"I teach 9th Grade World Literature at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, but I bring all of my previous professional experience to that role and to my tutoring. I was a college-level writing instructor for seven years. I worked as a tutor at the Writing Center at Southern Miss helping PhD candidates finalize their dissertations and grant-seekers secure funding. I spent five years as an advertising copywriter and creative director, helping national brands craft their messages. And I was a small business owner for five years where I handled all communication. But in all of that experience, my very favorite thing to do was to sit down one-on-one and work through a piece of writing with a student. That dedicated attention is where big improvements in writing happen.

I bring a practical, real-world approach to my tutoring in which I begin with the three most basic questions of classical rhetoric: What do you want to say and who are you saying it to? Those two questions are the starting point for well-considered writing. If we really understand who we're writing to, our message becomes personal, vivid, and effective. That awareness of the audience dictates everything from global considerations like tone, structure, and length to granular details like whether a joke (or a rambling, amusing parenthetical musing) are appropriate.

But it's not my job to make sure a writer is doing everything "right." It's my job to ask questions and help students reveal the best choices for themselves.

I look forward to working with you!" less...