Staff & Contributing Members

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Steven Gillis is the author of six novels and two short story collections. A founding member of the Ann Arbor Book Festival Board of Directors, and a finalist for the 2007 Ann Arbor News Citizen of the Year, Steve taught writing at Eastern Michigan University. In 2004 Steve founded 826Michigan, a mentoring program for students. In 2006 Steve co-founded Dzanc Books. Steve lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Mary, and two dogs, and regular visits from their kids, Anna and Zach. Steve can be contacted at steve@dzancbooks.org and barkingman@aol.com

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Charlene Choi is a writer, editor, and co-founder of Dzanc House. With over a decade of experience in literary and cultural arts development and programming, Charlene has directed arts development and taught poetry and literature at The Poetry Center and The Care Center in Western MA, the Iowa Youth Writing Project in Iowa City, 826NYC, and has served as Literary Programs and Development Director at Flying Object, Associate Supervisor at PEN American Center, Associate Coordinator at The National Books Critics’ Circle, Associate Editor of LIT Magazine, Books Contributor to the Brooklyn Rail, and more. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of Development, Programs, and Communications with Dzanc.

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Michelle Dotter earned a degree in Creative Writing before beginning her editing career with MacAdam/Cage Publishing in San Francisco. Before coming to Dzanc, she also worked with MP Publishing, Cameron + Company, Once Magazine, and myriad independent authors. She has worked with New York Times bestselling authors, along with winners of the National Book Award, the Whiting Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and recipients of other honors. The first three books on her shelf are CMoS, The Subversive Copy Editor, and the hilarious O Thou Improper, Thou Uncommon Noun, and her quintessential Dzanc titles are The Archive of Alternate Endings by Lindsay Drager and My Red Heaven by Lance Olsen.

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Amanda May Moore is the Creative Gallery Arts Director and Residency Coordinator of Dzanc House, where she moves fluidly between roles—curator, facilitator, caretaker, dreamer—shaping a space where artists gather, ideas spark, and rhythms of belonging take root.

Through curatorial exhibitions, arts and risograph programs and events, Amanda helps shape the living practice of creativity and connection, with visionary groundedness, tending to the daily needs of the residency home while nurturing the wider ecosystem that blooms around it. With a steady presence, Amanda’s efforts are to hold space for artists to thrive and for the community to grow in trust and shared wonder.

Whether organizing a show, working alongside a neighbor, or sweeping the floor before a gathering, Amanda May brings intention, warmth, and a deep belief in the power of place to hold and transform us.

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Shanna Gasperson is a visual artist and copywriter based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. As the Programming Coordinator at Dzanc House, she does administrative tasks such as event coordination, email communication, and database management, while also creating visual content for social media and promotional materials. Shanna holds degrees in Art History and Ethnic Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder and brings over a decade of experience in copywriting, design, and customer service.

She has served on the board of The Sunday Artisan Market since 2023, advocating for inclusive and accessible arts programming. Shanna also runs SageRiverDesign, selling handmade jewelry at local markets throughout the year. She lives in Ypsilanti with her rescue dog.

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Chelsea Gibbons earned her BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College while beginning her publishing career as copy editor for various Emerson publications. She worked as an editorial intern at Publishing Solutions Group before securing her editorial internship at Dzanc in the spring of 2023. Shortly after graduating, Chelsea took on the role of Associate Editor at Dzanc and has since worked with award-winning authors in every step of the publication process.

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For decades, Jeff Kass has been a visionary and an inspiration to young writers, fostering creativity and self-expression in the classroom and beyond. As an English and Creative Writing teacher at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, MI, he has nurtured the talents of countless students, igniting a passion for storytelling and the written word.

Kass is also the founder of the Literary Arts Program at The Neutral Zone, Ann Arbor’s renowned teen center, where he served as program director for 20 years, shaping the next generation of creative minds. An award-winning author, he has penned poetry collections, My Beautiful Hook-nosed Beauty Queen Strut Wave and Teacher/Pizza Guy, which earned a 2020 Michigan Notable Book award. Additionally, his work includes the thriller Takedown, the YA novel Center-Mid, and Knuckleheads, Independent Publishers Gold Medal-winning collection of Best Short Fiction in 2011.

