Teaching
Teaching poetry involves more than just discussing craft elements or deploying a particular critical lens; it is also about challenging how we write and read and think. For me, teaching is a creative experience in and of itself. I aim to create an atmosphere in which students feel welcome, challenged, and inspired.
Prior to launching Left Margin LIT, I served for nine years as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Creative Writing in UNC Greensboro’s Creative Writing MFA Program. I primarily taught graduate and undergraduate poetry classes and chaired dozens of thesis committees. I have also taught creative writing workshops at UNC Chapel Hill, San Francisco State, the University of San Francisco, Stanford University, and the Gilman School in Baltimore.
My scholarly interests include lyric poetry, the structure of verse, satire, literary criticism, nature writing, contemporary American poetry, and the intersection of poetry and technology.
In 2024 I began teaching poetry classes at Google’s Arts@Google program. If my schedule allows it, I also occasionally work with writers one-on-one.
Contact me directly if you’re interested in having me teach a writing class at your university, writing organization, or community.
