"Dear Students and Parents,

When I was in school, I had favorite teachers. They weren't merely the ones who were funny and nice; they were the ones who engaged me, enthralled me and taught me lessons and skills that I use and benefit from today.

English -- or, really, anything involving reading, writing and communicating -- was and continues to be my true love. Having taught creative writing for years, as well as worked successfully with students on their application essays for college and graduate school, I have the experience to teach anyone how to write more persuasively, correctly and compellingly.

I earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell and a master's from the University of Michigan. When I'm not not teaching and editing student writing, I write arts journalism and poetry. My journalism has most recently appeared in The Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Jewish Daily Forward, Albany Times Union, and more. My poetry's most recently appeared in the Harvard Review Online, Rattle, The Common, Prairie Schooner and North American Review, among others.

Students willing to work on and grow their English composition, comprehension and grammar skills can improve their results, and I'd be happy to help them do so.

Please note: I focus on building students' skills, not egos. I believe students do best when we teach them how to succeed, rather than suggesting that they will -- or should -- always feel comfortable on the path to growth." less...