About Savanna

Savanna Williams is a senior at Indiana University Indianapolis, pursuing her BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Communication Studies. She's contributed to IUI's genesis Literary & Art Magazine since 2023. From starting as an apprentice, she's now a Managing Editor. Throughout her time on the staff, she's copyedited two issues of both gensis and The Central & Southern Indiana Scholastic Anthologies. As a Managing Editor, she has designed and led the publication of genesis Vo. 55 and the 2026 Scholastic Anthology.

Outside of her editorial work, Savanna has four poems published; one in genesis and three in Butler University's Manuscripts. In her writing, Savanna's creative works dive into perceptions of grief, and her literary analyses have centered on numerous works of Southern Gothic fiction and film-related essays. As of late, she's delved into mixed-media art and research projects in communication studies.

She takes great pride in her event planning, as she staged multiple genesis release parties and IUI Student Readings. Savanna curates engaging social media posts for genesis, bringing in over 18,000 monthly engagements. Here, her passions work alongside each other: editing, communication, and social media management. These are fields she's aiming to continue in post-graduation.

Testimonials

Dr. Katherine Tartaglia, Teachings in Film

I am delighted to write a testimonial for Savanna Williams, an exceptional scholar I had the pleasure of working with at Indiana University Indianapolis. Savanna was a student in my ‘Genre Studies: The Horror Film’ course in the Spring of 2024, and she’s currently in my ‘Introduction to Film’ course. Since meeting her, I’ve been impressed with Savanna’s dedication, creativity, and collegiality.

Savanna’s creativity was immediately evident in her analyses and writing for ‘The Horror Film.’ For the smallest assignments, she paid close attention to detail and wrote clear and compelling responses. She was quick to pick up on terminology—which she was unfamiliar with upon entering the course—and grew to expertly apply analytical skills in a variety of ways. It’s not often you see someone pick up these skills as quickly as Savanna did. Although I was happy to hear she had decided to obtain a Film minor, it didn’t surprise me in the least.

Her writing in the classroom continues to engage, as I saw the very first week of ‘Introduction to Film.’ Not only did she introduce herself to the class with style and charm; but her voice also struck me as an important one for our online, asynchronous community. She jumped right in, introduced herself and fully engaged in dialogue with her classmates, going above and beyond the requirements, in fact, in an effort to truly get to know her peers.

Savanna is a bright and artistic individual as well as a wonderful human being. She is sure to leave a mark wherever she lands. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns—I’m happy to continue singing Savanna’s praises.

Bailey Evans, Mentor in genesis

I met Savanna Williams as both a peer and a colleague in the Fall of 2023. As I interacted with her, I came to see how compassionate and creative she is both as a scholar but also as an editor.

Savanna’s dedication to her writing, and her openness to critique, is that of someone who has a clear passion for craft. I have witnessed her set aside time to rewrite entire fiction pieces in order to highlight the feedback she received in workshops simply because she wants her work to be the absolute best it can be. She also was always open with her own commentary in class discussions to help her fellow students.

Her dedication to the art of writing carried over flawlessly into her work as a Senior Editor for Indiana University Indianapolis’ literary and art magazine, genesis. Savanna is prepared for every meeting and works tirelessly behind the scenes to help with miscellaneous tasks, such as maintaining the genesis social media accounts and communicating with student contributors. She is currently being trained to take over as a Managing Editor for the magazine once I graduate and I know she’ll do an outstanding job.

I am lucky to work with Savanna and I look forward to seeing her continued success.