Tributaries
A guest-edited feature
Rolling, burbling, churning along, tributaries lead us to the river. These winding origins are sometimes small, but often powerful. Tributaries refresh us, urge us forward, guide us through the trees. The Fourth River’s weekly online publication, Tributaries, showcases the brief and the inspiring, that which sustains us and takes us through unexpected courses. Each week we will feature one short piece on our website.
There is no fee to submit to Tributaries, so please send your best work! Further guidelines on our Submittable site.
2024 Tributaries Editor
Sakena Jwan Washington is a Pittsburgh boomeranger, creative nonfiction writer, and the 2024-25 Emerging Black Writer in Residence at Chatham University. Her work has appeared in Bellevue Literary Review, Huffington Post, Jellyfish Review and others. In 2021, her flash essay, "The Blood Remains." was nominated for the 2021 Best of the Net anthology. She is also one of five Pittsburgh-based storytellers who documented the public art project, "Art in Parks" in the city's five Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) parks. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles. More of her work can be found at sakenajwan.com
2022 Tributaries Editor
Caitlyn Hunter is a current doctoral student in the English Department at Duquesne University. She holds a MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Chatham University. She has additionally been an Editorial Assistant intern for Creative Nonfiction Magazine. Her book, Power in the Tongue is forthcoming by Tolsun Books in 2022. She currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
2023 Tributaries Editor
Cameron Barnett is a Pittsburgh poet, teacher, and the Emerging Black Writer in Residence at Chatham University. He’s the author of The Drowning Boy’s Guide to Water and Murmur, forthcoming from Autumn House Press. His work explores the complexity race, place, and relationship for Black people in America, more of which can be found at cameronbarnett.net
2021 tributaries editor
Cedric Rudolph moved to Pittsburgh, PA, in 2016. After two years at Chatham University, he earned his MFA in Poetry. He is currently in his third year of teaching fiction and poetry to middle and high school writers at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts school (CAPA). He is one of the founding editors for Beautiful Cadaver, which publishes social justice-themed anthologies and stages theatrical performances. His poems are published in Coal Hill Review, Christianity and Literature Journal, The Laurel Review, and the Santa Fe Literary Review.