Kass’s newest poetry collection, True Believer, was released by Dzanc Books and consists of poems connected in one way or another to Marvel Comics. With a legacy of inspiring young writers and a dedication to the literary arts, Jeff Kass continues to leave an indelible mark on both his students and the literary community. Read his recent interview with A2Pulp here. Read his recent interview with A2Pulp here.

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Ciatta Tucker is the Program Director of the Ypsilanti Youth Poet Laureate Program and lead facilitator of the EmpowerED Program with Dzanc House. Ciatta is also a member of a local youth arts activism program called Staying Power, the Ann Arbor/Ypsi Youth Poetry slam champion and the runner up in the Ann Arbor Youth Poet Laureate competition in 2020. Ciatta is a published author with a growing body of work featured across various literary zines. She is also included in What You Need to Know About Me, a significant new anthology edited by Yalie Saweda that brings together the immigration narratives of young people.  

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Matthew Kirkpatrick is a Professor of Creative Writing at Eastern Michigan University. He is the author of the short story collection Light without Heat, the novella The Exiles, the novel The Ambrose J and Vivian T Seagrave Museum of 20th Century American Art, with a new novel forthcoming from Texas Review Press in 2025. His writing has appeared in many literary journals, including X-R-A-Y, The Rupture, The Rumpus, and more. He lives in Ypsilanti, MI with his wife, the writer Susan McCarty, an associate professor at Oakland University, and their daughter.

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Cam (cam/they) comes to Dzanc House with a passion for infusing generative curiosity, sensory exploration, and accessibility into arts education. Cam has an academic background in Creative Writing and Publishing, having completed a BA from University of Michigan and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts but their interests span various disciplines, from ecology to social justice. Cam's professional experience has included editing with multiple book publishers, including Dzanc Books, Atmosphere Press, Archipelago Books, and McSweeney's; teaching and affirming students of all ages at the U School, University of Michigan, 826michigan, Ann Arbor District Library, and most recently, Matthaei Botanical Gardens; and they are the founder of PoetTreeTown -- a local poetry-in-public installation and celebration of Washtenaw poets every April. Cam's prose, poetry, and interviews with artists have been published in multiple publications and can be found on their website, www.ccfinch.com. In their spare time, Cam enjoys cooking and sharing food with their community, reading, making collages / zines / music / art with friends, riding and tinkering with bikes, tending to their cats, stretching and walking in the woods, contributing to a more just and liberated world, organizing gatherings and events, and nurturing joy and playfulness. 

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Shane Collins is a Contributing Writing Mentor, Poet in Practice, and workshop series leader specializing in theatre and performance arts at Dzanc House. Dedicated to empowering and mentoring youth through the arts and currently directing his third original production at Pathways High School, Shane is a passionate leader who strives to creates artistic opportunities for young people.  Shane's dedication to cross media arts, from music, theatre, performance, poetry, and the written work is prevalent throughout his dynamic portfolio of multi media arts and leadership.   

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Mia Lambert is a student artist at the University of Michigan and many-hats-wearer from Minneapolis, MN. On campus she is the Outreach Director and deejay for WCBN-FM, Art Director for the Gargoyle Humor Magazine, and Linder Haus Representative on the Board of Directors at the Inter-Cooperative Council at Ann Arbor. She is interested in exploring the human condition through the unique qualities and connections we share in our lives. Whether at the press, easel, or needle she seeks to find how human touch is evident in everything we do. Identity, critique, education, and dreams often follow her in her work. 

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Ashanti Campbell is a Lead Writing Mentor, Poet in Practice, and workshop series teacher specializing in literary and cultural arts at Dzanc House. A writer, mentor, performer, and recording artist, Ashanti's creative work spans across media and genre.  Ashanti is the host of TheShantiSho, a podcast where he interviews artists from all walks of life, discussing their music careers and the art of staying centered in the chaotic world of creativity. In addition to his work as a podcaster and musician, Ashanti serves as a mentor to aspiring young artists and poets, guiding them through the challenges of the creative process while encouraging them to stay true to themselves. His belief in the transformative power of art fuels his mission to empower others, particularly in the realms of poetry and music, helping them find their voices and navigate the complexities of their artistic journeys.