Illinois Central Review: January 2026

I am proud to say we have a robust and inclusive issue this semester, even more so than in the past. This issue contains a total of 48 pieces by 29 different contributors. There are 13 artworks, 1 musical performance (a first for Illinois Central Review!) 22 poems, 7 short stories, and 5 personal essays.

Most of the pieces included in this issue were submitted by students who are publishing work in Illinois Central Review for the first time. In fact, 24 of the 29 are first-time contributors. These include students who attend ICC full-time, part-time, are dual credit students, a variety of majors, and this issue includes work contributed by one of our students in the Prison Education Program who are enrolled in ICC classes while incarcerated at Pekin FCI.

An extra special note of thanks to Professor Elizabeth Godinez for coordinating and collecting submissions from the PEP students and encouraging them to submit their work!

I am also grateful to all ICC faculty who shared Illinois Central Review with their students and encouraged them to submit. Particularly, I’m in endless appreciation of Jim Sullivan who has encouraged students in his Poetry class to submit their work since the inception of this literary magazine. Jim retired from ICC in December, and the impact he has left on his students—and colleagues—is limitless.

Illinois Central Review is currently accepting submissions for its next issue, which will be published in August 2026. The deadline to submit is May 1, and you can do so here: Volume V/Issue 2 Submission Form.

Remember, submissions are open to all students taking classes at ICC, including those in the Dual Enrollment and Strong Start programs through Early College.

Finally, I invite you to visit the Illinois Central Review Facebook page for updates and weekly features of this issue's contributions, starting Monday, January 26.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Thank you for taking a look!

In writing,

Melissa Grunow
English Professor
Department of Humanities

A Masterpiece in Progress

By Audrey Anderton

About the Artist

Audrey Anderton is a first year at ICC. She currently lives in Peoria, Illinois. Audrey has been doing art her whole life and has recently picked up some creative writing and poetry. She has found over the years that art is a very good outlet for her energy and creativity and would love to be an art teacher in the future. She spends most of her time working as a receptionist at Camp Bow Wow; however, when she has free time you can find her writing poems or doodling in her sketch book at Leaves and Beans. She loves to get her “creative juices” flowing whenever she can.

My Life With Film

By Sophie Berger

About the Artist

Sophie Berger is a second year student at ICC. Sophie lives in Tremont, IL. She wants to transfer to ISU to become an art educator. Sophie spends most of her time watching movies with her family and working at the Tremont Library. In her free time she likes to experiment with different art mediums and explore new artistic ideas. She is also a member of the ICC treble choir, Velvet Voices. She believes that any form of art can be an incredible way to express one’s emotions and creative ideas.

Pepper and Pear Still Life

By Sophie Berger

About the Artist

Sophie Berger is a second year student at ICC. Sophie lives in Tremont, IL. She wants to transfer to ISU to become an art educator. Sophie spends most of her time watching movies with her family and working at the Tremont Library. She likes to experiment with different art mediums and explore new artistic ideas. She is also a member of the ICC treble choir, Velvet Voices. She believes that any form of art can be an incredible way to express one’s emotions and creative ideas.

A Sunday Afternoon With Cameron Frye

By Sophie Berger

About the Artist

Sophie Berger is a second year student at ICC. Sophie lives in Tremont, IL. She wants to transfer to ISU to become an art educator. Sophie spends most of her time watching movies with her family and working at the Tremont Library. She likes to experiment with different art mediums and explore new artistic ideas. She is also a member of the ICC treble choir, Velvet Voices. She believes that any form of art can be an incredible way to express one’s emotions and creative ideas.

Doves in Love

By Ella Boylan

About the Artist

Ella Boylan is enjoying their second year enrolled at ICC. They've been a local of Peoria for almost 20 years. This is their first time submitting something in a creative review. Ella has participated in many art forms but feels best at painting with acrylic/watercolor. However, they do not consider themselves an artist as they rarely make art. Instead, Ella spends their time playing video games and relaxing with family.

Organic Textures

By Ella Boylan

About the Artist

The Heart of the Garden

By Selena Garcia

About the Artist

Selena is in her second and final year at ICC, pursuing the Pre-PA track. She will be moving to Charleston, SC next summer to continue her studies. Outside of school, she loves photography, especially of nature, and hopes to explore it in a whole new setting. She also enjoys traveling and visiting national parks, and has grown to love the art of noticing small details within a bigger picture.

Rosaliné

By Chloe Guariglia

About the Artist

Chloe Guariglia is attending her first year at ICC. Chloe currently lives in Metamora, IL. She enjoys focusing on art and the natural world in her art. Focusing on the natural shading of the real world, but with vibrant colors. She believes art is an exploration of the soul, natural or not, and can tell a lot about someone’s character through it. Besides school, she hopes to focus on her art and education career and explore all the possibilities of her creations.

Stripe

By Sydney Seipel

About the Artist

Sydney Seipel is in her first year at ICC, majoring in Graphic Design. Sydney currently lives in Elmwood, Illinois, a small town 30 minutes from Peoria. She enjoys traditional animation, video editing, and a variety of films. Sydney spends most of her time designing characters and creating new stories for entertainment.

Mid-Century Modern

By Matthew Keltner-Smith

About the Artist

Matt Keltner-Smith is a seasoned printing specialist based in Peoria, IL, where he was born and raised. Drawing since grade school, he brings a keen artistic sensibility to every project he undertakes. Outside of work, Matt enjoys photography, reading, listening to music, and exploring graphic design—pursuits that continually inspire his professional craftsmanship.

