As a teacher, I’ve worked with hundreds of adult and youth students.

I’ve explored many writing forms, genres and audiences for writing. I’ve learned from and have been guided by brilliant teachers.

I bring rigorous study and reflection to my teaching:

• Relationships with stories and listening to deepen my exploration of who I am and where I’m from, 

• Lifetime of being a writer, adapting form and formats to audience and purpose,

• Varied teaching experiences in collaboration with teachers (teacher professional development in partnership with many school districts, various art form connections with core curriculum),

• Reflective practices to build my capacity to engage with curiosity and compassion: Movement, Close observation of the world and self, Laughter (non-judgement of self, experiencing joy and gratitude), Writing, Photography, Canoeing, Visual art, Making Stuff, and Writing Circle. If I were a runner I would list it here. Most activities can be reflective. Our relationship to the activity matters. Engagement matters.

Hundreds of women and men and bi-gendered and trans-gendered humans inspire this work. I hold learning experiences I remember when writing longhand or walking a long journey.

1. It's important to acknowledge those who've broken the trail

2. Transparency is valuable.

A student of mine might benefit from knowing which teachers influenced me. Here is a short list of workshop leaders/mentors/teachers who have influenced me through a direct experience (beyond reading their books/essays/poetry):

• Frances Weller, Entering the Healing Ground

• Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart and How we Live is How we Die

• Margaret Wheatley, Warrior for the Human Spirit

• Neil Theise, Notes on Complexity, A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness and Being

• Cherie Huber, There is Nothing Wrong with You

• Marko Prognacik, on elemental beings

• Laraine Herring, On Grief and writing

• Janice Lee, On Ritual in writing and in life

• Natalie Goldberg, On the Zen of Writing and Writing practice

• Caterina Edwards, On Life and Writing

• Tess Callahan, On Life, Meditation, and writing tension-filled scenes

• Rebecca Makkai, on writing and craft lessons

• Gayle Brandeis, on writing and embodiment and compassion

• Lydia Yuknavitch, on writing and embodiment and multi-voices

• Patricia Smith, on writing and appropriation of voice

• George Saunders, on writing and chekov

• Mary Karr, on writing and memoir

• Cheryl Strayed, on writing and courage

• Pam Houston, on writing and presence and no bullshit

• Steve Almond, on writing and patience

• Al Heathcock, on writing and voice and aesthetic awareness

• Sunil Yapa, on writing and character desire

• Peter Mountford, on writing and the rigour of the work