Vita Poetica Journal

Barry Casey reads his poem "Shekinah," and Frank Paino reads his poem "The One True Miracle."

Barry Casey is the author of Wandering, Not Lost, a collection of essays on faith, doubt, and mystery, published by Wipf and Stock (2019). His poetry has appeared in Fauxmoir, Half and One, Humans of the World, Lighthouse Weekly, Patheos, Pensive Journal, Rockvale Review, Spectrum Magazine, The Dewdrop, The Ulu Review, and Vita Poetica. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from Claremont Graduate University and writes from Burtonsville, Maryland.

Frank Paino has had four full-length books published, including, Dark Octaves (2025), winner of the Longleaf Press Book Prize. He has received a Pushcart Prize, The Cleveland Arts Prize in Literature, and an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council.

Sharlee Mullins Glenn reads her poem "Owl Light," and Christina Ellison reads her poem "My mother points this out like it's something lighthearted."

Sharlee Mullins Glenn has published poetry, essays, short stories, articles, and criticism in periodicals as varied as Women's Studies, The Southern Literary Journal, Segullah, BYU Studies Quarterly, Ladybug, and The New York Times. She is also an award-winning author of children's books and a contributing editor for Wayfare.

Christina Ellison is a fiction and poetry writer from Texas. Born and raised north of Houston, she currently lives within the cornfields of Nebraska. She is a fiction editor for Iron Horse Literary Review and New American Press, and her work can be found in Blood+Honey, fifth wheel press, The Hyacinth Review, and others.

Isabel Chenot reads her poem "incarnation at Manafon," and Matthew E. Henry reads his poem "waking with nightmares," both from our Summer 2026 issue.

Isabel Chenot has loved, memorized, and practiced poetry all her remembered life. Some of her poems are collected in The Joseph Tree, available from Wiseblood Books.

Matthew E. Henry (MEH) is an educator, essayist, occasional fiction writer, and author of seven poetry collections, most recently Promises to Keep (Wayfarer Books, 2026). Editor-in-chief of The Weight Journal, a poetry editor at American Poetry Journal, and creative nonfiction editor at Porcupine Literary, MEH’s publications include Anglican Theological Review, Massachusetts Review, Mom Egg Review, The Pedestal Magazine, Ploughshares, Stone Circle Review, Terrain, Vita Poetica, and The Worcester Review. MEH earned an MFA yet continued to spend money he didn’t have completing an MA in theology and a PhD in education. He writes about education, race, religion, and burning oppressive systems to the ground at www.MEHPoeting.com.

Vita Poetica Interviews Editor Christopher Honey speaks with the poet Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto.

Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is the author of The Naming (University of Nebraska Press, 2025). His works have appeared or forthcoming in American Poetry Review, Transition Magazine, Massachusetts Review, Joyland, Oxford Poetry, and World Literature Today.

En Lin Koh reads her poem "holy communion," and Richard Chess reads his poem "Field of Vision," from our Summer 2026 issue.

En Lin Koh is an emerging poet. Her work is published or forthcoming in Ekstasis and Modern Haiku, among others.

ichard Chess is the author of five books of poetry, including The Loneliest Monk (Orison Books 2026). He served as a founding member of the board of Yetzirah: a  hearth for Jewish poetry. He directed UNC Asheville's Center for Jewish Studies for 30 years.

Ragan Sutterfield invites us to watch, listen, and marvel at the wonder of birds through "The Spiritual Practice of Birding."

Ragan Sutterfield is a writer and Episcopal priest from Arkansas. His most recent book is Watch and Wonder: Birding as a Spiritual Practice. He writes regularly at thewaywepractice.com.

Jeannine Marie Pitas reads her poem "My friends respond to my grief in the weeks after K’s death."

Jeannine Marie Pitas is a writer, teacher, Spanish-English literary translator, and editor. Her most recent poetry book, Or/And, was published by Paraclete Press in 2023. She lives in Pittsburgh, teaches at Saint Vincent College, and serves as an editor at Eulalia Books as well as Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry.

Aizaiah G. Yong reads his contemplative practice invitation "Creating a Time Map."

Rev. Dr. Aizaiah G. Yong, PhD, (he/him) is a scholar-practitioner of spirituality and mysticism and ordained pentecostal clergy in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with strong ties to the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM) & the City of Refuge UCC (Oakland, CA). His life and work are deeply rooted in the lived experience of navigating complex identities bridging academic theology, executive stewardship, and psychospiritual care to create spaces of radical belonging. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Collegeville Institute (CI) for Ecumenical and Cultural Research. At this historic interdisciplinary residential research center, he advances intercultural dialogue and cross-sector innovation through rhythms of contemplation, community discernment, first-person reflection, and evidence-informed approaches to promote collective healing.

Hilary Sallick reads her poems "Inexorable" and "There's beauty and time" from our current Summer issue.

Hilary Sallick is the author of Love is a Shore (Lily Poetry Books, 2023), long-listed for the Massachusetts Book Award; and Asking the Form (Cervena Barva Press, 2020). Her poems appear or are forthcoming in The Inflectionist Review; Pensive; January House; SoFloPoJo; and elsewhere. A teacher with a longtime focus on adult literacy, she lives in Somerville, MA.

Graham Bier reads his review, "Seeking Reality through Sound," which is a review of the book Listening to Eternity: The Music, Spirituality, and Creative World of Composer Tommie Haglund by Aram Yardumian."

Graham Bier is based in the Philadelphia area where he directs music at Bryn Athyn Cathedral and the Reading Choral Society, serves as a research associate at Bryn Mawr College and lecturer at Bryn Athyn College, and performs as a professional singer. He studied at Oberlin College and earned an MA in vocal performance and a PhD in musicology from the University of York.