As a nod to our upcoming ten-year anniversary, what better way to celebrate the occasion than to share the journeys of contributors, editors, readers, and interns at Exposition Review? Within this blog series, folks from our Expo Fam have been invited to share how they got involved with the journal, as well as how it has influenced their work.
We view this series as a time capsule for the impact and growth that has taken place at Expo. We hope their personal reflections can inspire others to read, write, and learn more about what our journal has to offer.
We are excited to begin our series with a rockstar of a young writer and editor, Sofía Aguilar. Today, she continues to be involved with writing as she looks forward to the debut of her children’s picture book, Queer Latine Heroes. However, let’s take a look at how she got involved with Expo.
The Beginning
Sofía’s time with Expo began at WriteGirl, a Los Angeles-based creative writing nonprofit. WriteGirl’s mission is to mentor and empower teen girls and gender-expansive youth, and Sofia was a WriteGirl mentee during her high school years. She was invited to an annual Share Your Voice! workshop hosted by Exposition Review. All workshop attendees were invited to submit their work to Expo, and Sofía’s piece “to the brown nippled girls and the daughters of immigrant fathers” was selected to be published. This introduction to Exposition Review influenced her to be more involved with the journal overall. Her feelings are highlighted in the following quote:
“I was blown away by how much I learned and absorbed from that first workshop, and have been involved with them ever since!”
Special Moments
Sofia has worn many hats in her experience with Exposition Review. It was difficult for her to choose her favorite experience or moment throughout her time with us, but she highlighted the season she spent with the Expo staff as a poetry reader. Special aspects of her experience considered engaging with editorial meetings, reading through pieces, and socializing with the other readers and editors involved. Sofia was not only a reader for the magazine, but served as a guest judge for Expo’s June 2022: “Inheritance” Flash 405 contest. Her enjoyment stemmed from reading through many submissions from hundreds of talented authors:
“It was so hard choosing the winners but it was a fantastic experience and I’m grateful to Expo for every opportunity I receive to work with them.”
Our Expo Fam
Community and collaboration is one of many pillars of Expo. The relationships that get established represent the close-knit family of the magazine–such as Sofia’s collaboration with Annlee Ellingson, co-editor-in-chief of Exposition Review. As a mentor and managing editor for WriteGirl, Annlee connected with Sofía easily. Sofia mentions the joy it was to collaborate with Annlee, who knows how to speak to and work with young people in order to ensure they are heard and valued.
Sofía’s relationships with other editorial staff grew over time as well. Many spoke up about Sofia’s impact on Exposition Review. They reveal how exciting it was to watch her grow as a writer and individual who cares for the literary community. The value of collaboration coexisting with creativity shines through in her actions, inspiring the very magazine she had described as being her dream journal. She has been a light and example of how new talent continues to blossom over time, and we will always be appreciative of her involvement with our magazine.
Words of Wisdom
To share some advice from Sofia for someone else looking to work with or contribute to Expo, she encourages all to just “do it!” Her reasoning behind why is simple:
“Everyone on the masthead is respectful, kind, enthusiastic, and passionate about highlighting other writers’ voices. And after your work has been published, you’re never forgotten!”
She characterizes Exposition Review as taking pride in its contributors’ accomplishments, always remembering to acknowledge accomplishments and news on social media. We offer a safe home for anyone’s work and will continue to uplift them as a part of the Expo Fam. One of the developments she would like to see to continue the momentum of such a supportive magazine is more in-person events. Sofia believes that community is such a big aspect of any literary journal looking to foster an environment that truly cares for the people involved.
What’s Next?
Sofia’s Expo Story continues with updates regarding her writing career:
“I have my debut children’s picture book, Queer Latine Heroes, releasing this year on September 18, just in time for Latinx Heritage Month! The book will feature short biographies from 25 queer Latine changemakers in a variety of fields and industries, uplifting a much-needed faction of our community that gets overlooked and discredited for how much they truly have changed the world.”
While Exposition Review will be one of the first to highlight this accomplishment, we encourage everyone to check out Queer Latine Heroes upon its debut, available for pre-order in our Bookshop.
Until then, check out Sofia’s work from our “Hunger” issue here and take a look at her Flash 405: “Inheritance” winners.
Sofia’s hard work and passion for writing are what made her an easy candidate for this blog series. Her Expo Story is one that we hope inspires all to remain determined and, perhaps, consider us as their next stop along their writing journey.
Biography
Sofía Aguilar is a Chicana writer, editor, and library professional based on the traditional homelands of the Tongva and Chumash peoples, now known as Los Angeles, California. Her work has appeared in the L.A. Times, Refinery29, Somos, and New Orleans Review, among other publications. As an alum of WriteGirl and a first-generation college graduate, Sofía earned a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she received the Andrea Klein Willison Prize for Poetry and the Spencer Barnett Memorial Prize for Excellence in Latin American and Latinx Studies. You can find her at sofiaaguilar.com.