The thing that nourishes poetry is not an ocean; it’s a very small mountain stream. —Derek Walcott
Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer. —Barbara Kingsolver

WORDS ARE MATTER. MAKE THEM MATTER.
OFFERING
I left institutionally-based teaching so that I could work with more diverse populations in informal, community-centered settings. Since I believe that most learning takes place outside the traditional classroom, I decided to bring the skills I’d honed to co-create emergent curriculum that resonates with the world we’re living in and asks the questions demanded of people who want to live responsibly, ethically, and compassionately within it. Through radical inquiry, critical thinking, and real-world learning, my students and I co-create a classroom without walls that welcomes all perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities as we collectively pose the big questions and attempt to figure out our small but significant place within them.

My mentorship, coaching, classes, public workshops, and learning circles blend writing, history, social justice, literature, politics, and media literacy. I adapt my offerings to the composition, experience, and general disposition of each setting and circumstance and hold sessions for children, teens, and adults alongside multigenerational gatherings. Regardless of age group, the animating spirit and intention remains the same: to provide a safe, encouraging, and dynamic space for reflection, inspiration, and connection.

BACKGROUND
My own education has been driven by a combination of self-directed and experiential learning, community organizing, and relationship-building. I attended a college in New York City modeled on individualized and interdisciplinary study, where students worked closely with faculty to craft a curriculum that reflected their intellectual interests and creative aspirations. I met mentors who nurtured my love for learning and worked in diverse environments and communities that expanded my awareness and deepened my involvement with the issues and communities that continue to motivate my life’s path. In graduate school, I continued to blend education and activism as I pursued more immersive research, writing, and teaching in the fields that captivated my interests: cultural studies, minority literature, community organizing, information ecology, liberation movements, and Black Studies.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
In my classes and workshops, we discuss different narrative elements and forms and approach writing with a creative instinct and critical eye. Genre experimentation, improvisational composition, and exemplary prose and poetry guide us on our literary journey. Our sessions are fun, engaging, and inspiring, and designed to help participants discover new vistas for self and creative expression.

For a roster of past and upcoming public workshops, please visit my Events page. Below is an example of one of my classes. Please contact me to learn about additional offerings.

WE ALL WRITE: CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Course description: The class’s emphasis is on building creative energy, confidence, and collaboration. It is open to youth of all levels, abilities, and backgrounds. We learn about and experiment with different styles and genres of writing, inform and stretch our perspectives on the world, discover new words and find our voices, and mutually grow as writers and individuals. I adapt assignments and class exercises to align with students’ interests and capabilities, while gently leading them to uncover new ideas and assets. We do some writing in class, but outside work is expected. My approach is supportive, co-creative, nimble, and strengths-based.
This class meets on Friday mornings in El Cerrito. I am a charter school vendor for Hickman, Valley View, Visions, and Vista Oaks.

Course themes and projects may include:
– Choose Your Own Adventure stories
– Wordless picture books
– Fairy tale retellings
– Cookbook/oral history project
– Media literacy + class newspaper
– Poetry
– Zine making
**Note: I typically wait until the class comes together to determine – with student input – what projects would work best for a given session.

MENTORSHIP
My mission is to inspire people to discover and nurture their passions and realize the joy and potency of creative expression. I bring immense energy, experience, and focus to this effort and apply a strengths-based approach to guide my work. I help both enthusiastic and reluctant writers find their unique voices across a variety of genres by channeling their interests, capabilities, and experiences to stimulate exploration and fluid expression. Blending alchemy, invention, craft, and artistry, we fire up our imaginations to fuel our creative pilgrimage.

Every writer’s orientation and process is unique. As I get to know clients on a deep level, I probe and gently stretch their horizons of interpretation and possibility. I neither prescribe nor subscribe to a one-size-fits-all regimen—my approach is thoroughly individualized and nimble.

Drawing upon my skills as a developmental editor, I ask questions to spur character development, shape plotlines, focus issues, crystallize angles of inquiry, and infuse your writing with the spirit of anticipation and discovery. I discuss and highlight conventional elements of literary craft and its intangibles, like confidence of voice and balance between exposition and revelation.

I steer writers toward creative flow in a gentle and gradual manner and customize my approach to align with each person’s abilities and apprehensions. To help less confident clients thrive, I demystify and break down the writing process with fun pre-writing discussion, exercises, and activities that flex and focus interpretive lenses. After pursuing these scenic byways, we return to the page together to activate and reflect awakened senses and fresh perspectives.
Writing is an exchange between impulsivity and deliberation, between flashes of insight and the layers of craft and revision. It is both art and craft: a balancing act that requires resolve, patience, and a healthy dose of alchemy. The dynamic exchange between inspiration, composition, and revision fuels creative experimentation and guides our collaboration. Throughout this process, I encourage people to explore their world with keen sensory awareness, an open heart, and a firm belief in the value of their vision.

At this time, I primarily offer support via zoom, phone, or email, but in-person meetings may also be a possibility, depending on location.

One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. —Andre Gide