Divergents Magazine  
©Divergents Publishing LTD  

Editorial Staff:
Matthew Walton - Managing Editor 
matthew.walton@divergents-magazine.org
Ben Mitchell - Publisher - 
Ben.Mitchell@divergents-magazine.org
Leon Rice - Vice President - Civil Rights Editor 
Alethia Smith - Lifestyle Editor
Mac Gander - Editor at Large


Matthew Walton  - Managing Editor 
A graduate student in social work at the University of Maine, Mathew is committed to equity and systemic change. His work is grounded in the belief that stories, especially those shaped by neurodivergent experiences, have the power to disrupt stigma and redefine what it means to belong. As an editor, he is focused on preserving the writer’s voice while helping their message land with impact.

Alethia Smith - Lifestyle Editor
A native of St. Louis, Alethia holds an Associate degree in art, a Bachelor of Arts in human services, and a Master of Arts in teaching. As well as being an Accredited event designer. Alethia worked as a residential assistant in college, where she was responsible for coordinating multiple events for hundreds of students. This is where she developed a true love for event planning. After college, she led a number of independent partnerships, focused on developing and managing promotion events. She is known for engaging her talents and ideas in fun, exciting, and unconventional ways.

Ben Mitchell, Publisher & Contributing Editor
With an MFA in Poetry from Goddard College, Ben Mitchell has published poems in more than fifty literary magazines all over the US, Canada, and the UK. Mitchell’s first book of poems, Only the Sound Itself, was published by Codhill Press in 2010. In 2012, Mitchell was one of four poets invited to read his work at the first poetry reading of Parabola Magazine.


Lindsay Wilson - Arts Editor
A lifelong artist, this central Massachusetts native went south to Savannah, Georgia, graduating from SCAD with a BFA in Illustration. Focusing on watercolor with pen&ink, she enjoys working in other mediums, as well. However, she missed the four seasons and the mountains, eventually finding her home in Vermont. A firm believer in kindness and helping,  Lindsay has been the Vice President of SVG (Sustainable Valley Group) a non-profit based out of Bellows Falls for over 10yrs. This is also where she has a used record store, Bellows Beats, and has been sharing the gift of music with the community while trying to make the world a little less bad. We rise together.

Leon Rice, Vice President - Civil Rights Editor 
Leon was born into the Civil Rights movement: in the 1960’s, his grandfather had to move his family and career from Natchez, Mississippi to Chicago, Illinois. As a prominent member of the NAACP, he found himself next on the KKK hit-list, just after Medgar Evers. This has formed the foundation for everything that came after. Leon graduated from Landmark College as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. During his time at Landmark, he served as the VP of the campus chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and the first black male Residence Advisor. Over the years, he’s been a basketball coach, an educator, an entrepreneur, and most notably, a writer and a photographer.

Mac Gander - Editor at Large
In July of 2023 I end a 36-year career at Landmark College, a journey that took me through many roles. I spent nine years as English department chair, and then 11 years as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. For seven of those years I led Student Affairs as well as Academic Affairs. Since I returned to the faculty as a full professor in 2009 I have taught courses in education, composition, creative writing, literature, journalism, media studies, and leadership. Along the way I earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Change; my 2007 doctoral dissertation was called Toward a New Paradigm for Learning Disability.