Amy Smith
PhD, English, Penn State, 1998
BA, Music, West Virginia University, 1986
Teaching writing is my passion 鈥� and I love to see students excited about the work they produce. My freshman writing course theme is Animal Advocacy. Students write persuasive editorials on topics of their choice and they produce documents for use by real nonprofit organizations such as animal rescue facilities, shelters and wildlife advocacy groups.
In Professional Communications, students also find a real client for their documents鈥攕o they gain practical writing experience and valuable material for their resumes.
For my Editing and Publishing class, students learn how the publishing world works and select a semester-long writing project such as a novel, marketing for a published author or an editorial series for Pacific鈥檚 newspaper, The Pacifican.
In Creative Nonfiction, students focus on how to tell their own stories effectively via nonfiction genres such as memoir, travel writing and website content.
I also enjoy teaching Writing and Publishing Your Novel for Pacific鈥檚 Summer High School Institute!
I鈥檓 a publishing author who also loves helping other people tell their own stories. My most recent project was as content/process editor for by Billie Hansen Dupree, a deeply moving novel that explores the challenges faced by an African-American veteran returning to the Central Valley after his service in WW2.
Nonfiction is a passion of mine as well, and I served as content/process editor for .
I shared my own adventures (and misadventures!) traveling a year in Latin America in .
I鈥檓 currently at work on poetry about the struggles of veterans returning to civilian life as well as short stories and creative nonfiction works on my hands-on experiences with animal advocacy.
I love to pass on everything I learn to students who constantly inspire my own work.
