Heidi Nobles, Publisher and Senior Editor, has spent her career dedicated to books and writers. She’s edited for university presses, big and small commercial publishers, and as a freelancer. She’s edited both fiction and nonfiction, both popular and scholarly. In her academic life, she’s studied the form, function, and development of literature—she has a master’s in English literature, an MFA in creative writing, and a PhD in rhetoric and composition, and her research focuses on editorial theory and the teaching of writing across disciplines. Heidi’s career has always spanned both editing and academia, ever since she took her first publishing job at the university press when she was studying literary criticism for her master’s degree. Today, she teaches writing and editing in the English department at the University of Virginia. She feels the most professional satisfaction when she can work with authors to concept and develop holistic books that are at once meaningful, humane, interesting, and playful. You can read more about her on her faculty page or her digital portfolio.
Grace Gent, Assistant Editor, is a second-year English major at the University of Virginia. She is hoping to add another major in Media Studies and a minor in Public Writing and Rhetoric. She first realized she enjoyed writing in second grade, when she wrote her own mythological origin story of the American bobcat. Tragically, the twenty-page manuscript has been lost to time. Since then, she has been involved in several publications, on Grounds and beyond. She previously worked as a submissions manager at Synthesis Publications, and as an editorial intern at New City Community Press. In addition to the academic papers she has written in her studies, Grace has written culture pieces, personal essays, and short stories. Through her peers, she has learned that the collaborative process between writer and editor is invaluable. After undergrad, she plans to pursue and MA and continue to work in publishing.
Maddie Mislock, Assistant Editor, is a fourth-year studying English, Religious Studies, and Health & Wellbeing at the University of Virginia. She is currently Editor-In-Chief of Bearings, a student-run journal, where she has spent the past few years writing self-reflective essays and editing. In addition, she works for the University's Outdoor Adventure program as a trip leader and challenge course facilitator. Maddie has a deep fascination with editing—especially copyediting—and the process of transforming a work of writing. She is a staunch defender of the Oxford comma and a lover of em dashes. After graduation, she plans to pursue careers in both editing and the outdoors, perhaps someday combining the two.
Past Staff
Margaret Ennen, Assistant Editor, is a fourth-year English major at the University of Virginia. She has always loved reading and writing, and this love has only grown through her literature studies at UVA. She is currently writing a thesis about the role of illustrations in nineteenth-century poetry through the English Distinguished Majors Program. While working as a senior bookseller with Barnes & Noble, Margaret grew more interested in the editing and publishing processes that shape a book from an idea into a physical product for people to read and share. She has also worked as a copyeditor with The Cavalier Daily and is currently a UVA library circulation assistant. Margaret is passionate about a collaborative, adaptable, and supportive approach to editing, and she hopes to continue with a career in editing after graduation.
Erin Hall, Assistant Editor, graduated from the University of Virginia with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and History, focusing on nineteenth-century global fiction and East Asian gender history. She is currently pursuing a master’s in English Education with the intent of teaching at a secondary level. In her desire to fully understand what she will one day be teaching, Erin has found and fostered a great admiration for the editing and publishing process. Seeing how a book moves from an idea into a physical item for the world to enjoy is a great fascination that she is continually working on unraveling.
Julia Hyde, Assistant Editor, is a fourth-year Creative Writing and American Studies major at the University of Virginia. Between her English major-adjacent coursework and experience in leadership at publications across Grounds, she developed a fondness, curiosity, and then passion for the publication process. Julia has written satire, culture pieces, short stories and more—all while enjoying the opportunity to create spreads on InDesign for the pieces and see them come to life in physical form. From workshops to pitch meetings, Julia has learned that what she values most about editing and publishing are their inherently collaborative natures and the unique perspectives both authors and editors bring to the table. Additionally, throughout college, she has been employed as a barista and a UVA Center for Digital Editing student worker.