Meet the Summer Interns: Amanda Halverson

Our second editorial intern for the reading and production of our Summer 2025 Issue is Amanda Halverson. We're excited to have her on the team for this round! Read a little more about her in our interview below.

Amanda is a Seattle local that has a long and varied professional and academic background, including (but not limited to): studying archaeology and ancient history, conducting museum lab work, providing direct outreach to local vulnerable populations, and doing a stint in therapy grad school before choosing the editing path that led her to the Certificate in

Editing program at UW that she recently graduated from.

What drew you to want to intern with a lit mag?

I wanted to peek under the hood and learn what editors and publishers look for in a piece of writing while getting hands-on experience in the process of putting together and publishing a collection of work.

Why Weird Lit Mag?

I’ve never been one for normal or traditional anything, and by learning what is good writing from outside the standard norms, I could learn the heart of what makes a piece “well written.” I’m also always looking for a community of untraditional weirdos.

What place does weirdness have in your life?

Weirdness inhabits most facets of my life. I like to do weird/old timey hobbies, I look for weird media to consume, I like weird looking dogs (my pug Appa is snoring from under my desk as I write this), I like weird people, I eat weird food (my favorite snack as a kid was mustard and cinnamon sandwiches—and yes those were the only two ingredients on white bread. Don’t knock it ’til you try it). A weird life to me means experimenting and being authentic, regardless of expectations.

There’s “good” weird … and there’s also not-so-good weird. What’s “good” weird to you?

“Good” weird is authenticity, regardless of what’s normal or expected (with the giant

caveat of it must not cause anyone harm of course). I would consider something “good”

weird if it subverts expectations and invites us to look at what we consider “normal” from a

different perspective to bring more awareness and truth.

What are your long-term editing/publishing/writing goals and dreams?

My ultimate goal is to help writers realize their dreams of getting published. I see my role in that being an editor that can help take a piece of writing to the next level by being able to look at it and know what it’s missing or what could change to make it even better and communicating that efficiently and compassionately, because I know that seeing all the “red ink” can be disheartening.

Does your background inform your editing work? How, if so?

As someone who has rarely followed a traditional path, I have a lot of space and appreciation for writing that doesn’t necessarily follow the rules. I also have training in therapeutic communication (thank you therapy grad school) and that helps me hear a writer’s concerns or wishes and respond compassionately.

What kinds of things are you excited to read in a Weird Lit Mag submission?

Stories that stay with me for days—or weeks, or months—afterward. Things that require the reader to examine an aspect of society or something we consider “normal” from a completely different perspective. I want a story to make me feel like the world was just ripped out from under my feet and turned upside down, and I can suddenly see clearer now because of it. And I love a good twist.

What kinds of things are you not excited to encounter in a Weird Lit Mag submission?

Unnecessary gore and violence, shock-and-awe that doesn’t serve a point, stories without

any payoff whatsoever.

What is your favorite banned book and why is it your favorite?

It’s usually the latest one I read, which in this case happens to be Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall. It’s a fantastic exploration into the necessity for feminism to be intersectional and how it harms all women to leave out issues like food insecurity, beauty standards, and reproductive justice and how it relates to disability justice (just to name a few). It doesn’t just name the problems, but it gives strategies and suggestions for what we can do to take our feminism to a level that includes and helps everyone.

What is the most recent record/album you bought or listened to?

Spirituality and Distortion by Igorrr. They recently announced their next album will be out in September, so I’ve been relistening to their discography. I would describe their genre as French operatic metal—very weird and very good.

What will your biography be titled?

Walking Between Worlds: Lessons from the Edges of Identity.

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Yes, and cereal is a soup.

Unpopular opinion, go:

The more pineapple on pizza the better.

If you were a cryptid, what would your name be and what would you be known for?

I would be known for lurking around strawberry fields and eating all the berries, preferably

in the Italian countryside. So maybe call me La Ladra di Fragole.

Where or how do you think many writers can improve their writing?

Read everything you can get your hands on, and not just in your genre. You can learn how to get your reader in a certain state of mind by reading marketing books. You can learn how to communicate powerful visuals concisely by studying song writing. Don’t just read what you want to write, read everything else too.

Submit your weird short fiction through June 1, 2025 for consideration from Amanda and the rest of the WLM team!