I teach creative writing.

I offer personalized writing lessons and coaching.

All genres welcome.

I work with tweens, teens, and adults.

I also offer occasional poetry writing sessions and workshops.

In Fall 2026, I’m offering college application assistance as a writing coach and developmental editor. (Click “Learn More” for details!)

Meet online or in person. My office is in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Click below to see my current offerings…

Learn more

I have taught writing for nearly two decades.

I’ve taught undergrads at the University of Iowa, middle and high school students at Castilleja School, and kids of all ages via Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies. My work for Stanford took me around the globe; I’ve taught poetry, fiction, and essay writing workshops in South Korea, Chile, Singapore, India, Thailand, and Kazakhstan.

I enjoyed eight immaculate summers working for Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, where I mentored young writers and helped to create a number of camp traditions that continue to this day. (I’m very proud of Question Hole.) I went on to design IYWS’s first online poetry course, Sensory Overload: Poetic Perception and Poetic Technique.

I love teaching because I love to play. I believe in the seriousness of my students, even while we’re playing.

Above: Teaching in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2019; IYWS group photo; Question Hole; my likeness, as rendered by students; and a little COVID flashback to that time I made the Castilleja yearbook.

Classes and private lessons

Click here to sign up

  • What sets me apart: I’m a poet and teacher who approaches college application essays with confidence, decisiveness, and imagination.

    • I have nearly two decades of experience guiding students through the college application essay writing process. You get the benefit of my work as a writing coach, my expertise in working with adolescents, and my creative vision as a writer.

    • My goal is to take a daunting task and make it streamlined and manageable.

    • My hope is that my clients come away from the process feeling like they’ve learned something valuable about themselves and about the writing process.

    • Contact me for rates!

  • One-on-one lessons in any genre. I tailor readings, assignments, and goals to your own strengths and needs. This is a fantastic option for students who are looking for personal guidance and a level of attention that simply isn’t possible in a group class.

    Email me for rates.

Above: My San Francisco office.