Meet our talented family of teachers—each an accomplished writer and trustworthy guide. Leaf through our faculty bios, profiles, book excerpts, and writing advice articles. You’ll like the people you meet.
Rachel Simon

Faculty Profile

Meet Rachel Simon

“Pickleball became a big pandemic pastime.” That’s what Gotham teacher Rachel Simon found, anyways. For Rachel—the Deputy Editor of Hello Giggles and a freelance writer for publications including the New York Times, Glamour, and Vulture—writing is about finding the unexpected connections. “The first story I wrote in the pandemic, which was for the New York Times, was about pickleball.

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Teresa Wong

Faculty Profile

Meet Teresa Wong

“I didn’t pick up a pencil or anything until I had kids,” says Gotham teacher Teresa Wong. “No child is going to let you sit there and write for even twenty minutes. But drawing, kids can sit alongside you or they can watch you and be interested.”

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The teacher has the unique ability to make everyone feel like they can succeed. She inspired me every session to work harder and believe that with a lot of practice and a little luck I could make it as a writer.

Lana Cohen, journalist

Faculty Excerpts

<em>I Am "Why Do I Need Venmo?" Years Old</em>

I Am "Why Do I Need Venmo?" Years Old

Janine Annett

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<em><strong>The Root of Everything & Lightning</strong></em><em></em>

The Root of Everything & Lightning

Scott Alexander Hess
Excerpt from Lightning Arkansas, 1918Chapter 9 I didn’t know nothing about a proper burying in the earth. Still it had to be done. I fetched an old shovel and a pitchfork from the barn cause that’s all we had. I...
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Faculty Articles

Robert Repino

Consequences in a Science Fiction or Fantasy Series

Robert Repino
Like most sentient creatures, I’m a fan of the John Wick movies. The magnetic anti-hero and the simple revenge plot have sustained my interest for three movies and counting. Somehow, the series has avoided the same mediocrity and self-parody that...
Josh Sippie

Opening Lines As First Impressions

Josh Sippie
It’s hard to argue that the whole “you only get one chance to make a first impression” logic doesn’t also apply to writing. The first line of a narrative is the first foray into the voice of the author, the...