YNST (You’re Not Seeing Things) Magazine is a print & digital media company amplifying the arts & culture of Appalachia.
Fighting against the negative media that often clouds the region, YNST is on a mission to portray our home with a contemporary lens by capturing the region’s vital storytellers, innovative artists and underrepresented perspectives. We offer the community of emerging creative professionals in West Virginia and greater Appalachia a dynamic platform to spotlight their work. Our region is an undeniable creative force, and it’s time the rest of the world sees that too.
Meet the Team
Our core editorial team met at West Virginia University as part of the student-run publication Mirage Magazine. As a band of motivated creative journalists and artists, we saw firsthand the impact of the creative community in our region. In the years since, we are proud to have grown to include a robust team of editors, interns and dozens of freelance Appalachian writers, photographers and artists.
Adam Payne (he/him) is a multimedia storyteller who blends writing, visual narrative, digital design and performance in his work. Raised in theatre, Adam quickly found his voice immersed in the arts. He attended West Virginia University and earned a MS in Digital Marketing Communications, BS in Journalism and BFA in Acting. He is proud to be leading this team, carrying out the mission of the organization and overseeing the direction of each issue. When he is not sending a thousand emails, designing or coordinating articles you can find him in Wheeling, WV walking his wiener dogs or enjoying a dirty chocolate chai.
Kasey Lettrich (She/Her) graduated from WVU in 2022 with a B.S. in Journalism and Minors in Fashion Merchandising and Strategic Social Media. She is a fundraising professional with a background in multimedia studies and a love for storytelling. As the Executive Director of YNST, she assists in curating the direction of the magazine and is always connecting resources, reviewing new materials and assisting YNST’s Editor in Chief in managing business operations. She also serves as the Major Gifts Officer at New York Cares, a non-profit mobilizing volunteers across New York City. Outside of YNST and New York Cares, she can be found unwinding in Astoria Park with a good book or practicing yoga.
Olivia Gianettino is an elementary school teacher and the creative director of YNST Magazine. From Lumberport, West Virginia, Olivia graduated from WVU with a major in journalism and a minor in fashion merchandising in 2022. Her contributions to the magazine include layout design, creating pitches for new issues, and the creation and curation of visuals and graphic design for both print and marketing. Olivia is also a lifelong visual artist, with drawing, painting and textiles as her typical mediums.
Annika Godwin (she/her) is a West Virginian native and journalist with a knack for detail. As a writer and artist from childhood, creative storytelling was a natural progression. While pursuing her B.S. in Journalism at West Virginia University, she found her passion for magazine writing, editing and design. When she’s not combing through pitches, you can find her working front desk at a local hair salon in Morgantown, WV or endlessly crafting to her hearts content.
Joseph Lucey (he/him) is a multimedia storyteller from Wheeling, WV focusing in editorial photography, content curation & administrative support. His biggest inspiration as an artist is the Great Outdoors. Spending most of his time managing Zipline Operations in Pauma Valley, California, he blends his 7 years of professional experience in Outdoor Recreation, Tourism & Hospitality and Visual Media to develop our brand image and visual identity here at YNST Magazine. Preserving and spotlighting the robust Appalachian culture which raised him will always be his artistic mission, no matter where the wind may take him!
Savanna Shriver (She/ Her) is a multimedia journalist and communications aficionado who has spent her post-grad career combining creative storytelling and compelling imagery. She prides herself on being a laid-back, but well-researched interviewer. She received her B.S. in journalism from West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media. As YNST Magazine’s Creative Coordinator, she works on projects ranging anywhere from curating content to coordinating marketing and distribution plans. She also serves as the WVU School of Medicine Marketing and Communications Assistant. When she is not working with the YNSTeam or at the School of Medicine, she can be found outside reading, hiking, crafting or trying to capture her cat, Pete, who always manages to escape from the porch.
Ella Jennings is a “creative type” living in Wheeling, WV. She received her BS and MS from West Virginia University. As a part of her master’s degree, she created a five-part personal-narrative audio documentary analyzing the deindustrialization of her hometown, Weirton, WV. She was awarded a National Edward R. Murrow Student Award for this effort. You can find it here. She also served as Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Mustard Seed Mountain, West Virginia’s first street paper. The publication covers topics such as homelessness, housing, addiction, recovery and other pertinent issues afflicting the Appalachian region. Currently, she is the bassist and backup vocalist for Exit Angles, an internationally touring post-punk band formed in Wheeling, WV. When she isn’t playing music or editing articles for YNST, she spends her time reading, experimenting with different artistic mediums, working as an online tutor and rolling around in the grass.
Michael Stein is a law student at Washington & Lee University and a graduate of the College of Charleston Honors College, where he earned his BA in English Literature. He serves as an Editor for the Medical Literacy Initiative and is Editor Emeritus of Miscellany. Previously, he worked as a Scientific Technical Writer. His poetry has appeared in Sanctuary and here at YNST, with forthcoming publications in Deep South Magazine and the Tuskegee Review.
