Biography

Shawn Bowers Buxton publishes poetry under the pen name, Anita Cantillo. Her work has appeared in various literary journals including Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Juke Joint, and Azahares. In 2022, her poem took first prize in Blue Mesa Review’s annual national contest. She has been a finalist in other contests as well.

Shawn regularly presents at national conferences in the areas of general education, interfaith dialogue and competencies, first-year writing studies, and Latine literature, writing, and identity.

Before working at Queens, Shawn was a high school English teacher and the creative director of a branding firm, where she named pharmaceutical drugs and consumer goods for launch in the public marketplace.

Education

M.F.A., Creative Writing for Poetry, Queens University of Charlotte
B.A., Corporate Communications, Queens University of Charlotte