In our latest installment of the 2023 Summer Interview Series, we spoke with the wonderful Makena Metz about her work in genre and passion for social advocacy. Tune in to the interview to hear about Makena talk about her inspirations and techniques for incorporating social commentary into her work and see it in action in not one but two pieces of work she has published with us! Her short story, “The Tea Shop” can be found in For Page & Screen Issue 2 and her semi-autobiographical screenplay “Eclipse” was recently published in one of our themed issues, Issue 3: After.

Makena Metz is an LA native who writes fantasy, sci-fi, and magical realism for the page, screen, and stage. She is getting her MFA in Creative Writing and MA in English from Chapman University’s dual degree program and is a proud member of DGA, ASCAP, WIA, and the SCL. Recently, she participated in #AWP23’s Writer to Agent Program, and she was nominated to attend the Literary Women Festival of Authors as an Emerging Writer by Chapman University. Her poem “The Orchard Tender” is being published with Ouroborus magazine’s 2023 Spring Issue. Makena is an alum of the Musical Theatre Writer’s Collective Program and New Musical Inc’s CORE Curriculum for Musical Theatre Writing. Find her work on Coverfly, NPX, and follow her @ makenametz on Tiktok, IG, FB, Twitter, and check out makena.metz.com

Listen to the full interview by clicking the link below or watch the full episode on YouTube!