The mission of Philadelphia Stories is to cultivate a community of writers, artists, and readers in the Greater Philadelphia Area through publications, professional development, and promotion of area writers.
Philadelphia Stories is a 501c3 that has been serving the writing, reading, and art community of the Greater Delaware Valley since 2004. Co-founders Carla Spataro and Christine Weiser began Philadelphia Stories to build a Philadelphia-based community of writers, artists, and readers through the free magazine and affordable educational programs and events. Program highlights include:
Philadelphia Stories Magazine: The primary vehicle for this mission is the free print magazine, which publishes work by local writers and artists. Five thousand copies of the free print magazine are distributed each quarter to more than 200 locations throughout the Delaware Valley, including all 54 branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Stories Junior/Teen Magazine: PS Teen is an annual magazine published each Fall featuring local writers and artists aged 13-18. Philadelphia Stories also publishes the annual magazine, PS Junior, for local writers and artists aged 12 and younger, is published each Spring. Both magazines are free and submissions are open year-round. Click here to read more.
PS Books: The books division of Philadelphia Stories showcases local writers through book-length works.
Professional Development: Philadelphia Stories hosts affordable writing workshops and conferences like Push to Publish and LitLife Poetry Festival.
Promotion of Local Writers & Artists: Philadelphia Stories promotes writing and art from the Greater Delaware Valley through events like a national fiction contest, a national poetry contest, readings, and more.
Click here to see our 2021 events
Click here to read the Philadelphia Stories 2018 – 2021 Strategic Plan
Philadelphia Stories Masthead
Publisher/Executive Director:
Christine Weiser
Publisher/Editorial Director:
Carla Spataro
Fiction Editor/Fiction Contest Coordinator
Trish Rodriguez
Poetry Editor
Courtney Bambrick
Nonfiction Editor
Adriana Lecuona
Assistant Nonfiction Editor
Brittany Leonard
Art Editor
Pam McLean-Parker
Managing Editor
Yalonda Rice
Director of Communications
Hadley Driscoll
Social Media Managers
Kasper Boehm
Newsletter Editor
Jacque Ausby
Newsletter Editor/Web Designer
Anthony Clemons
Poetry Contest Coordinator
Jackie Domenus
Administrative Assistant
Angela Donato
Production Manager
Derek Carnegie
Web Design
Loic Duros
Event Director
Lena Van
Editorial Board
FICTION
Elizabeth Green
Kate Blakinger
Lena Van
Nathan Long
Sharon White
Walt Maguire
POETRY
Peter Baroth
Kathryn Ionata
Vernita Hall
Linda Romanowski
Phoebe LaMont
Eileen Moeller
Maria James-Thiaw
Liz Dolan
Edythe Rodriguez
Mariah Ghant
David Kozinski
Pat Green
Donna Keegan
Liz Chang
Shira Moolten
Jamal Goodwin
Chad Frame
NONFICTION
Jenny Burkholder
Debbie Fox
Deborah Off
Jacqueline Massaro
Sarah Wecht
Watsuki Harrington
Board of Directors
Alex Husted, President
Daniel Johns, Vice President
Gary Zimmaro, Jr., Treasurer
Concha Alborg
Jim Knipp
Carla Spataro
PS Junior/Teen
Program done in partnership with Mighty Writers.
Lead Editor
Eric-Ross McLaren
Mighty Writers:
Student Editors
Zion Patterson-Lyles
Assata Patterson-Lyles
Grace Morrison-Wesley
Kweku Robinson
Mentoring Editors
Angel Stewart
Ginny Simon
Malik Askia-Howell
Emanuel Marquez
Tyreek Wanamaker
Philadelphia Stories volunteers gain valuable insight into the world of publishing, expand your professional network, and add your experiences to your resume. Read more about the available volunteer positions here.