MEET THE EDITORS Destiny Abbott is a Las Vegas native turned Portland transplant as of 2023. Traditionally, she is an illustrator, but she has been interested in creative writing since high school. She is working on an Associate’s Degree in Art and intends to pursue a Master’s in Art Practice. Destiny aspires to be a graphic novelist, so she is pursuing editing to further develop her writing practice. The Bellwether Review is her first experience with professional editing. While she isn’t active on social media, you can follow her on Instagram @deliri_arts. Elijah Acosta is an aspiring poet and writer currently pursuing an Associate of Science degree. Growing up in East Los Angeles in Southern California, he has always strived to be a positive role model. He has also been actively involved in his community, being elected as the president of his high school’s GSA, as well as studying environmental sciences and anthropology in India and Nepal with the student travel organization Carpe Mundi. Finding the goodness in things while daydreaming, stargazing, and living is something he always enjoys. He lives in Portland on a little street called Joy Avenue, where he continues his educational goals. You can see more about him or contact him through Instagram @ell.eaell. Paul Buchholz is a poet born and raised in Beaverton, with a lifelong passion for music, comedy, and writing. This edition of The Bellwether Review is his first foray into editing, and he’s grateful to be a part of letting the artistic voices of the PCC Rock Creek community be heard, especially at a time when art and connection are more important than ever. Katie Friend is a student at PCC with a growing interest in the literary world, especially in poetry and scriptwriting. New to editing teams, Katie joined to explore the behind-the-scenes process of content creation and editing. Katie was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys nothing more than lying down with her cat and reading a book to unwind after a long day. “Listen, three-eyes. Don’t you try to out-weird me. I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.” —Zaphod Beeblebrox in The Restaurant at the end of the Universe Look at him go, back for round two! Once again typesetter and special pages editor, but this time he took his shot and submitted his own stuff. He didn’t know photography was right up his alley, but when Adam Idris picked up that camera, he knew it was right for him. With a passion for photography and love of Gunpla, he combined the two, inspired by the likes of Mitchel Wu and Kim DM Simmons. Karah Kemmerly has been working on journals since she started a creative writing club at her high school in 2009, but this is her first year as the faculty adviser for The Bellwether Review . In addition to teaching writing at PCC, she also makes zines with Conjunction Press, works on fiber arts projects, and watches a lot of Robert Pattinson movies. She lives in Northwest Portland with her partner and two orange cats. Everest Looney is an artist and poet living in a tight-knit neighborhood in northwest Oregon. Growing up in southern, sunny California, Everest found his love for the outdoors. As a trans student at PCC, he works his life into his art and writing. The Bellwether Review is his first experience in the world of published editing, with all past experiences being in the writing classes he’s taken at Rock Creek. Megan McGrory is an avid consumer of media who’s lived in Washington, Alaska, and finally Oregon. She has been writing since before she could technically write, getting her mother to write down her stories for her. Her greatest passion is prose, particularly fantasy and science fiction, though she’s started to dabble in poetry. Aside from writing, Megan loves to read, watch movies and TV, perform on stage, and analyze media through a feminist lens. One of her greatest passions is napping with her cat, Spooky. Marie Rubio is an editor for The Bellwether Review. For a full bio, see Moriendi Lenore's author bio . A lifelong love of reading in magic and self-discovery, Kaitlyn Thursam is now finding a new passion hidden deep within her: writing poetry. Her writing is inspired by climate action and political topics and is written through a feminist lens. She hopes that her work inspires others but also allows people to reflect on the interconnectedness of complex issues. Although this is her last year at PCC, she will be transferring to PSU to major in English and pursue her career in helping others publish and edit their work. Izzi Veeiriia (real name Gloria Isabella Pagui Vaire) is a layout and prose editor. Friends describe her as “eccentric,” which is a fun way to say “completely out of pocket.” Pictured is not her, but rather her (and her best friend’s) husband working and residing at the Tillamook Cheese Factory: Jason. Izzi has many hobbies, such as intentionally misspelling her last name, writing, having existential crises, retail therapy, and wasting hours dressing up only to stay inside all day. Her favorite question is “what is the color of day?” Other fun facts? Her favorite color has been lavender since she was 13. She has another fiancé aside from her husband: Diego from JoJo Part 7 . She is going to be bitten by a vampire in her ’30s and will go on to fulfill every career option possible over multiple millennia.

< Back A Foreign Being Aster Aliaj It’s a division of the heart, sir If I could, I would make myself whole I would Your laws bar my way My will keeps being tread on There is no door to escape this alienation You try to quell dissent And yeah, sometimes, it works But dontcha worry tired limbs and sore throats Still move Still sound It’s not go back where you came from It’s my mother’s womb is gone It’s my home is concrete Philly streets and corner stores And the sunshine speckled olive trees of my parent’s arid land It is a cleaving of identity If I could go back, I would I would Do you understand now? But your ancestors laid waste to themselves, didn’t they? Cut away, buried, and conformed And finally assimilated a generation or two down And now parts of yourself are missing You don’t even know which ones But you feel it Like I do But I take this ache And, and ask, can you feel a split heart? What about a break in self? Did you ever have to force a being? Author Bio Aster Aliaj is a writer, aspiring musician and environmentalist whose current writing focuses on her experience as an immigrant within the United States. The up and downs, othering and the joy of growing up in America and all the intersectionalities that come with it.

