About Us
The Roanoke Review was founded in 1967 by poet Henry Taylor out of Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, where it remains to this day. When Taylor left a few years later, he was replaced by Robert Walter, who edited the journal for the next thirty years, turning it from a small local affair to a national review that published well-known writers from around the world. The Review was taken over in 2001 by Paul Hanstedt, who has edited it since with the occasional interim leadership of Melanie Almeder and Mary Crockett Hill. In its nearly half-century of existence, the Roanoke Review has established itself as an accessible read, intent on publishing down-to-earth writers with a sense of place, a sense of language, and—perhaps most importantly—a sense of humor. The Review is also known for its fine cover art, which features some of the best artists of southwestern Virginia. Having shifted to an entirely on-line format in 2015, the Review intends to continue this tradition with a new gallery format.
Editor
Paul Hanstedt is the author of Hong Konged, a travel memoir of a year in Asia with three kids under the age of ten, and over thirty articles, essays and stories, published in venues ranging from Brain, Child to Puerto Del Sol to The Chronicle of Higher Education. He is also the author of General Education Essentials: A Guide for College Faculty, and an advocate for liberal education and the mission of small liberal arts colleges, having traveled extensively in the US and abroad to discuss these matters. He has received several teaching awards, including, most recently, the 2012 Virginia State Council of Higher Education Outstanding Faculty Award and the 2014 CASE Virginia Professor of the Year.
Paul blogs at whiteboyfromwisconsin.blogspot.com and nochickenpatties.blogspot.com and tweets @curriculargeek. You can learn more about Paul at his website: paulhanstedt.com.
Managing Editor
Nick Fritz is a recent graduate with degrees in literary studies and creative writing. In addition to working with the Roanoke Review, he is teaching ESL at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania. He co-wrote a successful grant for the Knight Foundation in conjunction with the 2015 O, Miami festival and contributed to the Writer By Bus—Roanoke mobile residency. His home base is in a small Connecticut town, though he never stays put for very long.
Content Editor
Stephanie Spector is from Freehold, New Jersey and studies at Roanoke College. Her fiction was shortlisted for a Glimmer Train award in 2015. Since first setting foot in Virginia, she has worked with organizations like Gotham Writers' Workshop, Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, the Roanoke Valley SPCA, and the New York City and O, Miami Poetry Festivals. Presently, she tutors writing and volunteers at a hospital-based healing arts program. This is her second year at the Roanoke Review.
Stephanie's interviews on creativity, craft, and life featuring contributing writers from the 2015 issue were published over the course of the journal's first year online. You can read them here.
Web Editor
Jonathan Cribb is a Creative Writing Major at Roanoke College. He lives in the world of geekery and absurdity. He adores video games, social media, comics, television, and movies. He is a proud participant of the Extra-Life program and Extra-Life United. Along with being the Web Editor for the Roanoke Review, he is the Social Media Coordinator for Roanoke College's Information Technology Department.
2015 Readers for the Roanoke Review
RACHEL BARTON | ANDREA BENSON | TAYLOR FITZPATRICK | CHALALIN GIRON
SARAH PALMER | JOANNA PEDERS | REBEKAH SEGER
past readers located in our archive!
