueberries, and the Yankees.

Alex & Amanda Bard

Rachel (Insta: @rachel_e_lettering) is a graphic designer, podcast aficionado, and mom of the fastest little dude in his age bracket. Capable of rapping NY State of Mind in its entirety. Taller than you.

Gabriel Loewenberg is a photographer and occasional writer based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Sometimes he takes pictures of weird things, sometimes of cars, sometimes of rockets, and all too often of cats. His work can be seen at SonicGabe.com.

Gabriel Loewenberg

Stephanie is a Women’s Health nurse whose aspirations include dismantling the patriarchy and medical racism. She loves new friends, new pets, new places, and embracing her chaotic energy.

Michael Vanderlit is not Michael Vanderlit's real name, but he's just as funny as the real guy.

Michael Vanderlit

Daniel is from Atlanta and enjoys sports writing, Yelp surfing, and sketch comedy. Sometimes at the same time, but never in the daytime.

Married to his high school sweetheart, expecting father, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, and the guy singing in the grocery store JUST above the acceptable decibel.

Josephine Bloomquist is a third grade student living in Northern Virginia. She loves bows and dancing and hopes one day to become a YouTube sensation.

Josephine Bloomquist

Originally hailing from Reading, Pennsylvania, Madelyn Geyer is a theater critic, writer, and lifelong lover of musicals now residing in Austin, Texas.

Linda McMullen is a wife, mother, diplomat, and homesick Wisconsinite. Her short stories and the occasional poem have appeared in over 70 literary magazines.

Mother and teacher in suburban Pennsylvania. Hoya, INFP, chaotic good, Virgo, skeptic. A member of the 45 percent. Firm believer that the Duplass brothers will save the world.

The cofounder of THISENT.com, writes act-of-kindness column "Shining Example," and hosts THIS podcast. Famous people call him. Binges on cookies. Sleeps very little.

Abi lives in Brighton by the sea. She spends her time teaching, writing mini stories, and losing gracefully at complicated board games. Her words pop up here and there and she will normally go on about it when they do.

Dr. Bunny McFadden (she/they) is a Chicana mother who tinkers with words for a living.

Dr. Bunny McFadden

Barbara Taylor is a boarding school/women's college survivor (and, alas, Ph.D. dropout) who disdains Facebook and Twitter. She lives and writes in North Carolina.

John Taylor works in the Green Industry. One salient question he has remains how an Adirondack chair, a wooden piece of lawn furniture, is that comfortable, and what does it have to do with Upstate New York?

Chris is a DC based sports fan and human being that never fancied himself as a writer, but goes wherever the world takes him.

I've been a secretary, waitress, actress, cook, counselor, dancer, reporter, stand up comedienne & joke writer, and I’ve sold books, cookies, magazines, diet supplements & fake handbags.

Robert lives west of London with a cornucopia of half-finished writing projects. A few have been published over the years, which he has found very pleasing.

I put words in order so that you might feel a little better. Embracing the delightful chaos of the absurd, I find beauty in the unconventional and unexpected.

Carmen Baca taught high school and college English for 36 years before retiring in 2014. With a mix of English and regional Spanish dialect, she tells stories rich with traditions, customs, superstitions, folktales, and other facets of the culture.

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Submitting

GUEST POSTS

Interested in submitting something to publish on The Prompt? Step right up.

We publish quality content. Period. Full stop. End of story.

Whether you're a writer or a podcaster or a painter or a kazoo specialist, if you're doing good work, there's a place for you here.

We're always looking for new voices to showcase. Send us your latest and greatest, and we'll feature the top selections. Don't be bashful.

Think you have what it takes? Email Us Your best take of this week's prompt