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.

For twelve years, I taught youth ages 11–22 in public and private schools, colleges, and universities. I left institutionally-based educational settings because I wanted to work with more diverse populations in informal, community-centered spaces. 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 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.

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.

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 for Young People

In this class we build creative energy, confidence, and collaboration. 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. My approach is supportive, co-creative, nimble, and strengths-based, and I welcome youth of all levels, abilities, and backgrounds. We meet Friday mornings in El Cerrito. I am a charter school vendor for Hickman, Valley View, Visions, and Vista Oaks.

Course themes and projects include:

• Choose Your Own Adventure stories
• Wordless picture books
• Fairy tale retellings
• Cookbook/oral history
• Media literacy + class newspaper
• Poetry
• Zines

Mentorship

I inspire people to discover and nurture their passions and realize the joy and potency of creative expression and social action. 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. I guide nascent and veteran activists alike toward strategic platforms and possibilities that resonate with their passions and politics.

Every writer’s orientation and process is unique, and a blend of alchemy, invention, craft, and artistry. 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. To help less confident clients thrive, I demystify and break down the writing process with discussion, exercises, and activities that flex and focus interpretive lenses.

Like writing, activism is an exchange between impulsivity and deliberation, between flashes of insight and layers of revision. It is both art and craft: a dynamic exchange between inspiration, composition, and calibration. As a budding activist, it can be challenging to know where to start or how to focus; I help people identify the inroads and avenues to best support their efforts. The policy landscape is incredibly fluid—even longtime activists can experience fatigue, disorientation, and disillusionment. I strive to restore balance and vitality by simultaneously tunneling toward their experiences and digging out from underneath them. Together, we mine the taproot of their passion and the horizon of its potential against the backdrop of the contemporary political and social environment. I am skilled at mentoring grassroots community activists as well as those involved in state, federal, and global advocacy.

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