A young woman with light brown hair pulled back, wearing a dark gray textured sweater and a necklace, smiles slightly while posing against a plain light gray background, reflecting the confidence of Pen America membership.

Aleah Gatto

Manager, Membership Engagement

Aleah Gatto is the former membership engagement manager at PEN America where she leads outreach and engagement projects that aim to diversify and strengthen the organization’s membership community. 

A Phi Beta Kappa scholar, Gatto graduated from The University of Vermont in 2019, earning a double degree in Italian and English with a concentration in Writing. In 2020, Gatto served as an AmeriCorps member at the Community Technology Empowerment Project in Minnesota, where she worked to bridge the digital divide by teaching digital literacy workshops, co-organizing a disability arts festival, and contributing to a community needs assessment report that tracked how the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated inequity in digital literacy and access to digital resources across the state.

From introspective editorials, to research reports, to interviews of renowned and debut authors, Gatto aims to elevate traditionally underrepresented voices and investigate the intersections of humanity, nature, and time. Her works of poetry and prose have been published in Aerie International MagazineApprentice WriterJet Fuel Review, and Orange Island Arts. Her editorials and interviews have been published in il messaggioThe Cynic, and Full Stop. 

Recent Interviews


Articles by Aleah Gatto

A woman wearing a coral sleeveless top, beaded necklace, and hoop earrings smiles outdoors, with a lush green forest and snow-capped mountains in the background.
MembershipWriters
Wednesday June 18

Finance for Artists: Uchechi Kalu on the Stories We Tell About Money

We need to ask these questions because the secrecy of how money actually works with artists is to the detriment of artists. 

A man with gray hair and glasses wears a plaid jacket and poses against a brown background. Beside him is the colorful book cover for Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia, featuring illustrated faces and various scenes.
Membership
Wednesday May 21

Federico Erebia: Encouraging Underrepresented Voices in Children’s Literature

Critical success like starred reviews, awards, and other commendations aren’t enough to combat censorship in all its forms.

A person with short hair, glasses, and a hand resting on their chin is shown next to the book cover for So Many Stars by Caro de Robertis. The book highlights trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit people of color.
Writing as Craft
Thursday May 8

‘We Exist’: Caro De Robertis’ New Book Is a Collection of Oral Histories of 20 Gender-Diverse Elders

There are many ways to be afraid right now; there are also many ways to connect, to fortify ourselves, to affirm community, affirm who we are.