“Write the weird thing. We often get discouraged when people can’t see our vision, but it’s not for them to see; not initially. We have to trust our gut to paint the full picture, often in the dark of others’ approval.” -Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton

“I’m most excited about being in a collective space where we can empower one another. We’ll be discussing craft and techniques and doing writing prompts, of course, but what I love most about this course is that it’s meant to also help you overcome the mental hurdles that come with starting and finishing something.” -Natalia Sylvester

“I feel really alive in poetry while I am teaching workshops, so I’m eager to be in this creative space with the writers in my group. The world can be noisy and hard. Poetry is a way to come together during that and still lean into our humanity and our hope.” -Sasha West

“The gap between my aspirations and my abilities is wide, and yet, my why helps me return to the page, even when I don’t feel otherwise motivated or I don’t get my work published when I want.” -Charlotte Gullick

“I love revision. It feels really magical when I see my manuscript getting better, when things are clicking into place and I’m getting closer to a finished product I’m really proud of. But it’s not magic. It’s work that can make it look, at the end, like it didn’t take much effort at all and the words came out exactly as they were meant to be.” -Chaitali Sen

“We all — no matter who we are — grow up being told that we are not allowed to say X or Y, we’re not allowed to speak of it, and certainly not to write it. But what happens when this thing, this “it,” is what makes us who we are? What happens when it belongs entirely to us, but (we have been led to believe) might bring shame to others? Who has the right to tell our stories?” -Elissa Altman

“I have found, again and again, that when students are stuck in their works-in-progress, discouraged about how to proceed, and thinking of giving up, a return to the basics–structure, character, scene–inspires and invigorates them.” -Amy Gentry

“I love teaching classes that demystify revision so that writers can feel more at ease with the process and learn new jumping off points for engaging with their own work.” -Stacey Swann

“All of us are constantly changing and growing, but in nonfiction, and especially in memoir, there’s always that first principle of telling the truth.” -Rachel Starnes

“The chance to go more deeply into a process or topic for twelve hours over four weeks, and develop relationships over a whole month, at a very reasonable price, is invaluable.” -Chaitali Sen