Our Mission

BleakHouse Publishing is an independent, not-for-profit press devoted to social justice. We aim to shed a humane light on those entangled in the criminal justice system.

Our creative writers and artists, many of them current or former prisoners, explore a range of topics, including addiction, incarceration, and the existential challenges of everyday life. Seeing persons who commit crime through a softer, more person-centered lens, the works we publish raise questions about our system’s harshest punishments.

The press, founded in 2006 by Robert Johnson, a professor of justice, law, and criminology, is primarily staffed by American University students and alumni. As publisher, Johnson oversees our staff and publications.

What We Do

AWARDS The BleakHouse fellowship is awarded to someone whose writing or scholarship best exemplifies the press’s mission. The fellow works with our publisher, Robert Johnson, on special projects during the year. The press also awards the Victor Hassine Memorial Scholarship. Generously sponsored by Hassine’s family, this $500 stipend recognizes someone who—like imprisoned author Victor Hassine—uses art or writing to educate others about pressing issues in our justice system.

MEDIA RELATIONS We feature partner organizations on our website. If your organization would like to be a BleakHouse partner, please contact us at bleakhousepublishing@gmail.com.

For more information on BleakHouse, continue to visit this site as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages.

BOOKS We typically release a book of poetry once a year. You can explore our publications here. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Our superb editors make our poetry collections the heart and soul of BleakHouse.

TACENDA MAGAZINE Another annual undertaking, Tacenda Literary Magazine features prose and poetry about incarceration and the criminal justice system. We accept submissions on a rolling basis. You can find submission guidelines here.

ART GALLERY Our online art gallery features illustrations and photography that express BleakHouse’s belief in the beauty and grace inherent to every person. Some art is curated for Tacenda Literary Magazine. For art submission guidelines, click here.

Who We Are

Art Director

Benjamin Feder

Benjamin Feder is an honors graduate of American University, holding Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Art History with a focus on Humanism and the Italian Renaissance. His experiences as both an artist and a student of art history are what initially compelled him to start a career in the art industry. Benjamin has worked in museums and galleries in both New York City and Washington D.C, and is currently working at one of D.C’s top art advisory firms. As an artist, Benjamin works mainly in sculpture, creating works that interrogate the complex relationship between humankind and the environment.

Chief Operating Officer

Norah Nasser

Norah Nasser is a current undergraduate student at American University. She is pursuing a B.A. in justice and law with a concentration in criminal justice. Norah is extremely passionate about prison reform and other social justice issues and is very excited to work for BleakHouse Publishing.

Chief Communications officer

Jackson Gold

Jackson Gold is a current undergraduate at American University, originally from Philadelphia, PA. He is currently pursuing a degree in Justice, Law and Criminology. In addition, he is a member of the School of Public Affairs leadership program and is extremely passionate about social justice and prison reform.

PUBLISHER

**Robert Johnson**

Johnson is a professor of Justice, Law, and Society at American University and a widely published author of fiction and nonfiction dealing with crime and punishment. His short story, "The Practice of Killing," won the Wild Violet Fiction Contest in 2003. Several of his works have been adapted for the stage. His best known work of social science, Death Work: A Study of the Modern Execution Process, won the Outstanding Book Award of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Book Editor

Kat Bodrie

Kat Bodrie is a professional writer and editor in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her editorial credits include Inside: Voices from Death Row, Interface: Poems, Bone Orchard: Reflections on Life under Sentence of Death, and Concussion Discussions: Vol. 2. Her poetry has appeared in North Meridian Review, Poetry South, West Texas Literary Review, Rat’s Ass Review, and elsewhere. She is currently president of Winston-Salem Writers and host city coordinator for Poetry in Plain Sight. A recovering community college instructor, Kat has her Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in English Literature. She often collaborates with poet George T. Wilkerson, who lives on Death Row in North Carolina. Read their writing at katbodrie.com.

Chief Marketing Officer

**Stella Snider-Hickey**

Stella is studying Journalism at American University’s School of Communications. She is interested in a concentration in international law or international relations. Having grown up in Beijing, China, Stella practiced listening to all perspectives and opinions before continuing the conversation. She practices her skills at communicating for those who don’t have a voice in her professional experiences. Stella hopes to continue her passion for seeking justice through her career in journalism.

editor-in-chief

Katie Owens-Murphy

Katie Owens-Murphy is Associate Professor of English and Graduate Coordinator of the MA English program at the University of North Alabama. She also serves as PI for the Restorative Justice Lab and as the state coordinator for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Her work with people in prison has appeared in Humanities, Critical Criminology, Mississippi Quarterly, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Her most recent book, Ghosts Over the Boiler: Voices from Alabama’s Death Row, was published by Vanderbilt UP in 2023.

Chief Editorial Officer

Ginger Finigan

Ginger Finigan is an undergraduate student and writer at American University where she is studying Political Science with an emphasis in prison reform.

Chief technology Officer

Moriah Sharpe

Moriah is a doctoral student in Justice, Law, and Criminology at American University. She is interested in issues of intersectional inequality and human dignity in the criminal justice system.