Mark Hurtubise of Spokane, Washington was fortunate during his twenties to have his poems and haiku published before launching his career as an attorney. He then slightly switched gears to pursue a career as a higher education and community foundation administrator. Now, over 40 years later, Mark claims to feel like a pregnant bird balancing on a twig— hoping to give multiple births to diverse forms of creativity.
In this case, his photo of a dignified Sharp-shinned Hawk (pictured above) captures budding spring branches along the Spokane River and the personification of Horus, the ancient Egyptian god of kingship and sky, fully aware of its role as an artist, hunter, and parent on Nature’s stage.
For Mark, our existence should be viewed through interactive hierarchical lenses of God first, family second, and then life as theatre. In his belief, photography and word juxtaposition can freeze these exchanges so future generations can celebrate and hopefully be awed by such relationships. Although he has received a small number of professional and literary recognitions, Mark deems his greatest earthly achievement to be his 40-year loving marriage, which has added three inquisitive and promising children to enhance the world.
Sarah Adkins-Jablonsky is a scientist, artist, and poet. 
After earning her PhD in 2021 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), she is beginning her career in medicine at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in Dothan, Alabama. She is a member artist of Ground Floor Contemporary and holds a B.A. of Arts from UAB. Her artwork has been recognized by FEMS Microbiology Microbe Art (2020) and Sigma Xi Art and Film Festival (2019) among others and has been exhibited across the U.S., including in Madison, WI, Selma, AL, Greensboro, AL, and Birmingham, AL. She invites readers to find her at @admiraladkins on Twitter or Instagram.
Sarah was greatly influenced in her endeavors by a course she took at UAB: Scientific Illustration with UAB Department of Art and Art History professor Doug Baulos. Studied by the class, Ashley Jones’ “Magic City Gospel” had a notable impact on her; the piece was situated in a geographical and personal context that helped Sarah to understand who Ashley was and how she grew up as a young Black woman in the Deep South. Ashley’s sharing of her stories inspired Sarah to feel as though she could share hers, too.
Since she had a poem accepted in Aura Literary Arts Magazine during her first year at UAB (2012), it only seems fitting that Sarah was selected for publication nearly a decade later as she leaves UAB (2021). Just as her artwork has matured, so too has her poetry. Now, Sarah makes pieces to help younger versions of herself, as well as others who may resonate with her stories, find closure and meaning in experiences.
