About
Strip Mall Magazine is a literary publication based out of the MFA program at California Institute of the Arts.
We're named for the infamous suburban sprawl of Southern California, home to CalArts, and perhaps the strip mall capital of the world. For a lot of people, strip malls are places of ridicule. Self-negating in their ugliness, they represent the worst of America's instinct to bulldoze, impose, and forget. But for us, strip malls are also cornerstones of community; sites of delight and discovery.
At Strip Mall Magazine, we're most interested in works that experiment with narrative and form, and fall between gaps in genre. Works that remind you that, even in the midst of ugliness, there are unseen possibilities--another street, another corner, another strip mall, in which you might find exactly what you're looking for.
You can view our submission guidelines here
Katie Clemmer
Editor in Chief
Katie (She/They) is a writer with a background in and love for research. They are currently interested in studying sociopolitical/transglobal systems of violence (“other”-ing/erasure), mythology/folklore, tattoos, and plants! Their favorite strip mall is Porta, located just near JR Isetan in the depths of Kyoto Station, where you can find them ordering (copious) nikuman/shumai from 551 Horai, shopping for tsukemono at Nishiri, and waiting for Minori Cafe’s strawberry parfait to be in season.
Our Team
Grace “West” Lyde
Head Social Media
Grace “West” Lyde (They/She/He) is a playwright and short story author, convinced that the world is made of magic. Their work is concerned with the divinity and monstrousness of love. When they're not hiding under a desk or scribbling in a notebook— she’s on stage, voice acting, or finding another way to play make believe. They got their BFA at Scripps College and are working towards an MFA in Creative Writing at Calarts. His favorite strip mall is the one with Mateo’s Ice Cream and Fruit Bars, a few blocks down from Midtown Crossing.
Jay Oandasan
Head Fiction + Poetry Editor
Jay Oandasan (They/Them) is a biracial nonbinary writer/artist. They received their Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside. They work in many mediums of art and writing. Their interests revel in exploring the hardships and hopes of trauma and identity. When they are not writing, they spend their time watching anime, playing video games, and surrounding themself with even more art and stories.
Their favorite strip mall is the one in their hometown that only has one store that hasn’t closed and re-opened as something new.
Caroline Vasquez
Head Nonfiction + Visual Art Editor
Caroline Vasquez (She/They) is a writer and big sports guy from California’s Antelope Valley. She received her BA from Rutgers University and is a Creative Writing MFA candidate at CalArts, where she is working on an essay collection about motorsport, identity making, and the evolution of fan culture in the mainstream. Their new favorite strip mall is off NJ-34 in Aberdeen, New Jersey, with a good local toy store but better memories.
Jeremy Giles
Social Media + Fiction + Poetry Editor
Jeremy (He/Him) writes climate and speculative fiction and poetry about the end of the world, among other things. He has a degree from Johns Hopkins in Writing Seminars and International Studies. Currently, he is an MFA Candidate at CalArts. His work can be found @jeremy.giles1 and jeremygileswrites.com. He spends his free time hiking across random trails and getting sugar-free fruit pops at the Von’s in the strip mall a half mile from campus.