Anastasia Stelse returned to Wisconsin after nearly a decade living in the South, a landscape which continues to paint her writing. She holds a BA in Archaeology and Writing from the University of Evansville; an MFA from American University; and a PhD in English, Creative Writing Emphasis from the University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Writers. Primarily a poet, she began as a fiction writer and believes in the importance of multi-genre study and practice as vital components of a writer's education. Her poetry, fiction, and interviews have appeared or are forthcoming in Poet Lore, Sou'wester, Crab Orchard Review, Narrative, and the Memorious Blog, among others. She currently teaches in the Business Communication Program at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to writing and teaching, Stelse pursues other creative arts that include painting, sewing, and the creation of pottery.