Staff & Board

José Luis Montero is a technologist by trade and a bilingual writer by choice. Born and raised in México but having spent most of his adulthood in Seattle, his passion for storytelling transcends any medium, leading him to explore radio, photography, and filmmaking before directing his artistic focus to the written word. In addition to holding a BS in computer science and an MBA, he earned a certificate in Literary Fiction from the University of Washington and a Masters in Narrative and Poetry from Escuela de Escritores in Madrid. After returning from Spain, he interned at Copper Canyon Press and served as an assistant editor for Narrative Magazine before joining the Jack Straw Writers Program in 2021. He was president of the board for Seattle Escribe, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Spanish literature, and he currently serves as co-president for the board of Seattle City of Literature, the nonprofit that manages Seattle’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature.

Caitlin is originally from a sleepy one-light town in Phoenix, Maryland. After working in Baltimore in both museum and library spaces, she followed her love for writing stories to Florida, where she obtained an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami. Her thesis was a finalist for the Marianne Russo Award for a Novel-in-Progress, and she has been awarded scholarships and fellowships from GrubStreet and the Chesapeake Writers’ Conference. She continues work on her first novel, a braided queer historical narrative set during the Irish War for Independence. To procrastinate on writing, Caitlin is known to get lost in the woods, seek out a cozy bookshop or art museum, and listen to silly D&D podcasts.

DK is an artist investigating the intersection of place and memory—exploring the interstices and histories of site; the personal and collective body—through visual art, video, performance, public art, installation, interventions, and arts programming/organizing—under artist name, D.K. Pan. Over 25 years as an artist, D.K. expanded their practice to involve various mediums, recently focusing on video as documents of place; and community engagement practices with Yesler Terrace/Seattle Housing Authority and Sound Transit Art Program. They organized art interventions/cultural events such as TUBS and Bridge Motel. They received The Stranger’s Genius Award in 2011, Artist Trust Fellowship in 2022, and several other grants and awards. In 2015, D.K. created a video survey of the US West Coast, in collaboration with NOAA, as commentary on climate change and homage to communities vulnerable to rising sea levels. Their multi-year work, Time Is Memory, encompasses works on paper, public mark-making, skywriting, tattoos, and video. DK has also worked with Plymouth Housing Group and Community Roots Housing over the past 10+ years to address homelessness and create affordable, vibrant communities—in support of the maxim, “Housing Is A Human Right.”

The library will always be Amy Lin’s first and best love—sorry, lovers! She has over sixteen years’ experience in small business with a focus on solution innovation. Her work at Hugo House is rooted in a three-fold philosophy: one, that writing is a useful skill to have in an age of constant engagement with written communication; two, that all forms of writing provide immense benefits to the writer; and three, that words effect change in the world around us so it’s worth learning to use them well. Writing is for everyone! Amy enjoys a wide range of interests thanks to being a third-culture kid with ADHD; she’s currently jamming on investing, futurism, emerging technology, self-improvement, interspecies communication, and design thinking. She aspires to be a Bodhisattva to beginners. 

Raised on the Southern Gothic, Ariana is an experimental poet and writer, wannabe zine queen, and intersectional activist. While not from the literal bayou, the self-proclaimed “swamp baby” hails from Louisiana and is Florida-raised. (Five minutes from Gatorland and evacuated from the playground because of a bobcat Florida raised.) She received her B.A. in English Language and Literature from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida where she also studied sociology and music. She has been published in various zines, lit journals, and, closest to her heart, Burrow Press’ BP Review.

Aubrey Unemori is a writer, editor, and aspiring coffee connoisseur. She holds a BA in English with creative writing emphasis from the University of Washington and is the co-author of children’s book, Mindful Mansi, which promotes mental wellness and emotional regulation in younger children. Before joining the Hugo House team in December 2021, she interned at local publisher Chin Music Press and was a prose editor with Bricolage Literary and Visual Arts Journal. When she’s not drinking coffee or writing, Aubrey can usually be found reading, drawing, or playing online games with friends.

Ankober is an Ethiopian first-gen born and raised in Seattle. She grew up attending and participating in poetry readings at Hugo House. In her early and mid-twenties, she traveled the world in an effort to “find herself.” She didn’t—and is now back home in Seattle, doing what she loves: sipping coffee and managing her mental health. She graduated from Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina where she pursued a self-designed major in Womanist Spiritual Quest. Ankober believes the world was formed from a word and has dedicated her life to following wherever beautiful words (and worlds) may lead her. Her writing is on the inter-webs.