Dr. Victoria (Vicky) Bañales (she/her/ella) is a Chicanx writer, teacher, mother, and activist. She is a member of the Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County, Círculo de poetas & Writers, and founder and editor of Journal X, a social justice literary arts magazine. Her poems, stories, and essays have been published in various journals and anthologies. The recipient of two poetry awards and a teaching excellence award, she holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Feminist Studies from the University of California-Santa Cruz. She has a book of poetry waiting in the wings and is working on a novel called Candelaria, which is a blend of memoir, magic realism, and speculative fiction.  She loves nature, especially oceans and mountains, and recently hiked Angel's Landing in Zion and Half Dome in Yosemite. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, she lives in Watsonville, CA, where she teaches Chicanx/Latinx literature, fiction writing, and English composition at Cabrillo College’s Watsonville campus in Santa Cruz County.