Join Cesar Bustamante, Cameron Roberson, Meghan McNamara, Bradley Robert Parks and Sondra Fink to discuss "Constellations:" an exciting partnership between The Octavia Project and Kaleidocast to provide paid publishing opportunities to Brooklyn youth, furthering their shared aim of supporting the development of speculative fiction writers. 

Will you help us reach 100 Patreon subscribers?

Through this partnership, Kaleidocast, a podcast that showcases emerging and established speculative fiction writers, will offer mentorship opportunities and other resources to alumni of the Octavia Project, an organization that provides free programming and leadership development to young women and trans and nonbinary youth in Brooklyn, New York. As we launch a new season of episodes, Kaleidocast will offer Octavia Project alumni a path to paid publication and mentorship from select, professional Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers, as well as donate a month’s worth of income to the Octavia Project.

Join the Kaleidocast producers for a deep dive on the Octavia Project, the Kaleidocast, and why and how you can support this unique collaboration!

The Octavia Project uses speculative fiction as a lens through which to envision new futures and greater possibilities for our world. Our free programs for teens and tweens in Brooklyn blend creative writing, art, science, and technology, to increase confidence and build skills in a myriad of subjects while fostering leadership and community. Learn more at octaviaproject.org.

Kaleidocast is an audio literary magazine produced by the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers network. The Mission of the Kaleidocast is to showcase new voices in speculative fiction alongside stories from today’s top writers.  It was created to improve the writing of the nearly 180 active Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers members by motivating them towards a tangible goal: Write at a professional level. Listen and learn more at kaleidocast.nyc.

Cesar Bustamante Jr. (pronounced Ses-zar) is a board member of the Deadline Club, NYC Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists. He is a Filipino from Queens and a former media monitoring manager at South West News Service’s 72Point Inc. Prior to that he was at the New York Daily News for three years, moving up the ranks of part-time producer to digital content editor. CUNY J-School alum, comic book nerd and journalism proponent, he was once told that he “exude(s) geeky competence” and has been adding that in his bios ever since.

Meghan McNamara, Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Octavia Project, has over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and education. Previously, Meghan was director of programs at Girls Write Now, a nationally-recognized writing and mentoring program for NYC high school girls. After that, Meghan taught science, math, and writing to adults pursuing their high school equivalency diplomas in the Bronx and Manhattan. In this capacity she developed and taught science curriculums that built STEM literacy and confidence in adult learners, which she presented regionally and nationally. Meghan has also taught video game design to middle school students in Brooklyn and raised funds for educational initiatives in India. When she’s not working on the Octavia Project, you can find her reading science fiction, riding her bike around Brooklyn, or playing board games.

Cameron Roberson, who writes under the pen name Rob Cameron, is a teacher, linguist, and writer.  He has poetry, stories, and essays, in Star*Line, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Foreign Policy Magazine, Tor.com,  New Modality, Solarpunk Magazine, Clockwork Phoenix Five, and others. His debut middle grade novel Daydreamer is forthcoming from Labyrinth Road, Summer '24. Rob is also lead organizer for the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers and executive producer of Kaleidocast.nyc.

Bradley Robert Parks lives and writes in Brooklyn, NY, where he founded the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers (BSFWriters.com). He found his passion for writing while growing up in a family of genre readers. While he's been pursuing writing for a while, the crazy energy of New York City and the incredible talent attracted by BSFW have given him the focus and motivation to finally get published. His fiction has appeared on BuzzyMag.com, in the Queer Sci-Fi flash fiction anthologies Ink and Impact, and in the Kaleidocast podcast, where he is also (full disclosure) a host and editor. Along with these achievements, he's obtained one husband, Michael, and two cats, Mr. Darcy and Miss Georgie. Keep up with his exploits at BradleyRobertParks.com.

Sondra Fink is a writer and holistic skincare small business professional whose written work appears posturemag.com and

brooklynherborium.com. Her first work of fiction, "The Verge of Utopia", appeared on Season 3 of the Kaleidocast. She is an organizing member of the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers, and querying her YA fantasy-adventure debut novel, The Gift Giver.

Support "Constellations," Octavia Project's Collaboration with Kaleidocast.nyc