A little about me …

I am a writer and an educator. I see these two roles as interconnected: the classes I teach inform my writing, and my writing is informed by the classes I teach.

I'm a personal essayist and journalist. You can find my work in PBS, Nieman Storyboard, IndyWeek and South of the Garden. My personal essays have placed in the Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition as well as the RCWMS Annual Essay Contest. In 2022 I was named an Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artist by the Durham Arts Council and my work has received fellowships and support from the Norman Mailer Center and the Durham Arts Council. I'm the creator of Creatives in Conversation, an interview series that spotlights North Carolina artists discussing the creative process. I'm currently working on a memoir.

I'm a creative writing instructor. I earned an undergraduate degree in English from Duke University, an MFA in creative nonfiction from The New School and a Graduate Certificate in Publishing from the Denver Publishing Institute. I have a great deal of experience teaching writers who are working on memoirs, personal essays or other types of creative nonfiction. I’m skilled at asking the right questions to unlock a new layer of understanding, locating the heart of your story, infusing play and ease into workshop, and providing feedback in a way that honors the vulnerability of the writing process. I instruct an ongoing writing critique group independently and also teach classes locally and on zoom. Since 2016 I have also been teaching creative writing to adults in nontraditional spaces, such as the Durham County Library, the Durham Arts Council and the Osher Lifelong Learning Center (OLLI) at Duke University. Check out my offerings here.

“Allison was skilled in articulating strengths and offered suggestions for improvement that were useful. Allison creates an atmosphere in class that encourages all to take risks, have fun, and write well.” ”
— Carolyn Stuart


I was born with an upper limb difference, so I work hard to make sure disabled voices are not only included but centered, and advocate against the systemic barriers that keep disabled writers from making art and being heard. In response to my time in an MFA program, I'm consistently refining a social justice informed and trauma informed workshop model that I believe supports both disabled and non-disabled writers better than the traditional MFA workshop.

I think one of the best things a writer can do to set themselves up for success in a writing class is to work with people they can learn from. To learn a little bit more about how I approach teaching writing, check out “Can Writing Be Taught?” 

You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram or subscribe to my mailing list below.

Apologies for the excessive flower content, I just can’t get over the abundance in our rose garden this spring. At the risk of sounding very corny, I hope you’re finding time to stop and smell the roses. (It’s kind of integral to
Talking shop with the local members of the Monday Night Writers on this cool spring morning was nourishing and fun. Making art under capitalism, collecting books vs reading them, writing about music and recognizing the power of the “ordinary&rd
If you're a writer of fiction or nonfiction who has been following my Instagram account and thinking that you'd like to join this creative community I am building, here's a reminder that I am hosting two Open Houses on May 16th. These Open Houses a
The first roses in our garden bloomed this week and more are on the way! We planted this rose garden last April and since it was our first time planting roses we had no idea if we’d know how to care for them through the winter months. And roses
Today is #indepentbookstoreday! Independent bookstores make communities more vibrant and curious and interesting. They are places to find knowledge, community and stoke the imagination. They are places we often take for granted — but wow do the
I'm excited to make more art in 2023 and beyond! I’m holding both a Zoom and in-person Open House on Tuesday May 16th, 2023 for writers who would like to know more about: - my writing community - The classes I teach - The writing critique gro
Some people call them writing groups. They are also known as critique groups, or workshop groups. Whatever you may call them, writing groups are one of the best ways to tend to your own writing practice over time. April’s #newsletter is all abo
Saturday night was such a celebration, as several current and former members of the Monday Night Writers gathered to support Caroline Porter as she read from her work alongside poet Ina Cariño and writer Daniel Wallace. Thanks to @bullcitypr