Hello! I’m Alyssa Jo Varner. I grew up in the Midwest and studied English Literature & Creative Writing at the University of Iowa before moving to New York City where I worked in a variety of literary institutions: first as an editorial assistant (The Onion, the Leon Levy Center for Biography at the CUNY Graduate Center, Parnassus: Poetry in Review), and later as a graphic designer and illustrator (HarperCollins Publishers). From there I moved to a branding agency where I specialized in logo design.

I now serve as Creative Coordinator at the University of Iowa Library’s Research Commons, where I provide graphic design and support for faculty and graduate student projects. 

I love reading and writing fiction (especially gothic, horror, and speculative stories), and am a member of the Women in Horror Arts & Media Association.

If you’d like to get in touch, feel free to email me at a.jo.varner@gmail.com.