Penumbra Online
About Us
Our Mission
Penumbra Journal of Literature and Art at California State University Stanislaus began publishing its print edition in 1989. More recently, Penumbra Online now expands our reach for both contributors and readers into the virtual world. Through our yearly spring print edition, fall single-author chapbooks, and rolling online movie and book reviews, Penumbra and Penumbra Online offer a voice and a view for poets, writers, and artists of all backgrounds, ages, experiences, and walks of life. Conceptually, the term penumbra describes “a space of partial illumination (as in an eclipse) between the perfect shadow on all sides and the full light.” Such a zone offers neither full clarity of vision nor denies it completely, but lies between the blinding glare of the sun and the vision-cancelling darkness of unlit space. The penumbra’s median of illumination is precisely the place to examine what cannot be effectively discerned in the surrounding extremes. As our name implies, our aim and our mission invite what we see in shadow, “through a glass darkly” as it were, to step into the light of human intellect, emotion, and experience as expressed in poetry, short fiction, and the graphic arts. As an academic community, our roots reach deeply into the fertile soil of California’s Great Central Valley, and we always welcome literary works that capture some aspect of that experience—its landscapes, inhabitants, history, and tropes. But while one foot stands firmly in our home territory, with the other, we step into the world beyond seeking fresh perspectives and new voices that speak to the connections in our common humanity through the prism of our individual paths in life. We are committed to the idea that the support and propagation of literature, art, and free expression are vital to our university and our society. To that end and to promote fellowship and the sharing of ideas and knowledge, we have widened the scope of our efforts to include live workshops, community events, and public readings, as well as online podcasts, blogs, and streaming videos. We invite you to explore our website and get to know us. And should you find yourself so inspired, do as Walt Whitman advised and "contribute a verse" to "life's powerful play." We will be delighted to consider your submission for a future issue of Penumbra.
The Penumbra Staff
Penumbra's Literary Journal staff is compiled of graduate students from California State University, Stanislaus along with their faculty advisor.
Faculty Advisor
Tony Perrello earned a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of South Carolina and has taught in Stanislaus State’s English Department since 2005. Classroom teaching and mentoring students occupy the center of his professional life (he was named Outstanding Professor in the University in 2018). He publishes on a range of topics; for instance, he has discovered and translated a riddle buried in a medieval manuscript, identified an overlooked source for Shakespeare’s King Lear, explored the animal-human-cyborg continuum in Othello, and discussed the roots of modern consumer culture, the abjection of disposability, and the degradation of the global ocean in a study of Richard III.
Supporting Advisor
Allison Westlund is a recent graduate from California State University Stanislaus. She graduated in the Spring of 2022 with a bachelor's degree, where she majored in English and minored in Journalism. She then graduated again in the Fall of 2024 with a master's degree in English with a focus on Literature. Allison has been working on and off with Penumbra since the Spring of 2022 when she was an undergraduate student. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her cat, Princess Mia, reading romance and fantasy novels, and painting pottery.
Editor-In-Chief
Reagan Oliveira is a first year graduate student with a concentration in Literature at CSU Stanislaus who is currently working towards her master's degree in English. She has been employed with Penumbra Online as the Reviews Editor since 2024, and is excited to continue working alongside the journal as an Editor-In-Chief. Her areas of interest lie in the intersection between film and literature, specifically within the horror genre. When she is not editing reviews, Reagan enjoys being outside and going on hikes, reading, and watching movies.
Supporting Advisor
Martina Bekasha is a graduate student pursuing her master's degree in English with a focus in Writing Studies. With aspirations of becoming an author and screenwriter, Martina channels her passion for storytelling into her academic and creative endeavors. This is her second year contributing to Penumbra, a journey that began during her undergraduate studies, where she quickly realized how much she enjoyed the world of publishing and art. In addition to her love for writing, Martina is an avid reader and considers herself a true film enthusiast, often drawing inspiration from the cinematic world to enhance her creative writing. She is committed to perfecting her craft and dreams of one day seeing her work published and brought to life on the screen.
Editor-In-Chief
Julian Saenz-Payne is a first year graduate student in the English Department with a concentration in Literature at CSU Stanislaus. While he enjoys writing poems and short stories, he has an equal passion for filmmaking and media criticism, spending much of his free time writing reviews for various movies and video games. His other hobbies include reading, hanging out with friends, and enjoying art pieces.