Relationships

Middle school, almost by definition, is not supposed to be a place where anyone thrives.

What do you do when you’re sad?

I stand tall. 

I become like a tree: 

I knock, gently, on the door, but there is no answer. Perhaps I am at the wrong address.

my grandfather knows trees

like I know the bark of his calloused hands

their leaves, their roots, their flowers

Our editor, mentor, colleague, friend

Who shepherds Iris to the end,...

Poet and scholar who dares to dream—

In Jasmine’s light we all feel seen.

About a year ago, one of Bailey’s poems hooked me onto Iris as a new reader. Today, as a fellow Iris writer, I get to talk to Bailey about community, her music recommendations, and what Iris has brought to our lives.

Caroline Silvera applied to Iris magazine one year ago as a second year without any writing experience. Surprising right? Most wouldn’t guess by the variety and depth of her pieces, not to mention the title of “author” beneath her name on the Iris website, that she had never considered herself a writer before. 

Mary has lived many lives, as a journalist for People nagazine, a Georgetown University professor, a Discovery Channel documentarian, and a poetry anthologist, but I find her here today, as the living backbone of Iris—or more formally known as Iris Magazine’s program coordinator and editor.

A creative force in the purest form, here is what Ella has to say about her work, her time at Iris, and her professional and authorial goals. 

Ask anyone on the Iris staff, it’s Lindsey’s unique voice that remains with them, the words are always alive, breathing off the page. Lindsey says she has little writing experience, but between you and me, she’s just being modest.