Spring 2023 art poetry fiction Nonfiction Thank you for visiting our website. The Bellwether Review is a literary journal that hopes to promote and inspire creativity amongst those not only at PCC Rock Creek, but throughout the community. We hope you take the time to review these great pieces that were sent in to us and selected for publication by our editorial team. Visit our Submissions page if you are interested in having your work considered for publication. Email us at bellwetherreview@gmail.com with any questions. Letter from the Editors Dear Reader, This edition of The Bellwether Review is special in two ways from previous editions. It is the first print edition to be published after the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, and will be the first edition to be published alongside its online companion at bellwetherreview.com . Our editing team is honored and privileged to have witnessed the amazing levels of beauty, creativity, bravery, thought, and emotion infused by the Contributors into all of their submissions. Each piece was reviewed, discussed, and carefully selected by us with you, and a profound respect for the act of artistic creation, in mind. The Bellwether Review is created by the students of Portland Community College for the purpose of being enjoyed by all it can reach, and the editorial team would like to thank you for exploring and enjoying the contributions of our fellow students contained within these pages. With gratitude, The 2023 Editorial Team Copyright © 2023 Portland Community College Portland Community College reserves all rights to the material contained herein for the contributors’ protection. On publication, all rights revert to the respective authors and artists.

WANT TO SEE YOUR WORK PUBLISHED IN THE BELLWETHER REVIEW ? The Bellwether Review is a literary magazine made by students at the Portland Community College Rock Creek campus. Our editorial team primarily seeks to promote the work of PCC students, but we also consider a limited number of submissions from the general public. Any individual can submit up to five poems, two short stories, two scripts, two creative nonfiction essays, and/or four pieces of visual artwork. We generally do not publish research essays or works longer than 5,000 words. We’re accepting submissions for next year’s issue until Friday, April 3, 2026. To be considered, please fill out this Google Form . All contributors will receive a copy of The Bellwether Review upon its publication in Spring 2026.

< Back Why I Write Megan McGrory I always say that I’ve been writing before I could write. As a young girl, I dictated stories to my mother so she could write them for me. When an older but still young girl, I hand-wrote in journals with my own stick figures as illustrations. Now I type my stories, even though canyons could be formed in the time it takes me to finish. Throughout it all, my most frequent listener was myself. From little girl to young woman, I have entertained myself with stories in my head. They were my escape from a world that I didn’t understand. My very own form of expression to myself. I live to tell my stories. I am fire, and it my kindling. I see a story in every fallen leaf, behind every closed door. I look up at the sky and see words written in the stars. My head is filled with stories, with a world of possibilities. Even when the page is blank, my mind is full of life. Most of all, writing is my exploration. Of emotions too big to contain, New worlds that beg an explorer, Wonders that need to be shared, A past that must be processed. I have always written, always told stories. It seems that I always will. Because I can’t imagine a universe where my soul would ever be so silent. Author Bio Megan McGrory is an avid consumer of media who’s lived in Washington, Alaska, and finally Oregon. She has been writing since before she could technically write, getting her mother to write down her stories for her. Her greatest passion is prose, particularly fantasy and science fiction, though she’s started to dabble in poetry. Aside from writing, Megan loves to read, watch movies and TV, perform on stage, and analyze media through a feminist lens. One of her greatest passions is napping with her cat, Spooky.

< Back Sludge House J. Artemis Mackay this place looks like shit you know it’s going to be great every timber & rigging buzz & clatter amplifier worship carbon copied upon my heart I will lose three of my favorite S-tier teeth by encore until then pay the ferryman $12 at the door, exact change preferred. Author Bio Artemis Mackay (they/them) is a queer, trans writer living near a bridge in Portland. They hold a Master’s Degree in Comparative Social Change from University College Dublin and several DSM-V diagnoses.

HISTORY OF THE BELLWETHER REVIEW The Bellwether Review got its start in 1996. Originally dubbed The Rock Creek Review , the journal used to be staffed by Rock Creek faculty members. The Rock Creek Review was renamed The Bellwether Review in 2011 with the inception of the Advanced Creative Writing, Editing, and Publishing course. Former editors chose the name The Bellwether Review to symbolize the artistic drive of writers and artists. A “bellwether” is the leader of a flock of sheep—a sheep who wears a bell to signal the best direction for the entire herd. Today, the term more commonly refers to any person who takes initiative and sets trends. We believe those whose work is published in The Bellwether Review are leading the way for artistic expression.

< Back Twelve Bridges Terra Patrie One is for not looking down because you’re petrified you’re going to fall through to the river below. Two is for crossing back over and peeking out the window because you just can’t help but wonder at how far up you are. Three is for kicking the back of the passenger seat as if that’ll make the car go faster because it’s not moving and OMSI is waiting. Four is for smacking your brother on the head with a plastic dinosaur fossil and trying to throw him out the window so he can swim with the mosasaurs. Five is for groaning about the family vacation you’re being forced to go on and your brother has already started asking, “Are we there yet?” No, shut up! Six is for waking up just as the bright city lights and neon signs start to break through the fog. Seven is for going to championships with your team and the bus is crazy. Eight is for adrenaline crashes and knowing that even though the season is over they’ll always be like family. Nine is for your first time driving in downtown traffic. Ten is for having your dad drive back because you swear you’re never doing that again. Eleven is for catching an early flight because a summer away from here is all you’ve ever dreamed of. Twelve is for offering to take the wheel because the time change still has you wide awake at 1 a.m. and so does the exhilaration that there’s nothing between you and home. Author Bio Terra Patrie tried to write a bio but kept getting distracted writing poems.