The Interns

2012-2013 

Shannon Balcom

Shannon is a senior at Seattle Pacific University studying English Literature. She loves to quote British films over tea with friends and hopes to spend some time abroad in Europe after graduation. While she has a love of books, she is equally passionate about her home state of Montana, which played a large role in developing her vivid imagination. When wandering in the mountains and fishing in the rivers of this great region she could not agree more with her literary idol, John Steinbeck, who once said, “I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love.”

Jessie Beebe

Jessie, a native of southern California, is a junior at Seattle Pacific University where she studies English literature. Words are like a summons to all her foolish blood. Jessie has written play reviews, filed a lot of papers, helped kids solve their algebra, and started a photography business. After college, Jessie hopes to jump right into a graduate program so she can be a student forever. Or maybe she’ll start a tea and coffee shop. Or backpack along the coast of France. The next three books on her reading list (which currently has exactly 124 books) are The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, The Book of Fantasy by Borges, and Dracula by Stoker.

Kelsey Chase

Kelsey is a sophomore student at Seattle Pacific University, studying both English Literature and Political Science. She considers rainy afternoons the perfect excuse to hibernate with a good book and a mug of tea, but also enjoys spirited conversation--argument?--and learning to see through others’ eyes. She’s not to be trusted with free time or a credit card in a bookstore, and she dreams of Harrod’s hot chocolate shop and creamy stationary. When the time comes to stop reading other people’s words and write her own, she draws inspiration from Philip Sidney’s invocation: “‘Fool,’ said my Muse to me, ‘look in thy heart and write.’”

Sara Kenning

Sara, a senior at Seattle Pacific University, is majoring in both English Literature and Classics. She loves watching British television, ignoring her textbooks in favor of fun reading, and playing with her two puppies Emmy & Toby. Her addictions include coffee, Jane Austen, and buying books instead of food. After SPU, she hopes to continue on to graduate school to further pursue her love of knowledge. Sara’s ultimate goal is to see the entire world, which she will continue to pursue this summer as she studies political science in the south of France.

Danielle Myers

Danielle is a junior English major at Seattle Pacific University. She’s been writing fiction for years and her first novel (hopefully the first of many) will be released in January 2013 through RainTown Press. If forced to make a choice, she will always choose Marvel over DC, Harry Potter over Twilight, and pirates over ninjas. She's from Oregon, but she vacations in Neverland and Middle-Earth, and occasionally Ireland, which is close enough to a land of fantasy. She generally writes novels full of extremely tough characters to balance out the fact that she herself is mostly a wimp, except when it comes to swords, small children, and tree-climbing. Jesus Christ, Peter Pan and Samwise Gamgee are her greatest inspirations in life.

Andrew Stone

Andrew Stone is a junior at Seattle Pacific University where he studies English creative writing. He has been writing for a few years and his work appears in some literary journals no one has heard of like Hobart, right hand pointing, and Marco Polo. When he is not writing, he is probably eating Mexican food, wishing it would rain more often, or mismatching his socks. After SPU, Andrew plans to continue his studies by working towards an MA in Education and eventually an MFA in Creative Writing. The last three books he has read are Sam Pink’s short story collection I am Going to Clone Myself and Then Kill the Clone and Eat It, Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Deadeye Dick, and Brian Allen Carr’s novella Edie & the Low-Hung Hands.

2013 Luci Shaw Fellow: Mary Roth

Born and raised in Goshen, Indiana, Mary is a graduate of Goshen College in English writing and women's studies. She usually tries to avoid clichés, but can't resist black coffee, a good book, or a rainy day. When she's not reading novels or scribbling thoughts in notebooks, Mary can be found bird-watching, playing guitar, or happily whistling to herself. She's hoping to add at least fifteen new Pacific Northwest birds to her life list by the end of the summer. Her decision to attend a Mennonite liberal arts school confirmed her love for merging art and faith; she is delighted to be joining that conversation in Seattle, New Mexico, and wherever else the fellowship takes her. Mary is thrilled to be the 2013 Shaw Fellow and can't wait to join the Image team in June. The staff can't wait to meet her either, and will soon be putting her to work on Glen registration, email and telephone duty, event planning, coffee errands...okay, not that last one! Welcome, Mary!

Click here to learn more about the Luci Shaw Fellowship at Image.