Author of High Priestess of the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Disobedience and Sobriety

CHRISTY TENDING

"I came to the Academy really wanting to hone my skills and to learn from luminaries in their field. I wanted to think deeply about the mechanics of my writing, on a craft level, and also to start thinking of myself as a professional within the writing world. Not just to write in a vacuum, but in conversation with others, and in a way where others might also read my work.

And my expectations were wildly exceeded. Not only did I gain so many real, tangible skills I’ll use again and again (Index cards! Research! A book proposal!), but what I really got from the Academy was an ability to take myself and my writing seriously—to see myself as someone whose story was worth sharing. The book I’ve written wouldn’t exist without my learning to see myself in that way."

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