Cleao Popout 3

By Sarah Skeels

About the Artist

Sarah Skeels has lived in Peoria, Illinois, for most of her life and is currently set to graduate ICC in spring 2026 with an associate’s in Fine Arts. She has always been captivated by the vibrant colors and dynamics found in nature. When she is not travelling America with her husband, she enjoys a good mystery book or show with her two tortoiseshell cats Lina and Cleao.

Melting Point

By Sarah Skeels

About the Artist

What a World We Had Left Them

By Sarah Skeels

About the Artist

Blasphemy

By Darrell Waters

About the Artist

Darrell Waters is in his first year at Illinois Central College. Darrell Currently resides in Peoria, Illinois. He's an artist, not just a rapper and loves to create music based on his feelings. He talks about themes about love, hustling, and other various topics as well. Darrell spends most of his time focusing on his studies, and pursuing his passion for music, forming it into a career. Check out his website, https://www.fortheyouth.us/blog/water

Sorrow

By Halema Atrash

From my first steps to my last

This life is going by fast

With every step I take in this path I dread it.

Waking up seems tiring with no idea where I'm headed

Mind clouding moments of memories I've regretted

The air feels thick and poisonous as if my throat has a rash

Every breath feels like the last

About the Author

Halema Atrash is currently in her second year at ICC. Halema currently lives in Dunlap, Illinois. Sha has many hobbies. One of her hobbies is poetry. Whether it is short or long. Something she says often is that one word can reach more than a million people while a book may reach a few. Implying words can be very strong, and you don't have to use much to make a difference. Poetry is something that helped her grow as a person. She uses words to let out her emotions. She also hopes to influence a lot of other people with her work.

Shooting Star

By Colton Curry

I wish

I wasn't the stone

under

Atlas's feet.

I wish

I wasn't the mountain

Under

Sisyphus's feet.

About the Author

Colton Curry is in his first year at ICC. Colton is a full time student who also works in Industrial Maintenance. Colton spends most of his free time at home with his pets.

Your Bill Will Be 1.5 Million US Dollars

By Colton Curry

Psychotic patients practice

psilocybin pressured patience

per prodding practitioners.

Green goop gleams.

glistening gracefully.

Growing, growing, growing

Psychstic patients practdce

psilooybin pressgred patience

per proding practitiors.

Green goomp gleams.

glisfatening grbcefully.

Grogywing, growking, growibng

Psyakxchotic patiedalants practidjrvce

psilocyshabbin presscgjured patienszce

pzwer prodffjding pradctitdkaoioners.

Greghen goggop gleakwlms.

glistsjaening gracsbaefully.

Grodnewing, groenskwing, groslzlwing

Nanroth,g fjdoalw fjfjrntuic

Malx9vu kahatsr kfngnh

Jskskcucyc sjahdbr llgpgid

Jahdyct kfkgycr kslal

Laocu kfhfbt msllap

Jdjfjr, jfhtny, glhphp

Glorp

About the Author

Colton Curry is in his first year at ICC. Colton is a full time student who also works in Industrial Maintenance. Colton spends most of his free time at home with his pets.

Neveah

By Cameron Dorsey

Your life had only just begun

I am the things you should have done.

Your cap and gown are still brand new

I am the things you couldn’t do.

About the Author

Cameron Dorsey is in her second year at ICC through the Dual Degree Program. She is a dance teacher and dancer herself outside of school. Her other hobbies include photography, drawing, painting, and mixed media arts as well as singing, playing the ukulele, skateboarding, and hockey.

The Mirror of Light

By Leena Febles

In stillness, I trace the shape of love,
Reflected in a face too handsome to forget.
But even beauty bends beneath patience,
Strained by the quiet weight of frustration.
A soul must reach its hidden depth
To find a flicker of enduring light.

We live forever chasing light,
Trying to wrap it in the arms of love.
Yet only those who dive to depth
Can truly know what makes one handsome—
It’s not the mask, but what lies in frustration,
And the slow, deliberate work of patience.

They say a saint is born of patience,
Forged in shadows before the light.
What then are we, who rage with frustration,
And stumble blind in the name of love?
Are we fools to think the handsome
Always possess the greatest depth?

No. The soul has its own secret depth,
Unfolded only by relentless patience.
Not every heart comes wrapped in handsome,
Nor every path lit by divine light.
But in the aching silence of love,
We sometimes find the worth in frustration.

Yes, there is music in frustration,
A kind of cracked and holy depth
Where pain becomes a language for love.
And though we beg for more patience,
We’re often gifted only broken light,
A truth far more handsome than false calm.

Because to be truly handsome
Is to have endured frustration,
To carry both shadow and light,
To swim without fear into depth,
And wear the bruises earned by patience,
As medals from the battlefield of love.

So I hold these truths: that handsome means depth,
That frustration is the forge of patience,
That light is born from the labor of love.

About the Author

Leena Febles is currently in her first year at ICC. Her favorite form of poetry is persona because she loves trying to see the world from other people's shoes. If you were to ask her "How do you even write poetry anyways?" , she would tell you that "Poetry is word vomit on a page, it all can be beautiful, so just do it!" She hopes writing stays with her forever, no matter what.

Illinois Central Review

Pages

Friday, January 23, 2026

Table of Contents

Volume IV, Issue 1

January 23, 2026

From the Editor

A Masterpiece in Progress

My Life With Film

Pepper and Pear Still Life

A Sunday Afternoon With Cameron Frye

Doves in Love

Organic Textures

The Heart of the Garden

Rosaliné

Stripe

Mid-Century Modern

Cleao Popout 3

Melting Point

What a World We Had Left Them

Blasphemy

Sorrow

Shooting Star

Your Bill Will Be 1.5 Million US Dollars

Neveah

The Mirror of Light

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Table of Contents

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