Alongside George Mason University’s dynamic undergraduate and graduate English programs, stands a unique opportunity for students to directly build their skills for the publishing industry. Stillhouse Press serves as a real-world laboratory that allows them to apply, in immediate practical terms, the skills and concepts they're learning in the classroom.
The nonprofit literary press aims to provide an educational opportunity to students through applied experience in the art of craft publishing. It is a member of George Mason’s Watershed Lit: Center for Engagement for Literary Arts and Publishing Practice, a collective of literary arts organizations and programs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences that prioritizes professional undergraduate development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
Associate Director of Watershed Lit Alice Magelssen-Green explains that Stillhouse Press was founded purely as a teaching press and emphasizes that the press is completely student-run.
“All of the decisions about what to publish, how to market the work, and the press's strategy are made by the students,” she said.
English Professor Scott Berg serves as the faculty advisor of Stillhouse Press.
“In more than 30 years at Mason, I haven't been involved with any initiative that has had a greater impact on a wider range of students, from first-year undergraduates to third-year graduate students, in multiple programs and departments,” he said. “The work that these Stillhouse Press students—and many alumni—do to publish important and meaningful fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, is a reward in and of itself.”
The students directly contribute to Stillhouse's growth as an independent publisher, with its success expanding across all genres. Recently one of its short story collections, SAD GROWNUPS by Amy Stuber, received the 2025 Pen/Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection. Bryan Borland’s collection of poems, DIG!, was recognized as a Lambda Literary Award finalist for gay poetry. Such awards prove that Stillhouse Press can make a difference within the walls of George Mason and beyond.
“Stillhouse allows students to see the world of publishing from so many various and important angles,” Berg said. “As potential publishing professionals exploring career options, as budding creative writers trying to understand the world of books from the ‘other side,’ as passionate readers looking for a way to stay connected to the broader literary community—in school and afterwards.”
Stillhouse Spotlights
Hear firsthand how Stillhouse Press has prepared current and former students Rebecca Burke, Tommy Sheffield, and Josephine Slayter for their careers.
Rebecca Burke
MFA Creative Writing ‘21
One of the first graduate assistants who worked for Stillhouse Press, Burke works as the editorial manager in production at Science Advances, a journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Tell us about your role at Stillhouse and how it has impacted your career in publishing.
I was one of the first graduate professional assistants for the press, and I worked as the submissions and acquisitions manager. At Stillhouse, I developed skills in professional communication, advocated for work and authors, and established a stronger editorial eye. I internalized the entire process of running a publication, from submission through editing, production, marketing, and publication. I often helped out with projects outside the purview of submissions and acquisitions to ensure I was learning everything I needed to pursue a career in publishing once I graduated. I pursued an MFA because I love to write, but I learned more about writing through my work from the Press than I did in craft classes and seminars. The experience filled in the gaps a traditional MFA tends to leave.
These skills directly translate to my role at Science Advances as the editorial manager in production. We publish more than 3,000 articles a year and keeping papers moving through the pipeline requires prompt and clear communication, acute attention to detail, and a strong understanding of what we need for successful production of a paper. I do all of this while working remotely and helping to manage a team of over twenty working on various aspects of running an academic publication.
What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time at the Press?
I pitched, solicited, edited, marketed, and ran the production process for our first anthology, In Between Spaces: An Anthology of Disabled Writers. I had help at every stage and was committed to including any students who wanted to be involved in the project in any capacity. I've been visually impaired my entire life, and, until recently, I could not point to authentic representation of my own experiences in the work I read. I am so proud, and grateful, to have had the opportunity to champion the work of other writers with disabilities and get their work into the world in such an exciting collection.
Tommy Sheffield
MFA Creative Writing ‘21
Sheffield served mainly as the Poetry Editor during his time at the press. Now he teaches high school English in Washington, D.C., and still works with the press as an alumni poetry editor.
Tell us about your role at Stillhouse.
During my MFA, I was given a graduate professional assistantship as the poetry editor for Stillhouse Press. I had edited and published two books of my own at that point, and after Gregg Wilhelm, director of the George Mason MFA, saw my editing work, he was willing to give me a shot, and I’m tremendously grateful he did. Scott Berg served as my supervisor and mentor at Stillhouse, and during that time I was the managing editor for a number of books. With Rebecca Burke’s irreplaceable assistance as submission manager, I oversaw the review process for manuscripts during our calls for poetry submissions. I read manuscripts, reviewed the ratings that our readers gave to submitted manuscripts, and decided on which manuscripts we would accept. This role taught so much about the publishing process and the industry as a whole.
How has your experience at the Press impacted your career?
After graduating, I served as the alumni poetry editor, continuing to procure manuscripts from poets, and also worked as a freelance editor. I have now edited a total of 17 published poetry books, with the first five being Stillhouse books. While I was looking for teaching positions early on, it was actually my editing experience that helped distinguish me from other candidates.
I have taught high school English for five years in Southeast D.C., a job which I truly love. My students are always surprised to learn that I’m a published writer and editor. It’s a true joy being able to show my students the Stillhouse books that I edited, as well as my own books. I love how inspired they get, and I encourage students with a gift for writing to pursue creative writing in college.
Josephine Slayter
Slayter is a current undergraduate English student with concentrations in creative writing and literature who has interned for Stillhouse Press since Spring 2025.
Tell us about your role at Stillhouse and the skills you gained.
At Stillhouse Press, I’ve worked as a Publicity Assistant, helping promote upcoming titles and connect our books with readers. I’ve researched review outlets, awards, podcasts, and bookstores, written outreach letters, and supported our publicity campaigns—especially for Necronauts by Ryan Habermeyer, a morbid, genre-bending collection coming out March 2026. Seeing how much thought goes into getting a book like that into the world has been a huge learning experience. I’ve also had the chance to work with our editorial, acquisitions, and marketing teams.
Overall, Stillhouse has given me a real, hands-on look at how an independent press functions and how creative and logistical work intersect. It’s sharpened my writing and editing skills, improved my communication and organization, and made me even more excited to pursue publishing after graduation.
What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time with the press?
One of the moments I’ve been most proud of was seeing a book I’d worked on out in the world—holding the finished copy, and seeing readers come to events to buy it. It’s such a special feeling to witness that excitement and know you helped make it possible. Experiences like that really capture what I’ve loved about my time at Stillhouse: being part of a passionate, creative team that brings amazing books to life and connects them with readers who care just as much as we do.
Beyond that, my time at Stillhouse has been such an important step in my own professional growth. I’ve developed a stronger sense of how the publishing world works from multiple angles—publicity, marketing, and editorial—and I feel much more confident and prepared to take those skills into my future career. It’s been both a learning experience and a huge source of inspiration for what I want to do next.
December 15, 2025