Writing classes are great way to hone your skills and meet other writers, but writing classes are typically designed for groups. Everyone in a writing class gets the same reading assignments and the same prompts; meanwhile, the instructor’s attention is divided among a dozen or so students, which often limits the amount of feedback each student can receive.

Poetry coaching is designed around you. You’ll get extensive feedback on each set of pages you turn in. I’ll also give you unique reading and writing assignments based on your needs, skills, goals, and interests.  

Poetry coaching is a good alternative to a writing class for some poets (especially sensitive and introverted types or those who can’t find a class that fits their schedule). If you’ve already got a writing group or class that you love, poetry coaching can be a nice addition—like ice-cream on pie.

A typical editor focuses on improving a piece of writing, usually with the goal of preparing it for publication. They often request or require specific changes to the text. Editors help writers identify and fix weaknesses or problems in piece of writing; they can also help writers expand or amplify strengths. But editors’ main concern is the text itself.

As a poetry coach, I’m focused on your growth as a writer, as well as on the poems themselves. I believe that my first task is always to listen to your poems—and to help you hear what they have to say and how they are saying it. My feedback is intended to help you see where and how your poems are already thriving, and also where and how you can strengthen them. When I suggest line edits, my purpose is to help you explore possibilities for revision, not to dictate changes. I also offer questions and prompts to inspire new work.

I have two graduate degrees in creative writing: an MFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a PhD from the University of Utah. I’ve taught college-level creative writing classes, led virtual writing workshops for adults, and worked for a number of literary journals and magazine. I’m also the author of two full-length collections and three chapbooks; my work has appeared in TriQuarterly, Pembroke Magazine, The Cincinnati Review, Craft, Poet Lore, and other journals. I draw on experiences from both sides of the editor’s desk in order to educate and guide poets as they draft, revise, and send out their work.

I am not a publisher. Nor do I have any experience with or expertise in self-publishing. I often help writers revise their work and increase their odds of being accepted for publication. I also point writers towards publications that will likely be a good fit for their work. While I can’t promise that my coaching will get your work published, many writers that I’ve coached have seen an uptick in poems accepted for publication in literary journals—and some have even had books accepted for publication.

Other writers I’ve worked with have chosen to self-publish. I believe in supporting writers’ freedom to make decisions that feel right for their work and their lives.

My clients are some of the most thoughtful and dedicated writers I’ve ever met; they understand the transformative power of creative work and they know writing is a process, not just a product. Some of my clients are well-published and others are seeking their first publication, but they are all committed to deepening their works-in-progress. It’s an honor to work with each and every one of them.

I keep things simple. We’ll use email to send work back and forth; you can share your poems in a Word doc or Google doc. I host coaching calls on Zoom.

To help writers from all walks of life, I offer a “pay what you can” window each year. I also offer some seasonal discounts on manuscript and journal submit coaching packages. Subscribing to field notes is the best way to hear about these opportunities.