Jenny DeBell, Editor and Project Manager
The best thing about earning a BFA in Painting at Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA in Creative Writing at Lesley University is that both disciplines taught Jenny how to look closely at the world around her. She took that skill into her professional life, where she has worked up and down the East Coast as a scenic artist, a food illustrator, a copywriter, and a content editor. For visual inspiration she looks to 1930s and 40s American painting, but inspiration on the page is harder to narrow down. She loves Southern fiction for rhythmical language and storytelling, Lydia Davis and Rebecca Solnit for their observations, and children’s picture books for their infinite magic. But ask her again next week. Jenny is delighted to be counted among the team at Brandylane, a truly talented – and very funny – group of book lovers. Jenny lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. |
Mary-Peyton Crook, Editor
Mary-Peyton was born and grew up in RVA, and she graduated from JMU in 2009 with degrees in English and Psychology. She worked in bookstores, libraries, and as a freelance editor and writer before joining Brandylane in June of 2018. Mary-Peyton likes fantasy, gritty southern noir, magical realism, creative nonfiction, short stories -- and "just fiction in general." Find Mary-Peyton on Instagram reading books all around Richmond! |
Ashley Barnhill, Editor and Project Manager
Ashley’s interest in writing and literature dates back to when she wrote a Christmas-themed children’s book for a middle school English project. Many creative writing courses and extracurriculars later, she decided to pursue a career in publishing, which led her to Brandylane. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BA in English and is very familiar with the Richmond area and its history. Ashley loves to read anything that’s realistic or historical fiction but is open to different genres. During her free time, she writes in her journal, watches movies, and visits historical museums and sites. |
Hannah Tonsor, Editor and Project Manager
Hannah joined the Brandylane team after graduating from the University of Notre Dame with her BA in English, Creative Writing, and Digital Marketing. She met her husband in her first creative writing class at ND, whom she now lives with along with their sweet Siamese, Tullamore. She's an avid reader of literary and upmarket fiction, as well as a writer of poetry and prose. In addition to her work with Brandylane, she currently works as an editor for multiple publishers and magazines, but in her free time, she can be found running her bookstagram @hannahrae.reads, doing pilates, or cooking new meals at home. |