Fast Orbit Creatives

---

Climate Cartoons: July 2nd, 2026

Joy Reeves is the Director of Policy and Strategic Development at the Rachel Carson Council (RCC), a DC-based environmental justice nonprofit, and is an award-winning climate cartoonist and published author. Joy received her Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Duke University, where she also earned her Bachelor’s degree. 

Her work in storytelling-advocacy has taken her to COP28 in Dubai and to the Galápagos with National Geographic’s Lindblad Expeditions. Trained in science communication as a Huang Fellow, Joy founded the Environmental Comics Classroom, and authored the book Growing Up in the Grassroots: Finding Unity in Climate Activism Across Generations, published in 2020. She was named a Udall Scholar in 2021 and hopes to continue a career in public service. You can follow her work at @theclimatecartoonist on Instagram or contact her directly at theclimatecartoonist@gmail.com.

Poetry: July 2nd, 2026

Zoe Farris is a senior at Duke University studying marine science and Spanish. She is passionate about the ability of poetry and art in advancing environmental justice efforts worldwide. 

As a Presidential National Environment Leadership Fellow with the Rachel Carson Council and an Executive Board Member of the Duke Sustainable Oceans Alliance she has developed platforms to engage communities and advocate for ocean conservation. Her current research examines the impacts of noise pollution on cetaceans. After graduating, Zoe aims to pursue a Ph.D. in marine biology and conduct research that informs equitable ocean policy.

Short Stories: July 2nd, 2026

Marco Gacina works at NBC News in Washington DC. He hails from Los Angeles and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from American University in 2025.

Marco wrote hundreds of NBA and WNBA columns for SB Nation before making the jump to political news at NBC. His goal is to someday move overseas to cover international affairs from a major city in Europe, such as London, Rome, or Kyiv, though doing so from DC sounds great, too. His short stories focus on themes of despair, indecision, and immaturity and are predominantly based on his own lived experiences and the experiences of those he is the closest to. Marco’s main sources of inspiration are the writings of James Joyce; the music of Oasis, Blur, Green Day, and MF Doom; and his entire shelf of books about 20th century Eastern European history.

Prose & Short Stories: July 2nd, 2026

Zach Golden is a recent graduate of American University who earned his Bachelor’s degree in both Creative Writing & Religious Studies. He is now entering his first year at Harvard Divinity School, chasing a Masters of Divinity with the intention of becoming an Interfaith sports chaplain. 

Zach’s current anthology, Random (Intuitive) Nature, explores how mysticism has been stripped from us and taught as something strictly of the past. Yet, his storytelling entices readers to fight through the seemingly unavoidable modern day smog, both physical and spiritual, in order to discover an intimate connection to Earth through their own unique and reliable, mystical, inner voice.