We are a collective of writers that provide community & education to New Orleans writers at all stages of their journey.

  • A place to write—open, accepting, and full of inspiration.

  • Meet other local writers and form lasting connections.

  • A platform for peer-to-peer learning, support, and resource-sharing.

Third Lantern Lit is all about finding a space for writers to gather, create, and support each other. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit that’s here to foster a writing community in New Orleans.

We aim to lower the barrier to entry to the writing community by connecting New Orleans writers to others with a shared passion so that we can learn, write, and grow together. With events geared toward writers at every step of their journey, from the beginner to the seasoned professional, we support and fortify our local literary community through free and low-cost peer-to-peer learning.

  • Danny Cherry, Jr.

    PRESIDENT

    By day, Danny Cherry, Jr. is a Customer Service Representative and caffeine-addled office-drone, but by night, he writes political and personal essays, op-eds, novels, and short stories. He’s written for Buzzfeed News, The Daily Beast, Truly*Adventurous, Transformation Magazine, X- ray Lit Mag, Fiyah Lit Mag, Ploughshares, Antigravity Magazine, Apex Magazine, as well as a few dozen blog posts on Medium.com. He also has a story forthcoming in Hexagon Magazine. Find him on Twitter @Deecherrywriter.

    Danny's Work

  • Marguerite Sheffer

    VICE-PRESIDENT

    Marguerite (Maggie) Sheffer (she/her) is an educator and writer of (mostly) speculative fiction. Her writing has received recognition from GlimmerTrain’s Short Story Award for New Writers, and appears in The Pinch and Cast of Wonders. Currently, Maggie is an MFA Candidate at the Randolph College Low-Residency Program. She lives in the Irish Channel with her husband and two geriatric dogs. Maggie rarely tweets as @mlensheffer.

    Marguerite's Work

  • C. P. Etienne

    TREASURER

    Chanèl Etienne (she/her) earned her MFA from the University of New Orleans. She won first place in the graduate category of the Gulf Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers’ student competition in 2020 and was nominated for the AWP Intro Journals Project the following year. She received her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied English Language and Literature.

    Chanel's Work

  • Michelle Kelleher

    SECRETARY • DIR. OF EVENT COORDINATION

    Michelle Kelleher (she/her) is a speculative fiction/ horror writer and theater artist currently living in New Orleans, LA. With fifteen years of experience helping to tell stories as a Stage Manager and Lighting Designer in New York (where she’s from) and New Orleans (where she lives with her wife), Michelle is new to publication, but you can find her work in Cosmic Horror Monthly under M. Kelleher. You can follow Michelle on Twitter at @mizkelle.

  • Daphne Armbruster

    DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH

    Daphne is a writer and actress born and raised in New Orleans. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and her Bachelor of Science in Marketing at UNO. You’ll often spot her in a coffee shop working on her novel or in front of the camera on a film set. Hang out with her on Instagram @dapheyduck.

    Daphne's Work

  • Erin Donovan

    BOARD MEMBER

    Erin Donovan is a documentary film producer based in New Orleans. She is currently writing a horror novel about the film industry.

Maggie Sheffer

Chanèl Etienne

Greta Hayer

The Founders