“To discipline something, in the proper sense of the word, does not mean to repress it, but to train it – to encourage it to grow, and act, and be fruitful, whether it is a peach tree or a human mind.”
Ursula Le Guin
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Seminar Style Discussion Classes for Serious Readers ​

A series of facilitated discussion courses for anyone who craves the chance to read diverse and compelling texts and then to converse deeply on the ideas, philosophies, and cultural assumptions inherent within. This is not a lecture course. Your instructors - long-time faculty members of the renowned Collegiate Seminar Program at Saint Mary's College of California - will facilitate honest, open, and respectful discussions on a wide array of topics and texts. Never mind consensus or resounding agreement. Our goal is to gain a greater, more expansive and generous understanding of history, of ourselves as human beings, and of the living and nonliving world of which we are part.  

Click HERE to discover upcoming classes and to propose topics for study and discussion.   

"Talk Story" Consultations
​and Coaching 

Talk story is a method I use to help writers discover and to deepen story and to overcome blocks.  It's a simple, effective, and collaborative process that combines storytelling and deep listening, and is useful at any time in the writing process. Sometimes, to hear your story clearly, you must be heard. All are welcome. 

In addition to "Talk Story" consultations, I offer coaching for writers of all stripes, from high school students tackling the dreaded college essay, to professional writers working on book length projects. Rates vary. 

Finally, I offer query letter coaching for anyone preparing to submit to a literary agent or editor.  

Please inquire here to learn more about any of these opportunities. 

AMCA Reading Series 

Next up: August 8th at 4:00PM (pac) a reading and benefit for Mutual Aid Myanmar with Maw Shein Win, featuring Kenneth Wong. Click HERE to register. ​

 Writing Workshops
(coming soon)​

 Craft Workshops offer writers the opportunity to study the craft of writing, and then apply what they learn to their own work. Classes range from one to two hour (drop in) sessions to six week sessions. 

Monthly Manuscript Workshops allow writers to critique, share, and receive feedback on their manuscripts from dedicated and respectful peers, under the guidance of a professional writer. 

Weekly Generative Writing Workshops are designed to inspire new projects, and to broaden, deepen, and clarify works already in-progress. 

Click HERE to for a schedule of upcoming workshops. Space limited.  

 Fees 
This community welcomes people of all races, religions, genders, ethnicities, and economic circumstance.  And, yes, all genres! 

A Few Essays On Writing 


​​"Into The Lake"

"Writing as Laborious Play"

"The Tourist, the Expat, and the Native: A Traveler’s Approach to Crafting Historical Fiction"
Alta Mesa Writers is part of the Alta Mesa Center For the Arts, an interfaith arts hub, housed and sponsored by Orinda Community Church.