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 Sheffer’s debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, won the 2024 Iowa Short Fiction Award. Her stories appear in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Epiphany, The Adroit Journal, The Offing, Smokelong Quarterly, and The Cosmic Background, among other magazines. You can find her online @mlensheffer and at www.margueritesheffer.com.

    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 Armbruster is an emerging writer native to New Orleans. Her work revolves around girlhood and gayhood—the glamour, grit, guilt, and joy of queer life. Along with writing, she is an actress involved in the local theatre and film scenes. Find 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.

  • Elizabeth Prats

    BOARD MEMBER

    Elizabeth Prats is a Cuban-American writer, illustrator, and marketing pro. A former literary agency reader and book publicist turned Senior Account Director at an award-winning communications agency, she writes middle grade and young adult fiction featuring epic adventures and fierce Latina heroines. Based in New Orleans with her two cats, Elizabeth finds inspiration strolling the French Quarter with an iced latte or savoring jamón ibérico on Spain’s coast. Find her at @artlizified on Instagram, and @lizified on BlueSky.

    Elizabeth's Work

Maggie Sheffer

Chanèl Etienne

Greta Hayer

The Founders