Leadership
Founder; Editorial Director + Creative Director
Blinter Magazine was founded by Emily Iris Degn, our creative and editorial director.
Degn noticed a lack of outlets regularly including sustainability and the eco-humanities in their reportage. Having spent a decade in newsrooms and as a contributor for a variety of publications, she decided to start her own magazine that would integrate green storytelling into topics that she and many others are passionate about such as travel, culture, food, and design.
As a travel writer and climate journalist, Degn has always operated with a single goal in mind: to inspire her readers to see the world and to protect it. Emily’s experience includes editorial collaborations with The New York Times, interviews with high-profile chefs and global leaders, on-site reportage above the Arctic Circle, and beyond. With culinary art training under her belt, she’s also worked in sustainable fine dining restaurants as a chef, granting her a unique perspective to draw upon in travel tales involving food. Her journalism appears in numerous places, including USA Today, TheTravel, Tasting Table, Explore Washington State, The Arizona Republic, Palm Beach Post, About Place, Luxury Daily, The Desert Sun, Peaceful Dumpling, and much more. As a freelance writer and editor, she contributes to multiple outlets regularly, offering expertise and articles in the world of travel storytelling.
She’s deeply inspired by the work of both scientists and artists and resonates with fields that combine these realms of study. It is this fusion that informs Blinter Magazine‘s stories and Degn’s extensive writing and visual mediums portfolio. An accomplished creative writer and artist, Degn has been nominated for multiple titles including the Best of the Net. Her eco-poetry, nature essays, and flash fiction have been published in dozens of magazines both locally and internationally. She has also served as editor of multiple literary magazines herself and as chief judge of Roanoke Review‘s international eco-poetry contest.
Her first full-length poetry book, Warmly, The Wild, from Finishing Line Press, is out now. You can learn more about it here.
Degn double majored in Creative Writing and Environmental Studies at Roanoke College, a private liberal arts school in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. While there, she also earned an Art History minor, concentrating in Gender and Women’s Studies. She earned multiple awards for her environmental justice work, her veganization of the on-campus dining program, and her many eco-humanities projects. She also helped establish the college’s first publishing concentration.
You can visit her personal website to learn more about the woman behind the magazine, or go to her professional website to dig into her travel writing or work with her.
Read Emily’s articles at Blinter Magazine here
Contact: emirisdegn@gmail.com
Chief of Photography and Videography
Nicholas Allen Morgan is Blinter Magazine‘s chief of photography and videography.
Having earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications and New Media with a concentration in Digital Filmmaking and Video Production at Shepherd University in West Virginia, Morgan has participated successfully in a range of film festivals and projects. He has since worked with numerous outlets and collaborators throughout the years, contributing both his photography and videography.
From shooting glaciers in Iceland to capturing the geological layers found in the Badlands, Morgan specializes in outdoor photography and film, centering the colors, textures, and adventurous spirit of nature in his work. At Blinter Magazine, he helps bring stories to life through his imagery and keen eye.
Browse his gallery and samples of his visuals for Blinter Magazine here
Contact: nmorgan7190@gmail.com
Managing Editor
Sam Mayer is Blinter Magazine‘s managing editor.
Sam is a writer, editor, and high-octane creative with a B.A. in English and an A.S. in Simulation and Game Development. With a passion for storytelling in every form, they’ve worked across publishing, game development, and film—editing manuscripts, dissecting screenplays, and assisting in production across disciplines and industries. Whether shaping narratives or keeping projects on track, they’re all about bringing stories to life.
Currently an Editor at Courthouse News Service, a national legal news outlet, they’ve also worked with Pegasus Books (independent publisher), The Common Magazine (literary journal), and Musée Magazine (photography magazine), among others, gaining hands-on experience in editorial work, content development, and production. From books to films to interactive media, they love crafting narratives that captivate, connect, and leave a lasting impact.
Explore more of their work at https://samanthaaverymayer.wixsite.com/portfolio or find them on LinkedIn.
Read Sam’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: samantha.avery.mayer@gmail.com
Columnists
Birding Tourism Columnist
Keri Stewart (she/her) is Blinter Magazine‘s birding tourism columnist.
Her poetry has appeared in The Northeast Coast, Pastel Serenity Zine, and INKWELL, among others. After spending a semester researching lighthouse keeping in the late 1890s and the Scotch Cap Lighthouse incident of 1946, Keri wrote a short story called “122 Feet” that’s been picked up by Lone Peak Literary Magazine. During her BA in Psychology at UNH, Keri completed a Creative Writing minor, leading her to taking on the challenge of completing an MFA in Poetry. Now in her thesis year, Keri is starting to put together a collection of poetry. She also looks forward to being the Poetry Editor at Barnstorm Journal for the 2026-2027 UNH school year.
Visit her LinkedIn to learn more about her work.
Read Keri’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: stewartmkeri@gmail.com
Sustainable Cities Columnist
Faythe Endres is Blinter Magazine‘s sustainable cities columnist.
Faythe, born and raised in New Jersey, is currently a graduate student at Drexel University in Philadelphia studying urban strategies. With a B.A. in environmental studies from Loyola University, New Orleans, she’s interested in combining these two fields into research with social justice and interdisciplinary work as it applies to how we move through, define, and live with our built and natural environments.
Read Faythe’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: faythendres@gmail.com
Green Arena Columnist
Teo Jaworski is Blinter Magazine‘s green arena columnist.
Teo studied English and Spanish at Kenyon College, a small liberal arts school in Ohio. Outside of his love for creative writing and journalism, he also swims. Teo enjoys reading all genres of literature, particularly fantasy and mystery, with a little bit of nonfiction sprinkled in. Outside of this, he enjoys spending time with friends and cuddling with his cat, Bagheera, in his free time.
Read Teo’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: jaworski1@kenyon.edu
Photojournalists
Photojournalist Lead
Gabrielle Granillo is Blinter Magazine‘s photojournalist lead.
Gabrielle studied English and Writing at Loyola University Maryland, minoring in Environmental Science and Art. After falling in love with photography in early high school, she has since embarked on the journey to discovering her own visual and creative identity.
Her love for art knows no bounds. In her free time, she practices watercolor with a specialization in abstraction, street photography, fashion styling, and creative writing. Gabrielle’s three favorite things are hot tea, antiquing, and road trips. She is always open to exploring the unknown—trying a new cuisine, learning a new language, or solo traveling!
Read Gabrielle’s articles and view her photographic work for Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: gabbygranillo@gmail.com
Alumni
Nate Smith | Jenna Mattern | Teresa Gallo | Hannah Dourgarian | Gabby Cournoyer | Carmella D’Acquisto | David A. Björnsson | Victoria Williams | Heather Canfield | Jasmine Utter | Marlén Garcia | Oliver Dauert | Peter Cairns
Blinter Magazine 