Cheyenne Stevens
I am an award-winning poet who is accustomed to common industry software and working on deadline. I have a B.A. from Kent State University with a concentration in applied communications (a mix of journalism, graphic design, and communication studies). My style ranges from balanced news writing to gospelesque poetry, and lyrical, earthy prose. My work is published in several anthologies, literary magazines, and news publications dating back to 2009. I invite you to browse my resume and portfolio for samples that suit your professional and creative writing needs.
Writing Samples
A Few Published Works
Fallen soldier remembered by family, friends at cornhole tournament. Summer Kent Stater
August 7, 2013
"The two biggest arguments Scott Hamilton ever had with his son, Adam, were about getting a tattoo and joining the Army.
Hamilton didn’t want Adam to do either, but he did both.
So it was a big surprise when Scott had a military emblem tattooed to the back of his calf, right before his son shipped off.
It was his way of telling his son, “It’s OK.”
Now, more than two years after his son’s death, Scott’s tattoo takes on a new meaning."
In Those Five Days
Uhuru Magazine
Spring 2016
It echoes through the empty halls here
the lights are on, but brighter now and colder
the cupboards are full but silent
we are hungry for the first time
but content to cook knowing
that even after all these years
blackness is tough, my God, blackness is tough
and hard to swallow
but a little fat in a hug, a little fat in the food,
a little fat on our hips- Mmm
Well, it sure does make it taste good.
Letter: My hero Toni Morrison had a map of my roots
The Columbus Dispatch
August 9, 2019
My AP Lit teacher, Mr. Saxon, sat our class down at the feet of Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize lecture. We were wide-eyed children like the ones she described. Intelligent, confident. Doubtful, as teenagers are, that someone knew better than us about the lives in our hands.
But Morrison astonished me. The speech she gave was so complex, I read each line twice and underlined everything. I showed up to the next class with eyes full of words. I started reading all of her books.
Double Duty: Students balance classes and the role of parenting.
KSUbuzz
September 16, 2014
Changing social norms leave students in their late teens and early twenties with more choices after parenting a child. Young parents aren’t forced to forfeit their education in pursuit of proper parenthood. Moms and dads are choosing to further their education with baby in tow, so they can provide a better life for their families. However, that choice comes with sacrifices.
Adkins, a 20-year-old senior magazine journalism major, spends her time outside of school as a single parent with a 1-year-old son.
“I don’t live on campus, I don’t go to parties, I don’t go on a lot of dates,” Adkins said.
"I can't explain inspiration. A writer is either compelled to write or not. And if I waited for inspiration, I wouldn't really be a writer."
Toni Morrison
