Featured Online Writing Class

This class was just what I needed! I enjoyed all of the reading and assignments, and feel reinvigorated and inspired to write. The instructor provided excellent feedback throughout the course, and went above and beyond by providing additional materials and resources to help us as a group, and individually. You can tell that she really cares about her students, and will do whatever she can to help them succeed. I highly recommend this class or anything else offered by Leah. It was a positive experience in every way. – Marcia P.

What an enjoyable, stimulating way to learn and develop writing skills with a wonderful instructor and inspired poet. Leah Kaminski had the right personality and enthusiasm and knowledge for this class and put a lot of thought into how class materials were presented; they were extraordinary—not only in ways to approach different forms in poetry, but also backed-up by great examples from a wealth of poets. After each session we received follow-up materials and previews of our next session, which continued to engage us until we met again. Here’s hoping we do meet again! – Pmfrank

Leah has been a great influence in my writing career and has taught me to explore creativity and find joy in writing. I am very honored to have had Leah be amongst my first college professors; she inspired me to see writing as a form of art. My past experiences with writing felt like playing Tetris, a task I absolutely hated. Leah gave us a space to practice. It was a space for judge-free and expressive writing, and a constructive space to learn and improve. I found her teaching technique to be rigorous yet extremely helpful. She pushed and encouraged us to do our best on writing projects, giving us the essential tools to learn and to figure out our strengths and weaknesses. The lasting impact on me was seeing how much faith she had in my capacity to grow as a writer. Leah motivates her students to learn how to think, rather than just what to write. Writing is a form of storytelling; an author’s body language is their rhetoric and with the right tools, these words begin to talk and dance. I am thankful for Leah and her passion to truly help and care for her students. – Sharon M.

Leah’s magic as a teacher is in how she helped me develop confidence in writing and reshaped my dreams. Leah’s first magical act was that she encouraged me to explore any writing style I was passionate about. Although a creative genre such as literary journalism or poetry in a second language was challenging for me, Leah was extremely supportive. She showed me how to control my writing and helped me build up the mindset of progressive revision: although I cannot write the best piece, I can always revise it towards perfection. Having this idea in mind, I was not intimidated by writing anymore. Leah helped me rediscover my interest in writing itself. Our discussion on various topics, from writing an efficient personal statement to appreciating the beauty of a poem, was the best experience in my undergraduate career. Now, besides continuing to do basic research in biology, I have also decided to become a scientific writer who can explain research findings to a broader audience in a concise and fun way. I hope that through this work I can show people how fascinating biology is, and at the same time, develop a life-long interest in creative writing. The best teaching is to inspire someone with her passion and expertise, which is what Leah and her magic have demonstrated to me. – Weiyi T.

The way Professor Kaminski taught this class was outstanding. She gives students opportunities for critical thinking by encouraging us to ask questions, to exchange ideas with her, and shape both our opinions and hers. She is such a humble and wonderful person that I enjoyed being the person to start debates in class. And every time, she listened to me patiently and never told me if I was wrong or right, but instead, challenged and communicated with me. – Yue G.

I first came to know Leah as a colleague in my MFA workshop, where I grew to value her vast knowledge of literature as well as her deeply informed and sensitive critiques. Leah’s comments have greatly improved both my individual pieces of writing and book-length manuscripts. I have also had the good fortune to be able to observe Leah teach writing classes in order to learn from her teaching practice. Leah offers a combination of personal creative vision and unique attention/empathy to individuals that makes her a truly great creative writing teacher. She also brings an inspiring sense of fun and invention to writing that will inspire those who have the chance to work with her. – Rachel H., poet and editor